My Review:

 "The Last of the Wagon Pioneers" by John and Patty Probst that I just loved, it made me go back into my young days as I was always reading "The Little House" series over and over.

This book is the first in the seven part "The Strangers and Pilgrims Series," that follows the lives of four generations of the Trevor family.
In "The Last of the Wagon Pioneers," I met Farmer Trevor, a very likeable fellow who knows that he did not want to be a farmer in the town of his birth. Despite being discouraged by his father, he dreamed for years of moving to the west and becoming a rancher.

Farmer risks everything and with his wife and two small sons he heads out west. As the back of the book reads, "Taking his two small children and his wife, Emile, across dangerous terrain, Farmer embarks on a journey beyond his wildest imagination. He holds a worn piece of paper promising a new life and a claim to Section 9 of an Oregon homestead. As the last of the Wagon Pioneers, the Trevor family must rely on their faith in God, the love of a family, and a horse drawn  wagon to make the journey."

The Trevors have a few disadvantages as the car had been invented and as they travel out west they see more and more of them, wishing he could afford one, so that their travel would be faster. Some of the people looked at them like they were crazy going that long way from Texas to Oregon, but you have to do what you have to do, if you want it bad enough.  Farmer was very sad that his farther was mad at him for leaving the farm, but was happy and surprised that Emma's parents supported their move.

Farmer Trevor and his family successfully travels across America and starts living out Farmer’s dream.When they reached their home stead, it was very hard on Farmer to build his log home by him self and he must hurry as winter was not far off.  He was very surprised one Sat. morning when all the wagon, cars, trucks etc came into his yard and told them, that they were having a house raising.  They even made the house a lot larger that the two rooms, Farmer was planning on, as they already had the two sons and another baby due any day.  Farmer and Emma learned the real meaning of being a Christian and having real neighbors.


This book was sent to me by Jerry at Nordskog Publishing for review:

 

Bo Caldwell’s 2001 debut novel, The Distant Land of My Father, set in historic China and based on the story of her uncle, was a critical and commercial success—a national bestseller that was loved by critics, booksellers, and readers in equal measure. In 2002 Caldwell turned to the story of her maternal grandparents who were missionaries in China in the early 1900s. For years her mother had urged her to write about them and when she dove into the research she found their lives full of conflict, danger, and heartbreak, as well as joy and fulfillment. But life, in the form of a cancer diagnosis, kept her from her writing desk until 2006. When she returned, she completed City of Tranquil Light (Henry Holt and Company), a searing love story of a man and a woman, their God, and the country they jointly loved and a deeply researched and page-turning portrait of a country in utter turmoil.

At the center of the novel are Will and Katherine, two Mennonite missionaries from the heartland who have come to China because they feel called by God to serve the poor and spread the Good News. But this is more than a missionary story; it is really the portrait of a marriage set against the backdrop of a radically shifting nation that is plunging into revolution.

A novel based on her grandparents wasn’t Caldwell’s idea. “I’m embarrassed to say that before I had dismissed my grandparents’ lives as too dull and simplistic. But as I reread my grandfather’s memoir and began to ask my mom about my grandparents, I learned how wrong I’d been.” As she began to see her grandparents as her mother had seen them, and to read the biographies and autobiographies of other American missionaries in China, Caldwell found similar stories. “I saw a pattern emerge in the later lives of many of these men and women. Most eventually returned to the United States, usually to be near their children (now grown) and grandchildren, but also because of illness or frailty. I was moved by the contrast between their lives in China and their later lives in the U.S. After enduring decades of war, famine, illness, personal danger, and great hostility toward their work, these people settled safely in the suburbs where they walked in rose gardens and played with their grandchildren and lived out their days. I was struck by the sacrifice that must have been involved in leaving the people and work that had been at the center of their lives, even with the reward of the comforts of modern life. I also began to feel that missionaries often get a bad rap in fiction. While there were certainly those who exploited the people they had come to serve, there were also many who poured out their lives for strangers and for their faith. And I wanted to tell their story.”

That story is one of marriage, of leaving one home and finding another, and of faith. “When I began the novel, I tried to understand my grandfather’s faith and to present it accurately,” says Caldwell. “I tried to see the world through his eyes.” Then life intervened, including a battle to quit drinking followed shortly after with a diagnosis of breast cancer. Once Caldwell returned to writing two years later, she returned as a different person. The combination of sobriety and a serious illness had affected her faith deeply, and she was no longer writing about her grandparents’ faith. She was writing about her own.

My Review:

As the story begins Will Kiehn (his real name) Kung P'ei Te (his Chinese name) is in an  retirement home in California for retired missionaries.  As he sits and looks out his window he remembers all the years he and his deceased wife served in China and witnessed to these people.  Then he picks up his wedding picture and begins to remember.

In 1909 Will and his wife, Katherine arrived in Kuang P'ing Ch'eng (City of Tranquil Light), in the North China Plain to establish a new Mennonite church.  They had no idea that they would serve there for twenty-five years and came to think as China as their home, more so than America.
Will preaches the Word of God while Katherine provides medical care in her clinic.  They did not so in and try to change the Chinese people to their way of thinking but they wore the same type of clothing and ate the same food, so they were highly respected.  They lived through a lot: personal losses, bandits, famine, earthquakes and civil war.
Although a historical novel, thankfully, Caldwell only includes enough facts to place her characters within the context of China's historical events.  So that in itself makes for a good read.
Some friends of ours served as Missionaries in China, India,  and they served in this same way.  I have heard them talk about this same city, so my friend had written a book about the ways of the people and the hardships so this was a good read for me, it followed up on what he had written.

This book was sent to me by The B & B Media Group for review.

 

From the back cover:
Investigating a series of bizarre ranch thefts, dealing with the expectations of a Betty Crocker mom, and entering a recipe in the Potato Festival cookoff, have Ruby Taylor in over her flaming red head. When an outsider turns up dead, it'll take more than a steaming mocha espresso-and her unpredictable yet intriguing Wesley-to save Ruby from the danger.


My Review:
This is the first book I have read by author Sharon Dunn and I must say that I really really enjoyed it. Here I met spunky Ruby Taylor, a young woman who is a mix of a child and a woman.
We find there has been a series of strange ranch thefts happening in  her area and Ruby, more by circumstances than choice, becomes involved in the investigation. Will this complicate her emotional development with deputy Wesley?  He is also desperately trying to uncover who is behind these thefts, or will it pull them further apart. We are also introduced to some characters that allow Sharon. Dunn to expand on Ruby's wealth of off-beat humor and outlook on life. Her mom who is desperately trying to get Ruby to learn how to cook and do things around the house.  A savory Sheriff who has a past that influences his present and a man whose ancestry background has become the focal point of hatred and revenge.
The book is funny, full of Christian principals and mystery, what more could a reader want?
I Definitely want to read more from Sharon.

Thanks to Kregel Publishing for sending me this book to review.

Looking For Love

by

Anna Dynowski

Read an Excert

Meet Anna





My Review:

Anna sent me this book for honest review and it is autographed what more could I ask for?  I really enjoyed the book.
Maggie Evan and Stefan Chapeski were high school sweethearts  in a small town Harmony, Canada .  Stefan called Maggie and wanted her to meet him in Hunysville about forty-five minute drive from Harmony.  she started out and a very bad winter storm hit and she could not control her car so she went over an embankment.  She thought she was going to freeze but finely Stefan came hunting her and found her before it was too late.
 Maggie had left Stefan at the alter after they graduated high school and ran away.  Her parents had been killed in an accident so she was raised by her Godmother.

Twelve years later, Maggie had gone to  Toronto where she had failed in everything she had tried to do,  She had worked and barely made enough to feed her and her eleven year old daughter.  So she had decided it was time to return home and start over, but she knew she would have to face Stefan and that was something she was not looking forward too.  Her daughter Riley was not happy about moving to this small town where they did not even have cable nor a dish network.

After they arrived and Maggie's Godmother took them in and was so happy to do so, things begin to look up, Maggie found a job, and she was still in love with Stefan, always had been but she tried to stay away from him.  Things happened that she had no control over as another jealous woman.  The funny part about this book was the cat, it seemed to be for Maggie and like an angel watching over her.  It liked her but hated her rivals.  Great story plot to read and I really enjoyed it.
The only thing I could not understand was the way Canada does their weather and miles on the highway.  I see degree F and miles where the books states kilometer and celsius.  Since the town was Irish and Polish there was a little I didn't understand about the language.  A great read anyway.

Thanks to the author Anna Dynowski for sending me this copy for review.  I hope to get more from her in the future.

 

• ISBN-13: 9781561486991
• Pub. Date: 10/01/2010

Taken from the back of the book:
The second book in the series when you enter Lizzy Glick's life.  This book was written by Linda Byler and is based on true life experiences.  Linda grew up Amish and is an active member of the Amish church today.  Growing up Linda loved to read and write.  In fact, she still does.  She is well known within the Amish community as a columnist for a weekly Amish newspaper.  Linda and her husband, their children and grandchildren live in central Pennsylvania.
There are 10 of Lizzy's favorite Amish recipes listed in the back of this book.
My Review : 
Lizzy was a but shy around boys and had never had a date.  She was seventeen and wanted to be the next
school teacher in the Mennonite school where she had gone and her siblings were still going.  But she was only seventeen and would the school board think she was too young?  She just knew she could be the best teacher they could choose.  Lizzy love Mondays as she and her sister Mandy could talk about all that happened over the week end.  Her oldest sister Emma was already engaged and knew what she wanted out of life.
Lizzy liked boys but they never liked her back, she always choose those that had other girls in mind.  But Stephen really liked her and she just though of him as a friend.  She started to teach school and loved every minute of it until they build a new school and she had more students then the older boys started to give her some trouble.
Mandy Lizzy's younger sister already had a steady boyfriend and she was only sixteen, what was wrong with Lizzy?  She was so jealous of the girls that always got the boy she liked, but maybe she was not looking in the right place.  Her Mama told her that God always knew what was best and she would know when the right one came along.
The school board had some to her school to observe her and the students then they asked her to be the teacher the next year.  What will Lizzy decide? Will she continue to teach school or will she give up that dream so that her wish for a husband and family can come true.  In the Amish schools the women teachers could not be married, so they had a choice to make.

Great book and it was sent to me Julie at FBA Associates for review.

 

13.99 

ISBN:978-1-4143-1957-5 

Trim Size:5 1/2 x 8 1/4 

Binding:Softcover 

Release:October 2010 

Description: Billy Allman is a hillbilly genius who builds a radio station in his own home from spare parts. People in town laugh. Though it is not his dream assignment, the angel Malachi follows the man and begins to see the bigger picture of how each painful step Billy takes is a note added to a beautiful symphony that will forever change the lives of those who hear it.

Description: Billy Allman is a hillbilly genius. People in Dogwood, West Virginia, say he was born with a second helping of brains and a gift for playing the mandolin but was cut short on social skills. Though he'd gladly give you the shirt off his back, they were right. Billy longs to use his life as an ode to God, a lyrical, beautiful bluegrass song played with a finely tuned heart. So with spare parts from a lifetime of collecting, he builds a radio station in his own home. People in town laugh. But Billy carries a brutal secret that keeps him from significance and purpose. Things always seem to go wrong for him. However small his life seems, from a different perspective Billy's song reaches far beyond the hills and hollers he calls home. Malachi is an angel sent to observe Billy. Though it is not his dream assignment, Malachi follows the man and begins to see the bigger picture of how each painful step Billy takes is a note added to a beautiful symphony that will forever change the lives of those who hear it.

My Review:

In Dogwood, West Virginia Billy Allman is considered a genius as well as a great mandolin player. However, as brilliant as he is Billy lacks common sense when it comes to social interaction with people. Still Billy work really hard and over the years he remains dedicated to his dream and to his Creator though he has been taken assaults on his soul and ridiculed by others that he wastes his gifts. Malachi the angel becomes a silent observer and soon a very good fan of Billy's who has spent his lifetime choosing faith over material things. This is an interesting study of a deeply religious person who chooses to honor God in his way through music though he faces all sorts of hardship. Billy is a fascinating individual with a brilliance that the townsfolk feel should take him far, but he prefers to create his radio station so that the West Virginia hills are alive with the sound of music dedicated to the Lord.

Author Chris Fabry wrote this story based on the life of  Billy Allman, who passed away in Jan 2009 in Mount Peasant, SC. It is a nicely written and very touching fictional account of the struggles and hardships Billy faced.

This book was sent to me for review by Tyndale Publishing .

 Go Here to enter Jamie Carrie's Snowflake Contest.
 My Review:

 From the start of the book, I knew that I was going to like it.  This is the first book I have read by Jamie Carrie and I really enjoyed it.  I like historical books but I believe this is the first one I have read about the French Revolution it was very interesting.  I never knew the story of how all the French aristocrat's were be-headed.  It was so terrible that one man "Robespierre" could come in and cause this.  He was so mean, as Christophe (the count of St Laurent) grabbed his little sister and hid in a secret hole in a wall while his parents and brothers were killed with the guillotine in their own family room.

After this happened Christophe  and Emilie ran down the street to an old friends of his, but someone was after them so he told his sister to run to the red door and run into the home of his friend, but he could not find her.  Then the "citizen" movement that it was being called brought more people up on a platform to be-head and they had a young girl with blond hair with a hood over her head and they be-headed her so Christophe lost it and ran.  Even King Louis XVI and his young wife Marie Antoinette was beheaded during this revolution.

He meet Scarlett in the cemetery where she was putting flowers on her husband's grave and she was with child.  They became friends but can he get over the nightmares of what happened to his family and what will happen to the citizen movement. Scarlett was married to Robespierre's cousin and she didn't know how mean they were.  Will her child be born healthy?  Will Christophe finally be able to be able to sleep again with out nightmares?

This book was sent to me and autographed by the author through B&H Media for review.

 

The Winner is Lizzy

Thanks for playing

THE MARK OF LOVE

BRACELET & The Life Book
ENDED GIVE AWAY 

Oct. 16-23

Follow me and leave a comment with email address to enter

USA only

MY REVIEW

The Mend Mark tells a powerful story in two words

Have you been “Marked?” The Mend Mark is a mission, a movement, an entire revolution. It is a bracelet meant to remind its wearers of Christ’s love and sacrifice, and its message is the passion of its creator, Hunter Harrison. 

The Mend Mark is an innovative and distinctive bracelet that is designed to reflect the scars and nail holes of Jesus. When worn, the band resembles the deep holes of the nail driven into the wrists of Jesus during his crucifixion. By bringing the story of Jesus’ life and death to constant awareness by wearing a bracelet, Mend Mark is meant to powerfully remind wearers of the ultimate act of love Jesus made for all of humankind. 

Harrison’s mission is to remind all to remember Christ’s love in both his life and death. But more than only a poignant recollection, the Mend Mark is meant to inspire and motivate wearers to live a life of service. Harrison strives to bring people together around the simplicity and power of love as lived by Jesus. But this is no example of passive love. The Mend Mark calls individuals in all walks of life to love with a profound sincerity and commitment great enough to change a neighborhood, a community, a world.

Harrison leads this call to love and sacrifice by example and joins hands with each Mend Mark bracelet purchaser to take the first step in global change. A portion of each bracelet sold goes to support Living Water International, an organization combating the clean water crisis victimizing over one billion people worldwide. Each $5,000 given will result in one well drilled, providing a community with clean water.

But wearers should be prepared to be seen. Unique in its design, the Mend Mark is sure to be noticed and gives wearers an opportunity to share the story of the profound love of Jesus for each and every person. “It was important to me that the design was simple and generic enough that the observer had to ask about it to know what it meant. But I also wanted it to appear distinctive enough that it sparked curiosity,” reveals creator Hunter Harrison. “I wanted it to require the wearer of the product to engage in conversation about the love of Christ (and hopefully show that love to others) instead of just letting the product talk for them.”

Launched in late 2009 after a year and a half of packaging, material, and design development by Harrison, the bracelet has been sold across the United States, Canada, and the UK and has been featured in retail stores as well. The Mend Mark bracelet movement has grown to further fame after being worn during performances by American Idol winner Lee Dewyze, Idol runner up Siobhan Magnus, Decifer Down, Israel Houghton & New Breed, Pillar, and Finding Favour, to name a few. Says Harrison, “I want it to be more than just another bracelet; I want it to represent a movement.” Based on the way things are going, a movement is exactly what it is becoming.

Order online for $9.99 at www.mendmark.com.

Thanks to Audra Jennings and the people at B & B Media for supplying this give away.

 

HERO'S TRIBUTE

by

Graham Garrison

Look Inside book

My Review:

This book by Graham Garrison tells about someone that the complete town though of as a hero.   He was the star  on his high school football team, played for a major college, married the love of his life, served his country honorably receiving not only the Purple Heart, but also the Medal of Honor, came home and started an organization to help troubled and under privileged children. All who know him love him, the perfect man, with a perfect wife and family. As the book starts, Michael, our hero, dies with cancer. His last request is that a local reporter, Wes, give his eulogy. Wes does not know Michael and begins his search to see  who was this "perfect man?"

This is not the story of twisted, sickening flaws, but ordinary flaws that we all possess at one level or another. There are none of us perfect, only one man ever on this earth was perfect and that was Jesus Christ.  And ever the "Hero" of the day or year is just someone to look up too and sometimes we need to look at the person and not what they have done.

The book is well written and holds a very strong message. The author's portrayal of small town life, seems to be the way small town are, as for me I have never lived in town but in the county, so I have never seen the way people are that know every one.  His profile of a man who possesses the flaws we all have, yet tries his best to always do the right thing is rather inspirational. 

As I am not a sport's nut, really do not care for any of it, but most people do.  This is the author's first novel and if you consider his obvious skill in writing and ability to tell a good story, we can be assured that we will be hearing much more from him in the future. 

This book was sent to me by the author Graham Garrison through the Publisher Kregel Publishing.

 

 Terri Blackstock's Predator, 

Unabridged, 9 hours of great listening.

My Review:

If you're a member of any networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter or MySpace I urge you to listen to this audio book. If you've not been too concerned about the amount of information that you're giving out when participating online, or if you're putting yourself at risk this story will make you think twice. 

Are you being friends to people that are complete strangers?   This story is a perfect example of how technology can be used for good and evil. It was an eye opener and made me think long and hard about my own sites and I am a great-grandmother. 
The storyline revolves around an online predator who is stalking people through the  GrapeVyne network. As the predator makes friends with  strangers online, they are able to gather information to target their victims and to murder them. In every case, the victim brings the predator right to them by sharing details of their locations and their activities.
When Krista Carmichael's young teenage sister is kidnapped and then brutally beaten, raped and murdered, Krista goes on a mission to find the predator. Krista discovers that her sister has over a thousand friends in the network, and that the killer used online information to target her sister. Krista begins to investigate and discovers how  the slope of internet networking can be, when used incorrectly. She tries to prevent others from making the same mistakes that her sister made and begins talking to young teenage girls about their online activities. In an effort to find her sisters killer, Krista sets up a bogus online identity in an attempt to lure the killer to her doorstep. Krista also implores the help of Ryan Adkins, the CEO of GrapeVyne, much to the chagrin of his board members.
If you enjoy a good mystery then you will enjoy this story, but beware that you may want to watch what you list on you internet pages.

This audio book was sent to me by Zondervan publishing for review.

 

Welcome, Leanna. Tell us how much of yourself you write into 

your characters.

Hi, Edna! Thanks so much for having me here. Characters come from me but they aren’t me. Their situations are different than anything I’ve experienced. In Elvis, Claudia was a widow. Thankfully, I haven’t experienced that but I have experienced loss and so I try to think about the losses I’ve experienced and use that to get to the heart of a character. In Facelift, I haven’t been divorced and I don’t even have a crazy mother-in-law, but I have experienced defeat and feeling as if life is out of control. In the book I’m writing now, Forsaken, I haven’t experienced vampires either! Grateful for that! But I’ve experienced fear and I’m also doing plenty of research on the Amish! So back to your question, I’d say some part of the character is like me since they come from me in some way but are not necessarily like me.
Tell us the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

I am a bookaholic! I love to read! Way back when I taught school, I was a reading specialist. So books have been important to me for a long time. This summer, we were able to take a vacation, and frankly that’s all I wanted to do—read. I don’t read exclusively in any genre. I am very eclectic in my reading. I love biographies, self-help books (if I need help and I often do—books are often where I turn first), women’s fiction, mysteries, romance. My children have even tweaked my interest in fantasy, and I often read books with them or we listen to audio books together.

What other books have you written, whether published or not?

Well, I wrote 8 books before I ever got one published. And there are probably a few others here and there, buried deep under my bed or in some closet or thrown out and forgotten. Each was a learning experience. I published 12 books in romance in the secular market before God brought me to the inspirational Christian market. I just keep following after Him and where He is leading me.

Tell us about the featured book.

Ah, FACELIFT! It’s about a ‘can do’ kind of woman, who runs her own business, raises her teenage daughter, and takes care of her ex-mother-in-law after a botched facelift. But Kaye learns a facelift is more than skin deep. Joy is more than tacking on a happy face. It's relying on her sovereign God who has a plan for her life.
Ironically, when I began writing FACELIFT, I had just experienced a huge loss in my life—my father had just passed away. I gave myself a month off but then I had to start writing so I could meet my deadline. But the words just would not come. I tried to be patient with myself but some days I could only write ‘Chapter Five.’ Two words, not the whole chapter. Chapter. Five. That’s it. To a writer, that’s very frustrating and scary. During that time I was also trying to tame this crazy labradoodle puppy. She was the worst puppy I’d ever had. She ate everything in sight: a pound of butter, half a turkey, a bunch of grapes, nine spicy chicken wings, 10 pairs of glasses, toilet paper, boxes of tissues. It was worse than having a toddler grabbing everything in sight because she could jump. She has these long poodle legs with springs at the bottom and she’d jump on the dining room table. So in my feeble effort to get her to calm down so I could concentrate and write, I’d take her for a walk. But in doing so, the sunshine and outdoors would lift the gloom and depression over my father’s death. And then I began mentioning The Hilo Monster on my Facebook page. Just little snippets. But I decided one day to write a crazy dog (hmmm, where did I get that inspiration?) into a scene. And the words poured out. It was easy and fun to write about her and it got the words flowing again. And so, just like my character Kaye, I experienced an inner facelift.

Could you tell us what was your first ever published item?

My first published book was a romance called Strong, Silent Cowboy. It was about a stuttering cowboy. Oh, how I loved Kirk! What a great guy! I hope to bring that book out again in some way as I now have the rights to it. I’m just trying to figure out the best way to do that.

Do you have a favorite color if so what is it?

RED! I love red!

Since you have wrote a book "Elvis Take A Backseat" I know you are too young
to remember Elvis but do you like his music?

Oh, I’m not too young. Unfortunately. My brother introduced me to Elvis’s music when was a kid. One summer when he came home from college, he used to play a trick on his girlfriend (now his wife) and call her up on the phone and then place the needle of his turntable at the beginning of “you ain’t nothing but a Hound Dog.” We’d laugh and I learned all of Elvis’s hit records. And I became a fan. But right after that he died. I even remember that day. For some reason his death hit me really hard. And I remember school hadn’t started yet but I had to go to band practice (I played the oboe) and I asked a few people if they’d heard the news but they either didn’t know who Elvis was or didn’t care. I was very sad and read tons of articles about him and listened to Crying in the Chapel over and over. I still love his music and had such fun introducing my kids to all his music. When we went to Memphis for a research trip, we stopped at Sun Records, where Elvis first began recording. On the tour, we were standing in this big recording room and the guide was telling stories of who all had recorded there. He pointed to a big ‘X’ on the floor, which was right next to where my daughter was standing, and said that’s where Elvis stood. My eight-year-old daughter’s eyes got big and wide. She wants to go back there some day and record a song, because you can rent out time at Sun Records to do that.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Dallas. There aren’t too many of us natives anymore, but my family goes back 5 generations in Texas. Recently my kids had to do projects at school and trace an ancestor back to when they first came to America. That was fascinating! And we learned about ancestors that fought and died in Vicksburg and during the Revolutionary War. That family line goes back to Wales, when my relative Morgan David came over in the 1680s. I believe his wife was pregnant on the journey over. Can you imagine? I think she would need a facelift when she arrived.

Thanks so much, Edna, for having me! I appreciate all your support and encouragement!
I really enjoyed having you Leanne and I love your books.  You can reach Leanne here at her blog. 

Thanks so much, Edna, for having me! I appreciate all your support and encouragement!
I really enjoyed having you Leanne and I love your books.  You can reach Leanne here at her blog.

 My Review:
I really enjoy Leanna Ellis's books, I have read most of them. Leanna brought a whole new meaning to FACELIFT,  It will really make you think, and yet you'll laugh while enjoying this wonderful book.
Leanna Ellis  takes us on a wonderful journey with Kaye Redmond to make God's will happen in her life. Surely when the marriage vows were made God did not want them to be adhered.  Kaye is convinced that even though her husband cheated on her, left her and divorced her that it is still her destiny to get him back from the "Barbie" he left her for.
Of course in the meantime she has started her own home staging business (so much like shows on TV)  in order to support her and their teenage daughter. She is finding a strength within herself that she didn't know she had. In everything except where her ex-husband is concerned,  when he calls about his mother needing a place to stay after her botched facelift how can she refuse even though she can't stand the bossy woman.

Kaye thought she was doing what God wanted her to do and she also thought "maybe" she would get her ex back by taking her ex-mother-in-law into her home, she had no idea what a mess she was getting into.  While she is trying to update Jack's house to get it ready for sale, and contend with his dog "Cousin It" and her daughter shaving her head, and her ex and his mother, Kaye has a job on her hands.

You will find this book to be funny, romance, God and dealing with a teenager to the extreme.  Leanna does not let us down with this book, I think it is one of her best yet.

Thanks to Julie with B&H Publishing for a copy of this book to review.

 

STRONGER

by

Jim Daly with James Lund

David C Cook Publisher
trade paper back
978-1-4347-6446-1

Description: In his second book, President and CEO of Focus on the Family Jim Daly intertwines engaging true stories with Biblical wisdom to show how God can use struggles to strengthen the faith of his followers. In Stronger, Jim weaves together compelling stories and life principles with his trademark warmth and familiarity. Devoid of formulas but filled with biblical insights, Jim treats us to a feast of self?effacing, yet uplifting stories both about himself and about many others he has worked with through Focus on the Family. Jim writes about the most formidable and powerful strengththe kind that endures and hopes even when all seems hopelessthe kind that is found in only one source: the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. His is an eternal strength, unchangeable and unbreakable.

My Review:
In this book, Stronger, the Introduction  starts in China, with a Chinese missionary couple telling him they will pray for hem as they were leaving. Jim felt compelled to asked them how they pray for us. With smiles and apprehension, the man replies, ".for the church in America to get more persecutions, as we see you as rather weak." I don't necessarily think we should pray for persecution, as Jesus already promised we'd have trials and temptations, but we are to take courage, as He has overcome the world. (See John 16:33) I would like to think they meant 'whatever it takes' to have us trust more deeply in the Lord. That original prayer, however, evolved into this book, Stronger, by Jim Daly.
This book is written in three parts.

The first is about being weak, troubles, and choices.

Part two covers surrender, God's invitation, acceptance and trust, and joy.

Part three involves perseverance, character, hope, and a vision of strength.

Jim gives us real-life stories of people we can relate to, who suffer tragedy, death, sickness, and loss, and how God uses our problems to draw us closer to the Him. God then provides the strength we need to go through life's sorrows and woes. Jim states very clearly that we have a choice in how we want to respond to what God sends our way, while telling us that the Lord wants nothing but the best for us. His answers to our prayers may not necessarily come in the form of what we pray for,but God always in the way that is best for us.
This book brings comfort, hope and encouragement in that Jim tells it, yet shows us how God is always there to comfote us.
This book was provided by Audra of The B & B Media Group, Inc. in exchange for my honest review.

 

Look Inside Book

My Review:

In Palm Beach, Antiquarian Storm Syrrell is in desperate need of cash. When a nameless, faceless client calls her with a request to track down an antique that is just a make believe. Rumored to bear healing in its being, Storm should say no, But the man offers too much.

Storm knows Syrrell Galleries' business has been saved by the buyer's agent Raphael Danton. However her friend Emma, high up the power ladder at Homeland Security is sent to be with Storm. Emma is told that treasure hunter Harry Bennet died in Hebron; she is heartbroken with grief until he calls her from a hospital.

She leaves Storm to see first hand that her Harry is okay; Emma takes him to a hospital in Germany, and rejoins Storm who with a few more auction bids with the same people and results, she is taken to Poland where she sees for herself the Black Madonna is a fake. They need to get it back at all costs again but somehow Harry's injuries Storm's winning bids are linked, but nothing makes sense even who is the bidder competing with Storm.

The Black Madonna, is a novel full of antique artifacts, history, and suspense, follows Bunn's novel of Gold of Kings, where he first introduced Storm Syrrell. Sadly, I didn't get to read that novel first. The Black Madonna, while not one I would have normally purchased from a book store, really turned out to be skillfully penned and gripping. I have read some of Davis's books and a lot of them are with Janette Oke.

This book was sent to my by Glass Roads Publishers for review.

The Black Madonna, which will be available for purchase Sept 7, 2010, is Book 2 in the Storm Syrell Adventure series. Book 1 in the series is Gold of Kings. You can order both books from the Books page on my website: http://www.davisbunn.com/books.htm.

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Within My Heart

by

Tamera Alexander

 Go here to read the first pages: 

Timber Ridge Reflections, Book 3

My Review

Rachel Boyd's husband had been killed two years ago, and since then, life has been a struggle. Her love for her late husband has not diminished, but has  taken its toll. The dream of owning a ranch has been very hard for Rachel without him and raising two boys alone. She is not interested in remarrying for any reason at this point in time. The possibility of losing another beloved spouse is terrifying to her. Doctor Rand Brookston has some fears of his own and happens to be sweet on Rachel. His profession as well as her fear help her to keep him at a distance, but when circumstances draw them together, they discover they must confront their fears.  Within My Heart is a romance and one part seemed like things were coming to an ending.  But with the heart attack of a dear friend and Rachel helping Rand with the constance care of Ben, they both learned a lot about each other, but the nightmare that always has Rand having a panic attack still need to be resolved.

I have not read the first two books but I was able to go right into this one, a very good read from Tamera Alexander.
I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program.

 

In Every Heartbeat

by

Kim Vogel Sawyer

Libby Conley and her friends Pete and Bennett formed a strong bond growing up together in a small orphanage. September 1914 finds them going to the University of Southern Missouri, sponsored by scholarships.
Libby dreams of becoming a famous journalist, Pete is studying for the ministry, and Bennett wants to dive into fraternity life. And although they’re on the same campus, each one carries goals and wounds that threaten to pull their friendship apart.
In Every Heartbeat brings a part of American history to life.  It’s was not something that a woman did to have a career as a writer. And abuse behind walls make it almost impossible to prove.  The three are bound by a friendship of all being the oldest at the orphanage being all three were eighteen years.  Libby's parents were killed when she was young, Pete's parents threw him out at the age of seven and he fell beneath the wheels of a trolley while delivering newspapers and lost part of his leg and a foot.  Bennett was just left on the streets to grow up and he never knew his parents as the other two remembered theirs

This is a delightful story of friendship, faith and love, and of learning to know God’s presence “in every heartbeat”. Libby (or Elisabet, as she wants to be known in journalism) is a feisty, unconventional young woman, and Pete is a young man who wants to do what God wants him to do.  Bennett is always wanting to get even for not having read parents, he hold God and everybody else to blame for his growing up.

This book was really interesting as it tells how the three young people handle their own problems and they learn to serve God.

Thanks to Bethany House Publishers for a copy of this book for review.

 

BEYOND THE BRADY BUNCH

by 

Ray and Debbie Alsdorf

It is ludicrous to believe our lives won’t be touched by blended families. We need to take their needs seriously. They are in our workplaces, our churches, and our neighborhoods. They are our friends.

—Hugh Downs, 20/20

 

Go her to read chapter one 

"This book is a treasure chest of encouragement, hope, and inspiration for the blended family." — Dr. Gary Smalley, bestselling author of The Blessing and The Language of Love.

 When Your Group Must Somehow Form a Family

Statistics tell the story of the American Family. Today there are more step-families than the original intact biological families that once made up the American norm. And, there are many Christian couples in relationships that are not blending, are wrought with disappointment, and are tempting those of faith to throw in the towel on the new family and on their spiritual life. Beyond the Brady Bunch is for those who want to keep their sanity and their spirituality in the uncharted territory of blending two families or homes. This book is not just for those remarried, but for any parent who is sharing custody of a child with another parent that is not living under the same roof. Church needing some materials for blended family class?

This book has questions at the end of each of the ten chapters. Perfect for small groups, home groups or classes.
Women Continue to Grow With These Design4Living Resources...grab a book, start a Bible Study, join a group, tell a friend!


My Review:
Now in the United States we have fifty percent of all first marriages fail and end in divorce.  That is an alarming amount as when we get married the pastor used to say "Till death do we part" but now it seems as though the ones that are getting married are seeing it as "if this don't work " it doesn't cost that much to get a divorce.
This book BEYOND THE BRADY BUNCH is a book that can be useful for families that have combined two different families in marriage.  Some of them are like the old TV show "The Brady Bunch" as the two families with children have a lot of adjusting to do.  The children may not get alone and that makes it hard on everyone.  This book is filled with ideas and personal stories that may be able to help your family if it has two different groups of people with children, as they try to get alone together.
The authors has written in first-person by each of the two authors, weaknesses are admitted and discussed, with biblical solutions offered.  At the end of each chapter there is a list that help the reader to focus on the main points.


Thanks to Karen Davis at The B&B Media group for this copy for me to review.

 

Written by Robin Currie

Illustrated by Basaluzzo

My Review

This little Bible is the perfect gift for a little one.  Start them out with the knowledge of the Bible with this one.  The pages are beautiful and the stories are from our Bible about Christmas and the meaning,  but are simple written so that little ones can understand.  Even if they only look at the pages and turn them they will get the knowledge when you read to them, maybe just a verse or two.  The stories are not long maybe a page, so the little attention spans they have can sit for a few minutes.

We in America need to teach our Children about God and the Bible about how Jesus came to this earth and died for our sins.  The schools sure don't do that anymore, it is so sad.  When I went to school, oh so many years ago, that was one of the first things we did was hear a Bible story and say the Pledge to America.  Now that is being unfair to others that don't believe as we do, but what about the thinks they are able to do and make an influence on our Christian children.

This book was sent to me for review by The B&B Media Group for review

A Place For Farmer and Emile 

  

By

John and Patty Probst

About the Authors:
In 1982, JOHN AND PATTY PROBST accepted Gods call to serve as chaplain to persons in the film, television, radio, and print media. Their ministry takes them into the studio lots and onto sets. They hosted a radio program that aired across the country. In addition, they produced and wrote a pilot and six television shows for national cable. They are also chaplain to a production company. The Probsts have traveled to the Philippines on church planting missions. John was part of a small film crew, shooting a mission project in Thailand. Patty is involved in Christian education. They started researching and writing the Strangers and Pilgrims Series in 2000; it will include seven books. They currently reside in Southern California.

My Review:

I have to admit that this is one of the best books I have ever read, and I do read a lot, this year alone I have read almost 150 books,  The story starts with Farmer and Emile Trevor with their two sons and baby daughter.  They had raveled to Oregon from Texas by chuck wagon with three horses.  They had encountered all kinds of trouble but they had made it and with a nice log house and a lot of farm land Farmer was very happy in deed.

This book is so well written that it is a read that you can take in and enjoy as you read about the slow times.  Farmer and Emile had left their families in Texas and didn't know when they would get to see them again if ever, but the way to the west was getting better with roads being built and Route 66 was coming all the way across.  

They had to endure bad weather, the depression, world war two, they came though but with a lot of loss.  Farmer lost his ranch but he used his cattle to feed the hungry.  They both were well liked and they did the Christian thing to help their neighbors.  Farmer told himself that he would never go back to his ranch until he could buy it back so they made their living in town in a house that the banker had titled to them.

They did get to see their parents again all but Farmer's pa, he had passed away during the depression and they could not get back to Texas.  Emile's parents and sister's family came to see them before the depression.

The things that happen towards the end of the book is so fascinating that you must buy this book.  I could go on and on and tell the entire story but don't think the authors would appreciate that.  Believe me when I say this is really a great book.

Thanks so much to Jerry at Nordskog Publishing to letting me review this book.

 

 $9.95 Publisher: Lion Books

96 pages, hardcover

ISBN: 978-0-7459-5336-6

Chick here to buy a copy and read my review

A Beautiful book in its self but it is not the traditional story so you will be in for a surprise!

The story starts with a fifty year old man, Jack O'Malley going into a book store to get a latte', he is really upset as he was almost in an accident.  All he wanted was a latte and there was a long line, so he saw a table empty so he started for it to place his briefcase on it to hold and then go get his coffee.  About the time he got there a pretty young lady had started for the same table, so he started to go faster and they bumped into each other and spilled her coffee.  He started to think Hey maybe I am not to old to date this young lady as he was divorced.  She went and got both of them coffee really fast, (He wondered how she got it so fast) and then they started to talk.

  Her name was Carol and she got him by the hand and went back in time to a baby Jack in his mother's arms and then the scene would change and he would be a little older.

You will not believe how great this book is, I was so surprised that it was not the regular Christmas story as I mentioned before, I love the story of Jesus' birth  and love to read any story of Christmas but I think anyone will really like this one.  So buy a copy for all your friends that like to read as Christmas is coming up and it will make a great gift.

This book was sent to me by Kregel Publishing to review.

 

A Promise of Hope, see review here

I read Amy Clipston's first book in the Kauffman Amish Bakery,A Gift of Grace: A Novel (Kauffman Amish Bakery Series) and loved it.  This one is just as good, I love to read about the Amish and Amy Clipston has a way with her books that make us understand them.

Set in Bird-In-Hand, PA, the main character, Sarah, is  expecting her first boppi while she is grieving over the  loss of her husband in a fire. Sarah moves back in with her parents who are trying their best to love and support their grieving daughter, reassuring her that her people will help her and  her bopplin. Sarah is overwhelmed with sadness and grief . While working in the family bakery she meets a man who has come to Bird-In-Hand to learn more about her husband's death. This man, Luke, claims to be a relative. She soon finds out that she is caring twins and she just can't understand why God had to take Peter from her and the babies she is expecting. She has a friend that she talks too that had lost his wife so he understands her feelings.  Will she fall in love with Norman the widower or can she love again? 

Sarah learns many things, some troubling, about her husband's past that she never knew, but she also learns quite a bit about herself. You will laugh and cry with all the characters, they will become like family to you.

This book was sent to me by Zondervan publishers to review.

 

Ember Of Love by Tracie Peterson takes place in Philadelphia, June 1885 where Elizabeth Decker, known as Lizzy is about to be married to a man she does not love.  Stuart Albright is a well known man and his father is friends with President Cleveland and her mother is very involved in women's rights, so much so that she is divorced from her husband and was never there for Lizzy as she grew up.  But now that Lizzy is a grown woman her mothers was wanting her to join her in the fight for women's rights so she decided she would marry the first man that ask her just to prove that she didn't have to do as her Mother tried to make her.

She had went to college and her friend Deborah was fixing to go home to Texas as soon as the wedding was over.  Deborah talked Lizzy into not marring Stuart and catching the train to Texas with her, as her brother was waiting at the depot to take her home.  Lizzy decided to leave instead of getting married so she went to Texas and met Deborah's bother G.W.  This did not go over well with Stuart or her mother, but she really liked Texas and learned how to cook and do household chores.

Soon Stuart and Lizzy's mother showed up and was determined to take Lizzy back to Philadelphia with them so much so they pretended that Lizzy and Stuart were married because of the papers they had signed before the wedding was to take place.  This had Lizzy worried so she contacted her father and he found out she was not married.

Does Lizzy stay in Texas or does her mother talk her into going back and have a marriage with no love.

This book was a really good read, full of history, love and the right for women to vote.  Thanks so much to Bethany House for sending me this copy to review.

THE DEAD RISE FIRST
Rapture Countdown
by
Alton Ragan and Robert D. McLaughlin

About the Book:
In the small town of Jordan, Oklahoma residents find themselves the victim of a shocking terrorist attack. A society so completely dependant on technology for its security and commerce has suddenly been turned upside down. Even worse than the uncertainty of their immediate safety is another problem that no one can explain.

People who have been dead for years are popping up all over town, appearing and giving witness that the Rapture of the Church is eminent but for the lost, the Great Tribulation. Who will listen to their message and repent and who will refuse to believe their own eyes?

Meet Jack, a pastor who is suddenly slapped in the face by what has happened and then baffled when he spots Sister Gregg, a former member of his church. The only trouble is the last time he saw the woman was at her own funeral. The town begins to shake at these events and as a church turns to their leader, Pastor Jack desperately searches for the answers he must give his congregation. How much time remains for people to repent is anyone’s guess, for Jack and his flock it’s a race to reach the lost.

The Dead Rise First is a fast paced, intriguing read for anyone interested in the Rapture. This book brings something new to readers and is provoking discussion among scholars with this one question: why do the dead rise first? Although purely fiction, the events are based on scriptural answers that unearth a new understanding concerning the rapture of the Church. Does it reveal a mystery about how God will raise the dead in Christ as seen in 1Thess. 4:13-14? Will it be the same way Jesus resurrected in Matthew 27:52-53? You decide.

MY REVIEW:
This book was very interesting and I love to read about when Christ comes back to take His children home, want that be a great day! I find that this book as ever fiction book that is written, is what the author believes and some of it I agree with but I always go back to that GRAND OLD BOOK, "THE BIBLE" God's Holy word. I find as all Christians do that studying the Bible needs to cross reference with other people's beliefs and other books that have been written by men or women that have been to school just for this purpose. This book explains it different that I have ever heard before, I know the Bible says that when Jesus returns "The dead in Christ shall rise first" so buy this book and read it for yourself, you may just learn something that you have never thought of before.

Thanks to LeAnn Hamby of Hamby media for sending me this book to review.