Casting Stones [Kindle Edition]

G. M. Barlean (Author)

Book Description

A simple error in judgment leaves James Raven a broken man – his wife dead, and his infant son, motherless. He goes back home seeking solace, only to find more sorrow – and Esther Barton, his father's hired girl – a woman he holds in contempt.

Missteps seal James’s fate. The penance? His child, now in the care of the one he had scorned, suffers abuse and neglect. The woman James judged unacceptable, now judges him. Trapped and helpless, he can only watch in horror.

Who will save the Ravens when they cannot save themselves…and at what cost?

Their salvation ends with blood on their hands, and they must bury their sins, deep in the Loess Hills of Missouri.

THIS BOOK - as well as the Prelude and Conclusions, the 1st and 3rd part of this series, is NOW AVAILABLE as a full collection. Buy CASTING STONES, NEW UNABRIDGED VERSION, on Amazon.com.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

G. M. (Gina Marie) is married, has two grown children, a Schnauzer and a white cat that sheds on everything. She loves to cook, bake and read. G. M. is a cynic hiding in a happy go-lucky woman’s body. She is most definitely not a morning person. Please visit G. M. Barlean at: website: GMBarlean.com blog: http://gmbarlean.wordpress.com G. M.’s second book, Dead Blow will be available by the end of 2012.

Product Details

• File Size: 247 KB
• Print Length: 220 pages
• Publisher: Less Traveled Roads Publishing (January 22, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B00710A0K2
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #256,540 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Emotionally-Charged Book That Grabs You and Doesn't Let Go February 22, 2012

By Ruth Ann Nordin

Format:Kindle Edition

Wow. This is one of those compelling books that kept me up all night to read it, and when it was over, all I could was think, "Wow. That was one of the most emotionally-charged books I've ever read." After reading Prelude - Casting Stones, I was eager to find out what happened to James Raven and Esther. James chose to marry someone else, leaving Esther heartbroken. After his wife dies, he returns, and Esther believes this is her second chance.

It's hard to say what happens in this book without spoiling it, and I don't want to put up any spoilers. So I'll try to sum it up without ruining the plot. I'll say right away it was not predictable at all. I thought the characters would end up going one way, but they went another. That's what compelled me to keep reading, and in the end, it's what made me say, "Wow. What a great book!"

This isn't a warm and fuzzy book. Esther does get her wish. She gets to marry James and she has his child, but life doesn't turn out as she hoped. There are hard issues addressed here. For one, we take a look at the power of resentment as it builds up over time. What starts as a selfish act didn't lead either character in the direction they wanted to ultimately be in. It's hard not to think of this book without tearing up. The issues mentioned in relation to human emotions are so authentic you can't help but sympathize for even the unlikeable characters in the book. Nothing is black and white. With this book, it's all shades of gray.

I look forward to the next book this author writes, and I will understand next time that I can't predict what will happen and probably find myself reading late at night while I try not to cry.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Dramatic and Suspenseful Read February 10, 2012

By Carrie Rubin

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

A great dramatic read that takes place in Nebraska and Missouri in the 1920s to 1940s. The characters are so vibrant and rich, you'll feel like you know them. But there is one you most certainly won't want to: Esther Barton, a vengeful, bitter woman who makes for a nasty villain right from the start, though one-dimensional she is not.

This book is well-written and flows from beginning to end. Although it is a quick read, this is not synonymous with a light read, as there is plenty of family drama and turmoil throughout. But there are also flashes of goodness and joy. As a reader, we expect to feel emotion, and this book does not disappoint.

I read the ebook version and found it well-formatted and virtually errorless. I highly recommend this to others. It may take you out of your comfort zone at times, but that is why we read. To get lost in a different world. My hats off to the author! Let's hope we hear more from her!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The characters are still wandering in my mind... January 25, 2012

By Carol Weber

Format:Kindle Edition

Loved this book. Each character is so real to me...and when I finished the novel and was thinking back to the "Prelude" short story, I realized how each character had aged over the story, entirely realistically.

This is a story of love against all odds. James goes through the same "doing well" / "falling short" cycle that so many of us feel we experience ourselves. In the end, he's a great picture of love and grace.

It's also a story of love and kindness and joy almost bursting into bloom--and then that bud of beauty shriveling and being destroyed by fear and by a lifetime of ugly patterns. That fear and those ugly patterns then deepen and turn into a bitter woman. Loved this description of Esther:

Her eyes held anger and judgment,
and her well-worn housedress tried
to show humility, but pride could
be seen in her haughty eyes. She
had no use for adornments. She wore
anger, frustration, and exhaustion
like jewelry.

These are people who have now become a part of my life, and I treasure having gotten to know them. Great story, and fully worth your time!

More About the Author

G. M. Barlean is the author of six books, all available on Amazon. She has been everything from a professional photographer to the director of a small town opera house. Here is a review of her latest book, Dead Blow:
5.0 out of 5 stars On the edge of my seat February 17, 2013
By tcher48

Having read Casting Stones by Gina, I was prepared for a dark and suspenseful story which tugged at my nerves and made my breath shorten. True to Barlean's writing style, Dead Blow did not disappoint.

From the outset of Elaine's story, tension gripped me and did not let go. I found myself flipping through the pages as fast as my e-reader would permit trying to ease my fears by finding out what happened next. It was not so easy. Barlean kept me totally involved in the story because as soon as I thought I knew what was going to happen, wham, she threw a curve that knocked the legs out from under my tidy predictions.

I have to say my favorite characters were Sheriff Dewy Truet and his deputy Bart Redly. They are reminiscent of Mayberry's Andy Taylor and Barney Fife, except the 21st century and all its ugliness have crept into what appears idyllic small town Nebraska.

This is not a novel that inspires sweet dreams, but if gut-gripping strain is your genre, this is just the novel for you.

G. M. is a midwestern gal, quietly living a very average life in a small town, all the while, contemplating how to do away with someone in the current novel she is working on. She enjoys travel, cooking, friends and family and always enjoys reading John Irving, Stephan King and every well written Indy effort she can upload to her Kindle.

Visit and follow her blog - a sometimes smarmy and occasionally peculiar take on life. http://gmbarlean.wordpress.com.

Twitter: @GMBarlean

Face book: G. M. Barlean

Goodreads: G. M. Barlean, Author