Iris, A Review @KyleReardon

Tea and Book was first created so I could introduce you all to new writers. Over the three plus years it has been in existence, I have been thrilled to introduce you to some really excellent authors. Today, I am going to do it again. And this time, it's a brand new format for us! 

Author Kyle Reardon is bringing us the first part of his brand new comic book, Iris. 

Iris addresses some issues that we may soon have to deal with..

BLURB: IRIS BRECKENRIDGE, gold medal Winter Olympic athlete, has met an early and tragic end. A science and technology firm, BIOSTRONOMY, resurrects her by filling her body with nanobots - tiny microscopic robots repairing and replacing every broken and damaged cell in her body. These nanobots also have a knack for making her stronger than ever - more powerful every day. IRIS now faces an uncertain future.  Given a second chance at life she never thought she would need, IRIS faces a world convinced her body is a piece of technology BIOSTRONOMY believes they own,.  IRIS searches for meaning and uses for her growing physical strength, encountering difficult questions of faith along the way. She is a woman once dead but alive again, however unnaturally. What debt does she owe and to whom? And what of her soul?

Hmmm, some pretty heavy thoughts for comic book.. They sure have come a long way since we had that grocery bag full of Superman Comic books (and yes we gave them away).

I was uncertain just what I would think when I received this ARC.. but I truly liked the premise and the concept. So I thought what the heck, let's give this a try. What I discovered was a well thought out storyline about things that are not really Science Fiction. This certainly could be happening in the very near future Shoot Lyndsay Sands has an entire series based on nanos keeping her people in "peak physical form" but Kyle takes it one step further, his heroine was brought back from the dead. And now she has to face some ideals and concepts that no one has had to face before. 

I really appreciated how Kyle addressed both medical advancement and military greed. Trying to make the perfect soldier? And in just 28 pages he starts the fight for who Iris "belongs" to. Is she still a human or is she just a shell? 

28 pages? that's it? Because it has just begun and already he has me thinking.. Is Iris a "person" or is she a shell? I have my own opinions but can't wait to see how Kyle draws this out.. 

Never fear fans this was just book 1, there are more to go and hopefully, Mr. Reardon will allow us to review them.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

"Kyle Reardon grew up reading comics and watching cartoons, but as he grew into an adult he decided to study SERIOUS subjects like Creative Writing and Film Studies in college. As a grown-up Kyle decided that comics and cartoons were way more fun and devoted years of free time practicing his comic art. Iris is his first comic. Kyle lives and works as a graphic designer in Washington, DC."

Want to find out more about Kyle? You can find him on

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KyleReardon.Iris
Twitter: @kylereardon   https://twitter.com/kylereardon His Website: http://www.kylereardonart.com/#illustration2

This young man has an exciting future ahead of him and I am so excited that I get  to be  part of it.

Shauni

An Heiress At Heart, A Review

Once again Netgalley has found me a wonderful new author, one who addresses a very definite need in my reading. I love romance books, I admit it.. sometimes I even admit it out loud *grins* but lately with all the PNR and other aspects I have found the books to not only shy away from God but in subtle ways to be very anti Christian. Eventually I will be writing a post on this very subject but for now.. To that end I have been searching Netgalley for inspirational books, romances..  Love stories based on something more than lust.. not that lust doesn't have its place. But sometimes I just want something more.

To that end I have discovered Jennifer Delamere and her wonderful Love's Grace Series. An Heiress at Heart is the first book and let me tell you I was totally and completely charmed and can not wait to read more.

Fleeing from a mistake in her past Lizzie Poole heads for Australia with her brother to find a new life. Once there she finds a woman who in looks and bearing can only be related to her. Together Lizzie and Ria piece together their pasts and realize that there is most definitely a connection. Upon the death of all Lizzie holds dear she returns to England in an attempt at redemption. Only she is returning as Ria, not Lizzie. She is there to help those who loved Ria to find peace and forgiveness and another chance. As well as to see if there really is a familial connection. Although she thought this would be easy she had no idea that things would get so complicated.

Geoffrey Somerville, was perfectly happy being a small parish vicar. Committed to those in need he spent his life ensuring that his parishioners had the best he could offer. He had absolutely no desire to become Lord Sommerville but with the death of his two older brothers the title is now his. Geoffrey quickly becomes a ton favorite but he wants more from his spouse/mate/wife than a shallow flighty miss of the ton.

When Lizzie literally falls at his feet, Geoffrey is instantly smitten and with the help of his friend James assists her. Unwittingly helping the Lizzie to establish herself as Ria. Ria, the woman who broke her betrothal to one brother and eloped with another. Ria, silly, vain, flighty woman of the ton who has seemingly returned after 10 long years, with news of his brother.

To watch these two slowly fall in love and have to deal with both the loss of a loved one, the laws of the land (you can't marry your former sister-in-law). Watching Lizzie try to walk a tightrope of what is right and what is wrong. In fulfilling her promise to Ria and in staying true to herself is a delight. Ms Delamere writes a wonderful story that so many of us understand. Telling the difference between in doing what is right and doing what is RIGHT..

This book made me think, we always picture regency England full of those lacking morals and integrity. That a Vicar is nothing more than a third son who needed a job not a man with a calling. It is nice to see that a man of faith. A man who may now live in a secular world, who deals with secular issues but still retains his faith. And yes a man who stumbles, grapples with his pride and eventually remembers where true strength came from.

This was a story about family and forgiveness. About redemption and yes about Love. It truly was a wonderfully sweet story and I enjoyed it immensely. I am very excited to read the next book in the series..

Shauni

This review is based on the ARC of An Heiress at Heart provided by netgalley

A Love Surrendered, A Review

What a beautiful love story. A Love Surrendered is the the story of the remaining O'Conner in Julie Lessman's The Daughter's of Boston and The Winds of Change Series'. Julie offers romance in a way that touches not only our hearts but also offers us a choice. Her stories are based not just on man's love but on God's as well. She reminds us that being a Christian does not mean being boring or without love but rather that if we do it God's way there is just so much more to any relationship.

Set in the last months of Prohibition Steven O'Connor a fed.. is determined to be the best he can be. The best son, the best brother, the best friend, the best fed and he is going to do it all on his own. After making mistakes in his life that almost destroyed his family while in college, Steven is not about to mess up his life again. He wants to hold up his honor and not embarrass his family again.

Orphaned and left to live with her standoffish aunt, Annie Kennedy wants to start again. She is determined to ignore the God who took both of her parents, the God her father had been committed to. Instead she is determined to follow in her wilder sisters footsteps and live a little. Only problem is, she is just not that girl. While she values her friends she is missing something in her life. In a moments weakness, her aunt hears her cries and gives her a letter left for her from her father, to be read on her 18th birthday. In it he reminds her to trust in God and she will never be alone.

When Steven and Annie meet is is instantly attracted but she is keeping a secret from him. Her sister is the girl who Steven was madly in love with in College and betrayed his family with. While Steven and Annie slowly fall in love we watch them struggle with themselves and their refusal to live God's plan. It is a struggle that they must deal with every moment of the story and yet slowly they come to the realization that once you make the choice and live it, it isn't really that difficult at all.

Another intriguing aspect of this book is we get to see peaks into the lives of the siblings whose stories have been told in previous books. Sometimes it seems a bit heavy handed and confusing but we watch the lives or ordinary people coping with choices, making mistakes and working through their problems. As I got into this story I found myself truly enjoying these asides.

In a world that is so often filled with fifty shades of something.. it is refreshing to read a story about love that expounds waiting not jumping into sex the moment a character meets. Ms Lessman tells a sweet story and we should truly treasure her work.

Shauni

This review is based on the ARC of A Love Surrendered provided by netgalley

Making It Public - Part 3

Today marks the final part for my three pronged blog on taking my faith out into the world. I hope you have enjoyed the previous two. My finally personal verse that I took with me upon leaving school was Philippians 4:13

I can do all things

Through Christ who strengthens me

Is that not a totally empowering concept? I can do ALL things. As I have pointed out in previous blogs I was an arrogant child. The concept that I could do anything was not new to me. I honestly believed that all I had to do was set my mind to it and I could achieve whatever I wanted. In a way I still do believe just that, one of my personal crosses I carry. Did you note how I conveniently forgot part of the verse?

Upon leaving school I rushed forward ready to take on the world. After all I could do anything! Anything that is except succeed, everytime I tried something I failed. I self imploded no one was out to get my I was just unable to stay on course. I became best at was surviving.

Everytime a challenge came my way I did not rejoice and accept God's support, no I worked hard to battle on, on my own. Oh I would usually complete the challenge but each success took a piece of me. My survival became my triumph there was no praise to God. There was no rejoicing no there was a smirk my battle cry became I did this all by myself. Each victory was hollow and each failure consumed me. Oh I could rationalize, I could even make myself a hero in the eyes of the world my trials had been legion, my survival an accomplishment. Of course it was my success not one single Glory to God. Forgetting or refusing to apply the entire verse is an eventual recipe for disaster. The verse is "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". It doesn't mean I am going to conquer the world, no it means when God shows His plans, no matter how hard, no matter how difficult it may seem, with God behind us, with the power of the Spirit flowing through us WE CAN DO ANYTHING! Conquer any crises, survive any trial and when we do it, it is not our glory no it is God's. The spotlight is removed from us and transferred to God. The glow that shines forth embraces us all

Over my adult life I have struggled and stumbled many times. I have gone without as often as I have had plenty. My life has been about feast as well as famine I have never quite managed that even keel, that nice balance, that sure and steady. Nope not me I am an all or nothing kind of girl. May I suggest if you have a choice choose a different way of living.

One of the most amazing things about God is He allows us our idiocy. He allows our struggles then when we finally admit we are lost without Him, He raises us up and uses those same struggles to bring Glory to Him. As a Child of God even our failures are God's triumphs.

As I prepared for this series I have written I went back and really read all of my verses. Went straight to the Bible and refrained from going from memory. I took the time to really do my research to make sure I do not take quotes out of context or misrepresent God's word. In doing so I was so amazed when I re-read this verse. I not only read the verse but the ones previous to it. Instead of just Phil 4:13 I think I should embrace verses 10-13

(10) I Rejoiced in the Lord greatly

that now at length you have

revived your concern for me. You

were indeed concerned for me

but you had no opportunity

(11) Not that I am speaking

of being in need for I

have learned in whatever

situation I am in to be content

(12) I know how to be brought low

and I know how to abound in any

and every circumstance

I have learned the secret of

facing plenty and hunger

abundance and need

(13) I can do all things through Him

who strengthens me.

WOW! Praise God for truly I have been blessed.

Looking back this almost 30 years I realized that I would choose these same three Bible verses to carry forth with me.. Oh I would hope I will do so with humility and grace. That I would take advantage of all the words God gives me through His book but I will always treasure these three verses.

For God so loved the world.

They that wait upon the Lord.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me

LUCKY LUCKY me, I am loved.

Making It Public - Part 2

Upon leaving High School in 1980 I was completely prepared to go forth and live my life for Christ. Well as prepared as an 18 year old can be for facing the adult world. I was well armoured and ready to become a soldier of Christ (a phrase from my childhood) more than that I was excited. I had my armour, my shield and my banner and of course those three verses that I had claimed as my very own.

Number 2 was

Is 40:31

They that wait upon the Lord

Shall renew their strength

They shall mount up with wings as eagles

They shall run and not be weary

They shall walk and not feint.

One of the benefits of attending a private protestant high school is the fact that they not only teach you the bible they expect you to incorporate your learning into your everyday life. We used bible verses as part of each of our classes, clubs and teams. Each group would pick a verse that they felt best described them and would use it as part of their meditations, in a way it was another form of a mascot only this time it was the mascot of our faith. Is 40:31 was something of an "it" verse back in the day. It was used frequently it didn't hurt that it had been put to music and was sung often during chapel as well as at church. Our softball team even used it as our team verse so obviously it must be a good one..

Can anyone tell me what a child can possibly know about waiting, this is the age group that invented the phrase "are we there yet". As a teenager waiting means dreading that the phone won't ring and you won't have a date for the weekend or waiting for the results of a particularly difficult test, or waiting to see if you made the play or the team or won the election. Or standing at home plate and waiting for that perfect pitch. Needless to say I had no clue what waiting was and even less on waiting upon God.

When I left school I had such great plans, fantastic hopes and dreams. I had no idea how I was going to make these plans, hopes and dreams happen only that surely they would all fall into place. I knew God had plans for me I even had an idea of what they were. Even now all these years later I believe that. What I didn't understand was that God didn't just have plans for me He had a plan! I knew I was supposed to be a wife and mother. I knew that God had these plans for me, that this was where I would serve God best. Accepting these plans would be defying my family but I understood that I needed to follow God. And yes I said defying. My family expected me to be a doctor, a lawyer, president, a career woman. An interesting mover and shaker. So believe me when I say being "just" a wife and mother was a defiance. I was told "no one has a right to freeload like that" that I was "wasting my brain" and other such things.

Because of the way I was brought up I honestly believed I was "sacrificing" my life for God. But I am an arrogant fool, God gives you your gifts does that not mean He expects us to use them? And when you follow God's plan for you, you do it in His time not yours.

When I was 22 I met a man, a totally unsuitable man, one who had been wicked and wild

divorced not once but twice but he had turned his back on that and was dedicated to family or so he said. He was a good son a dedicated father, charismatic and sexy. He was the flame and I was the moth circling it until I was all but blind to God's plans. I knew I was getting older (ok, stop laughing I was 22 that is old when you are 22) and I needed to get on with God's plan. I was so afraid that no one was going to want me (again not waiting for God and certainly not trusting in Him) no one would love me that I would be alone for the rest of my life missing out on the chance to be wife and mother I rushed into a relationship. Looking back, knowing the two of us as I do now I have to admit I not only rushed into it I forced it. What a disaster!!! I survived a marriage that can easily be described as hell on earth. No joy, no happiness, no life of living according to God's plan. There was misery, despair, disdain, drudgery and contempt. God was not a part of my marriage! I am lucky that God did not abandon me but no instead He continued to protect me even in my arrogance. I stayed in that fiasco of a marriage for 10 long years before finally ending it.

Even then I did not as for God's guidance I knew what had to be done. Yet with every wrong choice, every time I rushed forward knowing what was wrong and ready to fix it all by myself. God blessed and protected me. Why? well not because I am some prize of a follower nope because He loves me and has plans for me. It took me a long long time to let go and really let God. I would pray but then I would start bargaining, then I would ask for forgiveness and say I knew I wasn't supposed to try and bargain with Him, then I would ask for help but I would lay out my plans and let Him know how I needed His help. I did not listen to what He wanted done and I certainly did not wait upon His plans.. Oh arrogant, arrogant child. Can you not just picture God sitting there shaking His head after we finished our little talks? I am so lucky that God did not give up on me.

Now I find myself praying not for what I need as much as for the ability to wait upon God's timing. That I will learn to listen not control. Even as I write this I wonder at my motives. Am I truly trying to share what God has done in my life? Or am I trying to manipulate God's plans again? See one of the negatives to rushing God's plans is that when He speaks you are not quite sure if it is Him. I mean we don't get a lot of burning bushes these days. So you tremble and pray it isn't once again your ego and arrogance taking charge trying to "fix" things.

I submit these words to God asking Him to use them as He sees fit, even if that means He doesn't use them at all. I hope finally I am on the right path and am using one of the gifts He gave me in a manner that becomes Him. and yes, I am praying that I learn to listen and wait.