Check out this post by Christian author, Cathy Bryant on how to distinguish "clean fiction" from "Christian fiction." She makes some great points. Click here.
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
CFBA: When Hope Rises by Dora Heirs
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Dora and her real life hero make their home in North Carolina. When she takes a break from cranking out stories, she enjoys reading, family gatherings, and mountain cabin getaways. She despises traffic, bad coffee, technological meltdowns, and a sad ending to a book. Her books always end with a happily-ever-after!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Abandoned as a teenager, guidance counselor Tate Malone has become surrogate and over-protective father to his sister. Life is great until Shelby Coltman wheedles his impressionable sister into sharing an apartment. Raised in wealth, the beautiful Shelby could never understand poverty or rejection, and Tate doesn't appreciate her uprooting his sister.
When Shelby hands over her savings to a homeless student, will God obliterate Tate's fears and deliver all of Shelby’s dreams...when hope rises?
If you would like to read the first chapter of When Hope Rises, go HERE.
Monday, May 25, 2015
Memorial Day 2015
Thanking the men and women of the United States Armed Forces for their service, their loyalty, their courage, and their sacrifices.
Memorial Day 2015
Thanking the men and women of the United States Armed Forces for their service, their loyalty, their courage, and their sacrifices.
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Free Kindle Boxed Set: Quests of the Heart Series by Summer Lee
Boxed set of six bestselling novels by Summer Lee, including:
ANGEL HEART : Betrayed by her mother, eighteen-year-old Kenana is sold into marriage to the elderly Prince Jubal of Mesopotamia. Dutiful Kenana determines to make the best of the situation, honoring her wedding vows and fulfilling her wifely responsibilities to the elderly prince. However, she cannot help but wish for what might have been—especially when her strikingly handsome Guardian Angel, Malluch, returns to her life in a very corporeal form, serving as no small distraction.
KINDRED SPIRITS : With the passing of her elder husband, nineteen-year-old Kenana finds herself queen of Adah—and heavy with child—a child who may or may not be human. Born of daughters of man but sired by fallen angels, the Nephilim are powerful creatures—powerful and often evil. Raped by such a fallen angel prior to her husband’s death, Kenana is tormented by the thought of what may be growing inside her. And as she is about to give birth, Kenana receives some unsettling news: a massive army is gathering, an army determined to remove her from power, an army composed of mighty Nephilim warriors—and led by a traitor. Only one man can stop the coming destruction, the true king of Mesopotamia—a man who also happens to be her true guardian angel.
THE STAFF OF MOSES : When the adventure begins in 1963, Aviela, who works for the government, is assigned to rescue archaeologist Eldad Ben-Tzion from danger and take him to Jerusalem. When Aviela locates him at the famous archaeology expedition at Masada, an evil Canaanite poses a threat to Ben-Tzion, and to the archaeologist in charge of the dig. Aviela tries to remove the man from harm’s way just when remarkable artifacts are discovered at Masada. Soon, the race is on toward the Staff of Moses in this page-turning biblical treasure-hunt.
BEACH ANGEL : What does surfing, basketball, girls, best friends and a gang of bullies all add up to? A whole lot of fun for Brett Buyer and his Beach Angel. Meet Brett Buyer. He’s on not one, but two basketball teams, which he juggles while falling in love with a very cute surfer girl named Brenda—all while dealing with Chopper Cruz and his Porter Street Gang of punks. Brett Buyer is about to learn the meaning of true friendship, loyalty, and what it means to stand up for what you believe in. That is, if he can survive the eighth grade.
THE BABYLONIAN QUEEN : Mariah, the Maiden of Mesopotamia, has an opportunity to tutor the children of the Parthian queen at the palace in Babylon. En route, she gets word that the queen has suddenly died. Now Mariah must not only become the children’s tutor, but their full-time guardian as well, by order of the king. Also along the way, Mariah falls in love with her carriage driver. Unfortunately, the widower king falls in love with her, too. Her heart, which was already torn by the son she gave up for adoption, years ago, is now further divided between love and duty. The King wants to make her into his mistress, but Mariah must keep him at arm’s length and choose the best path.
WARRIOR WOMAN : Four thousand years ago, as the Israelites drove the Canaanites from the Promised Land, they met more than human resistance. They encountered evil giants which had been born from the unholy unions of fallen angels and human women. When the adventure begins, Achsah is chosen as official lookout for all of Israel. Her job is to alert her father, a military chief, when she sees the enemy coming. Between hunting for giants, visions from God, and saving people, Achsah is romantically pursued by two soldiers. When the vile giant poses an imminent threat, not just to everyone she loves, but to the entire fate of the Israelites, Achsah knows she must be obedient to God and slay the giant. Achsah is an unsung, anointed heroine who is filled with God’s strength and goodness, which will help her fight for the most precious treasure of all: the claim to the Promised Land.
File Size: 1599 KB
Print Length: 871 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00KLEH3OG
Purchase here!
Monday, May 18, 2015
Mailbox Monday: May 18
Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.
It really should be a sin to be as busy as I am. My work has taken over my life and the house looks like a tornado blew through it. Sigh. I sure don't want to waste any time I have with the family by spending it cleaning. I hope it slows down soon.
So, I finally did it. I broke down and borrowed the first Harry Potter book from the library. I got it in audio format since it will never get read otherwise. The Lil' Diva had sworn off HP until this year. Now, she is reading them faster than I can get them for her. Have you read them? What did you think?
In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry, an orphan, lives with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley. One day just before his eleventh birthday, an owl tries to deliver a mysterious letter—the first of a sequence of events that end in Harry meeting a giant man named Hagrid. Hagrid explains Harry's history to him: When he was a baby, the Dark wizard, Lord Voldemort, attacked and killed his parents in an attempt to kill Harry; but the only mark on Harry was a mysterious lightning-bolt scar on his forehead. Now he has been invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where the headmaster is the great wizard Albus Dumbledore. Harry visits Diagon Alley to get his school supplies, especially his very own wand. To get to school, he takes the Hogwarts Express from platform nine and three-quarters at King's Cross Station. On the train, he meets two fellow students who will become his closest friends: Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Harry is assigned to Gryffindor House at Hogwarts, and soon becomes the youngest-ever Seeker on the House Quidditch team. He also studies Potions with Professor Severus Snape, who displays a deep and abiding dislike for Harry, and Defense Against the Dark Arts with nervous Professor Quirrell; he and his friends defeat a mountain troll, help Hagrid raise a dragon, and explore the wonderful, fascinating world of Hogwarts. But all events lead irrevocably toward a second encounter with Lord Voldemort, who seeks an object of legend known as the Sorcerer's Stone…
The next one arrived for a book tour in June. It sounds really good. I love southern fiction.
The twelve stories in Kate Blackwell’s debut collection illuminate the lives of men and women who appear as unremarkable as your next-door-neighbor until their lives explode quietly on the page. Her wry, often darkly funny voice describes the repressed underside of a range of middle-class characters living in the South. Blackwell’s focus is elemental—on marriage, birth, death, and the entanglements of love at all ages—but her gift is to shine a light on these universal situations with such lucidity, it is as if one has never seen them before.
What did you find in your mailbox?
First Chapter Review: Angels at the Gate by T.K. Thorne
The first chapter of this epic historical adventure novel was sent to me by the author.
Angels at the Gate is a story of adventure and the power of love, a compelling saga based on historical research about the ancient biblical world of Abraham, Sodom and Gomorrah, and the woman who "became a pillar of salt."
COVER: Stunning. The color close up of the woman against the pencil drawn background is definitely eye-catching. The pencil drawn figures remind me of drawings from old picture Bibles and prayer books we used to own.
FIRST CHAPTER: The reader meets fifteen-year-old Adira, or Adir as her father calls her. She is secretly being raised as a boy and learning much from her father; though she finds obedience difficult. She is taken with two mysterious strangers, especially the graceful, muscular Raph.
CONTINUE READING: Fascinating! That's what this first chapter is. Adira is narrating, which draws the reader close to her from the very beginning. The eloquent style is so appropriate for a story of this nature and the time period in which it takes place. Being familiar with the Biblical significance of this woman, I am eager to see how this novel unfolds.
File Size: 2491 KB
Print Length: 368 pages
Publisher: Cappuccino Books Publishing (March 5, 2015)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00R3KLYIW
Purchase here!
This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Bargain E-Book: Baby, It's You by Belle Calhoune
Seven boys adopted from the foster care system by Alec and Maggie Donahue, a loving Irish couple living in Breeze Point, Cape Cod. Now grown men, the brothers are making their way in the world in their chosen professions, each hoping to find a love to last a lifetime. Faith. Family. Honor. The ties that bind them together. And an abundance of love.
The Heartbreaker
Wyatt Donahue has always been a ladies’ man, even though his heart has never been touched by love. Blonde and blue-eyed, Wyatt is a shortstop for a professional baseball team, The Bay State Bombers. Sidelined by a knee injury, Wyatt is devastated when a car accident further damages his baseball prospects. Wanting nothing more than to get back to his pro baseball career, Wyatt finds himself sinking into a depression when his condition doesn’t improve. When a stunning beauty from his past offers him a lifeline, will Wyatt take it?
Kaitlyn O’Malley is a beautiful, dedicated physical therapist who experiences great joy in helping people recover from their injuries. Back in high school she tutored Wyatt when he was the golden boy athlete and she was the quiet bookworm. Although Wyatt still makes her heart flutter, Kaitlyn is determined to stay professional and help her client get back on the baseball diamond. But one look into those big blue eyes might send Kaitlyn right over the edge and into Wyatt’s loving arms.
File Size: 314 KB
Print Length: 145 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Belle Calhoune Books (April 10, 2015)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00VZ3FCB8
Purchase here for only 99 cents!
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Monday, May 11, 2015
CFBA: The Wood's Edge by Lori Benton
Lori Benton spent her late teens and early twenties pursuing a career as a wildlife artist, attending the Maryland College of Art & Design before she began painting professionally. When not writing or researching, Lori can be found exploring the mountains of southern Oregon with her husband, Brian. Lori's first novel, Burning Sky was nominated as an ECPA 2014 Christian Book Award Finalist and also received double nominations for 2014 Christy Awards. The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn is her second novel.
At the wood’s edge cultures collide. Can two families survive the impact?
The 1757 New York frontier is home to the Oneida tribe and to British colonists, yet their feet rarely walk the same paths.
On the day Fort William Henry falls, Major Reginald Aubrey is beside himself with grief. His son, born that day, has died in the arms of his sleeping wife. When Reginald comes across an Oneida mother with newborn twins, one white, one brown, he makes a choice that will haunt the lives of all involved. He steals the white baby and leaves his own child behind. Reginald’s wife and foundling daughter, Anna, never suspect the truth about the boy they call William, but Reginald is wracked by regret that only intensifies with time, as his secret spreads its devastating ripples.
When the long buried truth comes to light, can an unlikely friendship forged at the wood’s edge provide a way forward? For a father tormented by fear of judgment, another by lust for vengeance. For a mother still grieving her lost child. For a brother who feels his twin’s absence, another unaware of his twin’s existence. And for Anna, who loves them both—Two Hawks, the mysterious Oneida boy she meets in secret, and William, her brother. As paths long divided collide, how will God direct the feet of those who follow Him?
If you would like to read the first chapter of The Wood's Edge, go HERE.
Book Spotlight: Discovering Your True Worth by Rev. Dr. Gordon Van Namee
In Discovering Your True Worth, Rev. Dr. Gordon Van Namee, a longtime pastor and author of Seeing Through the Eyes of Heaven, maintains that self-worth—which Van Namee defines as one’s personal sense of worth based mostly on what others think—is both a false and harmful concept that can lead to a lack of fulfillment, frustration, and even destruction. To present a means of discovering real worth, Van Namee created Discovering True Worth, an enlightening guide that takes readers on a journey towards finding true worth, an enhanced personal identity, growth, and healing.
Grounded in Biblical wisdom and centered on Christ, Discovering Your True Worth explains how to shift one’s mindset to replace self-worth with God-worth, or true worth. Through powerful personal testimony, anecdotes, examples, and Scripture, Van Namee shows how true worth, a worth based on God’s infinite love for us through Jesus Christ, can help us find joy, security and certainty in an uncertain world.
In this eye-opening, engaging, and thought-provoking new book, Rev. Dr. Gordon Van Namee leads readers on a path of personal renewal, reconstruction, and discovery based on the Principle of True Worth. Discovering Your True Worth also includes exercises encouraging readers to actively participate throughout, including “Moments of Reflection,” “Intentional Action” and sections for journaling thoughts and ideas related to the book’s passages.
An incredible book that presents a life-changing truth, Discovering Your Truth Worth is powerful, transformative, inspiring and uplifting. Resplendent with wisdom, sage counsel, and Scripture, Discovering Your True Worth is a road map for a journey like no other. Discover the wellspring of strength that comes from a life centered on Christ; find out who you really are; awaken to new possibilities; find true joy, fulfillment, and happiness; and recognize the power, depth, and comfort of God’s love.
“I was truly satisfied with the insightful spiritual elements presented in Dr. Gordon Van Namee’s book entitled “Seeing Through the Eyes of Heaven- An Encounter with God”. Only this time he has stepped out of time to present to us an awakening possibility with emphasis on discovering that which really means most – an awakened self, at a time when the world needs an awakening itself of God’s potential. Just when I thought there could be no more on the spectrum of Seeing Through the Eyes of Heaven, I was content, until now.” -- Dr. Dwayne Gavin, author and publisher
“Very enlightening…a great read for anyone looking for an inspirational uplifting book about themselves and their relationship with the Lord, and how that relationship changes their lives.” – Readers’ Favorite Reviews
Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: DG Publishing House (July 20, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0985220678
ISBN-13: 978-0985220679
Purchase here: http://www.amazon.com/Discovering-Your-Worth-Gordon-Namee/dp/0985220678/
After decades in the business world, Gordon Van Namee, at the age of 50, answered the call to go into ministry. Rev. Dr. Van Namee received his Masters in Divinity from Emory and his Doctorate of Ministry from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Rev. Dr. Gordon Van Namee has been active in ministry having served as a pastor for the past 17 years. A native of New York, and longtime resident of Northern Florida and Southern Georgia, Rev. Dr. Gordon Van Namee lives in Lake Park, Georgia.
Discover more online at http://www.lifeadvancenetwork.com/books.html and
Mailbox Monday - May 11
Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.
I hope everyone had a lovely Mother's Day. My son took us out to brunch and my kids and the hubby brought me a lovely necklace. The Lil' Princess even made me breakfast.
I haven't been reading as much as I would like, but I still picked up a couple of Kindle freebies last week.
Things could be worse for LAPD Detective Kate Sexton. Okay, so her ex-husband cheated on her and the DVD of his indiscretions made the rounds of the entire department, she’s broke and living above an appliance store with her canine partner Bernie who is a sexual predator, her British friend Natalie has a vocabulary that would make Howard Stern blush, and her mother is hallucinating about having sex with a dead president.
But things could be worse . . . like Kate could be stalked by a sadistic serial killer while she tries to solve a thirty year-old murder and save the life and reputation of a cop wanted for the crime. Come to think of it, maybe things couldn’t get any worse because this is Kate’s life.
Can Kate Sexton elude the killer, solve the cold case, keep Bernie's sexual wanderlust in check, keep her best friend under control, save a cop from death row, and find love again? Only time, loads of trouble, and tons of laughs will tell. Hollywood Assassin has more twists and turns than a car chase on Sunset Strip with a Hollywood starlet at the wheel.
WARNING: The Hollywood Alphabet Series contains adult language and laugh out loud situations not for the faint of heart!
If you think you can handle Kate Sexton’s crazy life . . . order Hollywood Assassin today.
Hollywood Assassin is the first book in the Hollywood Alphabet Series. Other books include Hollywood Blood and Hollywood Crazy.
LAPD Detective Kate Sexton and her canine partner, Bernie, return in this edge-of-your-seat thriller with laugh-out-loud humor. Hollywood Blood is the second book in the Hollywood Alphabet Series Thrillers.
If you think you’ve got problems, meet LAPD cop, Kate Sexton. She’s just been promoted to the department’s elite Robbery Homicide Division, along with her canine partner, Bernie, a first for the homicide unit. But things immediately go downhill when a famous singer’s manager is shot and killed during one of Kate’s mother’s psychic séances. While Kate tries to balance her troubled relationship with her mother and an ex-cop, things get even crazier when the killer strikes again . . . and again . . . and then targets those closest to the investigation.
As she tracks the killer, things turn even more bizarre when Kate learns the suspect in the homicides is the leader of a blood thirsty cult out for revenge. To make matters worse, Bernie’s sexual wanderlust is out of control, her best friend Natalie meddles in the case, and Kate’s boss thinks she’s leaking details about the murders to the press.
What was in your mailbox this week?
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Winner of Children's Books!
Congratulations to Vicki, our winner of eleven children's books in our most recent giveaway.
Thanks to all who participated.
Bargain E-Book: God Drives a Tow Truck by Vicky Kaseorg
"Why am I here...and God, are you there?"
God Drives a Tow Truck is a compilation of true stories about the author's quest to find God. In her voyage from atheist to believer, she gradually discovers that while God's face may not be clearly seen, the brush of His fingertips is often felt. In a personal treasure hunt for infinite value, the search for God in the everyday occurrences of life is humorously depicted in sometimes eerily strange situations. The stories unfold from seemingly commonplace events to miraculous conclusions. Most of us won't find God in a burning bush, like Moses did, but like the author, we may find Him in a burning house...or perhaps, even driving a tow truck.
File Size: 2350 KB
Print Length: 218 pages
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B0070WOY58
Purchase at Amazon for only 99 cents!
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Monday, May 4, 2015
Mailbox Monday - May 4
Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.
I have been a very busy Realtor, so blogging has taken a short nap for a bit. I just had a closing on April 24 and will have three more coming this month. So, I ask that you give me a bit of grace in keeping up with this blog and the many others I run or contribute to.
I am currently reading Dead Reckoning by Caitlin Rother. I have always loved true crime books. This book is a very overdue book review, so be on the look for that soon.
A couple weeks ago, '89 Walls by Katie Pierson arrived.
College is not in the cards for Seth. He spends his minimum wage on groceries and fakes happiness to distract his mom from the MS they both know will kill her. It’s agony to carry around a frayed love note for a girl who’s both out of his league and beneath his dignity.
Quinn’s finishing high school on top. But that cynical, liberal guy in her social studies class makes her doubt her old assumptions. Challenging the rules now, though, would a) squander her last summer at home, b) antagonize her conservative dad, and c) make her a hypocrite.
Seth and Quinn’s passionate new romance takes them both by surprise. They keep it a secret: it’s too early to make plans and too late not to care. But it’s 1989. As politics suddenly get personal, they find themselves fighting bare-fisted for their beliefs—and each other—in the clear light of day.
This review will appear at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection on July 22, since that is where I post my young adult reviews.
What did you receive in your mailbox? I hope you enjoy it.
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