Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball by Donita K Paul


If you're looking for a magical book to read this holiday season then Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball by Donita K Paul may be just what you need! This novella is the story of Cora, estranged from her family and living alone in a small town with just her cat to keep her company and her co-worker Simon, a serious man devoted to his job and family. While their paths have crossed at work they've never noticed each other. Not until they visit the same bookstore on a hard-to-find street that is sometimes there and sometimes isn't. Warner, Werner, and Wizbotterdat's bookshop is like stepping back in time. Both Cora and Simon make their purchases and upon returning home they both find a ticket to the Christmas Ball. What happens next is part of the mystery and magic of the season. An enjoyable read that got a little preachy in the middle (when talking about wizards) but one that I'd recommend anyway.

This book was provided for review by Waterbrook/Multnomah as part of their Blogging for Books program.

It's No Secret by Rachel Olsen

It's No Secret by Rachel Olsen is a twelve-chapter devotional/lesson book. Each chapter is titled with something that women deal with in general but is broken down into what we can learn on that subject in the spiritual. Ingenious! Take Chapter 5 for example: Have Eyes Bigger Than Your Stomach Revealing the Secret of Living Generously. Rachel teaches us through her own experiences why we should see things the way God does and not through our earthly eyes. This would be a great book to study with a friend who is new to her faith or even for a book club or women's group to do together. At the end of each chapter there's several pages of questions for personal use or for discussion.


I found it fun to read about Rachel's friendship with recording artist Gwen Smith who I've known of for years and enjoyed a funny story about Gwen. Rachel shares stories in each chapter that reveal her true self, not many people are willing to be as vulnerable as she is and for that I applaud her.



A R E Y O U T I R E D O F L I F E A S U S U A L ?

547 Olsen bk cover.JPG

Done with feeling exhausted—or worse, bored? Ready to trade your issues and hang-ups for greater intimacy and fulfillment? Then it’s time you did some digging for biblical “bling” and discovered the shining secrets to life in God’s kingdom. Rachel’s writing is lighthearted and fun, but she’s serious about helping you uncover biblical secrets that can make your life shine. This book will help you:

o Overcome the comparisons and competitive urges that leave you lonely

o Accept help from others

o Discover God’s surprising source of spiritual beauty and strength

o Embrace your need for rest

o Find adventure as you yield wholeheartedly to God

o Dig into the Bible for yourself and understand what you find there

Grab your Bible and a girlfriend, and come discover twelve secrets the world doesn’t know.



About the Author:

Rachel Olsen is a writer, editor, and speaker on staff with Proverbs 31 Ministries. She writes for and serves as senior editor of their popular online devotions, “Encouragement for Today,” with a readership of more than 300,000. She also writes for and serves on the editorial board of the P31 Woman magazine. Olsen is a national women’s speaker and enjoys interacting with audiences at women’s retreats and conferences from coast to coast.


Get to know Rachel & her Proverbs 31 ministry by visiting her website.

This book was provided for review by The B&B Media Group. This book is published by David C. Cook

A Rush of Wings by Kristen Heitzmann


Kristen Keitzmann has become one of the more well known names in Christian fiction. A Rush of Wings is one of her first novels and is being re-released with a new look. This title originally came out in 1993 and as I sat down to read it this month I remembered it from long ago. Sadly, I remembered not being able to get drawn into it and that happened again this time. I suppose once in a while a book and a reader just don't connect. I know fans of hers will be glad to see this one again though and if you like suspenseful stories of girls on the run who end up on a horse ranch then this is for you!

About the book:
Though her panic is real, Noelle St. Clair is uncertain what danger she is fleeing. Fragmented images and slivers of memory have driven her to abandon her wealthy, sheltered life in New York for the hope of a haven--remote and safe.
Noelle's arrival at the Rocky Mountain horse ranch owned by Rick Spencer and his brother Morgan causes more than a little stir. Beautiful, vulnerable, yet strangely secretive, Noelle is an enigma the two contrasting brothers seek to unlock. But as their attentions breach the wall she hides behind, the past becomes a menacing threat from which Noelle can no longer hide.

Kristen Heitzmann is the bestselling author of seventeen novels, including Freefall, The Edge of Recall, and the Christy Award winner Secrets. Kristen and her family live in the foothills of the Colorado Rockies.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Hatteras Girl by Alice J Wisler


Hatteras Girl by Alice J Wisler was a calming read for me. I enjoyed learning a little about the OBX and vicinity through Jackie's point of view. Jackie Donovan is a life-long resident of the OBX and yearns to reopen The Bailey House, a bed and breakfast that she remembers fondly from her youth. Jackie's friends want her to marry and settle down and constantly set her up on blind dates (hilarious!). When Jackie meets a man on her own she falls hard and fast, but things are rarely as good as they seem on the surface.

Jackie shares a home with recently widowed Minnie and her preschool son, Zane. Balancing friendship with a grieving woman, unexpected babysitting duties, deadlines on articles for the magazine that she works for and avoiding that last blind date while keeping her eye on the prize is sometimes too much for our young heroine and she feeds her desires at the local eatery specializing in greasy comforting fries.

Jackie deals with jealousy, insecurity and longing (things all women deal with) and in the end finds more than she could ever ask for.

Thanks, Alice, for this CLEAN READ! And thanks also for the recipes in the back of the book~

This book was provided for review by Bethany House.

To learn more about the author visit her website.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Angry by Laura L. Smith


Angry by Laura L Smith is her latest in edgy Christian fiction for young adults. I, however, wouldn't recommend this book to Christian teenagers. Angry follows young Emma as she discovers her fathers affair which leads to the divorce of her parents. Emma has a hard time dealing with her emotions and her anger and at one point yells, "Go to ----" to her parents as she storms out of the house. There are several other minor profanities used in this book by Emma and also by her drunk mother. While this book may portray a lot of families in our culture, it should not portray what goes on in Christian homes. This may be a good book for someone who isn't saved to read, it may lead them to a relationship with the Lord, but what unsaved teen wanders into a Christian bookstore to find a book? All Angry did was make me angry.
This book was provided for review by Navpress.

Amy Inspired by Bethany Pierce

Amy Inspired is the second novel for author Bethany Pierce and her sophmore attempt is beautifully written. I can usually speed read a book in a 24 hour period (and I'll admit that I do skip some words/scenes to get to the end quickly!) but this book was so well written and engaging that I didn't skip a single word, instead I savored it from beginning to end. Lovely story, Bethany!

Amy Inspired is about Amy, a college professor who can't find her way out of writer's block. What she does find is a student who is infactuated with her, a friend-of-a-friend who moves into the apartment that she shares with her roommate, advances from her roommates boyfriend and more trouble than she needs. She's also got a mother who is top in sales for a direct sales company and some of that lends its way to some humorous moments. Amy is on a quest to better herself, help those around her, and find her way to the life that Christ wants for her.

Amy Inspired is new from Bethany House and was provided for review by them.

Thanks, Bethany, for this CLEAN READ!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Almost Heaven by Chris Fabry


Almost Heaven by Chris Fabry is the kind of book that comes around every once in a while, the kind you wish every book was like, and the kind that you wait for in anticipation when you begin reading a new book. In short, this is an incredible story and will set this author in an exclusive group of writers.


Almost Heaven takes us back again to that small town in West Virginia where his other two novels (Dogwood and June Bug) take place. This time we learn the life story of Dogwood resident Billy Allman. Billy's life has heartbreaking and humble beginnings but he never lets his circumstances draw him away from the Lord. He knows that God has a plan for his life and although he never makes it big in the music industry, he is able to have an impact on the town people in a way he never could imagine. Couple this story line with an angel who has been assigned to him and you're able to learn what goes on behind the scenes, in the spiritual realm. Not many authors are able to pull something like this off, but Chris does it beautifully.


If you're looking for a book that not only is an entertaining read, but will cause you to wonder at the ways of the Lord and appreciate Him more, then you've got to get yourself a copy of Almost Heaven. This is definitely a contender for book-of-the-year on this blog. LOVED it! An absolutely beautiful volume that I recommend highly.

About the book:

Billy Allman barely survived the flash flood that swept through his holler, taking many a life. Truth be told, it took his daddy's life, too. Daddy's body kept living after the flood, but his mind never left the waters that snatched two little girls from his arms and held them until they were in the loving arms of Jesus.

The only thing Billy saved was his daddy's mandolin and it is his ability to make that instrument sing that God allows to bring about Billy's destruction...and his ultimate redemption.



Chris Fabry is the host of Chris Fabry Live!, an hour of spiritual encouragement from his backyard radio fence. The program challenges listeners to think biblically about their spiritual journeys. Chris is also the author of the Christy Award-winning novelDogwood, and his latest fiction release,June Bug. He and his family live near Tucson, Arizona. You can learn more about Chris at his website.

Thanks to Glass Road Public Relations for this review copy.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

And the winner is......

Jenn!
Jenn guess correctly that the blue jeans mug is my favorite. LOVE this mug!

Dining With Joy by Rachel Hauck


Dining with Joy is Rachel Hauck's latest novel and she returns us to the Lowcountry with it. Joy is living a happy life as a single woman who follows her deceased father's wishes and takes over hosting his cooking show on TV. The only problem is the Joy doesn't know how to cook. Not even a bowl of pasta with sauce. Not even an egg. This chick is clueless in the kitchen but manages to hide it well. She also finagles her way out of cooking competitions on a regular basis in order to keep her secret.



Enter Luke, a handsome chef whose first attempt at his own restaurant goes south. Luke ends up in Georgia and falls into co-hosting Dining with Joy. Sparks ignite between these two and their on-screen chemistry is exactly what a national cable network is looking for. Can Joy keep up the charade? Will Luke be lured back into having his own kitchen to cook in?



Kudos to Rachel for characters that come to life and a book that warms the heart. Joy and Luke are Christian characters who are fun to get to know and grow with.



Thanks, Rachel, for another CLEAN READ!
I highly recommend this book, you'll love it~some recipes are included in the back for more fun.







Get to know the lovely Rachel Hauck at her website

This book was provided for review by BookSneeze.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

The Life Book by Carl Blunt


The Life Book by Carl Blunt may be the most important book that you could give to your teenager this year. This little volume is seemingly inconsequential until you open the cover and realize the treasure that you have in your hands. In our fast paced world kids need something that will quickly grab their attention and The Life Book will not only do that, but it will keep their attention as well.
The Life Book is the story of the Bible that's designed for teens to share with other teens in school. It's broken into several parts:
  • Part 1 - God's story before Jesus arrives on the scene
  • Part 2 - Straight from the Bible, the story of Jesus while He was on earth
  • What About You? - Explains what this story means for your life
  • Help! - Gives help and answers for things that you may be struggling with

A neat feature about this book is that there are notes all through it that are written by other teens (and one adult too). You can see what other kids think about different parts of this book.

For more information on The Life Book you can visit their website.

Check out the press release for The Life Book:

Bible Smuggling 101Legally Saturating High Schools with God’s WordIn today’s divisive culture-war society, when news stories about separation of church and state thrive with controversy, one cutting-edge Christian ministry is having remarkable success spreading the Word of God. What makes it remarkable? They are doing it by distributing Bibles in public schools—legally.

Carl Blunt is the president and CEO of The Life Book Movement, a Christian mission centered on Blunt’s own contemporary, youth-oriented edition of a portion of the Bible called The Life Book, a unique presentation of Scripture designed to engage high school students with the truth of God’s Word. The Life Book presents a brief overview of the Old Testament and the Book of John using an interactive format with honest student comments and real-life questions in the margins. Readers are drawn into the only story that can change their lives forever.

Founded by The Gideons International as an innovative strategy to reach high school students with God’s Word, The Life Book Movement works in collaboration with churches throughout the country to provide the books for free to high school students. Blunt’s organization brilliantly threads a separation-of-church-and-state loophole by getting his publication into the hands of Christian high school students and having them pass the books out to classmates at school—a practice that is entirely legal, as long as the books are not distributed by school staff or other adults. Blunt says, “It’s like we’re helping students smuggle God’s Word into a closed country (public high schools) to reach an unreached people group because studies show that only 4% of today’s teenagers are Bible-believing Christians.” The goal is to ensure that every student in every high school in the United States has an opportunity to receive the gift of The Life Book. This approach presents a phenomenal opportunity to impact a generation with the good news of Jesus Christ.

The Life Book Movement is best described to students as a week-long mission trip to their local high school. Local churches work together in targeted areas to ensure The Life Book is offered to every student in each chosen high school. All churches involved receive the books at no cost from The Life Book Movement and provide the books, along with some evangelism training, to the students in their youth groups. The students then spend a week passing them out to their friends and classmates at school. One student who received the book said, “I got one today. I read it in almost every class today. I like it. It’s pretty neat and other people asked to look at it and then asked where to get one.”

Flying under the radar since its inception last fall, The Life Book Movement is rapidly closing in on distribution of more than 300,000 copies in public high schools across 21 states and even the British Virgin Islands. A quiet success, indeed, but extremely ambitious, The Life Book Movement has an ultimate goal of distributing The Life Book to nearly 18 million high school students when all is said and done. And, so far, the outlook is extremely promising.

www.thelifebook.com

Become a fan at www.facebook.com/carlblunt and follow the movement at www.twitter.com/carlblunt.

PLEASE~keep this movement in prayer!

Thanks B&B Media Group for sending me a copy for review.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Red Ink by Kathy Macias



What is the book about?
Red Ink by Kathi Macias (New Hope Publishers)
A young Chinese woman, Zhen-Li—raised to observe the party line, including its one-child-per-family doctrine—falls in love with and marries a Christian, and adopts his faith. Though the couple downplays their Christianity in an effort to survive, Zhen-Li’s family is appalled, and she and her husband are ostracized. When she becomes pregnant for the second time and refuses to have an abortion, the persecution begins in earnest. Zhen-Li’s parents, under pressure from the government, pay to have Zhen-Li kidnapped and the baby aborted.
It is then Zhen-Li decides she must live up to her name—"Truth"—and take a firm stand for her faith, regardless of the consequences, and so she begins to regularly teach children about Zhu Yesu ("Lord Jesus") and to distribute Christian literature every chance she gets.
Based loosely on the life of Christian magazine editor Li Ying, currently serving a ten-year prison sentence in China, the story of Yang Zhen-Li tells the desperate tale of her incarceration and separation from her family, as she continues to minister to other prisoners, and even to her guards.
About the Author
Kathi is a multi-award winning writer who has authored nearly 30 books and ghostwritten several others. A former newspaper columnist and string reporter, Kathi has taught creative and business writing in various venues and has been a guest on many radio and television programs. Kathi is a popular speaker at churches, women’s clubs and retreats, and writers’ conferences, and recently won the prestigious 2008 member of the year award from AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) at the annual Golden Scrolls award banquet. Kathi “Easy Writer” Macias lives in Homeland, CA, with her husband, Al, where the two of them spend their free time riding their Harley.


Questions/Answers from Kathi Macias
Red Ink is the third book in your four-book Extreme Devotion series. Each book is set in a different country, with the theme of first devotion and commitment to Christ above all else running through all four. How is Red Ink different, and who/what inspired you to write this book?
Red Ink is the only one of the four books that actually deals with someone being arrested and suffering specifically for her faith in Christ. The story is loosely based on my own personal heroine, Li Ying, who is currently serving a ten-year sentence in China for printing/distributing Christian materials, particularly to children. I pray for Li Ying daily, and I remind myself how very blessed I am to have the freedom to do what she did—without paying the price she now pays.
Can you give us a brief synopsis of this story?
A young Chinese woman, Zhen-Li—raised to observe the party line, including its one-child-per-family doctrine—falls in love with and marries a Christian, and adopts his faith. Though the couple downplays their Christianity in an effort to survive, Zhen-Li’s family is appalled, and she and her husband are ostracized. When she becomes pregnant for the second time and refuses to have an abortion, the persecution begins in earnest. Zhen-Li’s parents, under pressure from the government, pay to have Zhen-Li kidnapped and the baby aborted.
It is then Zhen-Li decides she must live up to her name—"Truth"—and take a firm stand for her faith, regardless of the consequences, and so she begins to regularly teach children about Zhu Yesu ("Lord Jesus") and to distribute Christian literature every chance she gets. Based loosely on the life of Christian magazine editor Li Ying, currently serving a ten-year prison sentence in China, the story of Yang Zhen-Li tells the desperate tale of her incarceration and separation from her family, as she continues to minister to other prisoners, and even to her guards, leading to a surprising conclusion that will both stun and challenge readers.
How did you get into writing? Has it always been your passion, or is it something you came to later in life?
I’ve always wanted to write, for as long as I can remember. I was an avid reader even before I started kindergarten. I wrote a short story in third grade that the teacher liked so much she showed it to the principal, and they decided to turn it into a play for the entire PTA. I was hooked! One day when I was about 13, I was walking home from school with my then boyfriend (now husband), Al, and I told him I’d be a writer some day. He often reminds me how blessed I am to have been able to do what I dreamed of all my life.
I understand you’re running a special contest that has to do with this book. Can you tell us about it?
Actually, I’m running the same contest twice—two chances to win a free Kindle! To be eligible, follow these three steps:
You have to read Red Ink and post reviews on Amazon, CBD, etc., and/or your personal blog;
You must also be a follower of my Easy Writer blog (address below); and,
Let me know via my website contact email: mailto:ezyrtr@ca.rr.com that you have met the requirements and want to be entered.
The first winner will be announced in early November; the second in mid-December, just in time for a last-minute Christmas gift.
In addition to writing, you are a popular speaker at women’s event, writers’ conferences, and various venues around the country. How can people find out more about you, your writing and speaking, sign up for your weekly devotional newsletter (in English or Spanish), and/or just view your many book videos, etc.?
They can find me at my website (http://www.kathimacias.com) or blog (http://kathieasywritermacias.blogspot.com). There is a “contact” button on my website if they’d like to send me a message. I always respond to all my emails!


A complimentary copy of this book was provided to me as a blog tour host by New Hope Publishers in exchange for posting this interview on my blog. Please visit Christian Speaker Services at www.ChristianSpeakerServices.com for more information about blog tour management services.

They've also given me a copy of this book to give away to one lucky blog reader. Leave a comment below for a chance to win this great book!