Thursday, July 25, 2013

Review and giveaway of Harry Kraus' An Open Heart


I recently was privileged to read and endorse author Harry Kraus’ latest novel, An Open Heart.  For those of you who don’t know Dr. Kraus, he’s a board-certified surgeon, and medical missionary who spends part of his time working in East Africa, as well as being an accomplished writer of both non-fiction and fiction. Medical realism and gripping plotlines distinguish his writing, as he gets most of his ideas with a scalpel in hand.

An Open Heart

Their Messages—From Beyond the Grave—Might Destroy Him

They hover between life and death, their hearts stopped on the surgery table. And the messages Dr. Jace Rawlings’ open-heart surgery patients bring back from beyond the grave cannot be ignored. For they predict the deaths of people around him, and point a finger of suspicion straight at him.

It thrusts Jace into a firestorm of controversy and danger. A maelstrom blown by the darker winds of political intrigue and spiritual warfare. And the forces working against him will do anything to stop him from uncovering a truth they will kill to hide. He’d come to Kenya to establish a heart-surgery program for the poor. But what he will find in that place where he grew up will put everything at risk–his marriage, his career . . . his life.

One of the first things that drew me to Harry Kraus’ latest release was the setting. Not only does the book take place in Africa, where I live, but it takes place in Kenya where my son goes to boarding school. Everything about the setting, from Nairobi, to the small town of Kijabe, to the description of Mama Chiku's restaurant was familiar to me and I loved that.

But what I really appreciated about the book, was the strong spiritual thread. You can’t walk away from reading this book without taking another look at spiritual realities that Jace is forced to face. 

In the end, An Open Heart, is a page-turning combination of loss and redemption, along with a glimpse into the spiritual realm that shouldn’t be ignored.

To learn more about Harry and his books, please visit his website

Giveaway! Harry’s publisict has offered to give away a copy of An Open Heart to one of our readers with a US address. Please leave a comment on this post, and I will draw a winner on Saturday.

~~~~~~
LISA HARRIS is a Christy Award nominated author who has over twenty novels and novella collections in print. She and her husband, Scott, along with their three children, live near the Indian Ocean in Mozambique as missionaries. As a homeschooling mom, life can get hectic, but she sees her writing as an extension of her ministry which also includes running a non-profit organization The ECHO Project. To find out more about her books you can visit her website.
Void where prohibited; US address winner only. The odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

11 comments:

  1. Just borrowed this from the library because I couldn't wait...great read! Love the setting in Africa as well. Would love to add this to my Harry Kraus collection of books!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Went to church with Dr. Kraus at Covenant Presbyterian in Virginia. Admire his gift of ministering to others spiritually and medically. God bless.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Harry Kraus is one of my favorite authors. I've read all his books and can't wait to read this one. My parents are missionaries in a third world country and my mother loves his books too!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm always up for a good book (especially when I know the author).

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks so much to each of you who have stopped by! This really is a great read!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I would absolutely love to read this book. I love Harry Kraus's books, especially as they're set in the Africa that I too love. Thanks for telling us about this Lisa. I will be on the lookout for it.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I would enjoy winning a copy of An Open Heart. I've read a few other books by Dr. Kraus, and found them to be very good. I like that his books are so authentic. Thanks for this giveaway.

    pmk56[at]sbcglobal[dot]net

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Lisa - thank you for sharing Harry's novel with us. I love how we from all around the world can share in this little virtual community of ours.

    ReplyDelete
  10. You are so right, Ian. Twenty years or so ago, I never imagined the possibilities of not just writing, but of the ease of sharing our heart with the world!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Congrats to Denise who one the copy of An Open Heart! Thanks to all who stopped by! I'll be contacting you soon, Denise.

    ReplyDelete