Thursday, October 29, 2009

The Swiss Courier


This book was provided for review by the Litfuse Publicity Group.

About the book!
It is August 1944 and the Gestapo is mercilessly rounding up suspected enemies of the Third Reich. When Joseph Engel, a German physicist working on the atomic bomb, finds that he is actually a Jew, adopted by Christian parents, he must flee for his life to neutral Switzerland. Gabi Mueller is a young Swiss-American woman working for the newly formed American Office of Strategic Services (the forerunner to the CIA) close to Nazi Germany. When she is asked to risk her life to safely "courier" Engel out of Germany, the fate of the world rests in her hands. If she can lead him to safety, she can keep the Germans from developing nuclear capabilities. But in a time of traitors and uncertainty, whom can she trust along the way? This fast-paced, suspenseful novel takes readers along treacherous twists and turns during a fascinating--and deadly--time in history.

About the authors:
Tricia Goyer is the author of several books, including Night Song and Dawn of a Thousand Nights, both past winners of the ACFW's Book of the Year Award for Long Historical Romance. Goyer lives with her family in Montana. To find out more visit her website: www.triciagoyer.com
Mike Yorkey is the author or coauthor of dozens of books, including the bestselling Every Man's Battle series. Married to a Swiss native, Yorkey lived in Switzerland for 18 months. He and his family currently reside in California.To find out more visit his website: www.MikeYorkey.com

While I haven't had the time to read this yet I'm looking forward to getting into it because I love all things from the 40's.

You can buy the book here.

Read what others are saying about The Swiss Courier.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Lost Mission


This book was provided for review by the Litfuse Publicity Group.

I haven't had a chance to read this yet but wanted to post and share a little about the book.

About the book:
What haunting legacy awaits deep beneath the barrios and wealthy enclaves of Southern California?

A billionaire driven mad by grief.

A pastor in love with the wrong woman.

An illegal immigrant desperate to feed his family.

Only Lupe de la Garza can save them from the ancient evil lurking in a lost mission's ruins, but it will take an act of faith beyond all human power.

An idyllic Spanish mission collapses in the eighteenth century atop the supernatural evidence of a shocking crime. Twelve generations later the ground is opened up, the forgotten ruins are disturbed, and rich and poor alike confront the onslaught of resurging hell on earth. Caught up in the catastrophe are...
· A humble shopkeeper compelled to leave her tiny village deep in Mexico to preach in America
· A minister wracked with guilt for loving the wrong woman
· An unimaginably wealthy man, blinded to the consequences of his grand plans
· A devoted father and husband driven to a horrible discovery that changes everything

Will the evil that destroyed the Misión de Santa Dolores rise to overwhelm them? Or will they beat back the terrible desires that led to the mission's good Franciscan founder's standing in the midst of flames ignited by his enemies and friends alike more than two centuries ago?

From the high Sierra Madre mountains to the harsh Sonoran desert, from the privileged world of millionaire moguls to the impoverished immigrants who serve them, Athol Dickson once again weaves a gripping story of suspense that spans centuries and cultures to explore the abiding possibility of miracles.

About the author:
Athol Dickson is an award-winning author of several novels. His Christy Award-winning novel River Rising was name one of the "Top Ten Christian Novel of 2006" by Booklist magazine. He lives in California with his wife. Find out more about Athol and his books by visiting his
website.

You can purchase this book at Amazon.

Click here to see what others are saying about Lost Mission.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Wisdom Hunter and Shadow Government


These books were provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.


Wisdom Hunter by Randall Arthur can be purchased here.

About the book:

Pastor Jason Faircloth knows what he believes. His clear faith, in fact, is why he is one of the most prominent pastors in Atlanta. He relies on it to discipline his daughter, his wife, his church. He prays daily that others would come to see God’s ways as he does.

And it is about to cost him everything.

Groping for answers in the face of tragedy, Jason begins a search for the only family he has left: the granddaughter kept hidden from him. Soon he finds himself on an international adventure that will take him straight into the depths of his soul. He is determined not to fail again.

A fast-paced suspense novel rich in spiritual depth, Wisdom Hunter explores what it means to break free of Christian legalism—and discover why grace can mean the difference between life and death.

My thoughts:

I can't believe that I hadn't read this book before since it was originally released in 1991. It's a very fast-paced action-packed novel about too many things that are true to life. I enjoyed it, even though parts of it were upsetting. I liked how the author knit together pieces of the characters lives and gave examples of true redemption. It starts out tragic but ends triumphant. This is a must-read for Christians who are set in their ways and bound by rules and traditions.

About the author:
Randall Arthur is the bestselling author of Jordan’s Crossing and Brotherhood of Betrayal. He and his wife have served as missionaries to Europe for over thirty years. From 1976 till 1998, he lived in Norway and Germany as a church planter. Since 2000, he has taken numerous missions teams from the United States on trips all over Europe. Arthur is also the founder of the AOK (Acts of Kindness) Bikers’ Fellowship, a group of men who enjoy the sport of motorcycling. He and his family live in Atlanta, Georgia.



You can learn more about Shadow Government and purchase a copy here.

Grant Jeffrey is back, this time with a shocking glimpse into the arena of government and how they are watching everything we do. While I enjoy his work and research I do tend to think that it might be a little extreme, and extreme is what breeds fear into peoples lives. I can see how the technology that he describes is propelling us towards the end times and the Mark of the Beast, but I find it more exciting than frightening. It's definitely worth reading, but may put some people over the edge (conspiracy theorists and the like). If you can read this type of book and keep your spiritual eyes open then you'll realize it's just another step in the Master's plan.

About the book:

Security cameras, surveillance of private financial transactions, radio frequency spy chips hidden in consumer products, eavesdropping on e-mail correspondence and phone calls, and Internet tracking. No one is protected, and privacy is a thing of the past.

An ultra-secret global elite, functioning as a very real shadow government, controls technology, finance, international law, world trade, political power, and vast military capabilities. These unnamed, unrivaled leaders answer to no earthly authority, and they won’t stop until they control the world.

In Shadow Government, prophecy expert Grant Jeffrey removes the screen that, up to now, has hidden the work of these diabolical agents. Jeffrey reveals the biblical description of Satan’s global conquest and identifies the tools of technology that the Antichrist will use to rule the world.

Readers will have their eyes opened to the real power that is working behind the scenes to destroy America and merge it into the coming global government. Armed with this knowledge, readers will be equipped to face spiritual darkness with the light of prophetic truth.


About the author:

Grant R. Jeffrey is the internationally known prophecy researcher, Mideast expert, and author ofCountdown to the Apocalypse, The New Temple and the Second Coming, The Next World War, and twenty other best-selling books. He is also the editor of the Prophecy Study Bible. His popular television program, Bible Prophecy Revealed, airs weekly on TBN. Jeffrey earned his master’s and PhD degrees from Louisiana Baptist University. He and his wife, Kaye, live in Toronto.


Friday, October 23, 2009

~Pearl Girls~

Pearl Girls
encountering grit, experiencing grace

Compiled by Margaret McSweeney with stories from many ladies, including Debbie Macomber, Shaunti Feldhahn, Melody Carlson and Robin Jones Gunn.

With so many fabulous authors (many of which are my favorites!) sharing stories from their own lives this is surely one book you need to go out and get. I love, love, LOVE this one! Most stories are just a page or two long but each one has a Scripture verse to go along with it and will inspire you in your walk with the Lord.

About the book:

With His love and grace, God covered the unexpected pain in my life of becoming an adult orphan and transformed this pain into a pearl. We are all Pearl Girls. Each of us has been touched by God's gift of love and grace, and it's a gift that I want to share with others. That's why I am launching Pearl Girls.

Actually, my very first gift from my parents was a pearl. The gift of my name. Margaret means "precious pearl." So perhaps this is what I was always supposed to do. My heart's prayer is that Pearl Girls will be a blessing to others - to the women who contribute their literary talent to the Pearl Girls projects; to the readers who are inspired and comforted by the life experiences shared through these projects and to the women and children who will benefit from the proceeds given by Pearl Girls to various charities. This is a win-win for everyone, and each of us has a special part in making the Pearl Girls projects "blessed sellers."

After the first Pearl Girls tea in Atlanta, I went to my brother, Claude's home to help sort through our parents' boxes in his basement. It was an emotional experience and tedious process to discover what was in each box, to decide what to do with each item and to discard those belongings which we needed to let go. After several long hours of sorting, I received an incredible hug from heaven - a confirmation that Pearl Girls is something that is meant to be. I discovered a three strand necklace of painted pearls belonging to my grandmother from the early 1900s! Isn't that amazing?

The best thing about this book?
100% of the proceeds go to charity!

WINGS (women in need growing stronger). The proceeds will help fund a Safe House in the Chicago suburbs. It costs $50 a night to provide safe shelter for a woman and her children. During this economy, WINGS is receiving even more phone calls for a safe place to stay. Already, the Pearl Girls have provided 60 nights with the advance royalties. www.wingsprogram.com

Hands of Hope. The proceeds will help build wells in Uganda for school children. Can you imagine a child at school without a water fountain in the hallway where he or she can grab a quick sip of water in between classes on a hot day? These children have to drink from puddles and other water sources which carry diseases and parasites. It costs $12,000 to build a well in Uganda.Already, the Pearl Girls have provided funds to build ¼ of a well. www.handsofhopeonline.org

You can buy a copy of this for yourself here.

Sorry, not giving this one away, I'm keeping it for myself!

This book was given to me to review by LitFuse.


Friday, October 16, 2009

The Sound of Sleigh Bells

We've got snow here in the mountains of Pennsylvania. It makes it the perfect time to read a winter story! The Sound of Sleigh Bells is the latest from Amish fiction author Cindy Woodsmall. If you haven't read Cindy's books then you're missing out, she is, in my opinion, the best for Amish fiction (some of what's out there is just awful!) Cindy has a way of capturing the heart of the character and bringing her to life. This quick read (I finished in just over an hour--while on the treadmill!) will warm your heart. I liked the connection that the main character had with the carving that she discovered while on her trip to Ohio. I'm not going to go into any more because I don't want to give anything away.

Here's a summary:
Beth Hertzler works alongside her beloved Aunt Lizzy in their dry goods store, and serving as contact of sorts between Amish craftsmen and Englischers who want to sell the Plain people’s wares. But remorse and loneliness still echo in her heart everyday as she still wears the dark garb, indicating mourning of her fiancé. When she discovers a large, intricately carved scene of Amish children playing in the snow, something deep inside Beth’s soul responds and she wants to help the unknown artist find homes for his work–including Lizzy’s dry goods store. But she doesn’t know if her bishop will approve of the gorgeous carving or deem it idolatry.

Lizzy sees the changes in her niece when Beth shows her the woodworking, and after Lizzy hunts down Jonah, the artist, she is all the more determined that Beth meets this man with the hands that create healing art. But it’s not that simple–will Lizzy’s elaborate plan to reintroduce her niece to love work? Will Jonah be able to offer Beth the sleigh ride she’s always dreamed of and a second chance at real love–or just more heartbreak?

You can purchase this book here.

And a little bit about Cindy:

Cindy Woodsmall is the author of When the Heart Cries, When the Morning Comes, and The New York Times Best-Seller When the Soul Mends. Her ability to authentically capture the heart of her characters comes from her real-life connections with Amish Mennonite and Old Order Amish families. A mother of three sons and two daughters-in-law, Cindy lives in Georgia with her husband of thirty-one years.

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.



Thursday, October 15, 2009

Favorite Movie Quotes

This is where I'll be doing an ongoing list of my all time favorite movie quotes. More for me than for you, but feel free to read.

In no particular order:

"My voice is my passport, verify." -Sneakers

"It's a shame when people be throwing away a perfectly good white boy like that." -Better off Dead

"Now Myra Gulch, for thirty years I've been dying to tell you what I think of you and now, well, being a Christian woman I can't say it." -Auntie Em, The Wizard of Oz

"That's gonna leave a mark." -Tommy Boy (I think)

"Stop it now, I mean it!"
"Anybody want a peanut?" -The Princess Bride

"I'm Batman." -Batman (the one with Michael Keaton)


Jill Elizabeth Nelson

Jill Elizabeth Nelson has a giveaway on her blog this week. Click here to read all about it and enter. Jill herself has written a handful of books, check her out, I think you'll like her.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Extraordinary

In this latest by John Bevere we are challenged to life life the way God intended us to. I like this book because it takes everyday circumstances and shows us the little things in them that God wants us to learn. This book encourages the reader to reach for more, not to just sit back and let life pass you by.

There’s a question that troubles many believers: “Why am I not experiencing more joy, more hope, more satisfaction, more intimacy, more power, more everything in my Christian life--didn’t Jesus promise that?”

He did promise an abundant life, but too many people are trapped by the curse of “the ordinary.” They have accepted the wrong idea that following God means losing individuality, creativity, and a passion for achieving lofty goals.

Nothing could be further from the truth! John Bevere builds a convincing case, straight from Scripture, for a way of living marked by extraordinary experiences and accomplishments—the life God always intended for his children.

Here is a guide to understanding God’s incredible plans, and how to enjoy a life where he adds the “extra” to “ordinary.”


You can purchase this book directly from Random House.


John Bevere is an internationally popular conference speaker, teacher, and author of bestsellers, including The Bait of Satan, Drawing Near, and Driven by Eternity. His award-winning curriculum and books have been translated in over sixty languages and his weekly television program, The Messenger, is broadcast around the world. John and his wife, Lisa—also a bestselling author and speaker—reside with their family in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Visit his ministry website at www.messengerinternational.org.


This book was given to me to review and I was also given one copy to give away. Leave a comment below and I may give this to YOU!

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

The Great Christmas Bowl

Are you ready for a fun afternoon read? The Great Christmas Bowl by Susan May Warren is the perfect way to spend a few hours. Grab a cup of tea, a blanket and sit yourself in front of the fire.

Marianne Wallace is focused on two things this holiday season: planning the greatest family Christmas ever and cheering on her youngest son’s team in their bid for the state championship.
Disaster strikes when the team loses their mascot-the Trout. Is it going too far to ask her to don the costume? So what if her husband has also volunteered her to organize the church Christmas tea.
When football playoffs start ramping up, the Christmas tea starts falling apart. Then, one by one her children tell her they can’t come home for Christmas.
As life starts to unravel, will Marianne remember the true meaning of the holidays?

This book had me laughing out loud and wishing for some holiday chaos of my own. I LOVED this one! Susan has long been one of my favorite authors (LOVE the Josey series!!)

Susan May Warren is the RITA award-winning author of twenty-four novels with Tyndale, Barbour and Steeple Hill. A four-time Christy award finalist, a two-time RITA Finalist, she’s also a multi-winner of the Inspirational Readers Choice award, and the ACFW Book of the Year. Her larger than life characters and layered plots have won her acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. A seasoned women’s events and retreats speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you!. She is also the founder of www.MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice. Susan makes her home in northern Minnesota, where she is busy cheering on her two sons in football, and her daughter in local theater productions (and desperately missing her college-age son!) A full listing of her titles, reviews and awards can be found at:www.susanmaywarren.com

You can get a copy of this book here.

Make sure you visit The Great Christmas Bowl website for more fun!

There's also a contest to go along with the book.
Susan loves getting recipes from friends, and sharing the delicious cookies, soups, breads and other fun fixings that go with celebrating the Christmas season. More than that, she loves the crazy stories about favorite Christmases – serious, touching, funny…whatever. Find the recipe contest here: http://thegreatchristmasbowl.blogspot.com/2009/07/recipe-exchange.html

Will you share your story and recipe with Susan and the readers of the Great Christmas Bowl? She will post your story and recipe on the FRONT PAGE of the Great Christmas Bowl website, and send you a link when it goes up so you can tell all your friends. Then, at the Great Christmas Bowl party (December 5th, 10am, online! Details TBA) she’ll make the entire cookbook available for download!

For every recipe/story you submit (up to 3), you will be entered in a drawing to receive one of SMW’s collections (Noble Legacy, Team Hope, Heirs of Anton, Deep Haven Series, Josey series, or THE ADVANCED COPY of Sons of Thunder – Susie’s brand new epic World War 2 novel, due out in January 2010!)