Thursday, July 23, 2009

100 Bible Stories, 100 Bible Songs



This book is adorable and full of eye-catching artwork that any toddler and preschooler will enjoy.The Bible stories are simple enough for a little one to understand and are also good for adults to remember the truths of Gods word. Each story has a one line lesson as well that will reinforce the teaching ("I will show love and kindness to others" and "I will bring my friends to Jesus" to name a few)

The two CD's are packed full of fun songs that your little one will learn quickly and sing along to often. What a treasure for the young and old alike.

You can purchase this book from Amazon here.

Monday, July 20, 2009

A Perfect Mess



Caught up in the self-imposed pressure to do and be all the things they think a Christian woman ought to do and be, countless women are working desperately to convince everyone, including God, that they have it all together. Few have any idea that the Creator of the universe looks at them with delight even when they yell at the dog, drive a minivan littered with French fries, or think bad words about that rude clerk at the store.



A Perfect Mess offers hope to every woman who yearns for a vibrant relationship with God but worries she isn’t good enough or doesn’t do enough to merit His affection. With characteristic authenticity, speaker and author Lisa Harper shares poignant stories from her own imperfect life to showcase the real-life relevancy of the Bible in the lives of modern women.



As she guides readers on a story-driven journey through selected Psalms, they will be inspired to experience for themselves how God’s incomparable love transforms the messiness of life into a gorgeous work of grace.

Lisa Harper is a master storyteller whose lively approach connects the dots between the Bible era and modern life. She is a sought-after Bible teacher and speaker whose upcoming appearances include the national Women of Faith Conferences. A veteran of numerous radio and television programs and the author of several books, she also is a regular columnist for Today’s Christian Woman magazine. Lisa recently completed a master’s of theological studies from Covenant Theological Seminary. She makes her home outside Nashville.

For more info click here.

I have one copy to give away. I'll pick a winner on Saturday morning. To enter leave a comment about your biggest mess. The one that makes me laugh the hardest will win!

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Snow Melts in Spring



Snow Melts in Spring by Deborah Vogts

She loves the land. Mattie Evans grew up in the Flint Hills of Kansas. Although her family has lost their ranch, she still calls this land home. A skilled young veterinarian, she struggles to gain the confidence of the local ranchers. Fortunately, her best friend and staunchest supporter is John McCray, owner of the Lightning M Ranch. They both love the ranch, and can’t imagine living anywhere but in the Flint Hills.

Gil McCray, John’s estranged son, is a pro football player living in California. He’s haunted by it. The ranch is where his mother died and where every aspect of the tallgrass prairie stirs unwanted memories of his older brother’s fatal accident. Gil decides leaving the ranch is the best solution for his ailing father and his own ailing heart. But he doesn’t count on falling in love.

Falling in love isn’t an option. Or is it? When Mattie is called in to save a horse injured in a terrible accident, she finds herself unwillingly tossed into the middle of a family conflict. Secret pain, secret passions, and secret agendas play out against the beautiful landscapes as love leads to some unexpected conclusions about forgiveness and renewal.

About the Author:

Deborah Vogts
Deborah Vogts and her husband have three daughters and make their home in Southeast Kansas where they raise and train American Quarter Horses. In writing the Seasons of the Tallgrass, a contemporary romance series for Zondervan, she hopes to share her passion for one of the last tallgrass prairie regions in the world, showing that God’s great beauty rests on the prairie and in the hearts of those who live there.

Here's a brief interview with Deborah:

Tell me a little bit about your background and your family.
I’m a stay-at-home mom and wife to a loving husband. We have three daughters, ages 22, 17, & 12. We live in SE Kansas where we raise and train American Quarter Horses—my husband & daughters train them & I do the bookwork (both financial & fictional.)

What do you like to do in your spare time? Hobbies?
A few of my hobbies include baking, playing the piano, sewing, gardening, and of course reading. I also enjoy taking walks with our two golden retrievers. I also help teach Sunday school, and we are involved in 4-H, so summer can get pretty hectic with 4-H projects.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
Hmmm. How about the ability to see into the future. That could be both a blessing & a curse.

What has God been teaching you lately?
To stay on course. One thing I’ve been learning about the publishing business is that there is always something to do, whether writing, editing, marketing, research, keeping up with email and publishing news. Add to that church/Bible study and family, and life gets a bit frazzled at times. I’ve learned I’m not the best at multi-tasking, so I’m trying to learn how to manage my time more wisely.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Let’s see. When I was really young, I thought it would be really cool to have a mud pie business. After that I thought I could be a fashion designer, a professional pianist, oh, and a writer.

Where are you headed next?
I’m continuing on with the Seasons of the Tallgrass series. I’m waiting for edits of my second book, Seeds of Summer and have started working on my third book, tentatively titled Blades of Autumn. One of the neatest parts of the publishing process is seeing what the creative team comes up with for a cover. I’m eager to view the cover for Seeds of Summer, a story about a former Miss Rodeo Kansas queen, and her return to the Flint Hills to care for her deceased father’s ranch and her two younger siblings. After the Seasons of the Tallgrass series, I’ll wait for God’s lead to see what happens next.
Learn more about Deborah at her website.

You can buy this book at Amazon.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Holy Roller



Julie Lyons was working as a crime reporter when she followed a hunch into the South Dallas ghetto. She wasn’t hunting drug dealers, but drug addicts who had been supernaturally healed of their addictions. Was there a church in the most violent part of the city that prayed for addicts and got results?
At The Body of Christ Assembly, a rundown church on an out-of-the-way street, Lyons found the story she was looking for. The minister welcomed criminals, prostitutes, and street people–anyone who needed God. He prayed for the sick, the addicted, and the demon-possessed, and people were supernaturally healed.
Lyons’s story landed on the front page of the Dallas Times Herald. But she got much more than just a great story, she found an unlikely spiritual home. Though the parishioners at The Body of Christ Assembly are black and Pentecostal, and Lyons is white and from a traditional church background, she embraced their spirituality–that of “the Holy Ghost and fire.”
It’s all here in Holy Roller–the stories of people desperate for God’s help. And the actions of a God who doesn’t forget the people who need His power.


Author Bio:
Julie Lyons is an award-winning writer, editor and investigative reporter who for more than 11 years served as editor-in-chief of the Dallas Observer, an alternative weekly newspaper owned by Village Voice Media. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University and a B.A. in English from Seattle Pacific University. She and her husband, Larry Lyons Jr., live in Dallas with their son.

To learn more visit here.

I have one copy to give away. Leave a comment below to be entered to win!

UPDATE: Ruth is the winner of the book. Congrats Ruth!

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Value Fiction for Summer Reading

Value Fiction Brings Readers Summer Relief

Colorado Springs, CO— Fiction lovers don’t need to budget to travel this summer with Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group’s eight full-length, historical novels by beloved Christian authors (WaterBrook, June 2, 2009). At the low cost of only $5.99, these well-read “get-aways” provide quality entertainment at a price that any reader can afford.

Full-length historical novels offered include:

The Captain’s Bride (ISBN-13: 978-0-307-45806-3)
by Lisa Tawn Bergren, book one in Northern Lights series. Experience an epic saga of perseverance and passion, faith and fidelity in a sea adventure from the gentle hills of Bergen, Norway, to rocky coast of Camden, Maine.

Tommorrow’s Treasure (ISBN-13: 978-0-307-45808-7)
by Linda Lee Chaikin, book one in East of the Sun series. Family secrets and a passion for a man of a higher social class draw Evy Varley into a dangerous mystery and disturbing questions about her past.

The Silver Sword (ISBN-13: 978-0-307-45809-4)
by Angela Elwell Hunt, book one in The Heirs of Cahira O’ Connor series. The auburn-haired O’Conner women push against social limits. Their tale is one of peril, courage, vengeance, love and sacrifice.

The Veil (ISBN-13: 978-0-307-45807-0)
by Diane Noble. Hannah McClary dares to question the truth behind the shroud of secrecy that cloaks a nineteenth-century sect known as the Saints. Soon she and Lucas Knight, the young man she loves, find themselves fighting for their lives.

Under the Distant Sky (ISBN-13: 978-1-60142-245-3)
by Al and Joanna Lacy, book one in Hannah of Fort Bridger. Join Hannah and Solomon Cooper as they journey by wagon train to a new life on the frontier. Will they overcome tragedy and great opposition as they strive to live their dream?

A Promise for Breanna (ISBN-13: 978-1-60142-244-6)
by Al & Joanna Lacy, book one in Angel of Mercy series. Suspense, danger, romance and spiritual truth each play a
part in this heroine’s life as she faces the man who once broke her heart and led her to mistrust men.

Maire (ISBN-13: 978-1-60142-256-0)
by Linda Windsor, book one in Fires of Gleannmara. Maire, Warrior Queen of Gleannmara, finds her fierce heart gentled by a reformed mercenary, a Christian, who’s taken hostage during a raid.

A Gathering of Finches (ISBN-13: 978-1-60142-247-7)
by Jane Kirkpatrick. A turn-of-the-century Oregon coastal couples’ life is seen through the eyes of the wife, her sister, and her Indian maid who discover reasons why money and possessions can’t buy happiness, forgiveness or relieve consequences of choices.

Waterbrook summer release of value line books will also include a 99 Ways (July 2009) and Non-fiction series (September 2009).

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Religion Saves by Mark Driscoll



Religion Saves + Nine Other Misconceptions by Mark Driscoll

I'd not heard of Mark Driscoll before receiving this book to review. Once I started reading I wondered why I hadn't heard of this guy before. His writing is very engaging, and funny. In an online poll conducted via his church website he asked people to post any question, make comments about posted questions and vote up to 10 times a day for the question they wanted answered. In the end there were 893 questions asked, 5,524 comments and 343,203 votes. He took the top 9 questions and did a sermon series on them and then wrote this book.

The questions related to birth control, humor, predestination, grace, sexual sin, faith and works, dating, the emerging church and the regulative principle. He devotes a chapter to each of these.

I think my favorite chapter is the one on humor (go figure) because it basically tells us to loosen up. Now, he's not saying it's okay to be crude and such but that it is okay to laugh at things that are funny. He shows us funny things in scripture too.

A close second would be the chapter on sexual sin. The way he toured the 20th century and the moral decline was interesting to me (see also the chapter on dating)

The chapters on faith and works and also the one on grace are two that many Christians need to read. Maybe several times.

The emerging church chapter? Interesting. I've not followed the emerging church trend (I follow Jesus...) so it was eye-opening to me.

Good book. Worth the time spent reading it.

To read a sample chapter click here.