Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Abraham (The Petersheim Brothers #2) by Jennifer Beckstrand






Known as “The Peanut Butter Brothers” for their Wisconsin family business, hardworking Andrew, Abraham, and Austin Petersheim have their plates too full for romance—until their little siblings decide to play matchmaker . . .

With their house full to bursting since Mammi and Dawdi moved back in, the Petersheim twins know the only way to get their bedroom back is to get their older brothers married off. But Abraham is so shy, he’ll barely speak to girls. Still, they’ve noticed how he looks at Emma Wengerd at church. Emma is so talkative, Abraham’s quiet ways wouldn’t matter a bit. Soon, the boys have hatched a scheme that sends Abraham right to Emma’s
door—and her chicken coop . . .

Abraham doubts that pretty, popular Emma would be interested in him. Yet when he finds himself by her side, having to straighten out the twins’ mischief—more than once—he can’t help imagining a future with her. And the more time they spend together, the more Abraham realizes that perhaps no matter how many boys buzz around Emma, with faith, it’s only the right one that counts.


Amazon


About The Author






Jennifer Beckstrand is the two-time RITA-nominated, #1 Amazon bestselling Amish romance author of The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series, The Honeybee Sisters series, and The Petersheim Brothers series for Kensington Books. Huckleberry Summer and Home on Huckleberry Hill were both nominated for the coveted RITA® Award from Romance Writers of America. Jennifer has always been drawn to the strong faith and the enduring family ties of the Plain people and loves writing about the antics of Anna and Felty Helmuth, the Honeybee sisters’ aendi Bitsy, and Alfie and Benji Petersheim. Jennifer has written twenty-one Amish romances, a historical Western, and the nonfiction book, Big Ideas. She and her husband have been married for thirty-five years, and she has six children and eight adorable grandchildren, whom she spoils rotten. 

Website


My Review





We are back with the Petersheim family, and with the preconscious nine-year-old twins Benji and Alfi, and also Bitsey and her famous cats.
The author has given us a family whose home is full since their grandparents moved in, and thus the twins are placed in cellar, with nasty spiders, and are in the process of trying to find wives for their older brother, and thus get a bedroom upstairs. Now these boys did manage to find their oldest brother a wife, and now the next in line is Abraham.
We adventure with these two while they go about finding the perfect wife for their bother, with the hopes of getting out of the cellar. The journey brings many chuckles, and page turning, and wanting more! Delightful!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Kensington, and was not required to give a positive review.

Monday, November 25, 2019

God Made Me Unique: Helping Children See Value in Every Person by Joni and Friends (Contributor), Trish Mahoney (Illustrator) , Joni Eareckson Tada (Foreword)






God Made Me Unique helps parents and caregivers teach children that God creates every person in the image of God and each individual has tremendous value, regardless of his or her appearance or abilities. The story is set in a classroom where a new student is introduced who has a disability and his classmates learn to ask questions and gain an understanding about their new friend. This book will help eliminate fear and misconceptions about those who have special needs and emphasizes that every person deserves to be treated with kindness and respect. The back of the book has additional information and resources to equip parents to talk with their children about this important subject.

Amazon




Joni and Friends



Joni and Friends is an organization that accelerates Christian outreach in the disability community. Founded in 1979, their mission is to communicate the gospel and equip Christ-honoring churches worldwide to evangelize and disciple people affected by disability. The organization authors numerous books including titles such as the Beyond Suffering Bible, Real Families, Real Needs, and a series of church resources entitled The Irresistible Church.
 
 
My Review
 

 


What a wonderful little read for your young one, they are usually accepting of children that are different, and this book helps to show, with beautiful illustrations, examples.
Along with a story, and with Christian values, showing children to treat others with respect and kindness.
I think that every parent should have this book to share with their little ones, if we start early to show differences, children are really accepting, and this is a great resource.
I loved that there is a guidance for parents in the back called Four Ways to Help Your Child, a don’t miss area for guidance.

I received this book through Read With Audra, and was not required to give a positive review. 



Saturday, November 23, 2019

The Moon Is Always Round by Jonathan Gibson








Even young children want answers to the hard questions about God and suffering. In The Moon Is Always Round, seminary professor and author Jonathan Gibson uses the vivid imagery of the moon to explain to children how God’s goodness is always present, even when it might appear to be obscured by upsetting or difficult circumstances.
In this beautiful, full-color illustrated book, he allows readers to eavesdrop on the conversations he had with his young son in response to his sister’s death. Father and son share a simple liturgy together that reminds them that, just as the moon is always round despite its different phases, so also the goodness of God is always present throughout the different phases of life.

Amazon








Author

Jonathan Gibson, PhD, is ordained in the International Presbyterian Church, UK, and is the associate professor of Old Testament and Hebrew, Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia. He is coeditor with Mark Earngey of Reformation Worship, contributor to and coeditor with David Gibson of From Heaven He Came and Sought Her, and Covenant Continuity and Fidelity: A Study of Inner-Biblical Allusion and Exegesis in Malachi, and author of The Moon is Always Round. He is married to Jacqueline, and they have two children: Benjamin and Leila.



Illustrator

Joe Hox was raised on a farm in southern Iowa where he doodled whenever he wasn't spading thistles or feeding pigs. Everyone knew by his crooked hay rows that he would choose art over farming. Joe earned his BA in Art and Education from Dordt College and his MA from the University of Nebraska. Today he lives with his wife and four children in Pella, Iowa, where he illustrates and teaches art. Joe has illustrated all of the Good News for Little Hearts series.


My Review

This is a book that is written with love, and not for every child, but there is a need, and trying to help a young one deal with the death of a sibling.
Yes, no matter what the moon is always round, and symbolizes that God is always with us, he is ever Faithful.
What a wonderful way to share a Christian book with a little one, dealing with a loss, this book does come with some lessons to use with your children.
There are memory verses, and then there is for adults, the story behind this book.

I received this book through Read With Audra, and was not required to give a positive review.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Tori Comes Out of Her Shell: When You Are Lonely (Good News for Little Hearts Series) by Jayne V. Clark, Jo Hox







Tori the turtle feels all alone. She has just moved to a new pond and a new school with her family and it seems like everyone has a friend except her. Her teacher notices she feels alone and helps her remember Jesus is always her friend and then along the way she makes some new friends. The last page contains information for Christian parents on how God, in his Word, helps us turn to Jesus when we are lonely. Together children and parents will be guided into meaningful conversations about living by faith in the details of everyday life. Also included is a tear-out page of Back Pocket Bible Verses that will give children a practical way to remember God's words when they feel all alone.
A new series of hardback, illustrated. Christian children's books for three-to eight-year-olds each centered on an animal family bringing gospel help and biblical counsel to families in need of the Christian word. The animal characters, colorful illustrations, and the real-life issues each animal family face will captivate children. The first three books address anxiety, anger, and failure, bringing biblical help and hope to issues every child faces.

Amazon


About The Author

Jayne V. Clark, M.A.R., is a counselor with over eighteen years of experience, a frequent retreat and conference speaker, and the author of minibook, Single and Lonely: Finding the Intimacy You Desire and many counseling articles. 


My Review

I loved sharing this book with my little niece, sometimes it is hard for children to fit in. She was giggling at what happened to the teacher, and was happy that the teacher shared her treasured card, her father had given her. Beautiful lessons learned here!
Besides the story with the colorful illustrations, there are seven pointers to help you child deal with loneliness. Lastly there are pocket bible verses to cut out so your child can have their own.
My little one also noticed some of the animal friends she has become fond of reappear here!

I received this book through Read With Audra, and was not required to give a positive review.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Celebrate Lit Presents: Marison Spanish Rose by Elva Cobb Martin

Marisol FB Banner

About the Book

Book: Marisol Spanish Rose
Author: Elva Cobb Martin
Genre:  Christian Historical Romance
Release Date: November 8, 2019

Marisol_final 
Escaping to the New World is her only option…Rescuing her will wrap the chains of the Inquisition around his neck.
Marisol Valentin flees Spain after murdering the nobleman who molested her. She ends up for sale on the indentured servants’ block at Charles Town harbor—dirty, angry, and with child. Her hopes are shattered, but she must find a refuge for herself and the child she carries. Can this new land offer her the grace, love, and security she craves? Or must she escape again to her only living relative in Cartagena?
Captain Ethan Becket, once a Charles Town minister, now sails the seas as a privateer, grieving his deceased wife. But when he takes captive a ship full of indentured servants, he’s intrigued by the woman whose manners seem much more refined than the average Spanish serving girl. Perfect to become governess for his young son. But when he sets out on a quest to find his captured sister, said to be in Cartagena, little does he expect his new Spanish governess to stow away on his ship with her six-month-old son. Yet her offer of help to free his sister is too tempting to pass up. And her beauty, both inside and out, is too attractive for his heart to protect itself against—until he learns she is a wanted murderess.
As their paths intertwine on a journey filled with danger, intrigue, and romance, only love and the grace of God can overcome the past and ignite a new beginning for Marisol and Ethan.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Elva Cobb Martin
Elva Cobb Martin is a wife, mother, and grandmother who lives in South Carolina with her husband and a mini-dachshund. A life-long student of history, her favorite city, Charleston, inspires her stories of romance and adventure. Her love of writing grew out of a desire to share exciting stories of courageous characters and communicate truths of the Christian faith to bring hope and encouragement. Connect with her on her web site at http://www.elvamartin.com.

More from Elva

A couple of things inspired me to write Marisol ~ Spanish Rose, in addition to my love of historical romance fiction set in the colonial/pirate era of Charles Town and the Spanish Main.
I ran across a teaching of how people often let the one terrible moment of their lives define them and their future. Know anyone like this?


I envisioned a heroine in the 1700’s who let her “terrible moment”—being molested and accidentally killing the Spanish nobleman who attacks her—define her and her future destiny.
My premise for this idea and novel is: Love, forgiveness, and determination can overcome the most horrifying experiences and poor choices when we invite God into the equation.
Loving horses, particularly the white Lipizzaners, I named my heroine Marisol and set the attack on her father’s Andalusian Stud Farm in Cadiz, Spain in 1740. Andalusians are the Spanish horses in the ancestry of the Lipizzaners. And they can be trained to do dancing steps with a dancing maiden called the Flamenco, which my heroine can do well. Click here for a video of a flamenco dancer. https://youtu.be/lSQWQl0u_Ow
Marisol’s exciting Flamenco plays a pivotal part in the novel.
All this story idea needed now was an exciting, handsome Charles Town privateer—sometimes pirate—who will cross paths with my heroine when she flees Spain after killing the Spanish nobleman who molested her.



Captain Ethan Becket, backslidden former Charles Town minister, has returned to the sea, grieving the loss of his wife and child.
By the time these two get together at the indentured block in Charles Town, Marisol has discovered she is with child.
Thanks for stopping by! May you have an exciting, romantic adventure on the high seas with Captain Ethan and Marisol.

Blog Stops

Bigreadersite , November 15
Emily Yager, November 15
Connect in Fiction, November 16
Rebecca Tews , November 16
Moments, November 17
For Him and My Family, November 17
Genesis 5020, November 18
Betti Mace, November 20
mpbooks, November 20
Back Porch Reads, November 21
Maureen’s Musings, November 21
Pause for Tales , November 23
Batya’s Bits, November 23
Godly Book Reviews, November 25
janicesbookreviews, November 26
Texas Book-aholic, November 27
A Reader’s Brain, November 28

Giveaway


To celebrate her tour, Elva is giving away a vintage nautical writing journal and a $20 Amazon gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.


My Review


From the first page to the last this book will keep you riveted, with non-stop action, and you won’t see most of it coming.
This is a quick read, read it in a few hours, and couldn’t put it down, I knew how I wanted it to end, but was filled was surprises.
Just when you think things are calming down, wow, hold on to your hat, your off on another journey.
We find along the way a renewed hope of faith, and God is with these people everywhere.
We travel among the continents, beginning in Spain, North American, and Central America, and by ship, this is a time of pirates, precarious journeys, that will keep you page-turning.

I received this book through Celebrate Lit, and was not required to give a positive review.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The Hope (The Amish of Cedar Grove #2) by Patricia Davids






He thought he’d never settle down…until he found home .

Amish widow Ruth Mast wants nothing to do with the handsome man from her past who just returned to Cedar Grove. Ruth learned the hard way that Owen Mast’s restlessness always causes trouble. But when a little Amish girl appears on Owen’s porch, lost and afraid, Ruth has no choice but to help the man who only ever causes heartbreak…

All Owen wanted was to make amends with Ruth and her family. He never imagined that little girl Grace—or the strange mystery surrounding her—would bring him closer to Ruth. Or that a tender and unexpected attraction would quickly take hold of them both. But even a wandering heart can grow roots…when there is hope for love.


Amazon


About The Author






I was born and raised in Northcentral Kansas. I'm a farmer's daughter, but I now make my home in the city of Wichita. I'm an RN. Neonatal nursing has been the main focus of my career. What can I say? I love babies. I was invited to the highschool graduation of a baby I took care of. Talk about making me feel old!

In June of 2011 I became a widow after my husband of 36 years and 11 months died from multiple brain tumors. It was a very sad time, but thanks to the three f's, my faith, my family and my friends, life is moving forward. I have four brothers, one daughter and two grandchildren who all work at making me feel loved.

I'm the author of more than 30 books and I'm currently writing a series called The Brides of Amish Country for Love Inspired.


Website


My Review







really got immersed in this read, how I loved being back in Cedar Grove, my second visit with these folks, and these books can be read alone.
A lost love, and moving on with your life, marrying, children, and then becoming a widow. Enter the lost love, and he is there to help, and you want nothing to do with him. Things do get interesting here with danger, arrival of a precocious three-year-old, new babies being born, and new feelings. Put all of these things together, along with a few chuckles, and you have a page turner story in your hands!
I am now hoping for more visits with these folks!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Harlequin, and was not required to give a positive review.

Monday, November 18, 2019

Henry Says Good-bye: When You Are Sad (Good News for Little Hearts) by Edward T. Welch, Jo Hox (Illustrator)







Henry the hedgehog loves his pet ladybug. She keeps him company and entertains him, his family, and his friends with her flying tricks. But one day, he has to say good-bye to his ladybug. Henry and his whole family are sad, but they learn to go to Jesus with their sadness and ask him to comfort them.
The last page contains information for parents on how God, in his Word, helps us turn to Jesus when we are sad. Together children and parents will be guided into meaningful conversations about living by faith in the details of everyday life. Also included is a tear-out page of Back Pocket Bible Verses that will give children a practical way to remember God's words when they are sad.
A new series of hardback, illustrated, Christian children's books for three-to eight-year-olds each centered on an animal family bringing gospel help and biblical counsel to families. The animal characters, colorful illustrations, and the real-life issues each animal family face will captivate children and help them begin a stronger relationship with Jesus Christ and God. The first three books address anxiety, anger, and failure, bringing biblical help and hope to issues every child faces.

Amazon


About The Author

Edward T. Welch, M.Div., Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist and faculty member at the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF). He has counseled for thirty years and is the best-selling author of many books including When People Are Big and God Is Small; Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave; Blame It on the Brain?; Depression: A Stubborn Darkness; Crossroads: A Step-by-Step Guide Away from Addiction; Running Scared: Fear, Worry, and the God of Rest; and When I Am Afraid: A Step-by-Step Guide Away from Fear and Anxiety. He and his wife Sheri have two daughters, two sons-in-law, and four grandchildren.

Website

My Review



We all have times in our lives that we lose a loved one, including pets, this is a great Christian children’s book to share.
Remembering happy times, also sharing with others our grief, and ending with helpful scripture, a book to share with our little ones.
I am thankful that this resource is available and this one is beautifully presented with illustrations that draw the child’s eyes, and a message that is aimed at three to eight year olds.
I also loved that there are pocket bible verses to cut out at the back of the book.
A book that can be gifted at the right time to that special child in your life!

I received this book through Read With Audra, and was not required to give a positive review.

Beck Valley Tours Presents: Over The River and Through The Woods by Mindful Writers Retreat




A holiday pastiche from the authors of Mindful Writers Retreat, sure to light your festive candles!

From a Thanksgiving snow storm that mends old feuds… to the family misunderstandings that fuel new ones… a quirky elf and some romantic stardust will get you ready to go Over the River and Through the Woods on a journey through time!

Proceeds benefit Ligonier Camp & Conference Center Home of the Mindful Writers Retreats, Ligonier, PA

Available at....








Book Excerpts

LIMITED TIME OFFER
by Phil Giunta



***


A GIFT
by Lori M. Jones




***

Also available in the Mindful Writers Retreat Series...

Into the Woods is the title and theme for this assortment of short stories, poems, essays, music, and one walking meditation. Each piece is unique in tone and genre and the result is that the collection captures the fascinating, frightening, fun, healing, and fantastical wonder of time spent in the woods. The twenty-six contributors who attend Mindful Writers Retreats in the mountains of Ligonier, Pennsylvania, are donating one hundred percent of the proceeds to support the research and work of The Children’s Heart Foundation.

Available at....






Mindful Writers Retreat Authors 
Many of the writers who contributed to the anthology. 
The retreats happen at Ligonier camp and conference center in Ligonier, PA. 


Twenty-one Mindful Writers Retreat Authors contributed to OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS. The group consists of bestsellers, award-winners, first-time authors, seasoned veterans, poets, memoirists, essayists, musicians, journalists, novelists, and short story writers who are traditionally, self and hybrid published. At Mindful Writers Retreats the labels don’t create a hierarchy, but instead reveal the richness of those who attend. Every single writer contributes to the magic and the fun that results from meditation, walking in the woods, and hour upon hour of mindful writing.

“Thanksgiving Traveler” – Janet McClintock
“Solstice” – Eileen Enwright Hodgetts
“Magic Sleigh Bed” – Michele Savaunah Zirkle 
“Tidings of Comfort and Joyce” – Kimberly Kurth Gray
“The Bridge on the River Obi-Wan” – Ramona DeFelice Long
“Reminiscing on the Nostalgia of Happier Times” – Amy Morley
“Christmas Pearl” – Demi Stevens 
“Once Upon a Life Well Spent” – Hilary Hauck
“The Christmas Tree” – Kathleen Shoop
“Tink” – Abigail Drake 
“Limited Time Offer” – Phil Giunta
“Cranberry River” – Lorraine Donohue Bonzelet
“The Christmas Angel” – MaryAlice Meli
“A Gift” – Lori M. Jones
“Stars of Peace” – N.J. Hammer
“Fathers and Daughters” – Jennifer Diamond
“The Day the Magic Died” – James Robinson, Jr.
“Shaping Christmas” – Denise Weaver
“Buon Natale” – Cara Reinard 
“First Nativity” – Larry Schardt
“’Twas a Hard Day’s Night and Another Auld Lang Syne” – Sherren Elias Pensiero

Many of the writers who contributed to the anthology. 
The retreats happen at Ligonier camp and conference center in Ligonier, PA. 

Find the Mindful Writers Retreat Series on Facebook HERE

Follow the tour

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NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY
Winners Prize - 
$50 Amazon.com Giftcard plus Over the River and Through the Woods paperback
Second prize - Over the River and Through the Woods paperback
Open Worldwide
Ending on Sunday 8th December at 11.59pm EST


Enter Below and Good Luck !!
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Friday, November 15, 2019

Once Upon a Dickens Christmas: 3 Charming Christmas Tales Set in Victorian England by Michelle Griep


Three Delightful Christmas Tales from Beloved Storyteller Michelle Griep

Pour yourself a cuppa, get lost in the merriment of the season, and enjoy a Dickensian Christmas in three stories from fan favorite Michelle Griep:

12 Days a Bleakly Manor: Brought together under mysterious circumstances, Clara and Ben discover that what they’ve been striving for isn’t what ultimately matters. What matters most is what Christmas is all about . . . love.

A Tale of Two Hearts: Pleasure seeker William Barlow needs a wife immediately to gain his uncle’s inheritance, and Mina Scott is just the girl to make him look respectable—too bad she turns him down. Ought he give her a second chance?

The Old Lace Shop: Recently widowed Bella White is finally freed from the domination of the overbearing men in her life, but when she enters into a business partnership with the handsome Edmund Archer, she begins to wonder if marriage is worth a second chance.


Amazon


About The Author

 
I hear voices. Loud. Incessant. And very real. Which basically gives me two options: choke back massive amounts of Prozac or write fiction. I chose the latter. Way cheaper. I've been writing since I discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. I seek to glorify God in all that I write...except for that graffiti phase I went through as a teenager. Oops. Did I say that out loud?

Website


My Review





The author has offered us three stories to get lost in, we travel back in time to old England and Charles Dicken’s appears or is mentioned in each of the reads.
The time period of Dickens is what threads these stories together, and you will be quickly immersed in each read.
There is a common theme of forgiveness and giving a second chance, and you get to journey to how things are resolved. Be ready for danger, and you won’t know what is about to happen next, but also won’t be able to put this one down and once you finish one you will be moving to the next!

I received this book through the Publisher Barbour and was not required to give a positive review.


 

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

God Made Boys and Girls: Helping Children Understand the Gift of Gender by Marty Machowski






God Made Boys and Girls helps children understand that their gender is a gift from the God who made them and loves them. The story begins as the girls and boys at Grace Christian School are discussing if boys will always be boys and girls will always be girls. Their teacher explains that God gives each of us the gift of being male or female before we are born, and that you continue to be a boy or a girl whether you like to climb trees or play house, play tag or color pictures, cause a ruckus or sit quietly.

In a world where there is so much confusion about gender and identity, pastor and best-selling author Marty Machowski shares the simple, clear truth that all of us are made in God's image as either male or female and what God made is very good! Included at the back of the book is a special section just for parents and caregivers that gives biblical guidance and help as they have this important conversation with their children.


Amazon 


About The Author




Marty Machowski is a Family Life Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church, a Sovereign Grace Ministries church in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, where he has served on the pastoral staff for more than twenty years. As leader of their children’s ministry, Promise Kingdom, he has worked for many years to develop curriculum and devotional material that connect church and home. His passion is equipping families to understand the Bible as one gospel story and help them share that with their children. He is the author of The Gospel Story for Kids series including Long Story Short: Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God (OT); The Gospel Story Bible; and the Gospel Story Curriculum: Finding Jesus in the Old Testament and the forthcoming Old Story New (NT): Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God and Gospel Story Curriculum: Following Jesus in the New Testament. He and his wife Lois and their six children reside in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

Website


My Review



A wonderful book and timely to add to your shelf for all of our children. With the promoting of picking your own gender, saying God made mistakes, a Christian book to share with young ones.
The author does a beautiful job and there is additional information at the back of the book to go further in your sharing with facts and scripture, called Truths about Gender.
The story written for children shows girls out running boys, and goes on to explain that doesn’t mean a gender change.
I thank the Publisher that we have choices for our children!

I received this book through Read With Audra and the Publisher New Hope Press, and was not required to give a positive review.



 

Lake Season (Bluebell Inn Romance #1) by Denise Hunter


From the bestselling author of  The Convenient Groom  and  A December Bride  (now beloved Hallmark Original movies) comes the first novel in a brand-new series!­

When their parents die in a tragic accident, Molly Bennett and her siblings pull together to fulfill their parents’ dream: turning their historic home back into an inn.

Adam Bradford (a.k.a. bestselling author Nathanial Grey) is a reclusive author with a bad case of writer’s block. Desperate for inspiration as his deadline approaches, he travels to a North Carolina lake town, the setting of his next novel. There he immediately meets his muse, a young innkeeper who fancies herself in love with his alter ego.

When Molly finds an old letter in the walls of her inn she embarks on a mission with Adam to find the star-crossed lovers and bring them the closure they deserve. But the guest she invites along has secrets of his own. Past and present collide as truths are revealed, and Molly and Adam will have to decide if love is worth trusting.


Amazon 


About The Author

 
Denise Hunter is the award-winning author of more than 30 novels, including "The Convenient Groom" and "A December Bride", which have been made into Hallmark movies.

Denise writes heartwarming, small-town romances. 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.

Denise and her husband live in Indiana, where they raised three sons, and are currently enjoying an empty nest. In 1996, Denise began her first novel, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she's been writing ever since. Her books contain a strong romantic element, and her husband says he provides all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too.


Website


My Review


What a wonderful book to get lost in, and that I did, and I sure wasn’t disappointed.
If you love a good mystery, this one will keep your attention, and this one is not the usual, more like putting together a puzzle with missing pieces.
Your heart will go out to these sibling, two of them put their lives on hold to help finish raising their youngest sister, and in turn they help fulfill their parents dream.
See how a love of reading and a dream of living in Italy, solve one part of the puzzle.
Is it a mistake we are at a certain place at a certain time, I find that a God thing, and so do these characters as amazing facts begin to unfold, you won’t be able to put this one down!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Thomas Nelson, and was not required to give a positive review.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Gus Loses His Grip: When You Want Something Too Much (Good News for Little Hearts Series) by David Powlison, Jo Hox (Illustrator)







Gus, a raccoon who loves all things sweet, learns what happens when you want something too much. After Gus gets caught taking candy from the store, Papa reminds him that temptation might be strong for us, but it s not too strong for Jesus. Both Gus and Papa can ask Jesus for help when they want something too much.
The last page contains information for parents on how God, in his Word, helps us turn to Jesus when we are tempted. Together children and parents will be guided into meaningful conversations about living by faith in the details of everyday life. Also included is a tear-out page of Back Pocket Bible Verses that will give children a practical way to remember God's words when they want something too much.
A new series of hardback, illustrated children s books for three-to eight-year-olds each centered on an animal family bring gospel help and biblical counsel to families. The animal characters, colorful illustrations, and the real-life issues each animal family face will captivate children. The first three books address anxiety, anger, and failure, bringing biblical help and hope to issues every child faces.

Amazon


David Powlison

 

David Powlison (1949–2019) was a teacher, a counselor, and the executive director of the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation for many years. He received his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania and was also the senior editor of the Journal of Biblical Counseling. He wrote a number of books, including How Does Sanctification Work?Making All Things New; and God's Grace in Your Suffering.


My Review

I am so happy to have some choices for my little niece, something in line with our Christian faith, and this little book sure meet the requirements.
While my little one is young, she is smart and loves the brightly colored pages, but she is also absorbing the messages offered, and in a delightful way.
With a lesson that has our Gus actually coveting sweets to the point of stealing, and reinforced with Dad coveting fishing gear, we are shown forgiveness, and God’s Love reinforced.
There are “back pocket” bible verses in the back of the book, they are perforated for easy tear out and carry.
A wonderful addition to our book case!

I received this book through the Publisher New Growth Press, and was not required to give a positive review.

Celebrate Lit Presents: Gladwynn Grant Gets Her Footing Author: Lisa R. Howeler

  About the Book Book: Gladwynn Grant Gets Her Footing Author:  Lisa R. Howeler Genre:  Clean Cozy Mystery Release Date: Jul...