All Means All, If You Believe

(Faith Under Fire Trilogy, Book 1)

Fiction - Suspense
254 Pages
Reviewed on 10/03/2015
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Gwen Sutton is an award winning author and playwright who writes to inspire others to seek Christ and lead victorious lives through His Grace. With this goal in mind, Gwen founded Lift Him Up Productions, Inc. to lift up the Gospel of Jesus Christ through books, plays, and other works. She currently serves as President/CEO of the organization.

Gwen’s thrilling “Faith Under Fire Trilogy” has received international industry recognition. Endurance (Book 2), won a prestigious Silver Medal in the Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards, and also received a Hollywood Book Award Honor. All Means All, If You Believe (Book 1) and Restored (Book 3) were both assigned Readers’ Favorite five star ratings. Gwen’s first gospel play, Our Daily Bread, won the Best Drama award in the DC Black Theatre Festival’s One Act Battle Competition.

Born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Gwen now lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with her wonderful husband, Swindell. She has one daughter and three fantastic grandchildren. Gwen enjoys writing, acting, worship dancing, missions work, and traveling.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite

All Means All, If You Believe by Gwen Sutton is a story of faith, resilience and a mother's belief. BabyRuth was happy. She had a beautiful life, she had a son, Derek, who had a great promise of a better future, and a daughter who idolized her brother. But when Derek does something that not only shatters his future, but also shakes his family's lives, BabyRuth must keep her faith in God. Their once normal life is on a track that could end in destruction. Her golden boy is now tarnished. However, BabyRuth is a strong woman, and her belief in God is unshakable. She believes that everything is possible for Him. He can make things better and bring her family's happiness back. But when times are so bad and everything is working against you, can you keep your faith?

Sometimes, there are writers who put so much spirituality and religion into their stories that it loses its element of fiction and becomes more of a religious motivational book. Gwen Sutton did nothing of the sort. She kept the balance between spirituality and fiction. In this way, I was able to appreciate it more and enjoy the story too. I really liked the way she portrayed her characters and how she kept her chapters short. They were packed with information and very easy to read. All in all, it was a great novel that I will definitely read again because Sutton kept the mystery and action in the story until the very end.

Lucinda Weeks

All Means All If You Believe is an incredible and suspenseful fiction novel written by Gwen Sutton. The story focuses on Derek, a college senior. Derek seems to have it all; a promising future, a loving girlfriend and a supportive Christian family. Yet, Derek finds himself struggling with all sorts of pressure, pressure to keep his grades up, pressure from peers, and pressure from Jasmine, the beautiful campus prostitute. The overwhelming pressure leads Derek to make a series of wrong choices, giving in to partying, pills and more. Derek realizes that his choices come with a very high price tag that turns his world upside down. Unable to cope with the realization of how much his actions have cost him, Derek makes one more terrible decision. A decision which rips his family apart and forever changes the lives of everyone around him who love him. His decision has a ripple effect, causing one challenge after another for his family and loved ones, who put their faith and trust in God to pull through the most difficult and trying times of their lives and discover that with God all things are truly possible.

Gwen Sutton has expertly woven together a very realistic and compelling story. An exciting read that is sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats as they follow the unforgettable characters through many thought provoking and dramatic scenes. I found the novel hard to put down, as I was eager to see what would happen next in this unpredictable and deeply emotional story. I would have liked to have seen more of a balanced mix of humor and lighthearted scenes dispersed throughout the story. Nonetheless, a great read from a very talented author! I highly recommend the well-written novel, All Means All If You Believe, to readers everywhere.

Valerie Rouse

All Means All, If You Believe is an inspirational book surrounding a college student Derek Jones. Derek was a popular student at Morgan State University. Things were progressing well for him. He was fortunate to have a loving girlfriend, Serena, who was a devoted Christian. Derek and Selena were inseparable; however, Serena wanted to remain celibate. Derek disagreed with her stance on this lack of sexual connection between them. Unfortunately, Jasmine, a well known prostitute, had her sights set on Derek. She literally pounced on him at a frat party when he was inebriated.

All Means All, If You Believe is a realistic book of fiction. The language used is colloquial. It is very easy to understand. The chapters are short and sweet and this encourages further reading. I was captivated from the very beginning of the story. I was totally unprepared for the early cliffhanger in the prologue. This reveals the true creativity of author Gwen Sutton. The reader can assume that the main character’s mental state would be revealed so that you can understand his choices. This does not take away from the storyline’s engaging features. One element that stands out is that a person must be careful of the choices he/she makes in life. I love the fact that the author focused on spirituality. In today’s world, this aspect of life can be foreshadowed by the daily hustle and bustle. However, a strong spiritual focus is vital to steer us through the rough seas of life. I also loved the author’s emphasis on family. Overall, this book is an awesome read. Kudos to author Gwen Sutton!

Chris Fischer

In a very strong work of Christian fiction, debut author Gwen Sutton has provided her readers with both a good introduction to traditional tenets of the Christian faith, as well as a story with an intriguing plot line. Follow the story of a family dealing with the tragic consequences of a very unfortunate choice made by the son Derek. The matriarch of the family, mother BabyRuth, leads her family forward with her strong belief that with God, all is possible, all can be forgiven and all will be well. A story of grief, life, love, and ultimately of hope and redemption, All Means All, If You Believe is a novel that will provide many with a message of hope, thankfulness and love, even in the face of the most difficult of circumstances.

Author Gwen Sutton has written a book full of things that will make readers think, make them feel, and will perhaps draw them closer to God. Almost parable-like in its telling of the story of Derek’s transgression and the way he, the members of his family, and his other loved ones deal with it, many lessons can be learned from this book. All Means All, If You Believe will certainly be enjoyed by those who like stories with a strong Christian message, stories of redemption, and stories of hope, and I am pleased to recommend this book to them. Author Gwen Sutton is a strong voice in the Christian fiction field, and I certainly hope that she is already hard at work on her next novel!

Tracy Slowiak

What would you do if a member of your family did something so devastating that it affected every single person in the family, and more? That's exactly the scenario presented by debut author Gwen Sutton in her new novel, All Means All, If You Believe. Follow the stories of mother Baby Ruth, her son Derek, her daughter Kenya, and Derek's girlfriend, Serena, after Derek has made a huge mistake, one likely to scar him, his family, loved ones, and many others into the future. Baby Ruth uses her strong belief in God, and her belief that if the family trusts in the Lord, somehow all will be as it should in order to lead the family forward on this difficult and upsetting path. All Means All, If You Believe has moments of suspense and intrigue, but it can also be used by those going through difficult times as a guide for healing through faith in Christ.

I enjoyed reading All Means All, If You Believe. Author Gwen Sutton has done a great job in creating a book both filled with faith and filled with characters that her readers will connect with, root for, and continue to think about long after they book is finished. If that isn't a hallmark of a great author, I'm not sure what is. Any reader who likes Christian fiction, a suspenseful story, or books with elements of hope and redemption will enjoy All Means All, If You Believe. Author Gwen Sutton is certainly one to keep an eye on in the genre of Christian fiction, and I hope that she continues in her work in this area!