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Senior Reviewer, Shirley Johnson
Midwest Book Review
If you have ever wondered how to incorporate a great storyline and the teachings of God, you need to read Marcyle Taliaferro's work, " A Cry From the Harbor."
Written in such a way as not to be 'preachy', the author involves you in the lives of several different characters who are facing some really tough life challenges.
Take Jocelyn. a young mother who was deserted by her irresponsible boyfriend and family, left to raise her child alone. Reba and Shay, both harboring deep sorrow at the loss of their partners, whom God will tenderly bring together. Cole, a young man who also has tasted the sorrow that life can bring, and is battling deep feelings of guilt and resentment.
We go on to meet elderly sisters, Kathryn and Willa, who have wasted years of their lives living in despair over the loss of their loved ones and a future that was not meant to be. And of course we have our villain, beautiful Amber Conner who tragically was injured in an automobile accident and who is determined to make everyone pay for her misfortune.
The plot thickens as we are taken to a small community called Cocodrie where Shay's friends live in a town full of the love of God.
Unfortunately someone is trying to disrupt the harmony of this peaceful existence with such occurrences as life threatening accidents. Shay's friend T-Jack and his dad have to protect their families. The problem was knowing who or what they had to protect them from.
Could it have anything to do with Amber and the fact that her grandmother, whom she hates, lives and is part of this tight knit community?
Seeking has taught some to trust in the Lord, while others continue in their destructive behavior, not knowing that the Lord is about to intervene and through some intense circumstances bring them to Him.
We have all the elements of a good mystery in this read. Greed, hatred, love, anger and revenge all twisted together as each character battles against the forces, both good and evil that are working in their lives. The author even sprinkles sprays of romance and hints of blissful holy union amongst the turmoil of her characters. She also manages to add slivers of humor, showing that amidst life's hardest times there are can still be smiles.
This is a great read, showing the intervention of a God who loves us, yet giving the reader a big taste of mystery, romance and a chuckle along the way.
Good job Ms. Taliaferro!
Shirley Johnson
Senior Reviewer
MidWest Book Review
Sneak Preview by Sara Weis of www.sarasays.com
Rating: Green Light
Review: Publication is coming soon, but here is a sneak preview! Vengefulness, hostility, and revenge all seep from the hospital room where, Amber Conner lays unrecognizable in her hospital bed. What could have happened to bring out such hatred from a young beautiful woman? It is Amber Conner's desire to strike out against those that once loved her, that opens the novel, A Cry from the Harbor. As we learn of Amber's plan for sweet revenge, we are introduced to several characters that are going through their own trials and tribulations. For example, take Jocelyn, the single-parent nurse trying to do it all for her little boy, but being unable to let go of the past and find contentment and happiness for herself. What about young flirtatious Cole Carter whose own unassuming innocence nearly ruins his life? Marcyle Taliaferro introduces us to these characters and intertwining lives. We witness them all wallow in anger and resentment as they retreat further from the happiness. It takes kind-hearted Reba Williams and strong Shay Sullivan, whom have both faced much tragedy and disappointment in their lives, to inspire and deliver a message about God's forgiving nature and steadfast love. A Cry from the Harbor entertains, inspires, and radiates good ol' southern values and charm. It is definitely not without humor, and any female reader will appreciate the ladies' shopping trip to big city New Orleans and their head-shaking and avoidable adventures! A Cry from the Harbor is an easy and enjoyable read with versatile characters and a feel-good ending.
Reviewer/author: Deborah R. Turner
If I Perish
Rating: 5 Stars
Singer Amber Conner is hospitalized after a car accident that disfigures her face and ravages her voice. As she heals, she plots revenge against everyone she feels is the cause of her current predicament, from the nurses who care for her to her parsimonious old grandmother. She is going to make everyone around her pay.
Two of Amber’s nurses, Jocelyn Deshotel and Cole Carter, have problems of their own. Jocelyn is a single mother, trying to juggle work, daycare, an active child, finances, and her own anger at the way her life is going, while Cole searches for meaning in his life. Their head nurse, Reba Williams, tries to witness to them without much success.
Meanwhile, Reba’s life is looking up. A widow, she has met a friend of Amber’s grandmother, who visits from time to time at the hospital. When Shay Sullivan asks Reba out, she hesitantly agrees. That halting first step leads to a growing love between them.
Amber finally leaves the hospital and the story picks up speed as she puts her carefully laid plan into action, sweeping everyone into her destructive net. What happens to each makes this novel a page-turner not to be missed.
A Cry from the Harbor is the sequel to Fountains of the Spirits, Mrs. Taliaferro’s first novel. It is definitely worth reading. The writing is fast-paced, the plot full of surprising twists and turns, with a strong underpinning of faith and love.
I strongly recommend A Cry from the Harbor and look forward to what this author has to offer next.
Review by April Shores Murphy
Author, Grace, Searching Hearts
Author Marcyle Taliaferro takes you on a journey into the lives of her unforgettable characters in A Cry from the Harbor! From Amber Conner, the vengeful beauty that is bound and determined to tear apart all the people that she feels have in some way hurt her in her life. To Reba Williams the loving soul who heart wrenchingly takes you into the life of losing her husband in such griping ways that make you ache inside just imagining the pain of it all.
Then there’s Cole Carter who is a flirtatious, carefree person that has made poor choices in his life and comes to terms with them. And we all wish we had the Willa and Katherine’s of our life. The one’s that know without a doubt about the way life is intended to be, because they have lived their lives, learned from their mistakes and grown rich in Christ as a result of them.
Marcyle’s characters are all real. They come alive inside of the reader as we turn each page waiting to see what the next adventure will hold for us!
My heart was truly touched in reading this book! I highly recommend it! I believe this book is a good book for the soul. It makes you think about what you have and how you got there. It reminds us all to never take things for granted.
April Shores Murphy
Contemporary Christian Fiction
www.aprilsmurphy.com
Author/Reviewer, Mary Erickson
Ten Times Have the Lilies Blown
What could be better than the beautiful story of T. Jack Lassiter and the wonderful cast of characters in Marcyle Taliaferro's, Fountains of the Spirit, the moving novel that has brought enjoyment to all who read it. The answer, of course, is the sequel, A Cry from the Harbor. In her second book of the series, Marcyle reintroduces us to T-Jack, his family and friends. The story opens by bringing the reader back into the life of the beautiful, but troubled, Amber Connors, T-Jack's former girlfriend. Amber, already impoverished, suffers a debilitating accident, which has landed her in Hope Hospital in New Orleans. But rather than bringing her closer to God, her trials have left her bitter and plotting revenge against those she feels have harmed her. When Amber leaves the hospital, she sets into motion her plans to bring devastation to the lives of T-Jack and his family.
Intermingled with the story of Amber and the Lassiters is another saga. The author uses the hospital setting to introduce us to a trio of new characters. First there is Jocelyn, a nurse at the hospital where Amber is a patient. Jocelyn doesn't like this difficult patient, but then Jocelyn is unhappy with just about everyone, except her small son, Lane, who is the light of her life. Although she is unable to see the similarities between the spiteful Amber and herself, she could be Amber's alter ego. Jocelyn, too, has given up on a God who would allow the misfortunes that have shaped her life. And then there's Cole Carter, a good-looking male nurse, whose inability to choose his friends wisely, jeopardizes his career and even his freedom. The third new character is the nursing supervisor, Reba Williams, who because of her unshakable faith and love of God, tries to help her young charges see the mistakes, which are causing them pain. Aided by the lovable Shay, the widower who uses his leather making craft as a ministry, Reba refuses to give-up on these two floundering spirits.
But the means by which Amber's eyes are finally opened is through another frightening occurrence. The author has used an intriguing story and a colorful cast of characters to impart her message. As with her former novel, the overall theme of A Cry From the Harbor is that of God's love and the means he uses to bring his creatures into the fold.
Pre-release Review by Jennifer Lynn Cary
Often in the broad genre of Christian fiction you will find wonderful books that transport you to earlier or future times. But not nearly as often can you find books of the same genre that meet you in the here and now and do a wonderful job at it all at the same time. This book, A Cry from the Harbor, not only meets but exceeds that challenge.
Ms. Taliaferro has spun a tale set in present day Louisiana that is filled with believable characters with which one can easily identify. For the believer, this book not only uplifts but reminds of where we have come from and our reason to rejoice. For the nonbeliever, the gospel message is clear yet unpretentious and practical.
As I began this adventure I was immediately grabbed and thrown into the action with the first short paragraph. From there I was introduced to everyday people that somehow bonded with me in a very normal and everyday type setting – a hospital. Having spent a good deal of time in one (both as a patient and as the parent of a chronically ill patient) I was struck by the authenticity of the setting and characters. This I understood. It was easy to want to know more about these people and see how things went for the lonely but kind head nurse (Reba Williams), the independent but struggling single mother (Jocelyn Deshotel), and the flirty but compassionate nurse (Cole Carter) with his "live and let live" attitude and poor choice of friends. This is a story of ordinary people dealing with everyday stresses of life – love, anger, depression, aloneness, revenge, and forgiveness – woven into an extraordinary tale that will surprise you with it’s uniqueness and twists. Just when I was sure where the tale would lead, something different would change the path.
Though a sequel to Ms. Taliaferro’s first novel, Fountains of the Spirits, A Cry from the Harbor does two important things for me: first, it stands alone as a great story; and second, it makes me want to be sure to read Fountains of the Spirits because Ms. Taliaferro is an extraordinary storyteller and her writing is thoroughly enjoyable. May you be as blessed as I was when you read A Cry from the Harbor.
Jennifer Lynn Cary
author of The Huguenot: Book One of The Crockett Chronicles)
www.authorsden.com/jenniferlynncary
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