Gina Holmes

The Devil Incarnate came into young Penny Carson' life in the form of charismatic, good-looking Trent Taylor, a farmhand who dared to talk back to her overbearing father. With seductive promises, Trent stole Penny away from her home and family, luring her with his possessiveness, which at first made her feel wanted. It didn't take long at all for the twisted man behind the handsome face to begin his cycle of abuse--expectation of forgiveness--abuse. In "Wings of Glass", author Gina Holmes offers a look at domestic violence which is intense, unflinching, at times quite brutal, but is ultimately healing. The subject of abuse is one that many people turn away from because it makes them uncomfortable. Almost all of us know someone who is an abuse victim. We ourselves may be that victim. Abuse taints and tortures not only the immediate victim, but also others in the surrounding vicinity. Its effects are endless. Ripples upon ripples on the sea of life. When Trent is blinded in a work accident, Penny eventually finds work cleaning houses through a "church lady", Callie Mae. The woman who trains her, Fatimah, is a Sudanese refugee. The three women would at first seem very different, but they form a genuine friendship with a thread of shared painful memories. When Trent regains his eyesight, he also regains the vicious edge to his personality, which had been somewhat lessened by his loss of vision. Penny's pregnancy adds to the tension of the situation, even though at times Trent seems pleased about becoming a father. The abuse he suffered in his own childhood has taken a terrible toll, though, and he cannot stop the demon inside which makes him do awful things to Penny and other people. When the scope of the violence increases beyond their own home, and eventually includes the loss of a life, Penny must rely on the life lessons and friendship she has received from Callie Mae and Fatimah to sustain her own life and the life of her young son, Manny. I would like to commend Gina Holmes for choosing to write about abuse and its lasting, widespread effects–not just on the victim, but on those who care for the victim. All of us, whether we realize it or not, know someone who has been abused at some point in their life. The first reaction to abuse is denial. It’s a subject which makes people uncomfortable, and the victims often linger in a very painful silence. Writing about it may encourage someone who is a victim to seek help. Acknowledgement is not only a first step, it’s a giant leap! Recommended.

Book Copy Gratis Tyndale House Publishers… (meer)

This is a sensitive, thoughtful story about the journey of a young woman getting her "life in order" as she faces the reality of her impending death. Because she has a young daughter who she has been raising alone, she becomes desperate to find the girl's father who is unaware he has a child. She goes back to her hometown to confront and resolve issues she had hoped to leave behind. I didn't realize until I finished that this book falls into a Christian Fiction genre. With that said, I didn't find it overly "religious" but rather the characters embracing religion during this difficult, emotional experience for both the dying and the survivors.

Http://bookwormreviewblog.blogspot.com… (meer)

Driftwood Tides is a lovely novel of faith, forgiveness and redemption by Gina Holmes. This heartwarming story deals with serious topics such as grief, alcoholism and adoption but it is not dark or angst-ridden. Instead, it is a rather hopeful tale of new beginnings for the characters as they overcome their pasts and in doing so, they discover the promise of a brighter tomorrow.

Libby Slater is planning her wedding when she unexpectedly learns she is adopted. Her search for her birth mother takes her to her stepfather Holton Creary's beach house where she is disappointed to discover her mother passed away a few years prior. Desperate for information about her mother and birth father, Libby becomes Holton's intern but her search for answers is quickly complicated by Holton's alcoholism and his financial difficulties. With the help of Holton's assistant, Tess, Libby devises a plan to revive his faltering career but will Holton's self-destructive behavior sabotage her efforts to help him?

Libby is relieved that her temporary position at Holton's art studio frees her from her overbearing, controlling mother, and the distance provides her with a surprising perspective of their somewhat contentious relationship. Libby is undergoing a bit of an identity crisis as she works through her feelings of rejection resulting from her adoption and her uneasy relationship with her adopted mother. The move also has unintended consequences on her relationship with her fiancé, Rob, and their future becomes uncertain as a result of his fears and insecurities. She also re-evaluates her definition of family as she finds acceptance and friendship with Tess. But it is her relationship with Holton that is most confusing and for a good portion of the novel, his alcoholism is an impenetrable chasm that prevents Libby from getting the answers she is searching for.

Holton is mired in grief over his wife's death and he has been drowning his sorrows since her death. He also feels an overwhelming sense of guilt that he is responsible for the accident that took her life. It is not until he enters treatment for his alcohol addiction that Holton begins to admit long suppressed and unacknowledged feelings that have impacted his spiritual relationship as well. Once Holton faces these unresolved issues, he is able to make an emotional connection with both Libby and Tess and his feelings of hopelessness and despair begin to disappear.

Tess is undeniably the character with the least problems but, for much of the story, it is difficult to understand her devotion to Holton. Once Holton's drinking culminates in a crisis situation, some of these reasons become clear. These revelations provide Libby with a different viewpoint of alcoholism that helps her understand Holton's addiction a little better. As Holton hits rock bottom, Tess and Libby's tight bond is strengthened as they remain united in their efforts to aid him in his recovery.

Although Driftwood Tides is Christian fiction, the spiritual aspects are understated for much of the novel. Gina Holmes gradually and gently incorporates faith into the unfolding story and this makes it easy for the reader to understand how religious beliefs factor into the characters' decisions.

A beautiful lesson in the faith, forgiveness and acceptance, Driftwood Tides is a powerful story that fans of contemporary Christian fiction are sure to enjoy.… (meer)

Amazing, outstanding, excellent, remarkable and highly recommended. Those are just some of the things I could say about this debut novel of Gina Holmes. When I bought this, I wasn't expecting that I will not stop turning the pages once I start reading it. I stayed up till 3 in the morning just to be able to finish this novel because I was really curious and excited on what will happen next.

This is the very first novel of Gina Holmes that I've read and I'm looking forward on reading her other books such as Dry as Rain and Wings of Glass.… (meer)