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The Planner #1-2
W: The Planner, The Chosen
W brings together both books from this compelling series in a new box set.
The Planner:
Once a top-producing real estate agent with a successful business and a beautiful home, Kris Mitchell is a victim of the economic downturn. She has lost her home to foreclosure, and her long-time boyfriend has married someone else. Then, just when she has almost given up hope for a better future, an opportunity presents itself for her to become a Level 1 Planner for a newly created federal agency that will implement the Retire America Act of 2013.
After persuading her own aging parents to sign over all of their assets, Kris learns that the government’s plan to confiscate the wealth and property of America’s retirees in exchange for lifelong care in the Smart Seniors community has some serious downsides. As she relinquishes more and more personal freedom to hold onto her job, she discovers what it means to trade liberty for a steady government paycheck.
The Chosen:
In this compelling sequel to "The Planner", Homeland Security is using the National Defense Authorization Act to incarcerate tens of thousands of Americans in secret government prisons where they are never heard from again. Michael Linton and Jeff Conners call attention to these abuses of government power by setting up “The Wall”, a website which publishes the names of all those who have vanished. Soon, federal agents dub “The Wall” the greatest act of terrorism in U.S. history and arrests Michael and Jeff as domestic terrorists. Now Michael’s wife Kris and her brother Keith know that the time has come for them to stand up for the Constitution and fight for the laws of our country.
The Planner:
Once a top-producing real estate agent with a successful business and a beautiful home, Kris Mitchell is a victim of the economic downturn. She has lost her home to foreclosure, and her long-time boyfriend has married someone else. Then, just when she has almost given up hope for a better future, an opportunity presents itself for her to become a Level 1 Planner for a newly created federal agency that will implement the Retire America Act of 2013.
After persuading her own aging parents to sign over all of their assets, Kris learns that the government’s plan to confiscate the wealth and property of America’s retirees in exchange for lifelong care in the Smart Seniors community has some serious downsides. As she relinquishes more and more personal freedom to hold onto her job, she discovers what it means to trade liberty for a steady government paycheck.
The Chosen:
In this compelling sequel to "The Planner", Homeland Security is using the National Defense Authorization Act to incarcerate tens of thousands of Americans in secret government prisons where they are never heard from again. Michael Linton and Jeff Conners call attention to these abuses of government power by setting up “The Wall”, a website which publishes the names of all those who have vanished. Soon, federal agents dub “The Wall” the greatest act of terrorism in U.S. history and arrests Michael and Jeff as domestic terrorists. Now Michael’s wife Kris and her brother Keith know that the time has come for them to stand up for the Constitution and fight for the laws of our country.
397 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 26, 2015
93 people are currently reading
121 people want to read
About the author
Joyce Swann
30 books68 followersJoyce Swann has been a Christian since childhood and a prayer warrior for over forty years. She became nationally-known in the 1990's because of her work homeschooling her ten children from the first grade through masters’ degrees before their seventeenth birthdays. She has been featured on Paul Harvey's weekly radio program, CBN and the 1990's CBS series “How'd They Do That?” She has been interviewed by "Woman's World", "The National Enquirer", and numerous regional newspapers. The story of the Swann family has also been featured in "National Review" and several books about homeschooling success stories.
Joyce is author of "The Warrior", which has been downloaded over 100,000 times on Kindle, and co-author of five novels, including "The Fourth Kingdom", which was selected as a top four finalist in the "Christianity Today" 2011 fiction of the year awards, two children's books ("The McAloon" series) and a collection of holiday stories ("The Holiday Collection"). She was a popular columnist for "Practical Homeschooling" for nearly a decade, and she has retold her own story of homeschooling her ten children in "Looking Backward: My Twenty-Five Years as a Homeschooling Mother."
She is also author of the young adult series, "N". Book Two of the series, "N: The Shadow of the Cross" was published in the fall of 2016.
Joyce and her husband of over 50 years, John, live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Joyce is author of "The Warrior", which has been downloaded over 100,000 times on Kindle, and co-author of five novels, including "The Fourth Kingdom", which was selected as a top four finalist in the "Christianity Today" 2011 fiction of the year awards, two children's books ("The McAloon" series) and a collection of holiday stories ("The Holiday Collection"). She was a popular columnist for "Practical Homeschooling" for nearly a decade, and she has retold her own story of homeschooling her ten children in "Looking Backward: My Twenty-Five Years as a Homeschooling Mother."
She is also author of the young adult series, "N". Book Two of the series, "N: The Shadow of the Cross" was published in the fall of 2016.
Joyce and her husband of over 50 years, John, live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 21, 2017
This review--and especially the rating--is for the box set of both books. If I reviewed the two books individually, the rating for the first book would be vastly different. I hate cliff hanger endings and generally give 1- or 2-star ratings to any book that requires me to buy another book, often with a wait for the next book to be released. W: The Planner ends in a cliffhanger. However, the brilliant solution to this is to package the book with the sequel, so all I had to do to finish the story was to continue reading. Readers who like cliffhangers and want to wait a while to read the rest of the story can read the books separately. Kudos to the authors for avoiding the common problem caused by a cliffhanger ending.
The transition between the books could have been smoother. How the characters got from the situation at the end of the first book to where they were in the second book was unclear, but it didn't take away a lot from the story.
Although our country seems to be headed in the direction that ended with the situation in the book, it would have been more believable if it had been set further into the future. Obviously, in real life the government didn't do what happened in the book, but it's not far-fetched that if things don't change, it could in a decade or two. Since the book was published several years ago, the events in the story would have already occurred, making it more difficult to suspend disbelief.
The transition between the books could have been smoother. How the characters got from the situation at the end of the first book to where they were in the second book was unclear, but it didn't take away a lot from the story.
Although our country seems to be headed in the direction that ended with the situation in the book, it would have been more believable if it had been set further into the future. Obviously, in real life the government didn't do what happened in the book, but it's not far-fetched that if things don't change, it could in a decade or two. Since the book was published several years ago, the events in the story would have already occurred, making it more difficult to suspend disbelief.
July 18, 2022
Very disappointed with this sequel. I loved the first book; finished it very quickly. This book felt almost like it had been written by someone else. The lack of details and long time lapses had me wondering what was going on part of the time.
August 4, 2018
A Can't Put It Down book!
I was drawn in quickly by the writers and could not put this book down. It is very readable with well developed characters and a story line that is plausible. It is timely in its depiction of how a government can be corrupted by ignoring the distinct branches meant to protect us from tyranny and take away the freedoms America was built on. The only issue I had with this book was that, although I fully support the Christian foundation, I found some parts excessively preachy. Some was interesting and inspirational, but some was lengthy and repetitive and could be a real turn off. That is all that kept me from giving it five stars.
I was drawn in quickly by the writers and could not put this book down. It is very readable with well developed characters and a story line that is plausible. It is timely in its depiction of how a government can be corrupted by ignoring the distinct branches meant to protect us from tyranny and take away the freedoms America was built on. The only issue I had with this book was that, although I fully support the Christian foundation, I found some parts excessively preachy. Some was interesting and inspirational, but some was lengthy and repetitive and could be a real turn off. That is all that kept me from giving it five stars.
June 6, 2019
3.5 stars. This set includes both The Planner and The Chosen in the W series. These books should not be read as standalones and this set makes it easy to do that. Be aware that this book is political. Not political in the way you might think, but does involve politics and what policies that on the surface seem harmless could lead to. This book is disturbing to read as it brings to light past events such as the Holocaust (afterall the "W" in the series stands for Warsaw). But it is a timely reminder to all of us as to what could eventually happen if we allow it to.
June 27, 2023
The story begins in "The Planner", introducing the chief character, "Kris". She deals with an increasingly onerous US Government that is curtailing liberty and imposing harsh conditions on initially Seniors, and then other groups. In the subsequent book in this two book collection, The Chosen the story continues as several of Kris's loved ones are arrested, and persecution continues. Building to a crescendo, the ending was a bit "pat". Underlying both books in the collection is a Judeo/Christian thread that I enjoyed and that gave some additional structure to the two books.
July 7, 2018
What price freedom?
Anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear is painfully aware of the exploding reach of an ever increasing power hungry government. Our individual freedoms and choices are shrinking. This story gives a vivid picture of what could happen if we fail to fight for our freedom as provided By our Constitution.
Anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear is painfully aware of the exploding reach of an ever increasing power hungry government. Our individual freedoms and choices are shrinking. This story gives a vivid picture of what could happen if we fail to fight for our freedom as provided By our Constitution.
September 30, 2020
A must read
This is a work of fiction but can become a shocking reality in your mind. How important is your freedom as a believer and citizen of our Great United States ? See how an ordinary person and a mighty God overcome evil.
This is a work of fiction but can become a shocking reality in your mind. How important is your freedom as a believer and citizen of our Great United States ? See how an ordinary person and a mighty God overcome evil.
September 17, 2021
Good book
This book was interesting. It is a two book read and I was captivated by the story. I think you will enjoy it as well.
This book was interesting. It is a two book read and I was captivated by the story. I think you will enjoy it as well.
July 5, 2016
This hits close to home...A must read
W is like reading a possibility of the near future of the United States. Topics hit nervously close to home in that the government cannot control themselves so politicians work to control citizens. Excellent story line. Well written
W is like reading a possibility of the near future of the United States. Topics hit nervously close to home in that the government cannot control themselves so politicians work to control citizens. Excellent story line. Well written
Read
March 2, 2016A light read. Good concept. Not the best book I've read but nice.
August 16, 2015
It was an interesting read, and makes you think how fast we can lose our freedoms in America!
August 10, 2016
In GOD we trust!
This I is the most chilling story I have ever read. If you only read one book other than the Bible you have to read this one!
This I is the most chilling story I have ever read. If you only read one book other than the Bible you have to read this one!
October 22, 2016
Just starting the chosen -- but the planner is scary, eye-opening & jarring.
July 11, 2017
this book brings to light how government is taking away our freedom bit by bit,definitely an eye opener. I was on the edge of my seat reading this. The Word of God tells us to pray for our government, leaders, and those that have authority over us. You will pray more, after reading this. This mother and daughter team have written excellent books. I look forward to more. God bless you both in the integrity of your work.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews