Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Upon a Spring Breeze By Kelly Irvin



After a devastating winter, a spring breeze promises more than new flowers.… It promises a new chance at love.
 
Bess Weaver, twenty and expecting her first child, is in the kitchen making stew for her beloved mann, Caleb, one minute, and the next she’s burying him after a tragic accident. Facing life as a young widow, Bess finds comfort only in tending the garden at an Englisch-owned bed and breakfast—even as she doubts that new growth could ever come after such a long winter.
 
Aidan tries to repress his guilt over his best friend Caleb’s death and his long-standing feelings for Bess by working harder than ever. But as he spends time with the young son his friend left behind, he seems to be growing closer to the boy’s beautiful mother as well.
 
When a close-knit group of widows in her Amish community step in to help Bess find her way back to hope, she begins to wonder if Gott has a future for her after all. Will she ever believe that life can still hold joy and the possibility of love?

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New from Kelly Irvin! Upon a Spring Breeze, the first book in her Amish romance series, Every Amish Season, from Zondervan/HarperCollins Christian Publishing. The novel is the first in a four-book series that delves into the lives of four Amish women linked by life altering experiences that bring them together as wives, mothers, and grandmothers in the small town of Jamesport, Mo. Kelly Irvin is also the author of The Amish of Bee County series, which includes the critically acclaimed The Beekeeper's Son. Publishers Weekly called the first book in the series a beautifully woven masterpiece and Romantic Times Magazine called Kelly a storyteller extraordinaire. It was followed by The Bishop's Son and The Saddle Maker's Son, which is an ECPA bestseller.

Grief and tragedies and romance all in one book. And an Amish book at that.  Irvin has a way with words and her Amish books are always fresh stories not the same old one told over and over again.
Not a light read, it is an emotional read. Full of some well rounded characters. This is not a story that you will soon forget.
I was pleasantly surprised how mush I enjoyed this book from beginning to end.
I gave this book 4 stars. If you have not read one of Irvin's Amish books this is a good time to pick one up. This is book one in the new series An Every Amish Season.
I received  this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

Monday, April 24, 2017

My Jesus Bible



With charming artwork, rich stories of Jesus’ life on earth, and a fun handle perfect for little hands, My Jesus Bible will captivate the hearts and minds of little ones.
Young families looking for ways to engage children with the life of Jesus will love this storybook full of tales from His time on earth. From His miraculous birth to His death and resurrection, teach your kids all about how Jesus loves His creation and His followers.
Parents will love the low price point and solid content, and little ones will enjoy the design and the chance to carry their favorite book with them wherever they go. My Jesus Bible introduces children to the one who knows them and loves them the most—Jesus Christ.

Pick up your copy here...


This is a cute children's Bible, has a handle for little ones to carry around easy. It's made of hard board  so it will last a long time little ones can not tear pages out of it. It has great Bible stories on each page. Easy to understand stories. This makes learning about Jesus so much fun for little ones.
I would guess that it is for 3-5 year olds. Reading this children's Bible to our kids  will be so much fun.
I gave this children's Bible 4 stars.
I received  this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

Friday, April 21, 2017

5 Months Apart By Kerstin Lindquist




My girls aren’t twins, though they look remarkably alike. They were conceived in the same month but born five months apart. Despite the years of pain we endured living with infertility and struggling to adopt, these girls are the miracle that happened when we gave in to God’s plan. My journey to becoming a mother wasn’t an easy one, and it certainly wasn’t glamorous. I was nearly destroyed by miscarriage and equally as devastated by the adoption process. Our fight to become a family played out on the set of a local network news program every morning. I smiled through the pain as a TV anchor while my dreams of becoming a parent seemed to bleed away year after year. Infertility and adoption brought me to my knees, but that’s where the Lord found me and taught me to stop hiding. 5 Months Apart is intended to help families come out of our society-imposed seclusion, to ask for help and to believe in the ultimate happy ending: a successful pregnancy and a blessed adoption. Throughout, the underlying message is faith, honesty, and enduring grace. Lindquist’s story will show you that, no matter what path you’re on, there is hope, healing, and even miracles when you give in and let God lead.

Pick up your copy here...
 
 

 
 
Kerstin Lindquist is an award-winning broadcast news journalist and host at the leading home shopping channel, QVC. She started her career in network news working for local affiliates of NBC, Fox, and ABC. Kerstin was awarded four Emmys for her reporting including, most notably, one for a series of previously unauthorized interviews with young military men stationed in Guantanamo Bay. When her children were born in 2009, Kerstin started to write a blog as the first local news anchor in San Diego to request double maternity leave. Her weekly accounts documenting her experiences as a first-time mother to two non-biological daughters of the same age allowed her to continue to connect to her viewers while off the air. The confessional nature of her writing and the intensely personal stories she shared resonated deeply with her fans, and the blog quickly became the first successful employee-created account on the station’s website. When she left broadcast news in 2011 to enter the word of national broadcast home shopping at QVC, Kerstin took her writing with her and found her new viewers even more eager to hear how she survived years of infertility and a difficult adoption. Kerstin can be seen four days a week on QVC and is the host of one of the top grossing shows on the network, airing Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Stories about her children are a large part of her daily broadcasts.Kerstin and her husband live with their three children in Eastern Pennsylvania. They spend their free time in warm climates—preferably with sand.
 
 
I read this in one sitting. It was a raw read for me. It hit home. I loved how Lindquist shared her heart all the ups and downs. She is a die hard advocate for adoption and I love that about her. I loved how the Lord blessed her with two girls. She never gave up. She is so strong willed. Faith and Hope two must  haves when going down the road of infertility.
I would love to have the blessings that Lindquist has been given we have tried so hard to have a baby and we were adopting a baby girl and we had her six months then she was ripped away from us so this is a book that I will hold dear to me and reread. There is hope for us yet. I truly believe this book will give hope to many woman.
I gave this book 5 stars and I strongly recommend it.
I received  this book from Wynn Wynn Media  for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
 

Thursday, April 20, 2017

Think Again By Jared Mellinger





Evaluating yourself—being mindful of who you are and what you are doing—is necessary and can lead to positive change. But what about the dark side of introspection? Do you ever feel weighed down and exhausted by your own self-analysis? Perhaps you made a mistake, said a careless word, or even messed up big time. Your self-examination spirals into a full-blown cross-examination. You keep revisiting what happened. Your mind circles around the event, fruitlessly trying to somehow make the outcome different so you don’t feel the embarrassment, shame, and regret. The modern self-esteem movement has left us empty and self-focused. We exhaust our healthy introspection and pervert it into constant self-evaluation, wrong views of ourselves, self-accusation, and false guilt. Introspection was never meant to bear such weight. Think Again offers real relief from the burden of introspection that so many of us carry each day. Pastor Jared Mellinger, who tends to overdose on self-analysis himself, shows us how the hope of the gospel can rescue us from the bad fruit of unsound introspection. Mellinger’s short, story-filled chapters help readers identify and turn away from unhealthy introspection. There is an outward-focused God who delights to rescue an inward-focused people and lead them into a better way to live. When we truly understand it, we’ll see that the gospel actually sets us free from thinking about ourselves too much.We can seek after and pray for the peace and joy—the sanity—that comes from thinking about ourselves less often. Think Again includes practical instructions for self-examination, fighting false guilt, breaking free from hyper-introspection, and more. Ultimately, Think Again demonstrates that the solution to thinking too much about ourselves is to look to Christ, and it gives readers the tools to begin to turn from the mirror.

Pick up your copy here...

Jared Mellinger is the senior pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, PA, where he lives in with his wife Meghan and their six children.

This book is what a call a small group book. It would be a great study guide for small groups.
It has questions in each chapter that can be discussed by each member of the small group and you will find it easy to understand.
It has the potential to help those that are harboring guilt. It was written as a help guide.
I hope that it is seen as a helpful book for those who are burdened by guilt to see that the Bible is there to help you see your self as a person God made you to be and you can always better yourself.
I gave this book 4 stars. I recommend it read and study with a friend or small group.
I received  this book from the publisher for review. A favorable was not required and all views expressed are my own.

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

The Heart-Shaped Life By Karen Moore



Inspiration for a Heart-Shaped Life
  
What if you could see the world through the lens of the heart moment by moment?
What if God inspired you to walk “heart first” into every life event and circumstance, no matter what it was?
What if love was your number one priority? Love of God, love of others, and love of yourself? 

Inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:2: "If I had the gift of prophecy and knew all about what is going to happen in the future, knew everything about everything, but didn’t love others, what good would it do?" . . .the Heart-Shaped Life series will encourage you to live life “heart first.” 

The Heart-Shaped Life Daily Devotional provides refreshing thoughts, prayers, and scripture selections to help you discover the best path to the good life. . .which is all about LOVE!

Pick up your copy here...




Karen Moore is an award-winning author of over sixty published books. Her numerous books for children, include "How Noah Knew What to Do" illustrated by renowned artist Pete Kersten, and two books for the Little Angels series with Roma Downey. She works to develop children's books and specialty concepts for several publishers.

Karen's inspirational and devotional books cover a wide range of topics and include daily devotionals and gift book formats. Karen is a regular author with Christians Art Gifts and has published with Simon & Schuster, Faith Words, Thomas Nelson and Abingdon Press. She has written several books for teens and tweens including one for Joyce Meyer.

Karen also utilizes her writing talents as a greeting card professional. She teaches a six session course on greeting card writing and has published nearly ten thousand greeting cards over the years. Karen works with American Greetings, DaySpring Cards, and other publishers to develop card lines and concepts.

Karen is a much sought after writing conference speaker and a mentor for authors and other aspiring artists. Karen addresses a variety of inspirational, motivational, and practical writing tips to writer's groups and other specialty groups across the country.

Karen holds a Master's Degree in Education and has taught both in grade schools and in colleges.

Come on now who doesn't love a good devotional? This one was easy to read, scripture was posted and the month and day posted on each page.
Good devotional for positive and good self image heart happy messages each day. You can never have enough positive happy time with Jesus.
This would make such a nice gift for loved ones, office friends, church family. That person who has everything.
Its nice and heavy and well made. You can never have enough great messages to share with friends.
I gave this devotional 4 stars. Great gift idea.
I received  this book from the publisher for review. A favorable was not required and all views expressed are my own.

Monday, April 17, 2017

Let's be Real By Natasha Bure



From singer, model and YouTube celebrity Natasha Bure, the daughter of Candace Cameron Bure, comes a real, honest conversational book that doesn’t hold back. Everywhere she goes and every video she posts has one basic message: this is real, this is life, and we all go through it. Whether it’s acne, boyfriends, faith, stress, or having fun, Natasha’s view is to simply be honest, simply be real, no matter what you face. Natasha’s real and relatable tone paired with personal notes and stories will help readers see that living a “real” life is the best life.
Let's Be Real features a stunning dust jacket with embossing and foil.

Pick up your copy here...



Natasha Bure is the daughter of actress and New York Times bestselling author, Candace Cameron Bure, and former NHL All-Star forward, Valeri Bure. Natasha’s passion for music and entertainment began at the age of 10. She has appeared in ABC Family’s hit show Make It or Break It as well as in Hallmark’s The Heart of Christmas. Natasha’s unique vocal style and creative songwriting have been featured in national performances on ABC’s daytime talk show, The View, and she was a participant on NBC’s top-rated reality singing competition, The Voice. In addition to Natasha’s core values of faith and family, she enjoys playing tennis and staying active with her friends. She grew up in South Florida and now happily resides in Southern California with her family. View Natasha’s posts on Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/user/NatashaBure/ and on Instagram @natashabure!

This was such a gem of a book for young girls. It has so much wonderful wisdom from a young adult who most girls look up to.
This book talks about Embracing the real you, family, friendships, Health, and beauty but most important faith. 
Bure talks about being true to yourself. So much insight for our young adults. This is a much needed book in todays world.
I gave this book 4 stars and I recommend it for young adults.
I received  this book from the publisher for review. A favorable was not required and all views expressed are my own.

Friday, April 14, 2017

Beyond Justice By Cara Putman




Hayden is on track to become the youngest partner in her prestigious DC law firm . . .
If the case she’s just been handed doesn’t destroy her first.
Hayden McCarthy knows firsthand the pain that follows when justice is not served. It’s why she became an attorney and why she’s so driven in her career. When she’s assigned a wrongful death case against the government, she isn’t sure if it’s the lucky break she needs to secure a partnership—or an attempt to make sure she never gets there.
Further complicating matters is Andrew Wesley, her roommate’s distractingly attractive cousin. But Andrew’s father is a congressman, and Hayden’s currently taking on the government. Could the timing be any worse?
The longer she keeps the case active, the higher the stakes become. Unknown enemies seem determined to kill the case—or her. Logic and self-preservation indicate she should close the case. But how can she, when justice is still just beyond her reach?

Pick up your copy here...


Since the time I could read Nancy Drew, I have wanted to write mysteries. In 2005 I attended a book signing at my local Christian bookstore. The rest, as they say, is history. There I met Colleen Coble. With prompting from my husband, I shared my dream with Colleen. Since those infamous words, I've been writing award-winning books with the count currently at 25.

In addition to writing, I am a homeschooling mom of four, attorney, lecturer at a Big Ten university, active in women's ministry, and all around crazy woman. Crazy about God, my husband, and my kids. I graduated with honors from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Go Huskers!), George Mason Law School, and Purdue University's MBA program. You can learn more about my books at http://www.caraputman.com. And if you'd like a copy of my legal suspense novella, Dying for Love, simply connect with me here (http://www.caraputman.com/contact/) , and I'll send you the link.

I just added Legal thriller to my must read list. I just added Cara Putman to my must read list.
This was a very good legal thriller. It was not predictable, it was a very well written book.
The characters were very well thought out. Putnam know what she was writing about it was not a bunch of  made up dribble. 
This was one of those books I call an all nighter. You can not put it down you are wondering who was the good guys and who were the bad guys from the beginning almost. You have to keep reading it its so addicting not like any other book I have read in a long time.
Gripping and addicting is what this book is.
I gave this book 5 stars and I HIGHLY recommend it. Look out this is not what you expected.
I received  this book from the publisher for review. A favorable was not required and all views expressed are my own.

Thursday, April 13, 2017

The Ebb Tide By Beverly Lewis




When a well-to-do family asks Sallie Riehl to be their daughter's nanny for the summer at their Cape May, New Jersey, vacation home, she jumps at the chance to broaden her horizons beyond the Lancaster County Amish community where she grew up. Sallie has long dreamed of seeing more of the world, but her parents are reluctant for her to put off baptism yet another summer, and the timing is unfortunate for Perry Zook, who has renewed interest in courting her. 

Pick up your copy here...


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 thought you all would enjoy seeing my sweet friend Molly from http://cafinatedreads.com/i-met-beverly-lewis/#comment-410048 at Beverly's book signing getting our books signed!

I really enjoyed  The Ebb Tide. I read it in one night. Let me ask you all do you know what an Ebb Tide is?
You are going to LOVE the characters and this story. It is not the same ole same ole Amish book. Its something different and you will never see the end coming. Of course I was so excited to find out what was going to  happen next in Sallie's life and if she would do what would make her happy or her mom.  My heart went out to Autumn she was longing for attention from her mom after her baby brother was born and she had spent nine years as an only child. I love this part of the story. You are sure to love the out come as well.
This was such a great Beach read. I really do hope that you will pick up a copy of this Fantastic summer read. It will make you long for the beach.
I gave this book 4.5 stars and I HIHLY recommend it.
I received  this book from the publisher for review. A favorable was not required and all views expressed are my own.

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

A Fragile Hope By Cynthia Ruchti



Josiah Chamberlain's life's work revolves around repairing other people's marriages. When his own is threatened by his wife's unexplained distance, and then threatened further when she's unexpectedly plunged into an unending fog, Josiah finds his expertise, quick wit and clever quips are no match for a relationship that is clearly broken.

Feeling betrayed, confused, and ill-equipped for a crisis this crippling, he reexamines everything he knows about the fragility of hope and the strength of his faith and love. Love seems to have failed him. Will what’s left of his faith fail him, too? Or will it be the one thing that holds him together and sears through the impenetrable wall that separates them?

Pick up your copy here...

Click here to enter: https://promosimple.com/ps/b6a4

One winner will receive:
A copy of A Fragile Hope
A metal wall scripture hanging

Enter today, but hurry! The giveaway ends on May 3

Cynthia Ruchti tells stories hemmed in hope through award-winning novels, novellas, devotionals, nonfiction, and through speaking events for women and writers. She makes potato corn chowder for her husband of 44 years and loves on her three kids and five grandchildren. Cynthia recently retired from 33 years of writing and producing a daily radio broadcast called THE HEARTBEAT OF THE HOME, is past president of the 2,700-member American Christian Fiction Writers, and now serves as ACFW's Professional Relations Liaison, all while working on more book projects in addition to the fifteen already on the shelves. Her books have been honored with two Selah Awards, three Christian Retailing's BEST Awards, and awards from CAN Golden Scrolls and AWSA Golden Scrolls, as well as finalist and top honors in awards programs such as ACFW's Carol Awards, ForeWord Book Reviews Book of the Year, RT Reviews Book of the Year, Family Fiction's Book of the Year, Cascade Awards Book of the Year, Inspirational Readers' Choice, and the Christy Awards, among others. You can connect with her at www.cynthiaruchti.com, at www.facebook.com/cynthiaruchtireaderpage, at www.twitter.com/cynthiaruchti, or in the kitchen, brewing herself another cup of tea.

I have never read a book by Ruchti that I did not LOVE. And A Fragile Hope was one that I will read again and again. I cried and cried and was filled with Hope. This is a book that you have no clue where its going, You think one thing and another comes to pass. You have no idea how this book is going to end.
You are going to love to hate Josiah, and you are going to feel for Karin. they are two of the best characters.
I read it in one sitting and I HIGHLY recommend it. This is such a moving book of Hope.
I gave this book 5 stars two times.
I received  this book from the publisher for review. A favorable was not required and all views expressed are my own.

Monday, April 10, 2017

You'll Think of Me By Robin Lee Hatcher



Her mother abandoned her, her father disowned her, and her husband left her. Can Brooklyn be convinced that it is possible to forgive the greatest of betrayals?
Brooklyn Myers escaped her broken home and her embittered, unloving father by eloping to Reno at the age of 17. But when she was pregnant with their first child, her husband abandoned her as well. Not welcome back home in Thunder Creek, Brooklyn stayed in Reno and raised her daughter Alycia on her own, doing her best to make sure Alycia never knew the heartache and rejection Brooklyn herself had known.

Pick up your copy here...


Best-selling novelist Robin Lee Hatcher is known for her heartwarming and emotionally charged stories of faith, courage, and love. Winner of the Christy, the RITA, the Carol, the Inspirational Reader's Choice, and many other industry awards, Robin is also a recipient of Lifetime Achievement Awards from both Romance Writers of America and American Christian Fiction Writers. She is the author of 75+ novels and novellas with over five million copies in print.

Robin enjoys being with her family, spending time in the beautiful Idaho outdoors, reading books that make her cry, and watching romantic movies. Her main hobby (when time allows) is knitting, and she has a special love for making prayer shawls. A mother and grandmother, Robin and her husband make their home on the outskirts of Boise, sharing it with Poppet, the high-maintenance Papillon, and Princess Pinky, the DC (demon cat).

Robin is active on her Facebook Author Page where she loves to interact with readers. Please join her there: http://www.facebook.com/robinleehatcher

I loved following the characters in this book. I was on an emotional high from the beginning. This was the best book that Hatcher has written in my opinion.
I want to go to Thunder Creek  so bad, I would love to be Brooklyn's friend. She has been through it.
When the tragedy hit two times, Chad and Brooklyn see how much the town cares about them. This is the kind of town we all want to live in.
I will tell you this you will not be able to put this book down once you start reading.
The tile is prefect also. After reading this one you will still be thinking about it.
I gave this book 5 stars two times. I HIGHLY recommend it. Run don't walk and get your copy! Its a fantastic beach read.
I received  this book from the publisher for review. A favorable was not required and all views expressed are my own.