"Sworn to Protect" by DiAnn Mills

Warning: do not read DiAnn Mills’ newest release, “Sworn to Protect” unless you are willing to look at all sides of the issue of illegal immigration.

Border Patrol agent Danika Morales dedicates her life to protecting U.S. borders from illegal entry. For Morales, the job is more about stopping predators and drug dealers than individuals simply trying to better their lives, although she arrests those as well. When the job takes a decidedly personal turn, Morales must make hard choices about her perspective.

She lost her husband to an unsolved murder and must raise their daughter alone. Her job performance is under scrutiny with the revelation of an informant in the ranks. Now she’s discovered that she is someone’s target. Who is after her, and why?

The second book in Mills’ Call of Duty series, “Sworn to Protect” displays deep research. Mills rode with the line with Border Patrol agents, learning firsthand the magnitude and complexity of the issue. She has used that experience to weave a story of heartache, commitment and danger while showing the wide variety of forms illegal immigration can take.

Mills has put a human face on illegal immigration in “Sworn to Protect,” as she did with the tragic situation in the Sudan in “When the Lion Roars” and “When the Nile Runs Red.”  The characters are compelling as they try to balance the requirements of the law with compassion. Mills brings us into their hearts and minds, allowing the reader to experience the problem from each side of the conflict.

While “Sworn to Protect” is the successor to “Breach of Trust,” it is not a sequel. Readers will not suffer by reading them out of order. Both address the question of how a Christian might handle the demands of a secular job which seems at odds with faith. Mills tackles the question without relying on pat answers. 

“Sworn to Protect” combines the best aspects of thriller, romance and inspiration to offer an exciting and satisfying read. Join the adventure Mills promises in her slogan-read “Sworn to Protect.”

“Sworn to Protect” by DiAnn Mills

Published by Tyndale Fiction, 2010

Book Review-'Here Burns My Candle' by Liz Curtis Higgs

A candle offers illumination, and in the same way “Here Burns My Candle” illuminates subjects that might leave you a little uneasy in the short term. In the long-run, this thought provoking historical novel will shed light on Scottish history as well as Biblical truth.

Lady Elisabeth Kerr, a commoner married into nobility, keeps a secret. Although she attends church services with the family, she privately follows the ‘auld’ ways. The clash of beliefs within her heart is every bit as wrenching as the battles fought by the Jacobites and the English.

Her mother-in-law, dowager Lady Marjory, is very class-conscious, wondering at her older son’s choice of wife even as she clings to her younger son’s more ‘suitable’ spouse. Marjory has secrets and regrets which shape her life.

The Kerr sons, Lord Donald and Andrew, carry their own burdens. Donald’s serial infidelities seem to echo today’s headlines. Andrew is a spoiled young man, focused on his own pleasure.

Everything changes for the Kerrs when Bonnie Prince Charlie arrives to reclaim the Scottish throne. As their world fills with dissension and warfare, the family members must make choices and take actions with long-reaching consequences.

Higgs is a master of recasting Bible stories in another setting to share their truth from a different perspective. Here she tackles the story of Ruth and Naomi, moving the action to Edinburgh in the 1740’s. As in her previous novels, Higgs retells the story without simply rewording it – she has cultivated a fresh blossom from the familiar branch.

One of my favorite aspects of this book is the rich flavor of Scotland which permeates and seasons the story without obscuring it. There is a map of 1745 Edinburgh to help with geography. Scottish phrases are placed in an explanatory context without interrupting the flow. Higgs’ thorough research gives us descriptions and situations which ring true.

The subjects of faith, forgiveness, political allegiance, social status and familial bonds are some of the themes explored in depth through the Kerr family. “Here Burns My Candle” is an addictive book, so be warned. This is not a book to read on coffee breaks unless you are willing to risk being late back to work. Settle in with a cup of tea in a comfortable chair and lose yourself in Higgs’ latest book.  

“Here Burns My Candle” by Liz Curtis Higgs

Published 2010

WaterBrook Press

"Where the Wind Blows" by Caroline Fyffe

Equine photographer Caroline Fyffe enters the world of historical fiction with her novel, "Where the Wind Blows," a Western romance that goes beyond most romances.

Take one chivalrous cowboy, trying to do a last favor for a dead coworker. Add one new widow trying to rescue a young girl from an orphanage. Season with grief, love and joy then bake until well done. Top with pioneer spirit and serve.

Follow this recipe and you’ll get “Where the Wind Blows,” the award winning debut novel by Caroline Fyffe. Set in the Wyoming Territory a little more than ten years after the Civil War, Fyffe’s story provides a more satisfying read than many historic romances. Her plot goes deeper than simply two people falling in love.

She builds the relationships within the story layer upon layer and fills the book with a variety of characters, both pleasant and unsavory. The story explores the subject of “what constitutes a family?” with Jessie Strong, the young heroine, determined to adopt the orphaned toddler even as she learns she has been widowed. A grandmotherly woman in the nearby town offers advice and friendship to Jessie. Two teen-aged boys enter the picture as well.

And, of course, there’s our hero-Chase Logan, on his way to his next job by way of the Strong ranch to deliver his sad news. Fyffe draws him with a strong brush: imperfect but well-intended and very, very human.

Her descriptions of the land ring true in their rich detail. If you enjoy Western fiction, you will enjoy the West as portrayed in “Where the Wind Blows.” While the book won the Golden Heart award from the Romance Writers of America, it strikes a good balance between romance and Western. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that men enjoyed it as much as women.

“Where the Wind Blows”

By Caroline Fyffe

Published by Dorchester Publishing