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Anthony Barbera

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The First Rains of October Kindle Edition

by Anthony Barbera (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

84 ratings

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When a woman claiming to be August St. Clair returns to the quiet coastal town of Loss Landing—ten years after her presumed death—the community is thrown into chaos. Clay Moorehouse, August’s former boyfriend, has spent a decade in prison for her murder. Now, with this woman showing up, everything the town thought it knew begins to unravel.
Set against the sweeping beauty of the Pacific Ocean and the rugged life of a dairy farm, The First Rains of October is a deeply moving Christian thriller. As long-buried secrets rise and loyalties are tested, the story explores justice, truth, and the enduring power of faith.
In Loss Landing, not everyone is who they claim to be...and some truths are worth risking everything to reveal.

I’ve been touched!
“I can honestly say this is one of the most moving stories I have ever read! I will recommend it to everyone I know. I had no idea it would be so good. I will definitely get copies of it to give to some of the people that think about god and miracles…I thank you so much for this and look forward to more. Nina Smith_Good Reads

Editorial Reviews

Review

5.0 out of 5 starsThe Tolbert ReportBy Andy Tolbert on January 21, 2008Format: PaperbackGreat read! Barbera is able to paint an amazing picture of each and every setting. The order in which Barbera reveals information is truly what makes this book. At first, the reader is thinking the absolute worst about a certain character...but then that immediately changes... and both the reader as well as the other characters look upon this man completely differently, without him doing anything. It all just goes to show you how much we have a tendency to jump to conclusions. Reading the book should create deep thoughts about all kinds of things for the reader.

From the Author

Note to Parents:Set in the 70's, this book is for 17+. It is the story of one girl's great travail, and with it, her victorious deliverance and ultimate victory in Christ.

From the Inside Flap

When August St.Claire ran off that cliff she dropped like a rock. True, she was running andher legs kept kicking in the air--but then gravity yanked on her ankles. There was simply no way to tell when she'd hit. It was pitch black and foggy, all she could see were her feet descending ahead of her. She instantly grasped the situation; she didn't flail or flap her arms. Instead, she pressed them tightly to her sides, the way young girls do when they jump into a freezing swimming pool. August realized in that split second that being an arrow was her best chance for survival. If she didn't shatter on the rocks below first, if some how she miraculously missed all the craggy spikes and plunged into that deep hole,deep enough to envelope her long fall from the cliff above-then she might live.That's when she screamed.

From the Back Cover

'The First Rains of October' explores resumption of guilt in a compelling manner that won't easily be forgotten,where crime and punishment, loss and forgiveness, spirituality and revenge, allcollide in a chilling, life-changing chain reaction of events that none of thecharacters could ever have anticipated. Ultimately it's the story of love blossoming within chaos, turning tragedy into triumph, even opening the door or miracles. Beautifully written, this thrilling tale will keep you glued tothe pages trying to guess what will happen next.

About the Author

Anthony Barbera's novels, in order of publication, are: Catching Baby Moses (2007), The First Rains of October (2009) and Jonah-In the Time of the Kings (2010). His screen plays include, An American Psalm as well as an adaptation of his novel Catching Baby Moses and his newest work Assurity-IS7.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Graduation Night--June 4, 1965 When August St. Claire ran off that cliff she dropped like a rock. True, she was running and her legs kept kicking in the air--but then gravity yanked on her ankles. She instantly grasped the situation, so she didn't flail or flap her arms. Instead, she pressed them tightly to her sides, the way young girls do when they jump into a freezing swimming pool. Then she screamed. August realized in that split second that being an arrow was her best chance for survival. If she didn't shatter on the rocks below first, if somehow she miraculously missed all the craggy spikes and plunged into that deep hole, deep enough to envelope her long fall from the cliff above--then she might live. August didn't have time to be afraid or to remember that she was naked, her underwear clenched tightly in her right fist. There wasn't even time to review her life and remember all those thankful moments you never want to forget. There was simply no way to tell when she'd hit. It was pitch black and foggy, so the only visible item she could see were her feet descending ahead of her.

She grabbed deep breaths hurriedly and exhaled quickly, deciding to fill up with as much air as she possibly could. Then she whimpered to herself and waited.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B005T80OY0
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Full Grace Publishing
Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 13, 2007
Edition ‏ : ‎ 3rd
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 734 KB
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1619160026
Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #4,334,107 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #3,589 in Contemporary Religious Fiction
- #4,211 in Religious Mysteries (Books)
- #7,972 in Religious Romance (Books)

Customer Reviews:
84 ratings

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Anthony Barbera

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Anthony Barbera is a novelist and composer with a lifelong passion for both storytelling and music. He began his creative journey as a film and commercial composer, earning his bachelor’s in music composition from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and later pursuing graduate studies at the University of Massachusetts, where his work was performed by the North Carolina Symphony Orchestra.

Yet it was storytelling that ultimately captured his heart. After guiding a group of young writers and actors in their first film, X Marks the Spot, Anthony turned to fiction with a focus on deeply human, faith-driven stories. His published novels include 'Catching Baby Moses', 'The First Rains of October', 'Jonah: In the Time of the Kings', 'Assurity: A Space Thriller', and 'Izzy the Bernese Mountain Dog'. His latest release, 'Elijah: Fire from Heaven, captures the courage and calling of one man who stood alone for the Living God.'

Want behind-the-scenes updates, free books, and exclusive content? Join Anthony’s Readers on his website: AnthonyBarbera

Customer reviews

84 global ratings

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Customers find the book's storyline interesting, with one mentioning its many twists. The language receives mixed feedback - while some find it well written, others note that the language used is not appropriate.

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Storyline Readability Language

10 customers mention "Storyline"10 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the storyline of the book, finding it interesting with lots of twists, and one customer mentions being captivated from the start.

"...It kept me guessing until the end - a good story and interesting characters." Read more

"...Take out the cussing and it would be much better. Thank you for the story line and plot" Read more

"...It is very much how life is today. I was excited by the true miracles and things being done in the mission fields...." Read more

"Great story but has too much description of places. A little wordy." Read more

5 customers mention "Readability"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable, with one describing it as a good clean novel.

"Enjoyed this book, it captured my attention from the start...." Read more

"Good read. Take out the cussing and it would be much better. Thank you for the story line and plot" Read more

"...The story was very interesting. But if you are looking for a good clean novel this is definitely not it." Read more

"I savored every minute of reading this book. I was excited trying to figure out what would happen next and who would do what...." Read more

7 customers mention "Language"3 positive4 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the language in the book, with some finding it well written while others note that the language used was not appropriate.

"...great writting, and story line. they should make this into a movie it would be a great movie." Read more

"Great story but has too much description of places. A little wordy." Read more

"It was well written with lots of twists that kept the pages turning." Read more

"This book was sold as a Christian novel but the language used was definitely not appropriate. I thought this could have been a very good novel...." Read more

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Susan Edwards
Captured my attention!
Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2018
Verified Purchase

Enjoyed this book, it captured my attention from the start. Interesting setting, the author seemed to have a really good understanding of the area the story is set in. It's not about perfect people with perfect lives. But how potentially good people can be born into a messed up situation and things not lined up for them to succeed and the changes they go through to still make a Godly impact. More often than not, the road to success is really twisted. It's a unique setting of someone wrongly accused of a crime and the road back. It's about healing as well and legalistic thinkers wanting to block God trying to work. The story reminded me that so many times God works in people and situations that arise from unexpected people and places. A good reminder to stay humble and kind. God works in anyone who believes no matter what our past. It kept me guessing until the end - a good story and interesting characters.

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Melanie Richardson
The First Rains of October
Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2016
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Good read. Take out the cussing and it would be much better. Thank you for the story line and plot

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leafs
Man Plans BUT God Orders
Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2022
Verified Purchase
It was a very interesting story with a couple of twists that were twists but kind of suspected.

I related to the hard lives, the terrible incidents, the evil alive in some of the people, and the lack of faith in those who called themselves Christians. It is very much how life is today.

I was excited by the true miracles and things being done in the mission fields. I loved the parts where you could see that the horrible things that happened were not final. How the heartbreaking things were never the end but they were used by God.

It was a book that displayed what I would love to see more of in true Christianity where miracles were common and looked for expectantly.

God does not change nor does His love for us. He desires to forgive us, heal us, and use us to lead others to Him. It is a shame that it is easier to do that in the jungle than in our blessed United States.

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cyndyds
Good read.
Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2020
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Great story but has too much description of places. A little wordy.

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Ann H. Sanger
Not my genre
Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2016
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Not my fav.

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lovemycat
the first rains of october
Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2011
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i never read books but when i saw this book on amazon i had to buy it. i love the story line it's about marin/sonoma county were i live. there are some towns that are fictional but i like that about this book. great writting, and story line. they should make this into a movie it would be a great movie.

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Amazon Customer
Disappointment
Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2016
Verified Purchase
This book was sold as a Christian novel but the language used was definitely not appropriate. I thought this could have been a very good novel. The story was very interesting. But if you are looking for a good clean novel this is definitely not it.

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One person found this helpful

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CoffeeMom
Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2016
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Pretty good story.

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The First Rains of October Kindle Edition

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