Romance Can Last A Lifetime

I love a book that is real, where the author sounds like they really mean what they are sharing and are not just telling you a bunch of how-to and how-not facts with stories that fit the topic. This book is one of those books, where you can tell that the author, Rhonda Stoppe, really cares about helping you achieve a very special relationship with your spouse.

The collection of real-life love stories can touch your heart in a very special way and can encourage you in your own personal romance no matter how long you have been in love. I found it very touching and encouraging, and something to refer back to from time to time. This will be a great book to share with some of the young couples I know! I highly recommend it to you.

About the Book:
Do you believe in true love?

In a world of broken relationships and hurting people, it can seem like all we ever see is heartache—that marriages are doomed from the start and romance isn’t worth the risk.

But heart-fluttering, long-lasting love is all around us…we just have to look for it!

This collection of beautiful, real-life accounts will bring laughter and tears as you enjoy each story of ordinary people who found extraordinary love. Page after page, you will find inspiration to 
—rekindle the romance in your love story
—trust in God’s providence and timing
—faithfully hope for your own happily-ever-after
—celebrate true romance
—believe in life-long love

Don’t let the world define romance for you! See how God is at work in the hearts of His people—knitting together hearts in a love that forever endures.


Learn more and purchase a copy.

About the Author:
Rhonda Stoppe is the No Regrets Woman. With more than 20 years of experience as a pastor’s wife, mom, mentor, author, and speaker, Rhonda uses humor and honest communication to help women build No Regrets Lives. She and her husband live their real-life romance in northern California, and have four grown children and eight grandchildren.

Find out more about Rhonda at http://www.rhondastoppe.com.
Connect with here on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram

This reviewer received the product free or at a discounted price in order to bring you an honest review. No other form of compensation was given. All opinions are those of the reviewer.

Remembering Christy

Catherine Marshall, author of #Christy, was "a woman of great influence," says Suzanne W Fisher. Learn more about the best-selling book when you watch this video! Enjoy!!

Scripture Doodle, Coloring With A Purpose

I'm sure all of you have seen or heard about all the adult coloring books out there. They have them for pretty much every kind of like one could have. But this set of books is so much more than just a coloring book. There is purpose beyond the relaxation of coloring.

Each book has specific things it focuses on. The whole picture is not always there. as you learn something new about God and His Word, you color the page and meditate on what you have learned. The drawing and coloring (and no you don't have to be an artist to take part) are a part of devotions and spending time with God. It's a fantastic idea and so much more relaxing than just coloring.

It's coloring with a purpose!

About the books:
ScriptureDoodle: A Six-Week Devotional Experience

With inspiring exercises and prompts, this unique interactive guide introduces readers to a creative connection between Bible study, artistic expression, and worship.

Often, in the busyness of life, Christians forget that God created them to enjoy creativity. With guided instruction and completed examples, this beautiful book invites readers to draw closer to God through their own art.

More than a coloring book, ScriptureDoodle is a combination of Bible study, creative expression, and artistic community with artwork shared online at #scripturedoodle.

Exploring topics such as being generous, finding rest, and facing grief, ScriptureDoodle gives the heart the creative space it needs. This book stimulates the reader's imagination and helps integrate God's Word into everyday life.

Purchase a copy of the book HERE!

ScriptureDoodle God's Promises: A Six-Week Devotional Experience

Some of the most incredible stories in the Bible are of God's promises and faithfulness to His children.

ScriptureDoodle God's Promises refreshes believers who are feeling burned out or stuck in a rut in their relationship with God. Each of the creative worship prompts in this interactive guide includes biblical encouragement and ideas for worship through art. Artist April Knight includes creative lettering tips, color ideas, and completed examples to inspire readers to respond to promises in Scripture related to trust, faith, and the power of God's Word in all circumstances.

This unique blend of Bible study and creative expression provides the opportunity to connect with God as Creator in a new, life-changing way.

Purchase a copy of the book HERE!

About the author:
April Knight is a worship artist based in Asheville, North Carolina. Knight's work includes live
worship painting and leading ScriptureDoodle workshops online and at conferences and retreats around the country and internationally. Her family of four is her greatest joy, along with serving alongside her husband at their local church.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

This reviewer received the product free or at a discounted price in order to bring you an honest review. No other form of compensation was given. All opinions are those of the reviewer.

Getaway With God Is A Fabulous Book For Every Women

One of my favorite things to do is take off on a weekend with friends and go to a retreat for women and spend time in the Word and in fellowship. I learn so much then. But I have never taken off by myself for a retreat just with God.

This book is something that I wish I had read years ago. I try to spend as much time as I can alone with God, but not in such a dedicated way as Letitia recommends. She gives you the reason why something like a retreat away alone to spend time with God is important, how to do it, suggestions on where to go, and more.

Letitia draws you in, like an old friend, and shows you how these special times can help you grow tremendously and to learn to relax in God's presence! This is a wonderful book and I highly recommend it to you!

About the book:
What if a simple day away could transform your life?

Does spending time with God sound like just one more thing to check off an ever-increasing to-do list? How are you supposed to fit in anything that threatens to be more time-consuming? Too often there's simply no room to experience the intimacy, grace, and peace that God offers us.

Getaway with God does more than invite you to step away from life's pressures to take a personal retreat. It shows you exactly why you must---for your sake and for your family's.

With grace and warmth, Letitia Suk provides step-by-step guidance and the necessary tools to enable any woman on any budget to plan time away, whether it's a quick, half-day break or a weeklong time of restoration. You'll find detailed steps for preparation, including descriptions of different kinds of retreats and how to choose the best one for you, and you'll learn ways to bring the renewal you experience home with you. Practical appendixes identify retreat centers nationwide and provide exercises and prayers to kick-start your getaway with God.

No matter what your season in life, the time for retreat is now!

 Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/2gCczSG

About the author:
Letitia Suk invites women to chase the Intentional life. She writes and speaks of God's renewal and

restoration and offers platters of hope to women in each season of life. Tish is also a personal retreat guide and life coach in the Chicago area and moonlights as a hospital chaplain. You might run into her walking by Lake Michigan, browsing resale shops, or making up a new tradition. She blogs at hopeforthebest.org and is also the author of Rhythms of Renewal.

 Website | Facebook | Twitter

This reviewer received the product free or at a discounted price in order to bring you an honest review. No other form of compensation was given. All opinions are those of the reviewer.

A Fantastic Way To Keep The Real Meaning Of Christmas In Mind

I love devotional books. They make it fun and interesting to see others perspectives on the Word and they help direct your thoughts for the day in the right direction.

Well this devotional book is not like others. It has a lovely twist to it that I really like. Yes, there are interesting perspectives on God's Word and thoughts to encourage me to think in the right direction (especially about Christmas), but it also has so much more!

Each day there is a short devotion helping you to keep you perspective right during the busy Christmas holiday. the devotion is followed by a song. I love this. How often have you really thought about the songs we sing around Christmas and what they really mean. It is then followed by a practical thing to do, make a gift, bake a special recipe, and more. I just love how it helps aim your thoughts and deeds to stay centered around Christ and sharing Him with others!

This is a fantastic book and I highly recommend it to you!

About the book:
Celebrate 31 days of a Christ-filled Christmas season.

For Christians worldwide, the month of December is filled with joy and wonder as we anticipate the celebration of Christ's birth. There is no other time of the year that can compare to the Christmas season for both the young and young at heart.

From December to New Year's Eve, reawaken the wonder, joy, and magic that is Christmas with daily scripture and inspirational readings of stories behind popular Christmas traditions, carols and movies. Enjoy a wealth of fun activities to help make the most of the season, including heartwarming holiday recipes and homemade gift ideas.

With this soon-to-be-cherished holiday devotional, best-selling author Ace Collins will capture your imagination and help to make each day of December more memorable and meaningful to you, and those you love, by shining a light on the real spirit of the season.

Purchase a copy HERE!

About the author:
Ace Collins defines himself as a storyteller. He has authored more than sixty books that have sold more than 2.5 million copies. His catalog includes novels, biographies, children's works as well as books on history, culture and faith. He has also been the featured speaker at the National Archives Distinguished Lecture Series, hosted a network television special and does college basketball play-by-play. Ace lives in Arkansas.

Connect with Ace : Website | Facebook | Twitter

This reviewer received the product free or at a discounted price in order to bring you an honest review. No other form of compensation was given. All opinions are those of the reviewer.

Join Odyssey Adventure Club For $1 This Month Only!

 

Memorial Day is just around the corner, which means school will be out for the summer! Parents, does that fill you with dread, knowing all you'll hear for the next few months is, "I'm bored!"? Keep reading because we have a deal for you—one that will only cost you a buck and that will keep your kids safe online while allowing them to have fun and to grow in their relationship with Jesus. This is such a fun way the whole family can spend time together too.

Buck Oliver is back in the latest Adventures in Odyssey album, and to celebrate, you can try the Odyssey Adventure Club for just a buck for your first month. Sign up before May 31st using the promo code BUCK! *This deal only applies to first-time accounts and is good the first month only.

Members receive:
—24/7 streaming access to more than 750 Adventures in Odyssey episodes (a $1500 retail value).
—A new, members-only Adventures in Odyssey episode every month.
—A subscription to Adventures in Odyssey Clubhouse Magazine.
—A web quest of video stories and online activities reflecting the biblical theme of that month's episode.
—On-the-go access with the OAClub mobile iOS app.
—Growing access to Odyssey books, a daily devotion, access to select Radio Theatre dramas and more.

Additionally, a portion of each Odyssey Adventure Club membership benefits Focus on the Family partner organizations, such as Carry the Cure and Mission Aviation Fellowship, providing parents with an opportunity to teach children about the value of serving others. The Odyssey Adventure Club hopes to spend another 25 years hand-in-hand with parents seeking to teach biblical truth to their children while inspiring the theater of their imagination.

 

Your favorite Adventures in Odyssey characters are also Taking the Plunge in Album 59 and now you can, too! This summer, dive into your faith and grow closer to God by joining the Adventures in Odyssey Clubhouse Magazine Taking The Plunge Summer Challenge. It includes these simple things:

• Learn 5 memory verses
• Get active with 5 family activities together
• Share God’s love and your faith in 5 different ways

When you commit to the Adventures in Odyssey Clubhouse Magazine Taking The Plunge Summer Challenge, you'll receive:

• A promo code for an exclusive Odyssey Adventure Club first month offer (for new members only)
• Adventures in Odyssey special studio message
• “Strange Journey Back” book excerpt
• “Jones and Parker Mysteries” book excerpt

To learn more about the Odyssey Adventure Club, visit www.oaclub.org, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

A New Addition To The Quilts Of Love Series ~ Quilted by Christmas

I'm excited about being able to share another Quilts of Love Series book. This one is just in time for the holidays too. Quilted by Christmas is another wonderful addition to the series! 

The book is a quick read but so enjoyable. All the way through the whole thing there is a large emphasis on God's forgiveness. The characters are very believable and people you become attached to through the story. The bond with the grandmother is so special and something I can relate to in my life.

The quilt itself was woven into the story in a wonderful way. I loved how it was a big part of the story instead of an add-on. 

This is a book I am sure you would enjoy and would make a great gift for Christmas!

About the book:
A grandmother's last wish is to communicate God's love through an Irish chain quilt.

Taryn McKenna believes she's easy to forget. Abandoned by her parents and left behind when her high school sweetheart joined the army, she vows to never love again and throws herself into her love for the outdoors and the pursuit of a college degree---something no one else in her family has ever accomplished. Her goal, as a young teacher in the hills of North Carolina, is to leave a legacy in the lives of the middle-schoolers she teaches.

When Taryn's grandmother Jemma, the only other person who ever held her close, has a heart attack that reveals a fatal medical condition, Taryn is corralled into helping Grandma work on a final project---an Irish chain quilt that tells the story of her history and the love Jemma knows is out there for Taryn. As the pieces of the quilt come together, Taryn begins to see her value. Can she learn to believe that God will never leave her behind even though others have?

Learn more about this book and the series at the Quilts of Love website.

About the Author: 
Jodie Bailey is Tarheel born and bred. After 15 years as a military spouse, she settled with her family back in North Carolina. She is the author of the military suspense novel Freefall and is a contributor to a devotional for military families, Fighting Fear: Winning the War at Home. While not working on her next novel, she teaches middle-schoolers to love writing as much as she does.

Connect with Jodie: website, Facebook, Twitter

I received a copy of the book for the purpose of review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed here are my own.

The Hardest Peace Is An Exceptional Book!

This is a very real book. What do I mean by that? I mean this book does not dance around the very real problems we as Believers face in a world full of sin. 

The way each of us grows up in Christ is through adversity and pain. That's a tough thing to swallow sometimes, but in her book The Hardest Peace, Kara talks about how through hardship we are drawn ever closer and closer to the cross and our Lord and Savior.

This book will move you, most likely to tears, but hopefully to look at the hard things you face in a new way. There are raw emotions shared, painful things shared and all with the hop of the reader learning to find peace in and through hard times. You may even say Bring on the harder hard by the time you are done reading!

This really is an exceptional book!

About the Book:
A young mother battling cancer invites readers to embrace grace in every season of life. Kara Tippetts knows the mundane but rich days of mothering four kids, the joy of watching her children grow.and the devastating reality of stage-four cancer. In The Hardest Peace, she invites readers to see the grace of the everyday in all seasons of life and to live well even when the living is hard. As the thousands of readers of her blog know, Tippetts explores the hardest questions of life with rare beauty and honesty. Most of all, she draws them back to the God who is present, in the ordinary and the suffering, and shapes every life into the best story of all.

Learn more and purchase a copy at Kara’s website, Mundane Faithfulness.


About the Author:
Kara Tippetts and her husband, Jason, have four children and lead a church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Cancer is only part of Kara's story. Her real fight is to truly live while facing a crushing reality. 

Find Kara online: website, Facebook, Twitter

I received a copy of the book for the purpose of review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own.

A Great Christmas Novella ~ Where Treetops Glisten

Christmas is my favorite holiday and reading stories placed around that time are almost always wonderful. This novella is no exception.

The three different stories in this book are all about the Turner family and each one compliments the other two. it was fun reading about different people and their lives and still they were a part of the other stories lives too. Being written in one of my favorite time periods, WWII was a bonus too.

I loved how the authors of each story made sure that the facts about the families were consistent and they all blended really well. it was great to see how the family was doing from one story to the next as the war progressed and how that was affecting them. Each author wove their own unique style into their story, but they compliment each other really well.

This would be a great gift for someone or even yourself!

About the book:
The crunch of newly fallen snow, the weight of wartime

Siblings forging new paths and finding love in three stories, filled with the wonder of Christmas

Turn back the clock to a different time, listen to Bing Crosby sing of sleigh bells in the snow, as the realities of America's involvement in the Second World War change the lives of the Turner family in Lafayette, Indiana.

In Cara Putman's White Christmas, Abigail Turner is holding down the Home Front as a college student and a part-time employee at a one-of-a-kind candy shop. Loss of a beau to the war has Abigail skittish about romantic entanglements---until a hard-working young man with a serious problem needs her help.

Abigail's brother Pete is a fighter pilot hero returned from the European Theater in Sarah Sundin's I'll Be Home for Christmas, trying to recapture the hope and peace his time at war has eroded. But when he encounters a precocious little girl in need of Pete's friendship, can he convince her widowed mother that he's no longer the bully she once knew?

In Tricia Goyer's Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Meredith Turner, "Merry" to those who know her best, is using her skills as a combat nurse on the frontline in the Netherlands. Halfway around the world from home, Merry never expects to face her deepest betrayal head on, but that's precisely what God has in mind to redeem her broken heart.

The Turner family believes in God's providence during such a tumultuous time. Can they absorb the miracle of Christ's birth and His plan for a future? 

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/BwVP9

About the authors:

TRICIA GOYER is a prolific author of nearly forty books, including Chasing Mona Lisa, and a speaker and blogger.
Website, Facebook, Twitter 

CARA PUTMAN is the author of twenty books including Shadowed by Grace. She is the winner of the 2008 Carol Award for historical fiction.
Website, Facebook, Twitter

SARAH SUNDIN is the critically-acclaimed author of the Wings of the Nightingale series, the Wings of Glory series, and the forthcoming Waves of Freedom novels.
Website, Facebook, Twitter

I received a copy of the book for the purpose of this review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Rob Peabody's Citizen Is A Challenge To Believers

I am excited to have my favorite guest poster for this book review, my husband Rick. He loves to read and was very willing to read this new boo from Rob Peabody. Here's his review.

Rob Peabody's Citizen is a challenge to identify ourselves, and live, as citizens of God's kingdom and purposely look beyond our comfort zones to reach unbelievers. The author recognizes that many believers don't demonstrate their faith because they have adopted the principles of behavior and standards for success held by our culture. He also sees the need to learn about our neighbors who do not listen to the gospel message because we do not take time to understand them and build relationships.

All this is mentioned in the book, but these themes are not developed deeply because so much of the book is made up of personal anecdotes related to Peabody's personal faith journey, leaving a position in a Texas megachurch to minister in inner-city London. The adjustment to another culture relates to the topic of evangelizing an ungodly world as the ambassadors of God, and there are many examples of learning to build relationships with people outside our personal demographic. But the connections aren't always made, and some of the stories don't seem to illustrate much.

I'll admit that I'm more "old school" and less receptive to personal anecdotes carrying the bulk of the teaching. Still, many times I wasn't sure that there was a point to some of the autobiographical material. I was also put off by the numerous recommendations for the book [not the author's doing]. The publishers include favorable comments from ten people that I'd never heard of, which to me is less impressive than no remarks at all, and leaves me with the feeling that I'm wasting time before I even get to the author's words.
Peabody's zeal for outreach and his willingness to take risks as a citizen of God's kingdom are inspirational. His challenge for each of us to escape the complacency and worldliness that hinder evangelism is timely. But I wish I had found more reasoning from scripture and less personal stories.

About the book:
For Rob Peabody, the young pastor at a mega-church in southern USA, the realization that his faith had little real connection with the world around him meant that something had to change. He redirected his church towards the poor on their doorstep and then took the larger step of moving to the UK to establish the missional fellowship 'Awaken'. In Citizen he outlines the Kingdom-centered identity that is given to followers of Jesus. It's a wake-up call to the church in the West. Jesus' death and resurrection initiates and invites people into a life of so much more than the status quo. God is re-building, re-newing, and re-creating that which is broken and marred by sin, and he is doing this --- setting things right in the world --- through Jesus. As citizens of the Kingdom, we have been saved and set apart for this work. We have a new allegiance, a changed identity, and a new mission as we seek to establish the rule of God on earth as it is in Heaven.

Purchase a copy at the Awaken website and get a FREE study guide. Bundle discounts also available: http://ow.ly/CfYHp

About the author:
Previously the lead campus pastor at an American mega-church, Rob Peabody is now director of the Awaken Movement who left his church in the Texan Bible-belt to start and lead a Fresh Expression of church seeking to engage unreached 20's and 30's in northeast London.

Find Rob online: website, Facebook, Twitter

I received a copy of the book for the purpose of review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are those of mine and my guest reviewer.

Keepers Of The Covenant Is The Second Book In The Restoration Chronicles And A Great Read!

If you have never read one of Lynn Austin's books, you have really missed out. I love the way she writes and I love the way she bring characters in her book to life.

Her newest book, Keepers Of The Covenant is an amazing book. It is the second book in the Restoration Chronicles. The book takes place during Jewish captivity and focuses around Ezra. I love how this biblical person who I know is very real becomes much more so for me through the story. This is a wonderful depiction of the life he led and the struggles he dealt with as a leader. Lynn has what my husband and I call a great "sanctified imagination". She takes the real story and fills in details that are not in the Bible, helping you to understand and imagine along with her what things could have been like for the people.

As you read the book you get more and more involved with the characters and the struggles they go through. I especially enjoy the way that Ezra is drawn closer and closer in a relationship with God. I think this is one book you should pick up!!

About the book:
The Old Testament Comes to Thrilling Life in the Latest from Lynn Austin

In one life-changing moment, the lives of the Jewish exiles in Babylon are thrown into confusion and despair when a decree arrives from the king's palace in Susa. It calls for the annihilation of every Jewish man, woman, and child throughout the empire on the thirteenth day of Adar, in less than one year. Ezra, a quiet Jewish scholar and teacher, is suddenly called upon to lead the community as they seek God for a reason for this catastrophe. When a second decree arrives, authorizing them to fight back, Ezra is thrust into the role of military leader as they defend themselves against their enemies.

When the battles come to an end, Ezra's brother Jude is dead and Ezra is required by the Law he so diligently studies to marry Jude's widow, Devorah, and provide an heir. Fatherhood changes Ezra, and he asks God to make a way for him and the other exiles to leave Babylon for good and return to Jerusalem. His prayers are answered and the exiles move to Judea to revitalize worship at the temple---but the fight to keep God's Law is never easy. As more and more of his community are tempted, a new battle emerges . . . this one for the survival of God's covenant and the souls of His chosen faithful.

Purchase a copy HERE

About the Author:
Bestselling author Lynn Austin has sold more than one million copies of her books worldwide. She is an eight-time Christy Award winner for her historical novels, as well as a popular speaker at retreats and conventions. Lynn and her husband have raised three children and live near Chicago.

Find Lynn online: website, Facebook

I received a copy of the book for the purpose of review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Mason Jar Is A New Perspective On Romance

I think you will be surprised by the fact that this book filled with romance was written by a man. I was not expecting what I read at all, and it was a pleasant surprise. It's really interesting to hear a love story from a man's point of view. His style of writing is one I struggle with a bit, but as you get into the book it gets easier and you get used to it. James is a very descriptive writer and it is easy to see in your mind what he is describing, in fact at one point you can almost smell the lasagna!

I was disappointed that there was not direct reference to how God worked in the lives of the characters. God is mentioned and alluded to, but I was missing a deeper involvement there. However, it is a very captivating story and it will draw you in.

About the book:
What if your old college roommate called, raving about a book someone sent her, calling it the most beautiful book she's ever read? "But," she said, "it's about you." The author is your college ex.

In The Mason Jar, Clayton Fincannon is a Tennessee farm boy raised at the feet of his grandfather. He and his grandfather leave letters for each other in a Mason jar on his grandfather's desk---letters of counsel and affirmation. When Clayton attends college in Southern California, he meets and falls in love with a dark debutante from Colorado. However, when an unmentioned past resurrects in her life and she leaves, Clayton is left with unanswered questions.

Clayton goes on to serve as a missionary in Africa, while he and his grandfather continue their tradition of writing letters. When Clayton returns home five years later to bury his grandfather, he searches for answers pertaining to the loss of the young woman he once loved. Little does Clayton know, the answers await him in the broken Mason jar.

A story about a girl who vanished, a former love who wrote a book about her, and a reunion they never imagined.

Written for the bruised and broken, The Mason Jar is an inspirational romance that brings hope to people who have experienced disappointment in life due to separation from loved ones. With a redemptive ending that encourages us to love again and written in the fresh, romantic tones of Nicholas Sparks, The Mason Jar interweaves the imagery of Thoreau with the adventures and climatic family struggles common to Dances with Wolves, A River Runs Through It, and Legends of the Fall.

Purchase a copy: HERE

About the author: 
James Russell Lingerfelt is the author of The Mason Jar and writes articles for The Huffington Post. James connects with readers at his blog, Love Story from the Male Perspective, and divides his time between Southern California and his family's ranch in Alabama.

Find James online: website, Facebook, Twitter

I received a copy of the book for the purpose of review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own.

Getting Beyond The Hurt With The Help of Buried Beneath Words, by Betel Arnold

Growing up in a home where many words were often used against me I have struggled my whole life trying to put them in the past where they belong. Like many people, the effect of those words said to me by people I loved very much have lingered and haunted me at times. When I think I have put them behind me, Satan will often bring them back to me. 

Betel Arnold has written a book that is very practical and easy to apply to your life, my life. The chapters are short and to the point in helping anyone step by step learn how to deal with the pain of hurtful words and to move ahead. She offers small sections to work out things with thought provoking and poignant questions, always drawing you back to the Word of God! 

This is a very practical book and I would recommend it to anyone who struggles with the hurt that words have caused or are causing in their life. 

About the book: 
Words! Words! Words! Words are all over the place. Accusing, blaming, and degrading words are the worst of all. After hearing those words over and over again, we begin to feel the weight of them threatening to crush the very life out of us.

Buried Beneath the Words cleverly shares a true life story about the different ways someone can end up buried beneath the weight of negative words. Then it shares a Christian course for how God's word can revive us. By putting the advice given within these pages into practice, you will experience an awakening of the real you---the you that has been buried way too long.

Purchase a copy: HERE

About the author: 
Betel Arnold is a Certified Christian Life Coach, her passion is to reach out to women with compassion, empathy and encouragement. She is the creator, co-producer, and co-host of Simply Talking, a local public television show addressing issues drawn from our daily lives to deeper questions that come from our personal tragedies. Betel has learned to integrate her roles as wife, mother, inspirational speaker and family advocate. It is Betel's personal life experiences of overcoming adversity where she was able to find the inspiration and inner strength to do the impossible. She inspires others to overcome the challenges that keep us from moving forward in our lives and achieving our goals. Betel Arnold has embraced her life's conviction to help women become all that God has called them to be.

Find Betel online: website, Facebook, Twitter

I received a copy of the book for the purpose of review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own.

Max Lucado's new book ~ Before Amen

For this book I have a guest reviewer, one who I happen to think is a pretty nifty person, my Husband, Rick! Here's what he has to say about this new book from Max Lucado.

The premise of this book seems to be that Christians in general would be better at prayer if they kept prayer simple. Max Lucado says that in response to His disciples' request, "Teach us to pray" [Luke 11:1], Jesus did not give a lecture on prayer, but provided "a quotable, repeatable, portable prayer." The author then states, "It seems to me that the prayers of the Bible can be distilled into one." The book then becomes an explanation of each phrase in this "pocket-size prayer":
 Father, you are good.
 I need help.
 Heal me and forgive me, They need help.
 Thank you.
 In Jesus' name, amen.

While there are some good thoughts in some of the chapters, the book is flawed early when Lucado explains the word "Father" by saying that Jesus used the word "Abba," meaning "Daddy," in what we now call The Lord's Prayer. While Jesus did use this intimate term in a later prayer, and Paul uses it twice, it is not recorded in the Lord's teaching on prayer in Matthew 6 or Luke 11.

Later, when addressing forgiveness, we are told that some guilt is good, but we shouldn't be "guilt laden," so Christians should "regulate our guilt dosage." The matter is not about the amount of guilt we feel, but the kind of guilt [II Corinthians 7 calls it "godly sorrow"] and one's reaction to it ["godly sorrow worketh repentance"].

There are several other comments which I think reflect "fuzzy logic." For example, the argument "you are not a louse; you are God's chosen child, and he loves you." The fact that God chose and loves someone is not proof of a human's worth, but proof of God's great love. After all, lice or not, all of those in God's family were children of wrath, servants of Satan, and enemies of God when Christ died for them. Compared to that, and considering that even God's servants can think of themselves as unprofitable [Luke 17:10] at the best of times and could lament their sinfulness as Paul does [Romans 7:24], "louse" seems acceptable, as long as one is then affirms as Paul does [Romans 7:25, 8:1] God's gracious pardon.

The best chapter of the book was chapter 5, "Heal Me." Lucado asserts, "It is inconsistent to say that Jesus saved your soul but not your body. When Jesus took our sins to the cross, he took our cancers, disfigurements, and depression as well." He then boldly poses the question many pastors fear to ask publicly: "Then why do we still get sick?" His answer is clear, plain, and comforting.

The greatest weakness of this book is that Lucado process of making prayer more "portable" it robs prayer of its richness. He says, "It seems to me that the prayers of the Bible can be distilled" into his Pocket Prayer. Albert Einstein said, "Everything should be made as simple as possible -- but not simpler." The Pocket Prayer leaves out aspects of prayer which make the experience so rich. What of the prayer that does nothing but praise God, with no supplication? What of the combination of request and remembrance found in Psalm 3:7, "Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly."? There are prayers of scripture, and prayers composed of groaning. By the end of this book, a form of prayer may have been made more accessible to some people, but it was a weak version of prayer, not far removed from vain repetition.

Pre-order a copy of Before Amen by 9/29 and receive a FREE ebook copy of Max's best-selling Second Chances: More Stories of Grace.
Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/BbwcL

About the author:

More than 120 million readers have found comfort in the writings of Max Lucado. He ministers at the Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas, where he lives with his wife, Denalyn, and a sweet but misbehaving mutt, Andy. Find Max online: website, Twitter, Facebook.


I received a copy of the book for the purpose of this review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions are those of myself and the guest reviewer.

Quilts Of Love Book Series ~ A Grand Design by Amber Stockton

I have truly been enjoying the entire Quilts of Love collection of books. Each one is a treasure. one of the newest books, A Grand Design, is just wonderful!

As with the other stories in the series there is a quilt as an integral part of the whole thing. It's been fascinating to see how the different authors have brought quilts into the story in unique and interesting ways.

The description of Mackinac Island truly makes you want to go and visit to see everything for yourself. Alyssa is an interesting character in the book. it was easy to like her and walk through this story with her. She's very believable person and you find yourself hoping she finds love. Scott, Alyssa's romantic interest, was so sweet and understanding, although I would have loved to have learned a little more about his personal story.

In all, it was a nice book and a good read!

About the Book:

A getaway on a charming island may be just what Alyssa needs---if only she can let go of her past.

When Alyssa Denham, a single career woman, wins a fun getaway for two on Mackinac Island where her grandmother lives, she gives her carefree best friend a call. Together, they tour the old shops and hidden treasures of the quaint island while helping Alyssa's grandmother piece together an heirloom quilt. Their quest gains them entrance into the homes of many longtime residents of the island, parts of the city that are otherwise off limits to tourists.

As the quilt's story takes shape, Alyssa gains amazing insight into her grandmother's life . . . and attracts the attention of the handsome Scott Whitman, an island resident in charge of hotel transportation. Will memories of her past keep Alyssa from letting go? Or will the quest to piece together the heirloom quilt restore Alyssa's fractured heart---and bring healing to her entire family?

Learn more about this book and the series at the Quilts of Love website.

About the Author: 
Amber Stockton is an award-winning author, a national speaker, and a direct-sales brand partner with Nerium International. She lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, in Colorado. They have a daughter and a son, and an Aussie/retriever mix named Roxie. Three of her novels have won annual reader's choice awards.

Connect with Amber: website, Facebook, Twitter

I received a copy of the book for review purposes. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed here are my own.

The Butterfly and the Violin Is A Wonderful Historical Fiction Novel!

One of my favorite time periods to learn about and study is WWII. I think some of that comes from my father having been in the Navy then. But learning about the struggles and tragedy of the Jews just reaches my heart in a special way.

Author, Kristy Cambron grabbed my heart almost from the beginning of this book. I love historical fiction! To learn the story of the violinist Adele Von Bron was wonderful. I really enjoyed the way that Kristy told the story through two different time periods, weaving the lives of all the characters together in a special way. It was a wonderful way to tell the story!

I know in my own life, learning the facts behind the life of one of my ancestors has really touched me and I learned so much from it. It helped me to focus on things I should with a whole new perspective. That's in a way what happened with the main character in the book, Sera James. Watching her heart heal through the events in the book was wonderful!

If you love historical fiction, this is a book for you!

About the book: 
A mysterious painting breathes hope and beauty into the darkest corners of Auschwitz---and the loneliest hearts of Manhattan.

Manhattan art dealer Sera James watched her world crumble at the altar two years ago, and her heart is still fragile. Her desire for distraction reignites a passion for a mysterious portrait she first saw as a young girl---a painting of a young violinist with piercing blue eyes.

In her search for the painting, Sera crosses paths with William Hanover, the grandson of a wealthy California real estate mogul, who may be the key to uncovering the hidden masterpiece. Together, Sera and William slowly unravel the story behind the painting's subject: Austrian violinist Adele Von Bron.

A darling of the Austrian aristocracy, talented violinist, and daughter to a high-ranking member of the Third Reich, Adele risks everything when she begins smuggling Jews out of Vienna. In a heartbeat, her life of prosperity and privilege dissolves into a world of starvation and barbed wire.

As Sera untangles the secrets behind the painting, she finds beauty in the most unlikely of places: in the grim camps of Auschwitz and in the inner recesses of her own troubled heart.

Purchase a copy HERE! 

About the author: 
Kristy Cambron has been fascinated with the WWII era since hearing her grandfather's stories of the war. She holds an art history degree from Indiana University and received the Outstanding Art History Student Award. Kristy writes WWII and Regency era fiction and has placed first in the 2013 NTRWA Great Expectations and 2012 FCRW Beacon contests, and is a 2013 Laurie finalist. Kristy makes her home in Indiana with her husband and three football-loving sons.

Find Kristy online: website, Facebook, Twitter

I received a copy of the book for the purpose of review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Seagrass Pier ~ Another Amazing Book From The Hope Beach Series By Colleen Coble!

This is another great book by one of my favorite authors. Colleen Coble has written another book for the Hope Beach Series; Seagrass Pier. I think what I like the most about the Hope Beach Series is the suspense mixed with a little romance. Colleen has a way of keeping you in suspense, leading you down a path and then throwing you a twist. I just love the way she develops the characters and the story throughout the whole book! Like the other books in this series, Seagrass Pier is set in a lovely area that Colleen describes so well you feel like you are there with her. Each of the characters is believable, and never seem contrived just to make the story move along. From the first few pages you are drawn to Elin and what is going on in her life. It never gets slow or bogged down and it will keep you going until the last page. I just loved it!!

About the book:
In a secluded corner of Hope Beach, one woman must decipher a stranger's memories . . . before they cost her everything. 

Elin Summerall was one of the lucky ones. Not only did she get a heart transplant, but the donor was a perfect fit. A miraculously perfect fit.

But when Elin begins having violent flashbacks---and vivid dreams of being strangled---she realizes that she has been the recipient of more than just a new heart . . . Elin is remembering her donor's murder.

Her strange affliction has attracted some unwanted attention: from the press, from the authorities . . . and from the killer himself. Now, living alone with her young daughter and aging mother, Elin is being stalked---by a man she's only met in her nightmares.

The police are dubious of her story, but one off-duty FBI agent is eager to help her: Agent Marc Everton, the father of Elin's daughter.

Of course, he doesn't know about that. Yet.

Now, in a remote cottage on Hope Island, Elin and Marc must probe the secrets buried in her borrowed heart. And there's no time to waste. One man is desperate to silence her---before she remembers too much. 

Purchase a copy: HERE!

About the Author:

Colleen Coble has sold over 2 million novels worldwide. Seagrass Pier, the third installment in her acclaimed Hope Beach series, marks a new highpoint for emotion and complexity in Coble's addictive brand of romantic suspense.

Colleen can be found at: website, Twitter, Facebook

I was giver an advance copy of the book for the purpose of this review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed here are my own.

A Stitch and a Prayer Features Life For Pioneer Women and the Struggles They Had.

The Quilts of Love series is back with another wonderful book. Imagine finding a man you love dearly, getting pregnant, being really sick and on bed rest and your husband disappears. Even in today's society that would be tough, but for the main character of this book it is even worse. It's 1897 in the Northwest Woods,
very remote and very hard living. Poor Florence is forced into a trust and patience situation that I can't even imagine going through. This book, although a little slow in some places does keep you wanting to know more about the characters, especially Florence. it is a sweet story that you want to know the end of and it touches on how hard life was for pioneer women. What got me the most was how Florence learned to rely and trust on God completely, something we all need to do!

About the book:
A quilt becomes a labor of love for a lonely wife mysteriously separated from her young husband. After her fiancé returns from the Klondike gold rush in 1897, Florence Harms sets about building a new life in her new marriage---even though the lingering effects of illness have left her weak and vulnerable. She and her young husband, Will, work tirelessly to clear the land around their Northwest cabin, content with their modest life. But then a stranger comes knocking and Florence suddenly senses a restlessness in Will's spirit that she had never seen before. When he leaves her with only a note that tells her he will return before their baby's birth, she is devastated, and the illness that stiffened her joints returns. Counting the days until Will walks back through her door, Florence busies herself with a Tree of Life quilt displaying a map of the farm they call home. Doubts claw at her heart as Florence struggles to believe Will's promise to return to her. Will her labor of love-and faith in God---sustain her as she waits to see her beloved once again?

Learn more about this book and the series at the Quilts of Love website.

About the Author:
Eva Gibson is the author of twenty books, including The Gift of Forgiveness and The Three Marys. She currently teaches "writing your life story" classes for Portland Community College and is an active member of Oregon Christian Writers. She has lived most of her life on the family farm in Wilsonville, Oregon, which is the setting for A Stitch and a Prayer.

About Quilts Of Love:
Quilts tell stories of love and loss, hope and faith, tradition and new beginnings. The Quilts of Love series focuses on the women who quilted all of these things into their family histories. A new book releases each month and features contemporary and historical romances as well as women’s fiction and the occasional light mystery. You will be drawn into the endearing characters of this series and be touched by their stories.

I received a copy of the book for the purpose of this review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Raptor 6 Is A Novel Worth Reading More Than Once!

For this book review I have a guest, my husband Rick. He was glad to read this book for me and share his thoughts with you. Here's what he has to say!

Ronie Kendig, a self-described "Army brat" who is married to a military veteran. uses her knowledge of military life to great advantage in her novel Raptor 6. The protagonists, while larger than life, are still believable; the action scenes, while intense, are not exaggerated to the point of ridiculousness; the inner doubts of the main characters make sense, and are not overblown, given their involvement in highly volatile. deadly situations. 

Captain Dean Watters leads an elite group of soldiers -- Raptor Team -- on a mission to protect Zahrah Zarrick, a missionary teacher in Afghanistan. When ten very advanced computers are stolen, Watters is told to protect Zarrick, who is also a specialist in quantum cryptology, which makes her valuable to the terrorists who need to gain full access to the contents of the computers in order to take millions of lives around the globe. 

Zarrick is abducted, and Watters is under great pressure to rescue her, partially because of her specialized knowledge, also because her father is a retired general with plenty of connections in the military. 

One major flaw in the story is that, while Watters is told to protect Zarrick, for some time he isn't told why she is important. In several scenes, people refer to withholding this information but wait for Watters to figure it out on his own. While it makes sense to keep the "quantum cryptology" matter hidden from the reader, it makes no sense to hide the fact from Watters. By the way, the synopsis on the back of the book gives this secret away. 

Another point, perhaps minor, disrupted the flow of the novel for me. Kendig manages to capture the machismo and grittiness of the military personnel without resorting to the profuse profanity often found in the genre. That was refreshing. But a rough character, in a tense situation, unleashing the epithet "Son of a biscuit" seemed jarringly out of place. 

Of greater importance: the plot is suspenseful, the stakes are high, the villains are nasty, the physical, mental and emotional struggles are realistic and riveting. This novel is worth reading more than once. 

This is the first in a series of novels, "The Quiet Professionals". The next two volumes, due out in November 2014 and May 2015, will feature characters introduced in Raptor 6.

About the book:
His mission.

His team.

Captain Dean Watters keeps these parts of his life in laser-like focus. So when hackers threaten both his mission and his team, Dean's Special Forces training kicks into high gear. Ten military super-secure computers are missing-which if opened, would give America's enemies a blueprint of US military intelligence. Failing to stop the hackers isn't an option.

Zahrah Zarrick is a missionary teacher to Afghan children in Mazar-e Sharif. She's also a target. Her expertise in quantum cryptology makes her an unwitting pawn in the hackers' deadly game. They're coming for her, and Dean and his team must stop them.

Before the team can get to Zahrah, she disappears. Now Dean must race to rescue her and stop the hackers from unleashing terror on millions across the globe. But to do so, Dean will be forced to crack open the steel box around his heart-a move that might come at the highest cost.

About the Author:
Ronie Kendig is an award-winning, bestselling author who grew up an Army brat. After twenty-plus years of marriage, she and her hunky hero husband have a full life with four children and a Maltese Menace in northern Virginia. Author and speaker, Ronie loves engaging readers through her Rapid-Fire Fiction.

 Ronie can be found at www.roniekendig.com and on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

I was given a copy of the book for the purpose of this review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed here are my own or that of my guest writer.

Win A Kindle Fire!!

Don't miss the first book, Rumspringa's Hope, in Beth Shriver's new Spirit of the Amish series. Beth is celebrating the series launch with a Kindle Fire Giveaway! I know I would love to win a new Kindle Fire!! 

One winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire
• Rumspringa's Hope by Beth Shriver

Enter today, but hurry! The giveaway ends on June 22nd. Winner will be announced June 23rd on Beth's blog.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by Beth's blog on June 23rd to see if you won.