New giveaway! Now I'm giving away Vicious Cycle by Terri Blackstock (with bonus review)

For a chance to be entered into the drawing to win this book simply post a comment that answers the following question. Is someone in your life (family, friend, coworker, etc) dealing with addictive behavior? Please leave me a way to contact you if you win. I don't like chasing people down. I'll select a winner using the Randomizer program next Sunday. Have a great Mother's Day everyone!



About the book:

When fifteen-year-old Lance Covington finds an abandoned baby in the backseat of a car, he knows she's the newborn daughter of a meth addict he's been trying to help. But when police arrest him for kidnapping, Lance is thrust into a criminal world of baby trafficking and drug abuse. His mother, Barbara, looks for help from Kent Harlan---the man whom she secretly, reluctantly loves and who once helped rescue her daughter from a mess of her own. Kent flies to her aid and begins the impossible work of getting Lance out of trouble, protecting a baby who has no home, and finding help for a teenage mother hiding behind her lies. In this latest novel of suspense and family loyalty, bestselling author Terri Blackstock offers a harrowing look at drug addiction, human trafficking, and the devastating choices that can change lives forever.

My review:

This is the first book that I've read by Terri Blackstock. I know...where have I been? Anyway, I have more novels in my house by this author. Now that I know what a great writer she is, I'll be reading more. Also, this is the second book in the series, but reads like a stand alone novel. I loved that. Now I want to go back and read the first book. Here is my actual review...

Vicious Cycle was more than just a story about addiction. It was a story about faith, and learning to trust God. It was about overcoming temptation and believing that God can restore what the locusts have eaten. It showed how God can create beauty from the ashes of our lives. I've worked in a rehab before and on a variety of levels with drug addicted parents and teens. This story was an accurate reflection of some of the horrors I've seen working with people in similar situations.

What I loved about this story was that it also showed how hard it is to deal with drug addiction for everyone involved. Not just the addict, but the family, the friends, even innocent bystanders. Loving people who are addicted (especially to meth) can be such a catch 22. You want to help but the addicted person need to want to be helped for it to make a difference. There is a fine line that often blurs between tough love and enabling.

Addiction is a complex issue. There is hope and anger, and an overabundance of fear that families deal with as they try to support their recovering family member. Blackstock did a fantastic job of showing that. And talk about awesome pacing. This was a page turner from the beginning. The story kept building. The plot kept thickening. The danger kept increasing. And I kept reading. I had to know what would happen. This author pulled no punches, making this one riveting story with a lot of substance to it. Wonderful read! I highly recommend it.

Vicious Cycle was published by Zondervan and released in February 2011.