Secrets of the Pastor's Wife By Christina Ryan Claypool GIVEAWAY!

Wherever Cassandra Martin goes, her secrets go with her. And hiding her past is beginning to take a toll.
Cassie lives in a small white parsonage in the village of Maple Grove. For 15 years, the beautiful and talented artist has appeared to be the perfect wife for Rev. John Martin, the new pastor at Maple Avenue Community Church.
The couple has moved frequently, and Pastor John is too busy with other people’s problems to notice Cassie’s distress. She has no close friends to confide in, fearing her secrets could jeopardize her husband’s position.
That’s until Maple Grove coffee shop owner Katherine “Katie” Montague embraces Cassie as if she were the daughter she never had. Sensing her pastor’s wife is haunted by something tragic, the caring widow begins praying for her. Will Cassie trust Katie with the pain of her past or will she let the secrets destroy her?
Secrets of the Pastor’s Wife features discussion questions for women’s book clubs, church small groups, and recovery ministries. Entertaining and inspiring fiction, this compelling storyline will encourage emotional healing, forgiveness, and restored faith.

Pick up your copy here...
https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Pastors-Wife-Christina-Claypool/dp/1973601354/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1541632874&sr=8-1

Christina Ryan Claypool is an award-winning freelance journalist and inspirational speaker who has been featured on Joyce Meyer Ministries Enjoying Everyday Life TV show and on CBN's 700 Club. She is a past National $10,000 1st Place Amy Writing Awards recipient and Chicken Soup for the Soul contributor.

Her fall 2018, "Secrets of the Pastor's Wife: A Novel," is an entertaining and inspiring read, designed to be used for Inspirational book clubs or women's ministry groups to promote emotional and spiritual healing. Claypool is also an Ohio Associated Press Media Editors' award-winning newspaper columnist, former TV reporter, and the author of several Christian recovery books. The autobiographical title, "Seeds of Hope for Survivors," chronicles the writer's own amazing journey of surviving a near fatal suicide attempt and confinement in a state mental institution as a teen to having a successful life today.

Christina has a B. A. from Bluffton University and an M.A. from Mount Vernon Nazarene University, where she served as an adjunct instructor in the Communications Department. She is married to a public school administrator, and has an adult son. Besides her "boys," she adores coffee and chocolate. Her website is www.christinaryanclaypool.com.

 My Thoughts...

 What a book, Claypool hit on some tough subjects all in this one book.
Healing and forgiveness and all with out being preachy and over bearing.
Just my thoughts but this would make a great book for women's small groups to read together or Bible study groups.
Now this is for my blog followers who are going to say you promise to tell us if the book is self published or published by a small publisher. This one is BUT it has been edited very well. I challenge you get a copy  of this and see just how good it is and how well it has been edited, and what a touching story this is.
I gave this book 4 stars and I recommend it. A book full of Love.
The Mary Reader received this book from the author for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

You are going to love the extra novella at the end. Let me know what you think about the Casserole Lady.

To be entered in the GIVEAWAY you must follow this blog and leave a comment on this post and share this post on social media.

I will Be Praying For You By Corine Williams

Share with your child how much you are praying for them with this sweet book! Before your child was born, you prayed for him. Each and every day, you pray for him. As a parent, you know that wherever your child goes, whatever he does, no matter what happens in this life, you will be praying for him. Now, snuggle up and share with your little one how you are covering him in prayer. This book is filled with prayers based on the Bible. Parents everywhere will resonate with this eternally important message!

Pick up your copy here...
https://www.amazon.com/I-Will-Be-Praying-You/dp/1948476029/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1541632174&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=I+will+be+praying+or+you+by+Corine+Williams

About Corine...

Corine Hyman, Ph.D. is a psychologist in Baltimore, MD where she treats children and adults who experience or may be at risk for trauma due to physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, domestic and community violence. She graduated from Saint Louis University with a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and completed an APA accredited predoctoral internship in Clinical Psychology at Virginia Treatment Center for Children. Dr. Hyman's clinical work has entailed addressing psychological and social issues that affect children both on the national and international level. These works include being a vital part in the development of The World Health Report 2001 - Mental Health: New Understanding, New Hope. Current areas of clinical and research interest include the treating and understanding the long terms impacts of trauma on development, parent-child attachment/engagement and assessment issues.

She is the author of three books: Why We Give Gifts at Christmas Time; My Journey With Jesus Christ and What is Love. Why We Give Gifts at Christmas Time is a Christian Children multi-cultural book that uses biblical passages to answer the question of why we give gifts at Christmas time if it is Jesus' birthday. It contains over 10 different bible verses to reinforce the joys of giving at Christmas time and throughout the year. Why We Give Gifts at Christmas Time is also available in Spanish - Por qué damos regalos en el Tiempo de Navidad.

My Journey with Jesus Christ is a personalized devotional. It is designed to help your child grow in his/her relationship with God while helping him/her understand some key principles of the Christian faith. This book contains 10 lessons and include space for you to write your child's name throughout the book.

She is currently working on the first book in a series that combines her training as a clinical psychologist and Christian faith. The first book is tentatively entitled Godly Feelings. Godly Feelings will be for parents, teachers and professional who often wonder how to react to the variety of emotions expressed by children. It will provide children with an entertaining and constructive way to learn to accept and appropriately express their emotions based on the Bible. Godly Feelings also helps to stimulate discussion and interaction between children and the adults who care for them.

My Thoughts...

This is a cute children's book. It has a few pages in the back of the book where you can write your own prayers for your children. and it has a page of Scriptures that you can pray over you child each night after reading to them.
I thought book was cute and the illustrations were cute as well.
Give this as a gift this year if you are looking for books for kids add this one to your list.
The Mary Reader received this book from the author for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

Inkling By Kenneth Oppel

From the acclaimed author of The Nest, The Boundless, and Airborn comes a brilliantly funny, breakout book about a boy who discovers an ink blot that's come to life! Perfect for those who love Hoot and Frindle and sure to be a hit with kids everywhere!
The Rylance family is stuck. Dad's got writer's block. Ethan promised to illustrate a group project at school--even though he can't draw. Sarah's still pining for a puppy. And they all miss Mom. So much more than they can say.

Enter Inkling. Inkling begins life in Mr. Rylance's sketchbook. But one night the ink of his drawings runs together--and then leaps off the page! This small burst of creativity is about to change everything.

Ethan finds him first. Inkling has absorbed a couple chapters of his math book--not good--and the story he's supposed to be illustrating for school--also not good. But Inkling's also started drawing the pictures to go with the story--which is amazing! It's just the help Ethan was looking for! Inkling helps the rest of the family too--for Sarah he's a puppy. And for Dad he's a spark of ideas for a new graphic novel. It's exactly what they all want.

It's not until Inkling goes missing that this family has to face the larger questions of what they--and Inkling--truly need.

Kenneth Oppel has given us a small masterpiece of middle-grade fiction. Inkling is funny and fizzy and exciting, and brimming with the kind of interesting ideas and dilemmas that kids will love to wrestle with. And Sydney Smith is creating wonderfully inky illustrations to bring the story to vivid life. Get ready. A little ink blot is about to become your new favorite character!

Pick up your copy here...
https://www.amazon.com/Inkling-Kenneth-Oppel/dp/152477281X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1541592968&sr=8-1&keywords=inkling+by+kenneth+oppel

Kenneth Oppel is the author of numerous books for young readers. His award-winning Silverwing trilogy has sold over a million copies worldwide, and been adapted as an animated TV series and stage play. Airborn was winner of a Michael L Printz Honor Book Award, and the Canadian Governor General's Award for Children's Literature; its sequel, Skybreaker, was a New York Times bestseller and was named Children's Novel of the Year by the London Times. He is also the author of Half Brother, This Dark Endeavor, The Boundless, and The Nest, winner of the CLA Book of the Year for Children. His latest book is the YA novel EVERY HIDDEN THING. Born on Vancouver Island, Oppel has lived in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, England, Ireland, and now lives in Toronto with his wife and children.

My Thoughts...

Young adult books just keep getting better and better.
8-12 years is what the author had in mind but this adult really enjoyed this book. So don't put an age on it. It's for all ages to enjoy.
Good Characters, good story, good writing.
I gave this book 4 stars and I hope that you will give it a try. It would make a great stocking stuffer.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

Our Gift to our faithful followers!

                                    THANK YOU All so Much!

This Year The Mary Reader wanted to show our appreciation to our faithful followers who never missed one time leaving a comment for the whole year on our posts. So you are getting some of our favorite things.
 I have already mailed out packages with the following items  to all four of you! Here are a few things in your goodie box.

 And of course you need a few books to read while enjoying this wonderful candle. So I sent you a box with five of my favorite books of 2018 one will not be in the box it will ship from Amazon and you will get it tomorrow. P.S. It releases tomorrow!

And in case you are a coffee drinker and or Hot Chocolate there Is some of that as well in the box.

Let's not forget the chocolate as well. This is my favorite chocolate ever!

Last but not least in case there has been a book, CD or movie on my blog this year that you are dying to get your hands on you can run to Amazon and order a copy or two with your gift card.

This is just a small token of our appreciation to all four of you!
THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts, Emma Grace, Henrietta J.,
Amanda Lynn, and Natalie Smith for all of your support.
My Daughter would have been on this list had she still been here. She never missed until the day she passed away!

On Magnolia Lane By Denise Hunter

Falling in love with Daisy was easy for Jack. But finding the courage to tell her becomes problematic when his secret feelings lead to even bigger complications.
After two years of counseling sessions with Daisy Pendleton, Pastor Jack McReady has earned a permanent spot in her life as a spiritual leader—and nothing more. Jack would never risk losing her trust by exposing the depths of his heart, but he’s hopelessly in love with her.
Daisy loves her southern small-town life and her job at her family-run flower shop, but she doesn’t have the thing she longs for most: someone to share it with. Her recent foray into online dating has been a disaster—until she meets TJ.
Jack could kill his friend Noah for using his initials and some indistinct photos to set up a profile on the dating app Daisy is using. But when he’s finally afforded the opportunity to show her a different side of himself, he’s sucked into the plan before he has time for second thoughts.
Online, Daisy shares some of her greatest fears with TJ, but in person, Jack and Daisy are spending more time together. When a devastating family secret surfaces, Daisy knows that only her trusted friend and counselor can bring her comfort. Jack wants nothing more than to be both men for Daisy, but revealing his secret will prove to be the ultimate test of Daisy’s grace.

Pick up your copy here...
https://www.amazon.com/Magnolia-Lane-Blue-Ridge-Romance/dp/0718090543/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1541342049&sr=8-1&keywords=on+magnolia+lane+denise+hunter

Denise Hunter is the internationally published bestselling author of more than 30 novels, including "The Convenient Groom" and "A December Bride" which have been made into Hallmark movies. She has appeared on the The 700 club and won awards such as The Holt Medallion Award, The Carol Award, The Reader's Choice Award, The Foreword Book of the Year Award, and is a RITA finalist.

Denise writes heartwarming, small-town love stories. Her readers enjoy the vicarious thrill of falling in love and the promise of a happily-ever-after sigh as they savor the final pages of her books.


In 1996, inspired by the death of her grandfather, Denise began her first book, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she's been writing ever since. Her husband says he inspires all her romantic stories, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!

When Denise isn't orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys traveling with her family, drinking good coffee, and playing drums. Denise makes her home in Indiana where she and her husband raised three boys and are currently enjoying an empty nest.

You can learn more about Denise through her website www.DeniseHunterBooks.com or by visiting her FaceBook page at https://www.facebook.com/authordenisehunter

My  Thoughts...

Oh boy, I loved Pastor Jack. And Daisy was the perfect fit for pastor.
I loved the sister twist, I loved the forgiveness and the way everything turned out. Did I say I LOVED the whole story and the whole Blue Ridge Romance series.
All I can say is I LOVED this book and I gave it 5 stars and I can't recommend it enough.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

Odd(ly) Enough By Carolanne Miljavac

Humorous. Authentic. Relatable.
That's Carolanne Miljavac in a nutshell.

And those qualities are just what her nearly half a million social media followers adore about her. Her Odd(ly) Enough is a message that your heart needs to hear: It's time to embrace the "you" God made you to be. Tune out the naysayers of the world and jump into His loving arms. He'll walk alongside you as you passionately pursue your God-given purpose. With chapters like “Who Do You Think You Are?,” “Control Freak,” and “Mistakes and Grace,” you will find yourself becoming a little more courageous. . .and a lot more confident about God’s purpose for your life. 

Pick up your copy here...
https://www.amazon.com/Odd-Enough-Standing-When-World/dp/1683227891/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1541114512&sr=8-1&keywords=oddly+enough+carolanne+miljavac

Hey y'all! I am a southern-raised, Jesus-saved, barely sane author, speaker, and social media goofball. I'm married to such a lucky man, and mother to three sweet, loving, kind little girls who only whine EVERY now and then. I'm also super sarcastic. Poverty and abuse were tough to overcome, but it was the crushing loss of my seven-year-old niece to cancer that finally humbled me enough to listen to God when He spoke into my shattered heart, “Give it up.” Without the chains of fear and insecurity, I followed my spirit’s instruction to speak freely. That led to over 100 million video views, and nearly half a million social media followers. My story has been a true reflection of “beauty for ashes". I pray my writing leaves you laughing, crying, rejoicing, and encouraged. I hope to pull heartstrings while tapping funny bones with transparency and vulnerability. Grief taught me gratitude, pain gave me purpose, and loss revealed true love. With faith, I found audacity, and my mission is to give you the guts to be you too.

My Thoughts...

I'm going to call this my on time book for this season in my life right now.
It really hit home for me. I want to share it with everyone.
My hope is that you will run out and grab a copy on let it change you too.
So much wisdom and truth this book, it needs to be read by all of our teens.
I gave this book 4 stars and I recommend it.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

Stratagem By Robin Caroll

A High-Stakes Simulation Adventure Leaves Grayson Thibodeaux the Prime Suspect. . .for Murder
Deep in the gritty underbelly of New Orleans, psychologist Grayson Thibodeaux loses everything when his wife leaves him to climb her company’s corporate ladder. He buries himself in his job of creating mind-bending adventure games for businesses as team-building explorations. When his ex-wife’s company hires Grayson’s to create an elaborate game, he doesn’t see how things can get worse. Until she dies during the course of the game he created…making him the prime suspect for murder.

Pick up your copy here...
https://www.amazon.com/Stratagem-Robin-Caroll/dp/1683227301/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr

"I love boxing. I love Hallmark movies. I love fishing. I love scrapbooking. Nope, I've never fit into the boxes people have wanted to put me in." ~Robin Caroll is definitely a contradiction, but one that beckons you to get to know her better.

Born and raised in Louisiana, Robin is a southerner through and through. Her passion has always been to tell stories to entertain others. Robin's mother, bless her heart, is a genealogist who instilled in Robin the deep love of family and pride of heritage--two aspects Robin weaves into each of her 30 published novels.

When she isn't writing, Robin spends time with her husband of twenty+ years, her three beautiful daughters and two handsome grandsons, and their character-filled pets at home--in the South, where else?

She serves the writing community as Executive Director/Conference Director for ACFW.

Her books have finaled/placed in such contests as the Carol Award, Holt Medallion, RT Reviewer's Choice Award, Bookseller's Best, and Book of the Year.

On her faith, Robin says, "I love Jesus and will follow Him wherever He leads me."

An avid reader herself, Robin loves hearing from and chatting with other readers. Although her favorite genre to read is mystery/suspense, of course, she'll read just about any good story. Except historicals! To learn more about this author of deep South mysteries of suspense to inspire your heart, visit Robin's website at www.robincaroll.com.

My Thoughts...

Carroll wrote a pretty good who done it with Stratagem. The characters were developed well. Most of the time there is a character that I love to hate but there really wasn't a character that you could pin down as "the bad guy". The plot was a little refreshing and unique. I was guessing who did it until maybe after halfway of the book. With that said it didn't take away from my enjoyment of reading. I enjoyed Stratagem and I am sure you will as well.

I gave this book 4 stars.

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

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