Kathi Macias

In this tale, perfect for the holiday season and beyond, we meet Isabella a young pregnant Mexican woman who has suffered a horrifying loss. Her grandfather offers a way for her to leave it behind and start anew by being smuggled across the border. Miriam is a recent widow; her husband, a border agent was killed in a fight with drug smugglers.

Miriam lives on the border and Isabella crosses but both of them are put to tests of their faith - in their God, in their beliefs and in themselves. show more These two strong women learn much in their interactions with each other but mostly they learn the meaning of love.

Faith and God play very strong roles in the story as is appropriate for a Christmas tale. Miriam is a woman who has been deeply hurt but overcomes that hurt to help what she sees as the cause of her husband's death. Isabella learns that the world is not just full of violence and hate. The story is not typical - all is not black or white; prejudices are challenged and no easy answers are provided which makes this a very thought provoking read. show less

What a fascinating quick read, once I started I had to finish it. The family relationships here are wonderful.
Mazie Hartford lives with her Mom, Lilly, and her Great-Grandmother Mimi. She is in a long term relationship with Edward Clayton, he actually wants to move toward marriage. His family adores Mazie, and hers loves Edward...her 93 year old Great-Grandmother actually lights up in his presence. So what is Mazie's problem?
Mimi knowing that at 93 her time on earth is getting short, has show more decided to give Mazie a quilt. It is not just any quilt, there is a historical story behind it, and it is called the Moses Quilt. Mimi begins to tell the story of the quilt to Mazie, it is about Harriet Tubman, the Moses to her people.
Hearing the story of each of blocks is so interesting, I loved it. Edward then is asked to join and becomes enthralled in the stories.
Will the quilt help Mazie to make up her mind, let go of whatever it is that is keeping her from marrying this Godly man? Or will the answers they find in the quilt end up driving them apart.
Kathi Macias has done it again, written a captivating story. Don't miss this...enjoy!

I received this book through Christian Speaker Services, and was not required to give a positive review. show less

Author: Kathi Macias
Published by: New Hope Publishers
Age Recommended: YA - Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Book Blog For: GMTA
Rating: 5

Review:

" Unexpected Christmas Hero" by Kathi Macias was not just a Christmas Holiday story, but one of 'Homelessness' which can and has happened each and every day of our lives. These people without shelter, food, warmth could be any of us like Josie's but as this story will flow we will see God's love and how he does care for all of His people.

What is this show more story all about....

"Josie Meyers thinks she is living the American dream when she marries a nice, handsome
man with a promising future. The dream quickly becomes a nightmare when Josie becomes
a widow and must deal with the fallout of her husband's decisions. She soon finds that she
and her two small children are forced to live on the streets and in homeless shelters. While
the scenes surrounding Josie are dominated by Christmas decorations and carols, Josie finds
herself struggling with the demands of caring for her two small children. She is forced to lean
on the kindness and generosity of others. What she doesn't know is that the influence of one
homeless man in particular is about to change the course of her life and lead her home to the
One who waits for her. He becomes her unexpected Christmas hero."

Ms. Macias did a wonderful story job at making it all real and bringing the truth to us. Now, what can we do...because to many 'homelessness' Christmas is everyday without what they need! After reading this you will feel like the story has truly touched your heart, now what can you do about this? Would I recommend this read? YES! show less

Though Jonathan and Mara live and work in San Diego, California, their worlds are far apart. As a high school senior in a idyllic middle class family, Jonathan's biggest concern is accepting that baseball won't be his career and that Bible college is the next step in the path of life. Mara's world is filled with physical torture, sexual slavery, and the ever-present threat of death. One night, as Jonathan delivers a pizza to a shady hotel, their worlds intersect in way that changes both of show more them. Jonathan can't forget the half-naked girls and Mara can't forget the kindness in the mysterious young man's eyes. Torn by a desire to help the girls and a desire to forget the incident, Jonathan engages in a struggle that will eventually draw him to the God he professes to serve. Through circumstances, Jonathan and his family become involved in supporting a local abolitionist movement again sexual slavery. However, drawn by a desire deeper than his own, Jonathan returns to the motel time and again. When the stakes become intensely personal, Jonathan must make a life or death choice to trust the plans of the God who loves not only him, but also every person trapped in sexual slavery.

Due to the difficult issues and gritty content in Deliver Me From Evil by Kathi Macias, the story is not an easy read and I would not recommend it to young readers. That being said, I do recommend it to mature readers. There is nothing overly explicit in the novel, but given that it is about sexual slavery, it does have some descriptive content. Macias' balances the darkness of the topic with light from those who seek its end, preventing the novel from depressing the reader. The characters are believable and well-developed. On a personal note, I cried several times while reading this novel because the characters and their situations gripped my heart.

Deliver Me From Evil addresses how quickly we are to dismiss the idea of sexual slavery in America and then issues a call to the reader to stand against this horrendous evil. The novel's message that sexual slavery does exist and that it's victims are in need of deliverance and healing needs to be heard by all in America. I await the next installment in the series.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free via PumpUpMyBook. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." show less