The Amish Christmas Sleigh

A SLEIGH RIDE ON ICE MOUNTAINKelly Long
For solitary toy-maker Sebastian Christner, hiring Kate Zook as his new housekeeper is simply the right thing to do. Now she can support her special-needs brother. But one taste of her independent spirit is showing him undreamed-of holiday joy—and making him long to give her a home for always . . .
 
A MAMM FOR CHRISTMAS
Amy Lillard
Bernice Yoder has far too much to do to entertain holiday dreams. Even if she can help Jess Schmucker outwit his three mischievous young daughters, it's impossible to imagine the handsome widower can see her as anything but a scolding schoolteacher. He never guesses how a magical Christmas Eve will open his eyes to love or how Der Herr will awaken their faith and hope.
 
AN UNEXPECTED CHRISTMAS BLESSING
Molly Jebber
As much as Charity Lantz's children need a father, the young widow isn’t sure her new neighbor Luke Fisher can ever be the right choice. They’re having more disagreements than snowflakes in December. Besides, he's never given a sign he wants to be more than friends. Can Gott show them a way past their misunderstandings to a forever love?

Pick up your copy here...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1496700139/ref=s9_psimh_gw_p14_d1_i24?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=desktop-1&pf_rd_r=1DH0QMK3D49WQWVT5Q5F&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=2079475242&pf_rd_i=desktop

Kelly Long is the author of the acclaimed Amish Patch of Heaven series and has been a finalist for the coveted Carol Award from the American Christian Fiction Writers. Her novel Lily's Wedding Quilt was a 2011 Goodreads Favorite Book of the Year.  Born and raised in the mountains of Northern Pennsylvania, she’s been married for nearly twenty-five years and has five children. Please visit her at kellylongbooks.com.
 
Amy Lillard won the 2013 Carol Award for her first Amish romance Saving Gideon. She was also a Maggie Awards finalist. Born and bred in Mississippi, she now lives with her husband and son in Oklahoma. Visit her at amywritesromance.com
       
Molly Jebber enjoys writing stories about Amish history and their culture. She’s a Women’s Christian Connection motivational speaker and enjoys meeting new people. She was raised in a small town in the Midwest, and insists if you had blinked twice, you would've missed it. She loves God, her family and friends, sunshine, swimming and traveling to the Amish communities.  Creating historical Amish characters and throwing them into difficult situations and joyous times has been challenging and fun for her. The greatest reward she’s experienced in becoming an author is meeting wonderful people from all over the world who've been encouraging and supportive.

I have been so ready for some romantic Christmas stories. That's exactly what you get in this book three romantic novellas. Get cozy and enjoy this one.

My favorite from the three was A Mamm for Christmas it is the second novella in the book. I never put it down.

Must say they were all really good. They will get you in the mood for the holidays. All three are easy fun reads.

You are sure to love the sleigh theme in all three stories which makes it so much fun to read them all.

I gave this book 4 stars and I want to tell you this would make a great gift to put under your Christmas tree for your best friend and that family member who loves to read.

I was given a copy for my honest review.

Cold as Ice by M.K. Gilroy

“Detective Kristen Conner is no stranger to bad guys, big crime, and heart-pounding danger. In Cold As Ice she packs some serious heat!” John Valeri, HARTFORD EXAMINER WHEN THE RED MAFYIA WANTS YOU DEAD . . . THERE’S NO PLACE TO HIDE! What can go wrong on a run on in Central Park on your last day of vacation? Even if it is brutally cold? Everyone told Detective Kristen Conner to stay inside, which guaranteed she would go outside—and stumble onto a gang murder that puts her in the cross-hairs of a Russian “Red Mafyia” hit man. Back in Chicago, murder strikes closer to home. Just down the street from where her mom lives, a popular schoolteacher, solid citizen, and great guy—he shovels snow for widows and volunteers to work with underprivileged kids—is found dead. It was supposed to look like an accident, but crime scene investigators discover more than one killing blow to the back of his head. When Detective Kristen Conner lands the case, she knows from day one who the key suspect is. That’s simple. The person most likely to kill you is someone close . . . someone you know and love. But his wife? The nice lady down the street she knew when she was a kid? How could that be possible? Kristen is about to discover there is more violence beneath the surface of the working-class neighborhood she grew up in than she ever dreamed possible. She’s also about to discover that when the Red Mafyia wants you dead, there is no place to hide. You better be ready to fight. Mix in her on-again, off-again relationship with FBI Agent Austin Reynolds, and Kristen Conner is once again swept into a world of danger, intrigue, and a confusing love life.

Pick up your copy here...

http://www.amazon.com/Cold-As-Ice-Kristen-Mystery/dp/0991212479/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443052204&sr=1-1&keywords=cold+as+ice+m.k.+Gilroy

Mark "M.K." Gilroy is a 30-plus-year publishing veteran, having worked in just about every area of the industry, from his first job as a sports writer for a local newspaper while in college to proof reader, occasional box packer, vice president of editorial and marketing, publisher, and everything in between.
When not writing Detective Kristen Conner novels, he creates projects for publishers, retailers, ministries, and businesses as a freelance publisher.
Gilroy's debut novel, CUTS LIKE A KNIFE, quickly garnered critical acclaim and is a tribute to his love for character-driven mysteries and thrillers. His second novel featuring Detective Kristen Conner, EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE, has received similar accolades.
Gilroy's education includes the BA in Biblical Literature and Speech Communications, the M.Div, and the MBA.
Gilroy is the father of six children. He resides with his wife Amy in Brentwood, Tennessee.

Do you like a little mystery, some action and a little bit of romance? If you said yes this might be the book for you. It keep me on the edge of my seat.

This being the third book in the Kristen Conner Mystery series  it can be a stand alone. You will not be lost at any point.

This is a book full of twists and turns. We all love that in a great mystery. I like to keep guessing who done it.

I did however read some words that I personally felt should not be in a Christian book. And there were some editing (typos) issues but they were not so bad that they kept me from the story itself.

Over all I did not want to put the book down. Great suspense novel. For the mystery lover.

I gave this book 4 stars. Give this series a try.

I was given a copy of this book by Wynn Wynn Media for my honest review.

I have a friend in NEED!

SHARE... Share.. SHARE...Share...SHARE

 

 

 

See the picture above, this is a wonderful friend of mine. I lost my mother at the very young age of 14 years old and this wonderful friend was by my side for all of my mother's illness. We were best friends. We lost contact for many years and we were reunited after many years. Well to say the least Traci to has had cancer and was healed and is now cancer free. But do to the chemo and the medicine that she has been on and the medicine that she can no longer take she is unable to walk and is now in a wheel chair.
 She is in need of a lift to get to the store and the Doctors office and she just needs her freedom back.
The lift is $3000 and the labor to have it installed is almost $1000. She lives on disability and does not have the money for the lift, living on a fixed income is not easy in this day and time.
I am pleading with you to PLEASE pray for her and I am asking you to search your heart and help her out any amount will help her get to her goal of $4000.
Share with your friends on Facebook and Twitter. You never know who will see it and help her out.
I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart. 
The link below is where you can donate and share on social media.
Let's post this everyday until she meets her goal.
https://www.gofundme.com/hj4qwsrk

                                                                     THANK YOU!

The Photograph By Beverly Lewis

Eva Esch and her sisters are in a predicament. With the passing of their widowed mother, Eva's older brother Menno plans to move his growing family into the Eden Valley farmhouse where they all grew up, leaving little room for his three single sisters. Surely, Menno reasons, at least one of them will marry this coming wedding season. Eva does hope to marry, but she isn't sure she wants to give up her sweet shop for the life of a farmer's wife, and she has no other prospects.

When younger sister, Lily, disappears in the night, leaving only a brief note, Eva fears she has been wooed away from the People by an outsider. And when Jed Stutzman, a young Amish buggy maker from Ohio, shows up in Lancaster with a photo of a Plain young woman, Eva's world begins to tilt. She feels powerfully drawn to the quietly charming stranger--but the woman in the forbidden photograph is no stranger at all. . .

Pick up your copy here...

http://www.amazon.com/Photograph-Beverly-Lewis/dp/0764212478/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443278998&sr=8-1&keywords=the+photograph+beverly+lewis

I've had my nose in a book, for as long as I remember. When I was about 9 years old, I started writing my own stories. By sixth grade, I'd hand-written a 66-page semi-autobiographical book titled, "She Shall Have Music."

After I was married and our three children were in middle school, I began submitting articles and short fiction to various magazines.

My first book (Holly's First Love) was published in May 1993, the start of a 14-book series for pre-teen girls. Soon after, my first chapter book was published for 7-10-year-old readers ("Big Bad Beans") which later became part of my 24-book series, The Cul-de-Sac Kids. I wrote another long-running series for girls, titled "SummerHill Secrets," which was set very close to Neffsville, PA, where I grew up--near the heart of Amish country.

But it was the story of my grandmother Ada Buchwalter's shunning by her ultra-strict father and subsequently her old order Mennonite community that nudged me toward writing adult fiction. THE SHUNNING was published in 1997 by Bethany House Publishers, and along with its sequels, has touched a nerve in millions of readers intrigued by the Plain tradition of Lancaster County, PA. The Hallmark Movie Channel will air the movie, "Beverly Lewis's The Confession" on January 19, 2013--the sequel to "The Shunning" movie.

My passion for Amish-related stories continues to keep me up at night, and I'm presently editing the 2nd book (The Bridesmaid) in my new series: "Home to Hickory Hollow," due out September 11, 2012.

When I'm between writing deadlines, I enjoy hiking in the Rocky Mountains with my husband. Cooking from scratch, playing Mozart at the piano, and making family memory albums, as well as traveling to meet my devoted readers during book tours, are some of my very favorite things. I also adore reading biographies and memoirs, as well as classic literature.

I loved this book from beginning to end. This book has what I call surprises, good ones and bad ones.

This book keeps you turning page after page, you are waiting to see if sister is going to be found and if she will return home.

Prayer that's what you hear about in this book!  Such great characters with the exception of Menno ( I was not found of him).

You have to love an Amish book with a lot of great wisdom and a super happy ending.

I gave this book 5 stars and I can't wait for the next book to come out By Mrs. Lewis.

I highly recommend this book as well as all of her books.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

Dear Mary By Sarah Jakes

Hopeful, Inspiring Message
for Moms from Sarah Jakes
Mary, the mother of Jesus, is a remarkable example of quiet, resilient faith and courage in the face of adversity. From the angel's first announcement of her pregnancy to the death and resurrection of her son, Mary was witness to our Lord and Savior in a unique and special way.

And as a mother herself, she speaks to the modern-day mom in a way few have explored before.

Writing in the form of letters, Sarah Jakes examines the life of Mary--and through Mary, Jesus--to better understand what a life of faith looks like. Maybe you struggle to trust God's will for your life. Perhaps you have fears and insecurities that keep you from realizing the joy God wants for you, or the thought of raising little ones overwhelms you. Through the example of Mary, discover the freedom that only true faith can bring.

Pick up your copy here...

http://www.amazon.com/Dear-Mary-Lessons-Mother-Modern/dp/0764212125/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443035631&sr=8-1&keywords=dear+mary+lessons+from+the+mother+of+jesus+for+the+modern+mom

The Book over all with it's title to me can be a tad misleading. Before I started to read the book I was expecting to have my Bible close by because I was expecting the book to be filled with Bible verses. The book did have Bible verses in it however not as much as you would think with the title referring to lessons the author had learned from a Biblical character. The author also wrote the book in a format that each chapter is written like a letter to Mary the mother of Jesus. To me that format is sometimes distracting. I would read a story she wrote about her family and the next paragraph she would be talking to mary and at times it was confusing. However, everything about the book is not negative. There are very good points made and some stories are greatly encouraging. If you read the book with the thought it is more of a memoir of her first years of mothering you could find this book interesting. I give this book 3.5 stars. 

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

When Love Returns By Kim Vogel Sawyer

 Riddled with doubt and lingering regrets, will Suzanne and Paul find strength in God to explore a second chance at love?  It wasn’t easy to move back to the Old Order Mennonite community from which quiet, responsible Suzanne Zimmerman was shamefully sent away as a pregnant teen. Returning twenty years later to take care of her mother, Suzanne and Alexa—the daughter she raised as her own—have spent months rebuilding relationships with her family.
 
Now with the upcoming wedding of their biological daughter,  Suzanne and Paul find themselves drawn to one another once again—but with new challenges to face. They have been single parents with painful pasts. Can Paul and Suzanne find the strength to rebuild the loving relationship that was torn apart by their teen pregnancy so long ago?
 
Suzanne must also let go of Alexa as she heads back to Indianapolis to visit friends--and as her chance to find her birth parents. Leaving the bed-and-breakfast in Suzanne’s apprehensive hands, Alexa embarks on a journey that will certainly change her life completely. Can mother and daughter trust God to restore all things in His timing?

Pick up your copy here...

http://www.amazon.com/When-Love-Returns-Zimmerman-Restoration/dp/0307731359/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1442453460&sr=1-1&keywords=when+love+returns+by+kim+vogel+sawyer

Kim Vogel Sawyer is a best-selling, award-winning author highly acclaimed for her gentle stories of hope. More than one million copies of her books are currently in print. She lives in central Kansas where she and her retired military husband, Don, enjoy spoiling their granddarlings.

I have loved this whole series The Zimmerman Restoration Trilogy is not to be missed.

Do you believe in second chances? You are going to change your mind maybe after reading  When Love Returns.

Wonderfully easy to connect with characters.  I am sure going to miss this series.

This gets all the loose ties from the whole series and pulls them together. You get to catch up with all of the characters and go back to the B&B which I loved.  And I am sure you will love it as well.

This is such a fantastic series not to be missed.

I gave this book 5 stars. I highly recommend it.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

From Pain to Power By Mary Ellen Mann

Sexual violation was not your choice, but recovery is.
 
As a survivor of sexual trauma, you’ve likely experienced feelings of shame and confusion, and weakening of your faith and trust. It may feel like no one understands. And each day you’re simply trying to survive. 
 
But the reality is you are meant for much more than survival. You are born with the right to use the pain as a point of power and reclaim what was taken without permission—your true identity. 


Author Mary Ellen Mann understands. She’s been there. In From Pain to Power, she weaves personal story and years of research and counseling experience to provide comfort and respect, biblical insight, guided imagery, and self-care strategies. She will help you:
 
·         Regain your power, safety, and sense of self
·         Go to battle as a “Princess Warrior”
·         Learn to trust your gut instinct again
·         Protect yourself from further assault
·         Reconcile your faith in God, who understands your doubt and anger
 
Mary Ellen Mann stands in your corner as you restore and honor your rightful femininity, find your voice of reason, and choose to live a legacy-filled life.
 
Includes tips and resources for spouses, parents, ministry leaders, and advocates who want to help survivors of sexual assault.

Pick up your copy here...

http://www.amazon.com/Pain-Power-Overcoming-Reclaiming-Identity/dp/1601427727/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1437956900&sr=1-1&keywords=from+pain+to+power

Mary Ellen Mann is a survivor of sexual trauma and a licensed psychotherapist, running her outpatient practice for nearly twenty years in Colorado. She has dedicated her life to helping female victims find voice and confidence and recently co founded an online community for survivors of sexual trauma, www.lastbattle.org. Mann has an advanced degree from Columbia University and is an active believer in Jesus. She lives in Denver with her loving husband and two sons.

What an emotional read. It was very hard to read on many levels, but it is also a healing read.

Many people have has a sexual trauma and never told a soul and never healed or forgave.

 There is so much to be learned by this book..

In todays society it is not unheard of but years ago you never heard of all the children being taken advantage of and all the college girls being taken advantage of.

This is a much needed book in this day and time.

If you know someone who needs to heal from this, give this book a try. It is filled with scripture and great advice to over come the shame as well as  help on a path of recovery.

I gave this book 4 stars. Give it a try for your self or a loved one.

I was given a copy book by the publisher for my honest review.

Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook By Pearl Barrett & Serene Allison

In their debut cookbook, the Trim Healthy Mama’s share hundreds of delicious, healthy recipes to help readers successfully slim down while eating well.  This companion cookbook to the bestselling Trim Healthy Mama Plan is just what readers have been waiting for. It features simple, mouthwatering, recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner—including slow cooker and one-pot meals, hearty soups and salads, omelets and waffles, pizzas, breads and more.  No Trim Healthy Mama should be deprived, so there are also favorite snacks, delectable desserts, and the smoothies, sippers and teas fans love. With  pantry-stocking advice, time-saving tips, and information on how to cook for the entire family, the Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook offers a delicious and nutritious way to make trim and healthy meals with less stress—so you have more time with your loved ones.

Pick up your copy here...

http://www.amazon.com/Trim-Healthy-Mama-Cookbook-Recipes/dp/1101902663/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1442453721&sr=1-1&keywords=trim+healthy+mama+cookbook

SERENE ALLISON and PEARL BARRETT are sisters who share a passion for healthy eating. They both have large boisterous families and love to experiment in the kitchen on ways to best nourish their families and stay slim and healthy in the process. They are former Christian recording artists who traveled extensively for the record label, but they relinquished their touring careers to embrace a life at home with children, dinners, dishes, and diapers. They never looked back.

This is a very well put together cookbook. It has 350 recipes, The pictures and the stories are great.

I did find the ingredients' are not easily found on some of the recipes.

Most seemed very good health wise. I only wish the ingredients were all ready in my pantry.

This would make a fantastic gift and you could add a few of the not so likely to be in your pantry items to the gift basket.

Really wish that I could eat and lose weight, that is just a dream I have it does not work for me

I gave this cookbook 4 stars. I will be gifting it this year to many friends trying to eat healthy.

I was given a copy of this cookbook by the publisher for my honest review.

 

A Reluctant Bride By Kathleen Fuller

She never wanted to marry. He hopes to make amends for past wrongs. Can love find a way to heal both of their hearts?

Sadie Schrock swore she would never marry. All of her other Amish friends could court and marry—she was content to manage the family business and eventually take it over when her parents are ready to retire. But all of that changes when a reckless driver kills both of her parents and seriously injures her younger sister. With mounting hospital bills adding to the pile of debt her parents left behind, Sadie is left with no choice: she must marry. And not just any man—the man who saw her at her weakest and walked away.

Aden knows what his brother did to Sadie years ago was inexcusable. And every day since that incident, Aden has lived with the guilt for not intervening sooner. When he is faced with the chance to protect Sadie once again, he can’t let her down—even if it means living with the scorn of the woman he loves for the rest of his life.

Working alongside Aden at the store, Sadie realizes he isn’t the same boy who once betrayed her. Just when Sadie starts to let her guard down and perhaps develop feelings for her new husband, dangerous secrets are revealed. Now everything Sadie has worked so hard to protect is threatened, and she must find a way to save her family—and herself.

Pick up your copy here..

http://www.amazon.com/Reluctant-Bride-Amish-Birch-Creek/dp/0718033159/ref=pd_sim_14_11?ie=UTF8&refRID=1JA72ZG4FGGE7RHD04QY

Kathleen Fuller is the author of several bestselling novels, including A Man of His Wordand Treasuring Emma, as well as a middle-grade Amish series, the Mysteries of Middlefield. Visit her online at www.kathleenfuller.com, Twitter: @TheKatJam, and Facebook: Kathleen Fuller.

Bullying in Amish books is not the norm, so if you want to read a book that is not like other Amish books, You might want to pick up a copy of this one.

This book touches on bullying sadly that is much needed in this day and time. Some very disturbing and sad things happen thru out  this book. But you are going to like the ending. You will never guess which brother comes to Sadie's rescue. And who she ends up marrying. Hurry go get your copy.

Some great characters to become friends with in this story of second chances. It sure is a page tuner.

I gave this book 4 stars.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review. 

A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn By Shelley Shepard Gray

Beloved bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray returns with the third book in her Amish Brides of Pinecraft series—a story of second chances for two young single parents...and the wedding that brings them together.

Emma Keim was heartbroken when her husband Sanford passed away, leaving her to raise three young daughters alone. In the years since, her relatives have made it no secret that they expect Emma to remain a widow, mourning Sanford indefinitely. But when she meets Jay Hilty—a widower with three young sons of his own—Emma is delighted to have a new friend who understands her struggles. And it doesn’t hurt that he’s also handsome and kind. Still, Emma is dismayed that her family is so opposed to their friendship—and the idea of it ever becoming anything more. She honors her husband’s memory every day, but is she destined to be alone forever?

Jay knows that few people his age understand what it’s like to lose a spouse, and Emma’s gentleness with his boys stirs something in his heart that’s been quiet for far too long. But when Jay’s oldest son becomes engaged to a local woman, suddenly Jay, Emma, and their children are swept up in wedding preparations. Witnessing his son’s joy, Jay wonders if it’s time for him to move forward, too, and find happiness again.

Jay wants to court Emma in earnest, but Emma’s relatives remain troubled by the prospect of her moving on. Once again, love has come to Pinecraft. But can these two parties of four become a happy, healthy family of eight?

Pick up your copy here...

http://www.amazon.com/Wedding-Orange-Blossom-Inn-Pinecraft/dp/0062337742/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1441219788&sr=1-1&keywords=a+wedding+at+the+orange+blossom+inn+gray+shelley+shepard&pebp=1441219805334&perid=1893JHTBSX1K2078YYKJ

Shelley Shepard Gray is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time HOLT Medallion winner. She lives in southern Ohio, where she writes full time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town's bike trail.

Did you get to go on vacation this summer? Well if not or you want to take off again you will LOVE Pinecraft. I have been  there three times with Shelley in her 3 books in Amish Brides of Pinecraft series and I enjoyed every minute of it. You must find out if a beagle can bring two people together, in Shelley's latest.

You won't be able to put this book down until last page. You will never want to leave Pinecraft.

 I gave this book 5 stars and I HIGHLY recommend it.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

Last Chance Hero By Cathleen Armstrong

The inhabitants of Last Chance, New Mexico, could not be more pleased. Dr. Jessica McLeod has opened an office right on Main Street. Andy Ryan, the best athlete the little town ever produced, has ended his short career in the NFL and has come home to coach the mighty Pumas of Last Chance High. Unfortunately, Dr. Jess immediately gets off on the wrong foot when she admits that she's never seen a football game, isn't really interested in doing so, and, in fact, doesn't know a first down from a home run. Meanwhile, Coach Ryan is discovering that it's not easy to balance atop the pedestal the town has put him on. When this unlikely pair is drawn together over the future of a young player--whose gifts may lie in the laboratory rather than on the football field--they begin to wonder if they might have a future together as well.

With the flair that has made her Last Chance books a favorite among readers of contemporary fiction, Cathleen Armstrong draws on the passion Americans have for the traditions of small-town high school football.

Pick up your copy here...

http://www.amazon.com/Last-Chance-Hero-Novel-Place/dp/0800726472/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1441214443&sr=1-1&keywords=last+chance+hero+cathleen+Armstrong

Cathleen Armstrong lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, Ed, and their corgi. Though she has been in California for many years now, her roots remain deep in New Mexico. Her debut novel Welcome to Last Chance won the 2009 American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis Award for Women's Fiction. She is also the author of One More Last Chance and At Home in Last Chance. Learn more at www.cathleenarmstrong.com.

Oh boy I was so excited to go back to Last Chance New Mexico. I got to catch up with old friends from books 1-3 in A Place to Call home series.

Book four Last Chance Hero was by far the best in the series because you get to reminisce with character's from past books and meet new ones as well. I love that they storyline had some football and some medical and some food what's not to love about all that in one book.

I gave this book 5 stars two times and I Highly recommend this book.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

Girl Meets Change By Kristen Strong

Whether chosen and celebrated--like going off to college or welcoming your first baby--or unexpected and anxiety-inducing--like losing a job or grappling with a broken trust--all change brings stress. Kristen Strong knows about change--especially the kind you didn't choose or expect. What she's fought hard to learn over the years is that change is not something to be feared but something to be received as a blessing from a God who, more often than not, works through change, not in spite of it. Strong has learned to see change not as a grievance but as a grace.

In this hope-filled book, she shows women how when we follow God's will, we receive blessings of contentment, purpose, and renewed strength. She encourages women to see change not as the end of their story but as the scenery for this part of life's journey. And she offers practical advice for coping with change in every part of life. Anyone who has struggled to adjust to life's transitions will welcome this warm and personal perspective.

Pick up your copy here...

http://www.amazon.com/Girl-Meets-Change-through-Transitions/dp/0800724399/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1441903349&sr=8-1&keywords=girl+meets+change+kristen+strong

Kristen Strong is a popular blogger at Chasing Blue Skies (chasingblueskies.net) and DaySpring's (in)courage, as well as a writer whose work has appeared in MOMSense and Family Fun magazines. She and her husband, David, have three children. Together this military family has zig-zagged across the country (and one ocean!) several times, and they currently live in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

I for one do NOT like change at all good, bad. or in different. So this book was right up my alley.

When you are going through change which we all do from time to time this is a very encouraging book to have by your side to dive into.  Strong has great scriptures and some very comforting prayers in each chapter. Reading this ok it's almost like Strong is sitting next to you giving you great advice and mentoring you long you path to the next chapter in your life.

This would make a fantastic gift for a friend or family member going through some changes in their life.

I gave this book 5 stars and I HIGHLY recommend it.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

5 in 5 by Micheal Symon

5 fresh ingredients + 5 minutes of heat = 165 recipes 
Ridiculously easy from-scratch recipes to get you in and out of the kitchen in a flash every day of the week—now with sides and holiday dishes, too
 
The follow-up to the bestselling Michael Symon’s 5 in 5, this new book delivers 165 quick, easy, fresh recipes organized by season with an entire section devoted to making the holidays simpler than ever. Each chapter features inspired main courses as well as recipes for sides and 5 fun ways to celebrate the season, including no-bake summer fruit desserts and spiked drinks to warm up with in winter.

Pick up your copy here...

http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Symons-Every-Season-Dinners/dp/0804186561/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

MICHAEL SYMON is a cohost of ABC’s The Chew and, on Food Network, an Iron Chef on Iron Chef America and a host of All-Star Academy. He is the chef and co-owner of Lola and Lolita in Cleveland, Roast in Detroit, and numerous locations of B Spot Burgers and Bar Symon. He is the author of Michael Symon’s Live to Cook, Michael Symon’s Carnivore, and Michael Symon’s 5 in 5.

Ok readers 5 in 5 is a book that will bring out your inner Chef. I just love Michael and watch the show The Chew that he co-hosts religiously. I don't know him personally but at times I wish I did. The book has 165 recipes that has 5 ingredients + 5 minutes of heat. The recipes are very well written and easy to follow. Other than the fresh ingredients like meat and vegetables are things that you would already have in your pantry or spice rack. The picture illustration for each recipe will make your mouth water just as quick as the smell of you cooking each dish. The book is broken down in 5 categories Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter And Holidays. Before each category has an illustration written by Michael about that Category. I cooked a couple of recipes at my house and just loved the dishes. For example Grilled pork Medallions with plum sauce. I would recommend this book to cook no matter the experience they have. I give this book 5 stars and would give it a hundred if I could.

I was given a copy of this cook book by the publisher for my honest review.

Gather Around the Amish Table By Lucy Leid

Straight from Amish kitchens to yours, this cookbook offers favorite family recipes and charming stories from Amish and Mennonite cooks. Bake the pecan rolls that taste best after an ice-skating party, or try the hoagies that a community sold to help an Amish family with hospital bills. Discover the cocoa cupcakes with instructions to stir by hand that one young cook took literally, or whip up the whoopie pies that one Amish woman took to market in her horse and buggy.

These cherished recipes speak of comforting traditions, lively communities, and strong Christian faith. Gather your family around the table to sample the nourishing fare and trademark charm of the plain people. In the words of one cookbook contributor: Bake someone happy!

Pick up your copy here...

http://www.amazon.com/Gather-Around-Amish-Table-Communities/dp/0836199103/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1441217177&sr=1-1&keywords=gather+around+the+amish+table

Lucy Leid is an Old Order Mennonite wife, mother, and cook in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

Bakers and Chefs alike are going to love this cookbook. Simple ingredients and easy to make recipes.

I loved all that I have made so far. There is one recipe that does not sound to appetizing and that is roasted Pig Stomach, I won't be trying that one for sure. Psss, don't forget to make yourself a gallon of Root beer, that's right I said homemade root beer. 

I love the pictures and the stories in this cookbook this is one to keep one your shelf and buy for great friends as well.

I have to say this was a 4 star cookbook and I plan to share it with my friends.

I was given a copy of this cookbook by the publisher for my honest review.

The Sea Keeper's Daughters By Lisa Wingate

From modern-day Roanoke Island to the sweeping backdrop of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains and Roosevelt’s WPA folklore writers, past and present intertwine to create an unexpected destiny.

Restaurant owner Whitney Monroe is desperate to save her business from a hostile takeover. The inheritance of a decaying Gilded Age hotel on North Carolina’s Outer Banks may provide just the ray of hope she needs. But things at the Excelsior are more complicated than they seem. Whitney’s estranged stepfather is entrenched on the third floor, and the downstairs tenants are determined to save the historic building. Searching through years of stored family heirlooms may be Whitney’s only hope of quick cash, but will the discovery of an old necklace and a Depression-era love story change everything?

Pick up your copy here...

http://www.amazon.com/Keepers-Daughters-Carolina-Heirlooms-Novel/dp/1414386907/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1441213351&sr=1-1&keywords=the+sea+keepers+daughter

  Lisa Wingate is a former journalist, inspirational speaker, and the author of over twenty mainstream fiction novels, including the national bestseller, Tending Roses, now in its nineteenth printing. She is a seven-time ACFW Carol award nominee, a Christy Award nominee, an Oklahoma Book Award finalist, and a two-time Carol Award winner. Her novels are known for taking on gritty subjects while offering redemptive and uplifting themes. Recently, the group Americans for More Civility, a kindness watchdog organization, selected Lisa along with Bill Ford, Camille Cosby, and six others, as recipients of the National Civies Award, which celebrates public figures who work to promote greater kindness and civility in American life. More information about Lisa's novels can be found at www.Lisawingate.com or on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/LisaWingateAuthorPage?fref=ts


IN THE WRITER'S OWN WORDS: A special first grade teacher, Mrs. Krackhardt, made a writer out of me. That may sound unlikely, but it's true. It's possible to find a calling when you're still in pigtails and Mary Jane shoes, and to know it's your calling. I was halfway through the first grade when I landed in Mrs. Krackhardt's classroom. I was fairly convinced there wasn't anything all that special about me... and then, Mrs. Krackhardt stood over my desk and read a story I was writing. She said things like, "This is a great story! I wonder what happens next?"

It isn't every day a shy new kid gets that kind of attention. I rushed to finish the story, and when I wrote the last word, the teacher took the pages, straightened them on the desk, looked at me over the top, and said, "You are a wonderful writer!"

A dream was born. Over the years, other dreams bloomed and died tragic, untimely deaths. I planned to become an Olympic gymnast or win the National Finals Rodeo, but there was this matter of back flips on the balance beam and these parents who stubbornly refused to buy me a pony. Yet the writer dream remained. I always believed I could do it because... well... my first grade teacher told me so, and first grade teachers don't lie.

I loved every single page of this book. And not just because the back drop was North Carolina. The writing is out of this world great. Wingate grabs you from page one and never lets you go until the very last page. I was left wanting more.

You get to go back in time and the love story is so much fun to read about.

I love a story of redemption it's a keeper in my eyes.

I gave this book 5 stars two times. I HIGHLY recommend this book.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review

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