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.

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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....

Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Barnes and Noble   Paperback

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....

Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Barnes and Noble   Kobo   iBooks   Paperback

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

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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
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Ending on Sunday 8th December at 11.59pm EST

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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.

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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.

 

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.

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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.

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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.

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.

Why Do We Say Good Night? by Champ Thornton, Rommel Ruiz (Illustrator)

Going to bed and turning out the light can be a hard time for many children. Award-winning author Champ Thornton wrote this beautifully designed and illustrated book to help parents comfort their children with three truths about God. As a mother and her little daughter talk, they remember together that God made the night, he sees in the dark, and he watches over them just like a shepherd protects his sheep. Children and parents will want to start a new nighttime tradition of reading together about why we can say that the night is good.
In this important, engaging children's book, parents can bring comfort and encouragement to their children, reminding them Jesus is near.

Amazon


About The Author

Champ Thornton grew up in the Carolinas. He is presently an associate pastor at Ogletown Baptist Church in Newark, Delaware. Beginning in 2003, he pastored in South Carolina and later served as director of SOMA, a ministry training school in Columbus, Ohio. Champ is also the author of "God's Love: A Bible Storybook," and of Bible curriculum for early and upper elementary-aged children. To learn more, visit the author's website: www.champthornton.com

Illustrator

Rommel Ruiz was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and moved to sunny Southern California to pursue his passion for creative expression and storytelling. An accomplished designer and illustrator, he incorporates influences from theater, film, animation, and mid-century design. His work includes animated visuals for Cartoon Network and the award-winning Luther documentary, as well as illustrations for books including Golly’s Folly, The Gospel in Color, and more. He is also the cofounder and art director of Patrol. He and his wife, Anny, live with their two joyful girls in Los Angeles.


My Review

First the bright colors of this little book draw your eyes in, and then the illustrations are delightful.
Getting your little one to settle down can sometimes be a difficult feat, but now there is a book to share that focuses of God.
So many cute sayings and I loved “just like a shepherd guards his sheep, the Lord protects when we’re asleep”. Highlighting our Faith and show that Jesus is always near.
What a great addition to our book shelf, and in touch with and encouraging our Christian Faith!

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