My newest book, Where Angels Pass, will be published later this fall.
Synopsis: Teenager Evie Gallagher is stunned when her 45-year-old father dies tragically and suddenly. Too many unanswered questions accompany Evie’s challenging journey to adulthood. When she finally discovers the reason her father led such a troubled life, shock turns to anger. She is determined to find justice for her father.
Nervous about the first day of his freshman year, 14-year-old Hank Gallagher steps inside Holy Archangels High School for the first time in September of 1954. Although the majestic Holy Archangels statues inside the school’s grand lobby present an air of protection, it is not long before Hank passes right under them and into the hands of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Confused and cornered by threats, Hank attempts to abandon his secret to the past, but a horrible wound on his heart eventually leads to a catastrophic breakdown.
Based loosely on actual events, chapters alternate between Evie and Hank to reveal a life haunted by betrayal and a revelation of true justice and hope.
Ancient legend comes to life: the prophecy that Charon, master vampire, has long dreaded, continues to unfold.
Jude has finally accepted his destiny as the hero who must foil Charon’s plans for world domination, though he has only just begun to understand the powers he possesses. Nevertheless, he sets out on his quest. Halloween is just around the corner when Jude arrives in the small town of Sylvan and lands a renovation job at a nearby mansion—the very one that sits atop Charon’s underground lair, as it turns out. He also encounters Phaedra, whom he recognizes as the “damsel in distress” from his recurring dreams. As he interprets it, he has been sent here to protect her, but she will have none of that. Meanwhile, Tim the VK (Vampire Killer) breezes into town, armed to the teeth, his vampire-tracking wolf-dog Sarge at his heels. His announcement that he is here to clean out a nest of vampires shocks Phaedra and her friends—vampires aren’t real! Or… are they? It’s all fantastic fun—until Phaedra has a terrifying encounter one night, and Jude comes to the rescue. She reluctantly admits she may need his protection, after all. Tim is not so sure—Sarge takes Jude for a vampire, and Sarge has never been wrong about vampires! Now, while Tim must single-handedly confront the whole crew of the undead, must he also guard Phaedra from her own heart?
A Freedom Such as Heaven Intended (Heaven Intended #4)
Synopsis: Despite her royal heritage, Alice is the third generation of women in her family to be enslaved — and the last, if she has any say in it. The only thing standing between her and freedom is a certain Confederate soldier, First Lieutenant Marshall Kent. Follow Alice and Marshall’s story as suspicion turns to trust and a sense of admiration turns to something more as they navigate life during the last year of the Civil War.
Reviews:
Amanda Lauer’s latest ‘Heaven Intended’ book follows a group of runaway slaves as they begin a perilous and uncertain journey to freedom. Plenty of historical detail leaves the reader immersed in the world of Civil War-era Georgia, as characters struggle to discern whether to risk their lives in the service of others. Faith plays a role, in often surprising ways, in the twists and turns of the plot of this compelling novel.
Barb Szyszkiewicz, author of The Handy Little Guide to Prayer
My favorite of the series. ‘A Freedom Such as Heaven Intended’ is the first of Lauer’s acclaimed Civil War YA novels to feature an African American: Alice, the mysterious fugitive discovered by Brigid in ‘A Life Such as Heaven Intended,’ tells the story of her own enslavement, a tragic-but-royal past, and the tiny infant she must care for as she attempts the heroic journey to freedom. Catholic, law-abiding First Lieutenant Marshall Kent must choose between his religious beliefs and his sworn duty to defend the Constitution of the Confederate States.”
Jeanie Egolf, author, publisher
The Heaven Intended series continues with this fourth tale of intrigue, deception, compassion and love. I have been a huge fan of this series, so I anxiously awaited the newest book. It was worth the wait. Lauer seamlessly intertwines fascinating bits of history into her compelling story. A Freedom Such as Heaven Intended adds a captivating new dimension to this hard-to-put-down novel.
Leslea Wahl, author
Once again, a great Civil War novel: lively and lovable characters, an engaging plot and just the right amount of history and romance. The honest and true Catholic faith of Alice and Marshall makes their storylines interesting and enjoyable. An amazing read!
Synopsis: A young mother, blond and pretty, vanishes from her South Boston home, leaving behind only one witness—her four-year-old daughter—and one suspect—her handsome, secretive husband.
From the moment Detective Sergeant D. D. Warren arrives at the Joneses’ snug little bungalow, instinct tells her that something is seriously off with the wholesome image the couple has worked so hard to create.
With the clock ticking on the life of a missing woman and a media firestorm building, D.D. must decide whether Jason Jones is hiding his guilt—or just trying to hide. But first she must stand between a potential killer and his next victim—an innocent child who may have seen too much.
My review: A real page-turner, compelling read. The story and characters were well-developed. 4.5/5.
Synopsis: Jenna’s Journey is the first book in The Hope trilogy. Jenna, a disabled orphan, finds herself in a chapel where she asks Mary if she will be her mother. Instantly, she is transported to a land where she begins a quest to find the answers she seeks. Along the way, she encounters a rosary tree, a protective bread, and a new spiritual friend. Her greedy aunt and whining cousin bring some comic relief to this adorable story for middle-grade children, teenagers, and adults alike.
My review: I enjoyed this sweet story about a disabled orphan. Recommend for middle graders. 4/5.
Amazon Synopsis: Father John is the parish priest of Our Lady of Sorrows in Westonville UK, but when the ordered tranquility of his life is shattered by a stranger walking into the confessional on Ash Wednesday, he finds himself on a Lenten journey of increasing dread and horror. And when he is confronted with memories of his historic abuse, John discovers that what he thought to be forgiven and forgotten still lurks deep in his memory.
A pattern of murders unveils terrifying associations between the stranger’s appearances, John’s own past, and the murders. Could the stranger be the cardinal who abused him during his time in Rome, and who is rumoured to have died in the 9/11 attacks? Is he a ghost emanating from the same world as Sarah, the ghost of a little girl whose benign appearances are a protective presence in John’s life? Or is the man in the confessional not really dead? Through the increasing traumas of Lent, John struggles with the temptations and fears that begin to assail him wherever he turns.
The Good Priest is a story of faith and doubt, of real and imagined hauntings, of the epic dramas that lurk beneath the surface of an ordinary Catholic parish, and of the devastating power of violence and terror to rip apart relationships, friendships and loyalties. At once a thriller and a theological exploration, the book takes the reader into a world of altered realities where nothing is quite what it seems…
My review: This was better than I thought it would be, but it could’ve used another proofread. The story was engaging, the characters real, the plot compelling. I enjoyed the read and finished it in a few days. It had a liberal slant (the ultraconservatives who want to bring back the Latin Mass are described in a negative manner), but on the whole, it wasn’t over-the-top liberal. Recommend. 4/5.
Amazon Synopsis: Of the four horrific hijackings on September 11, Flight 93 resonates as one of epic resistance. At a time when the United States appeared defenseless against an unfamiliar foe, the gallant passengers and crew of Flight 93 provided for many Americans a measure of victory in the midst of unthinkable defeat. Together, they seemingly accomplished what all the security guards and soldiers, military pilots and government officials, could not — they thwarted the terrorists, sacrificing their own lives so that others might live.
The culmination of hundreds of interviews with family members and months of investigation, Among the Heroes is the definitive story of the courageous men and women aboard Flight 93, and of the day that forever changed the way Americans view the world and themselves.
My review: I bought this book fifteen years ago and recently read it again after watching the movie United 93. The writing is solid and polished and the author helps the reader get to know each passenger of this flight. What these passengers accomplished was beyond heroic. I wish they had been able to land the plane safely, but that was not meant to be. Highly recommend, 5/5.
Plot Line and Sinker (Ellen Gable, Author) 