Book Review: To the Moon and Back by Kathi Macias

To the Moon and Back by Kathi Macias is a story of family, faith and forgiveness.

Rachel's life has changed drastically since the accident that made her husband a semi-invalid. Nothing, however, could have prepared her for the forgetfulness, fear and confusion that seem to happen more and more often. Their daughter, Lilly, lives hours away and is dealing with her own issues. As the darkness threatens to overwhelm them all, they must seek the unconditional love of the One who will never fail them. But how?

Macias has always been one of my favorite Christian authors. It's been way too long since I've read one of her books. When we reconnected on Facebook, she sent me a copy of her latest novel that deals with the effects of Alzheimer's on a small family already struggling with other issues.

The author has a way of writing the most heartwarming stories. It's rare I don't cry somewhere along the line. I've always loved how she writes in conversations with God and shows the characters' journeys back to Christ in realistic ways. One can't help but be uplifted right along with her characters. Reading To the Moon and Back made me realize how much I've missed Macias' writing. I'll definitely need to add more of her stories into my reading schedule this year.


Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (October 19, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1975940237
ISBN-13: 978-1975940232


I received a digital copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Free for All Friday: Christian Fiction Collection

Free for All Friday gives you a chance to win great prizes. This week we're offering a Christian fiction package of three books from two favorite authors.




When Sarah Carr's husband Jamie drowns, her young life is shattered and takes a turn that she never expected. Pregnant and now widowed, she reaches out to Jamie's family for help but they are unwilling. Instead they devise a plan to have her kidnapped and taken to the Colonies to live a life of servitude. Sarah's new life in the Colonies finds her surrounded by a family's whirlwind of secrets, while she hopes the young doctor she loves with will bring her freedom.

Lynn Myers is still reeling from losing her husband of thirty-five years when word comes that her only sibling, an older brother, has also died. With no one else to settle the estate, she must return to her small hometown of Bloomfield, however briefly, to settle his affairs.

Lynn's daughter, Rachel, has just graduated from Bible college and with no other commitments comes along to sort through her uncle's huge old home, right next to the local cemetery.

This is the fourth book in the Bloomfield series. All these novels are stand alone books written by different authors.

The Deliverer is the third and final book in Kathi's Freedom series. Though I feel there is much to be gained by reading all the books in the series, this book is able to stand alone.


The Deliverer picks up just months after Special Delivery leaves off, continuing with the stories of Mara, freed from slavery but still struggling with scars and memories from the past; Jonathan, attending Bible college but strongly drawn to Mara, despite her past; and Lawan, having escaped the brothel in Thailand and miraculously reunited with her younger sister in the US and adopted by the same family. Will Mara be able to move past the pain and hatred that bind her, even if it means traveling back to the place where her parents betrayed her and sold her into sexual slavery? Will she allow The Deliverer to set her free—once and for all?

Please use the Rafflecopter form below for your chance to enter. Good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

You've Got Mail Monday

We'll it sure was an exciting week as far as mail and packages goes. In addition to my May 24th issue of All You magazine, a Summer 2013 Gardener's Supply Company catalog arrived. I've been planning the vegetable garden and the potato tubers are due to be shipped to us this week. I'm not sure if I'm going to use my potato growing bag or just sow them into my raised beds. The last time I sowed them directly into the garden, the critters ate them. The winter rye has been turned over and the raised beds are in good shape for planting. I think we're finally done with frost (hope I didn't just jinx it) so the early spring crops will be going in this week.

The new plants arrived for the flower bed I am putting in to the right of the entryway. When we moved here, I had little gardening knowledge. I don't have much more now, but I can follow a garden plan and put in purchased plants where it tells me. This is the one I'm using: http://www.bhg.com/gardening/plans/seasonal/summer-garden-plan/. All except four of the plants arrived this week. Cold weather delayed some of the shipment. I'll share before and after photos once I get all the plants in.

As far as books go, Last Chance for Justice by Kathi Macias arrived. I'll be reviewing it at my Christian book blog: http://cherylschristianbookconnection.blogspot.com/ on May 8th. I also received God's Special Forces: A Manual for Becoming a Young Woman of Quality by Darlene Laney. That review is for Christian Children's Authors, where I blog the first and third Fridays of each month.

That's it for this week's edition of You've Got Mail Monday. Hope you have a great week.

The Moses Quilt Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations to Dorothy T. for winning a copy of The Moses Quilt by Kathi Macias. This is the first book in Kathi's new Quilt series that blends historical figures with a contemporary storyline.

Thanks to all who participated. Look for a new giveaway coming soon!

The Moses Quilt by Kathi Macias - Giveaway

About the book:

The Moses Quilt is a contemporary novel that bridges racial and generational divides. With a realistic and compassionate look into a twenty-first-century dilemma, multiple award-winning author Kathi Macias introduces readers to a confused and apprehensive young woman, Mazie Hartford. Facing major decisions about the love of her life and her future, she must also wrestle with a nagging question about her family's past. She finds the answer to her questions in a most unexpected way—her great-grandmother's Moses quilt. As her great-grandmother begins to explain how each patch represents a story of courage and freedom, Mazie must decide if she has the courage and freedom to overcome her own personal fears and prejudices.

Prologue

Edward’s eyes captivated her, as they always did. She felt as if she were gazing into warm, chocolate pools, bidding her to abandon herself to their delicious charms. And oh, how she wanted to do so! But something—always, there was that awkward, inconvenient something—holding her back, restraining her from yielding to the joy she so longed to experience.

“I can’t,” she whispered. “I just can’t. Not yet. Soon, I promise, but…”

The light in his gaze flickered, and she knew she’d hurt him…again. She hadn’t wanted to, had even told herself that this time, today, she would give him her answer. But she just wasn’t ready.

Her heart squeezed. Would she ever be? The unreasonable fear that haunted her life loomed heavy, threatening to squeeze the air from her lungs. Was it more than their obvious differences that frightened her to the point where she couldn’t move forward, couldn’t give a good man a simple answer—particularly when that man made her head swim with longing?

“Soon,” he repeated, his husky voice devoid of bitterness or sarcasm. “How many times have you promised, Mazie? How many?”

Tears bit her eyes, and she shook her head. “Too many. Far too many. And I’m truly sorry, but I…”

She felt the resignation roll through his body as he loosened his embrace and took a small step back, his eyes never leaving hers. “I wish I could say I understand, but I don’t.” His smile was wistful as he used a finger to brush back a stray wisp of dark hair from her face. “But I will honor your feelings. I know I need to stop pushing, and I will, though it won’t be easy. I love you, Mazie. You know that. But sooner or later, we’re going to have to address this—once and for all.”

Her breath caught, and she nodded. If she knew anything in this world, it was that Edward Clayton loved her, and that he was an honorable and patient man. He wouldn’t push her, but she was a fool for putting him off. Still, how could she give him an answer when she was so unsure about how the unknowns of her past might impact their future?

“Thank you,” she whispered. “For loving me and for giving me more time.”

The pain skittered through his eyes again, outlined by the setting sun that filtered through the trees behind him. He leaned down and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. “Let me know when you’re ready.” He turned and walked toward his car, leaving Mazie standing alone on the porch, with the first of many hot tears spilling over onto her cheeks.

Purchase from:

Christianbook.com http://www.christianbook.com/the-moses-quilt-kathi-macias/9781596693586/pd/693586

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/The-Moses-Quilt-Kathi-Macias/dp/1596693584/

Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-moses-quilt-kathi-macias/1112428309

Link to trailer: http://youtu.be/p7Ku5tygrMs

About the author:

Kathi Macias is a multi-award winning writer who has authored nearly 40 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. She won the 2008 Member of the Year award from AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) and was the 2011 Author of the Year from BooksandAuthors.net. Her novel set in China, Red Ink, was named Golden Scrolls 2011 Novel of the Year and was also a Carol Award Finalist; her October 2012 release, Unexpected Christmas Hero, was named 2012 Book of the Year by BookandAuthors.net. Kathi “Easy Writer” Macias lives in Homeland, CA, with her husband. You can find Kathi at www.kathimacias.com.

Visit The Moses Quilt virtual book tour page at http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2013/01/18/pump-up-your-book-presents-the-moses-quilt-virtual-book-tour/

You can win a copy of The Moses Quilt by Kathi Macias. This book was recently voted the January Fiction Book of the Month by The Book Club Network. This is the first book in Kathi's new Quilt Series. Don't miss a chance to catch this series from the beginning. Please enter using the Rafflecopter form below.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Spotlight: The Moses Quilt by Kathi Macias

The Moses Quilt is a contemporary novel that bridges racial and generational divides. With a realistic and compassionate look into a twenty-first-century dilemma, multiple award-winning author Kathi Macias introduces readers to a confused and apprehensive young woman, Mazie Hartford. Facing major decisions about the love of her life and her future, she must also wrestle with a nagging question about her family's past. She finds the answer to her questions in a most unexpected way—her great-grandmother's Moses quilt. As her great-grandmother begins to explain how each patch represents a story of courage and freedom, Mazie must decide if she has the courage and freedom to overcome her own personal fears and prejudices.

Prologue

Edward’s eyes captivated her, as they always did. She felt as if she were gazing into warm, chocolate pools, bidding her to abandon herself to their delicious charms. And oh, how she wanted to do so! But something—always, there was that awkward, inconvenient something—holding her back, restraining her from yielding to the joy she so longed to experience.

“I can’t,” she whispered. “I just can’t. Not yet. Soon, I promise, but…”

The light in his gaze flickered, and she knew she’d hurt him…again. She hadn’t wanted to, had even told herself that this time, today, she would give him her answer. But she just wasn’t ready.

Her heart squeezed. Would she ever be? The unreasonable fear that haunted her life loomed heavy, threatening to squeeze the air from her lungs. Was it more than their obvious differences that frightened her to the point where she couldn’t move forward, couldn’t give a good man a simple answer—particularly when that man made her head swim with longing?

“Soon,” he repeated, his husky voice devoid of bitterness or sarcasm. “How many times have you promised, Mazie? How many?”

Tears bit her eyes, and she shook her head. “Too many. Far too many. And I’m truly sorry, but I…”

She felt the resignation roll through his body as he loosened his embrace and took a small step back, his eyes never leaving hers. “I wish I could say I understand, but I don’t.” His smile was wistful as he used a finger to brush back a stray wisp of dark hair from her face. “But I will honor your feelings. I know I need to stop pushing, and I will, though it won’t be easy. I love you, Mazie. You know that. But sooner or later, we’re going to have to address this—once and for all.”

Her breath caught, and she nodded. If she knew anything in this world, it was that Edward Clayton loved her, and that he was an honorable and patient man. He wouldn’t push her, but she was a fool for putting him off. Still, how could she give him an answer when she was so unsure about how the unknowns of her past might impact their future?

“Thank you,” she whispered. “For loving me and for giving me more time.”

The pain skittered through his eyes again, outlined by the setting sun that filtered through the trees behind him. He leaned down and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. “Let me know when you’re ready.” He turned and walked toward his car, leaving Mazie standing alone on the porch, with the first of many hot tears spilling over onto her cheeks.

Purchase from:

Christianbook.com http://www.christianbook.com/the-moses-quilt-kathi-macias/9781596693586/pd/693586

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/The-Moses-Quilt-Kathi-Macias/dp/1596693584/

Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-moses-quilt-kathi-macias/1112428309

Kathi Macias is a multi-award winning writer who has authored nearly 40 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. She won the 2008 Member of the Year award from AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) and was the 2011 Author of the Year from BooksandAuthors.net. Her novel set in China, Red Ink, was named Golden Scrolls 2011 Novel of the Year and was also a Carol Award Finalist; her October 2012 release, Unexpected Christmas Hero, was named 2012 Book of the Year by BookandAuthors.net. Kathi “Easy Writer” Macias lives in Homeland, CA, with her husband. You can find Kathi at www.kathimacias.com.

Visit The Moses Quilt virtual book tour page at http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2013/01/18/pump-up-your-book-presents-the-moses-quilt-virtual-book-tour/

THE MOSES QUILT WAS RECENTLY VOTED JANUARY FICTION BOOK OF THE MONTH AT THE BOOK CLUB NETWORK!

Unexpected Christmas Hero Giveaway Winner

Congratulations goes out to Josie for winning a copy of Unexpected Christmas Hero by Kathi Macias.

Thanks to all who participated. Look for more giveaways coming soon.

Free for All Friday: Unexpected Christmas Hero by Kathi Macias

I have another copy of this powerful Christmas story to giveaway.

Never expecting to be homeless, Josie Meyers and her children are shocked when circumstances force them to live on the streets. Rick, a down-and-out disabled vet, befriends them, reawakening memories of a faith Josie had in childhood. But can she reconcile her once-held beliefs with her current situation? Will she and her children even survive long enough to try to rekindle Josie’s faith?

You can read how the cover of this book led to reuniting the man on the cover with his family at http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/8029271015.html

Enter to win a free copy of this book using the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Free for All Friday: Unexpected Christmas Hero by Kathi Macias Giveaway

Never expecting to be homeless, Josie Meyers and her children are shocked when circumstances force them to live on the streets. Rick, a down-and-out disabled vet, befriends them, reawakening memories of a faith Josie had in childhood. But can she reconcile her once-held beliefs with her current situation? Will she and her children even survive long enough to try to rekindle Josie’s faith?

Read an excerpt!

The late November sunshine was thin and tepid, but a welcome interruption to the gray skies and constant drizzle that usually hung over the small Washington town of Riverview for the better part of eight or nine months each year. Josie Meyers shivered as she stood in line behind her two children, waiting their turn for a free Thanksgiving meal.

Tears bit her eyes at the memory of past Thanksgiving celebrations, particularly the most recent one the previous year. Though they had all been grieving the passing of Josie’s mother, they still managed to turn the day into a festive occasion, as the four of them gathered around the table to give thanks for the spread that awaited them.

Sam, she thought. You stood there that day, offering a brief prayer of thanksgiving to a God I’m not sure you even believed in, and never let on for a moment that you hadn’t a clue where our next meal would come from or how we’d make the mortgage payment that month. How in the world were you able to carry it off for so long? If you hadn’t gotten sick, would you finally have found a way out of the mess we were in—or would you be standing here with the three of us now, begging for a hot meal and wondering where we’d sleep tonight?

Kathi Macias is a multi-award winning writer who has authored nearly 40 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. She won the 2008 Member of the Year award from AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) and was the 2011 Author of the Year from BooksandAuthors.net. Kathi “Easy Writer” Macias lives in Homeland, CA, with her husband. Unexpected Christmas Hero will be released in October. You can find out more about Kathi or contact her via her website: www.kathimacias.com.

Follow Kathi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/alandkathi

Like Kathi on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Kathi-Macias/75996188045

Order a copy of Unexpected Christmas Hero from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Unexpected-Christmas-Hero-Kathi-Macias/dp/1596693541

Order a copy of Unexpected Christmas Hero from Christianbook.com: http://www.christianbook.com/unexpected-christmas-hero-kathi-macias/9781596693548/pd/693548

Enter to win a copy of Unexpected Christmas Hero!

Please use Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: Unexpected Christmas Hero by Kathi Macias

Prepare to be moved by this heartfelt story of the season.

Josie Meyers appears to be living the American dream when she falls in love with and marries Sam. Her world comes crashing down when she becomes a widow and must cope with the fallout of her husband's decisions. When she loses her home to foreclosure, Josie and her two small children are forced onto the streets and into homeless shelters.

Forced to lean on the experiences and lives of other homeless people she meets, Josie remains unconvinced that the God she once knew cares for her family. What she doesn't know is that the course of her life will be changed by the influence of a homeless Vietnam veteran, who will lead her home to the One who waits for her.

One thing you must know about the work of Kathi Macias: it will touch your heart in a multitude of ways. Unexpected Christmas Hero puts a name and a face to the many around us who are homeless. From Josie and her children to Rick, the homeless Vietnam veteran who has given his life to God, to Karen and Mr. Foley who work at the homeless shelters Josie's family stays at when they can, to members of Karen's church, and more, this book is filled with characters that will come to mean almost as much to you as your own friends and neighbors.

As I've watched the author's work evolve over the years, each new book is a call to service, a call to help others as Christ asks us to do. Each new book breaks through our prejudices, tears apart what we think we know about others, and opens our hearts to the possibilities of what this world would be like if we all lived as Jesus did.

With masterful storytelling, rich descriptions, and a way of touching your heart and mind in a way that can only come from God, Macias inspires her readers. I highly recommend this touching Christmas story. May it bless you as much as it has blessed me.

Please visit the author's blog to learn about the homeless man featured on the front cover and the ongoing mission to reunite him with his family: http://kathimacias.com/help-reunite-a-family/

The Kindle version of this book is currently on sale for only 99 cents! Prices can change at any time.

The author paid me to help promote this book through Pump Up Your Book Virtual Book Tours. This fee did not include a review. This review contains my honest opinions, for which I have not been compensated in any way.

Looking Forward to Reading

I've recently added these books to my TBR Pile:

Unexpected Christmas Hero by Kathi Macias,

American Patriots: Answering the Call to Freedom by Rick Santorum,

A Texan's Choice by Shelley Gray,

Beside Two Rivers by Rita Gerlach.

To read the powerful story behind the cover of Unexpected Christmas Hero please visit the author's blog.

You've Got Mail Monday

Well, we made it through the storm mostly unscathed.  Seeing photos of the destruction Hurricane Sandy left behind in other areas makes us count our blessings even more. The families of those impacted by the storm remain in our prayers.

Last week, the mailman brought some nice presents. Several catalogs arrived from Land's End. I'm done with my shopping for now, so they made it right into the recycle bin. I also received a catalog from Oriental Trading. I haven't ordered from them in a while, but I might find some cheap stocking stuffers there.

As for books, three great ones arrived that I am excited about reviewing:

Unexpected Christmas Hero by Kathi Macias,

American Patriots: Answering the Call to Freedom by Rick Santorum,

Deadly Plunge by Greg Messel.

To read the powerful story behind the cover of Unexpected Christmas Hero, please visit the author's blog.
Hope and pray you have a nice week.

Teaser Tuesdays - October 23rd

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Hot tears stung her eyes as she slipped into the room and closed the door behind her. A few more days.

~ page 73, Unexpected Christmas Hero by Kathi Macias

Free for All Friday: The Deliverer by Kathi Macias

This is the first of two giveaway posts for today. I have admired the work of Kathi Macias for years. The final book of her Freedom Series from New Hope Publishers was recently released. You can read my review of The Deliverer--now available for Kindle--at The Book Connection.

The Deliverer picks up just months after Special Delivery leaves off, continuing with the stories of Mara, freed from slavery but still struggling with scars and memories from the past; Jonathan, attending Bible college but strongly drawn to Mara, despite her past; and Lawan, having escaped the brothel in Thailand and miraculously reunited with her younger sister in the US and adopted by the same family. Will Mara be able to move past the pain and hatred that bind her, even if it means traveling back to the place where her parents betrayed her and sold her into sexual slavery? Will she allow The Deliverer to set her free—once and for all?

Read the excerpt!

Prologue

            The sun set early in late November, and though a pleasant warm spell had kept San Diego’s daytime temperatures in the lower eighties for the past week or so, the air cooled quickly as darkness approached.

            Mara didn’t mind. She loved watching the sun go down over the Pacific at any time of year and in any sort of weather. Just being able to sit on the seawall and watch the colorful streaks in the broad expanse of sky, seeming to frame the dark and restless ocean, reminded her of how precious her freedom was and how much she’d endured before obtaining it.

            She zipped her windbreaker against the encroaching dampness and then gazed down at the envelope in her hand, postmarked Juarez, Mexico. She’d nearly memorized the words in the one-page letter, handwritten by the fifteen-year-old girl Mara had helped to rescue just months earlier. Mara had been working at her waitressing job when she spotted Francesca with her owner and immediately recognized the signs of a girl caught up in human trafficking. The situation had dredged up many of her own dark memories, but Mara was glad she’d been in the right place at the right time to assist the girl’s release and eventual return to her family.

            I’m just glad she had a family and a home to go back to, Mara thought, resisting the tears that bit her eyes as she compared Francesca’s situation to her own. At least Francesca had been kidnapped, not sold into slavery by her own parents.

            Mara shook her head. She had to stop this constant slipping back into self-pity about her past and just enjoy the present. She was free now, working and hoping to start classes at the local college after the first of the year. It was more than she had ever dreamed of during her ten years of captivity.

            She pulled the letter from the envelope and squinted to re-read portions of it in the fading light. The baby will come soon…not sure yet about adoption…praying for the right answer. Mara too had become pregnant during the years she lived as a sex slave—several times, actually—but she’d never even had the chance to choose to carry her babies to term. Always there was a forced abortion…and always she had to suppress her grief and go right back to the life she despised.

            Never again, she told herself. And never again for Francesca. But what about all the others…?

            The tears won over at that point, dripping onto her cheeks as she thought of Jasmine and others who had died at the hands of their abusers. She thought too of what she’d heard about a young Thai girl named Lawan, rescued from a brothel in the Golden Triangle and even now winging her way across the ocean to join her adoptive family right here in the San Diego area.

One more set free…so many left behind. No matter how hard she tried, Mara could not banish that truth from her thoughts. She’d often talked about that very thing to her friend Barbara Whiting, the lady involved with an outreach to human trafficking victims, and Barbara too had lamented the many who never escaped. “But that doesn’t mean we quit trying to help them,” she’d said. “We may save only a small percentage of them, but each life we save is precious and makes our efforts worthwhile.”

            Each life? Even mine? Mara wasn’t so sure, though she wanted desperately to believe it. The reminder that she had also discussed this topic with Jonathan, the handsome Bible college student who had helped rescue her more than two years earlier, brought a rush of heat to her cheeks, and she was glad for the near darkness that hid her emotions. She had tried to deny her feelings for Jonathan and to hide them from him, but he’d faithfully kept in touch with her through letters since going back to school this past fall. One of the things he said to her over and over again was that her life was precious to God and that He loved her and had a purpose for her. At times she dared to believe it, but most of the time…

            A taunting male voice from a passing car interrupted her thoughts as he called out a suggestive comment to her and then laughed as the vehicle sped away. Mara recoiled at the sound and shoved the letter back into the envelope. She stood up from the seawall, brushed the sand off the back of her jeans, and turned toward home. She had to work the breakfast shift in the morning, so she’d better get to bed early. Tomorrow was Saturday, and Mariner’s would be busy. She just hoped that meant some good tips because she could sure use the money.

Read the reviews!

In true Kathi Macias fashion, The Deliverer draws the reader deep into the lives of women and children subjected to mankind's cruelty--in this instance, sexual slavery. One would expect such a novel to fill the reader with sadness. And it does. But the joy of The Deliverer is knowing there are people, some of them former victims themselves, who devote their lives to righting this wrong. This is a novel of pain, forgiveness, salvation, and hope. 

--Laurie Alice Eakes (www.lauriealiceeakes.com)

Like the prior two books in the series, I was challenged by the topics presented in the book, but still enjoyed reading the characters' stories, particularly Mara's. It is far too easy to ignore or forget that human trafficking does exist and this series is a wake-up call for Christians to arise and fight the evil that is far closer to home than most of us realize.
--Reading, Writing and Ruckus

Overall, I would recommend the entire Freedom series, especially for discussion groups. It will open your eyes and your heart to the plight of those in chains everywhere.

--By the Book



Kathi Macias is a multi-award winning writer who has authored nearly 40 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. She won the 2008 Member of the Year award from AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) and was the 2011 Author of the Year from BooksandAuthors.net. Kathi “Easy Writer” Macias lives in Homeland, CA, with her husband. You can find out more about Kathi or contact her via her website: www.kathimacias.com.


Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter for your chance to win. Good luck!




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Checking In

 

 

Where does the time go? It seems like only yesterday the Lil Diva (11) and the Lil Princess (8) were running around barefoot in the rain. It's a rainy Wednesday in Western Mass, as the remnant of Hurricane Issac makes its way up the coast. My fall vegetables will enjoy this break from the heat.

 

 

I've remained busy this week. Today is my deadline for the editing project I am working on. I'm over 2/3 of the way done, so I should make it without a problem. I've also been trying to catch up on reading. I recently posted a First Chapter Review of David Wesley Hill's At Drake's Command and a review of Healing Music by Carolyn Huebner Rankin. Today's review is of Back to Bataan by Jerome Charyn. I also recently finished the next book in Marilyn Meredith's Deputy Tempe Crabtree series, Raging Water, and the final book in the Freedom Series, The Deliverer, by Kathi Macias.

 

 

This weekend we'll be hosting a sleepover for the Lil Diva's 11th birthday, which was last month. iParty didn't have The Hunger Games party supplies in stock, but we managed to create our own theme by purchasing orange and yellow plates, napkins, and cups. I think I'll come up with some type of scavenger hunt for the kids. In addition, I'm going to make a punch and call it Tracker Jacker Venom. Some blueberries could be a good substitute for nightlock berries. And what party would be complete without some bread, the kind gift that Peeta gave a starving Katniss.

 

 

Hope you're having a great week.

You've Got Mail Monday

Yes, it's Tuesday, not Monday. We're nursing a dying cat, so it's been a tough week. We'll be putting Stubby to sleep on Thursday and the entire house is sad right now.

Last week's mailbox was overflowing with goodies. I felt like it was Christmas around here. Several books arrived:

Marilyn The Wild by Jerome Charyn - gift for reviewing many of the author's books

Wish I Could Have Said Goodbye by Shari A. Brady - prize from a giveaway

Tortured for Christ by Richard Wurmbrand - free from The Voice of the Martyrs

The Deliverer by Kathi Macias - reviewing for Kathi's virtual book tour next month

What Must I Do To Be Saved by James R. Anderson - reviewing and writing press release

Autumn Winds by Charlotte Hubbard - reviewing for the author's VBT

A Step in the Write Direction by Donna Clark Goodrich - reviewing for Christian Children's Authors

The post office really mangled that last book. It looks like their machines ate the outer envelope and mauled the top right corner of the book. The envelope was retaped and part of the book was visible through the package.

I also received some neat catalogs. The first was for Mini Boden Clothing. I had never heard of them before. They carry clothes for babies, girls and boys ages 0 - 14. There was a special listed on the inside cover--Buy Any 3 Items and Get A 4th for $1 Plus Free Shipping. We finished our school shopping today, but they have adorable things. I might have to buy for now and then save the items for Christmas.

The 2012 Fall Planting catalog from Dutch Gardens arrived too. I haven't planted bulbs in years, but I'm ready to start doing it again. The deer eat my tulips all the time, so I haven't been eager to toss money out the window. I might see if I can plant some daffodils, though, since they don't like those.

The last item in my mailbox was a catalog from Costume® Express. Halloween costumes are so expensive. I'm looking for any way I can save money, especially considering the girls never fit into their costumes again. Yes, they use them for dress up from time to time, but the Lil Diva (11) isn't much into doing that these days and her costumes are usually the most expensive. We almost didn't a get a chance to use our costumes last year because this is what it was doing in October:

It happened on October 29th and the town--along with many other communities--cancelled Trick-or-Treating because of safety issues. Thankfully, we were able to go out another night in a different community that wasn't as hard hit.

The amazing thing is a couple of weeks into November, everything was green again--damaged, but green.

The Costume Express catalog had three coupons on the back: $20 OFF an order of $100 or more, $10 OFF an order of $50 or more, and one for $5 off an order of $25 or more. These are good until September 24th. Maybe by then I'll be thinking about Halloween. Right now, all I'm thinking is how I am going to pay for all the clothes I bought the past two weeks for back to school.

That's it for this week's issue of You've Got Mail Monday. Hope you're having a great week.

Guest Blogger: Kathi Macias, Author of Special Delivery

In book two of the “Freedom” series, readers find Mara fighting against her attraction to Bible college student Jonathan Flannery, even while wrestling with risking her own precarious safety to become involved in the rescue of another girl who is pregnant and desperately wants to escape her captors and save her own life, as well as her child’s.

Halfway around the world in a brothel in Thailand, a young girl named Lawan is rescued with the promise of being reunited with her little sister who was adopted by an interracial couple in the States, friends of Jonathan’s family.

Meanwhile, Jefe—Mara’s uncle, who held her as a sex slave in his brothel in San Diego for years—seeks revenge for Mara’s testimony that put him behind bars for life. Will his underworld connections be successful in kidnapping and killing the girl who believes she has finally won her freedom?

“Let My People Go!”

Kathi Macias

The term “human trafficking” or “trafficking in persons” (TIP) often draws raised eyebrows and skeptical expressions—until statistics are laid out to show that approximately 27 million people are enslaved today, whether for the purposes of slave labor, prostitution, or involuntary organ “donations.”

The Salvation Army has made the rescue of those enslaved around the world their number-one goal at this time, holding seminars and conferences to educate people and to garner support from various individuals and organizations.

The United Nations describes TIP in this way:

“The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.”

In a nutshell, human trafficking is modern-day slavery, and it is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world. It is currently tied with the illegal arms industry for the second largest criminal industry in existence, with the drug industry being the only one to edge it out.

Oh, I know. Most people naively believe that human trafficking happens only in faraway countries—Thailand or Cambodia, perhaps. True, it does occur there at a tragic rate. But it also takes place right here in the United States daily, to such an extent that some states are instituting task forces to try and stop it. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbot promises that their new task force “will take an aggressive stand against human traffickers, who have turned Texas into a hub for international and domestic forced labor and prostitution rings.”[1]

Another myth about human trafficking is that it only involves adults. Millions of children around the world are crying out in pain and terror over the heartbreaking error of that statement. According to Wikepedia, trafficking in children may come about as an “exploitation of the parents’ extreme poverty. Parents may sell children to traffickers in order to pay off debts or gain income, or they may be deceived concerning the prospects of training and a better life for their children. They may sell their children for labor, sex trafficking, or illegal adoptions.”

Can there be anything that grieves the Father’s heart more than the forced enslaving of people made in His own image—by others bearing that same divine imprint? I believe each time anyone becomes aware of such evil and cries out against it, that cry is spurred by the Father’s own pain. If ever the Church needed to be involved in helping to right a human wrong, it’s now. Human trafficking must stop! And each of us who names the Name of Christ must ask the Father what He wants us to do to help make that happen.

           
In my case, that includes writing about it—every chance I get, including blogs, letters, articles, and a new fiction-based-on-real-life “Freedom” series: Deliver Me From Evil (Fall 2011); Special Delivery (March 2012); The Deliverer (Fall 2012). Will you pray for these books to be effective in reaching people and calling them to action? And will you also pray and ask God what you can do to answer His heart cry of “Let My people go”? Millions of enslaved human beings around the world are depending on you to respond.

Kathi Macias (www.kathimacias.com; www.boldfiction.com; http://kathieasywritermacias.blogspot.com; www.thetitus2women.com) is the award-winning author of nearly forty books, as well as a popular speaker at writers’ and women’s conferences and retreats. She lives in Southern California with her husband, Al.

---

[1] www.humantrafficking.org, “News and Updates,” April 5, 2010.

Guest Blogger: Kathi Macias, Author of Special Delivery

In book two of the “Freedom” series, readers find Mara fighting against her attraction to Bible college student Jonathan Flannery, even while wrestling with risking her own precarious safety to become involved in the rescue of another girl who is pregnant and desperately wants to escape her captors and save her own life, as well as her child’s.

Halfway around the world in a brothel in Thailand, a young girl named Lawan is rescued with the promise of being reunited with her little sister who was adopted by an interracial couple in the States, friends of Jonathan’s family. 

Meanwhile, Jefe—Mara’s uncle, who held her as a sex slave in his brothel in San Diego for years—seeks revenge for Mara’s testimony that put him behind bars for life. Will his underworld connections be successful in kidnapping and killing the girl who believes she has finally won her freedom?

Shining God’s Light on Dark Subjects

Kathi Macias

One of the questions I frequently hear is: “Why do you write about such dark subjects?”

My answer: Why wouldn’t I?

Truthfully, though, I don’t write about dark subjects. I write about light shining in the darkness—even the darkest places imaginable—because that’s where it is most needed. I’ve done an entire fiction series (“Extreme Devotion”: No Greater Love; More than Conquerors; Red Ink; People of the Book) on the topic of the persecuted church, and yes, some scenes are dark and will most definitely make readers uncomfortable. Good!

God hasn’t called us to comfort, but to courage; He hasn’t equipped us to run from the darkness in fear, but rather to live in a way that lights the path of escape for those who are trapped there. And though the 4 novels in the “Extreme Devotion” series don’t necessarily wrap up with the typical happily-ever-after endings of many novels, they do finish on a triumphant note because the darkness can never overcome God’s Light.

Confronting the Darkness of Human Trafficking

Now I am in the midst of releasing a “Freedom” series trilogy on the topic of human trafficking. The first book of the series, Deliver Me from Evil, released in Fall 2011, while book two, Special Delivery, has just released in March 2012. (Book three, The Deliver, will release in Fall 2012.) It doesn’t get much darker than human trafficking, does it?

But when you consider that an estimated 27 million people worldwide are trapped in modern-day slavery right now, today, in the 21st century, including an estimated 100,000–300,000 minors involved in or at risk of sex trafficking right here in the United States, how can I keep silent?

God has given me a gift, a talent and passion to write. He has also given me His light to shine from within me onto others, and how better to do it than to use my gift of writing to expose the deeds of darkness and to rescue the victims?

When Jesus walked the earth, He declared Himself to be the Light of the world (John 9:5). Now that He has ascended into heaven, He has passed the torch to us, His church, to bring light and hope to a dark and dying world. Dare we ignore that mandate? Can we justify going only where darkness is but a shadow, avoiding the true depths of midnight-darkness and perverted depravity that would destroy the very people who have been stamped with the image of their Creator?

I don’t believe we can avoid it. President Obama declared January 2012 as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and the US Senate designated January 11 to be a National Day of Human Trafficking Awareness. Secular groups around the world are taking a stand against this horrific atrocity, and I applaud them for it. But it is the Church, those of us who have the Light living inside us, who must lead the way, standing together to dispel the darkness and to set the captives free.

Will you join me? The Light of the world will walk with us, each and every step of the way.

Kathi Macias is a multi-award winning writer who has authored more than 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 won the 2008 Member of the Year award from AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association). Kathi “Easy Writer” Macias lives in Homeland, CA, with her husband, Al.

Visit Kathi online at: (www.kathimacias.com; www.boldfiction.com; http://kathieasywritermacias.blogspot.com; www.thetitus2women.com)

Celebrating Pump Up Your Book's 5th Anniversary Hoedown! (Giveaway)

Time sure flies when you're having fun! It seems I only just started at Pump Up Your Book (back then, Pump Up Your Book Promotion), and we're already celebrating our 5th Anniversary. How is that possible?

When Pump Up opened its virtual doors in 2007, it started with an experiment and only one client. By the time I came on board a few months later, that number had grown to between 8 and 10 clients a month. Now, Pump Up Your Book works with an average of 35 - 40 authors a month, and the staff has grown from two tour coordinators to five.

In addition to all the wonderful books we've promoted, we've built relationships with authors in a variety of genres, many who come back to tour with us over again. Kathi Macias is on tour in April for her tenth time! We also can't forget the dedicated bloggers who host our clients. We wouldn't be able to do this without them.

In honor our our 5th anniversary, Pump Up Your Book is traveling the blogosphere during the month of April giving away all sorts of neat prizes: books, magnets, t-shirts, Amazon gift cards, free virtual book tours and more! We'll wrap up this celebration on April 27th with a day-long Q&A session on Goodreads, giving away even more prizes! Please visit our website and follow along with us during the month of April.

I am also pleased to be offering one of the first giveaways of the tour. One lucky person will win a copy of my children's picture book, Little Shepherd. You can get some Christmas shopping done early with this one. Fill out the Rafflecopter form below for your chance to win.

Thanks for five years of memories!

a Rafflecopter giveaway