Free for Kindle: Broken Identity by Ashley Williams

Drake Pearson, a narrow-minded 18-year-old barely enduring Missouri’s heat, is tired of feeling empty. Living conditions are about as cozy as a cardboard box, on account of his alcoholic father who can find nothing better to do than argue relentlessly with him. When Drake thinks he can’t take another blow, he is reminded daily of his mom who vanished twelve years ago. And now there’s a dead body. After a terrible accident turns into a protected secret, a twisted string of events brings Drake miles away from home to an elderly man’s front door. Every promising opportunity also brings new doubts and temptations to run away—this time for good. When the secret he has kept locked away threatens to reveal itself, Drake knows he must shield it with his very life, even if the love he has been shown undeservingly is about to be destroyed.

File Size: 910 KB
Print Length: 322 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0768439213
Publisher: Destiny Image; 1 edition (September 20, 2011)
Publication Date: September 20, 2011
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B005M3N4EO


Order here!

Glazed Orange Coconut Cake from Relish.com

For my mother-in-law's birthday, I made this Glazed Orange Coconut Cake with a recipe I found on relish.com.

Yield: 20 servings

Ingredients

Cake:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup finely shredded, unsweetened coconut
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup fresh orange juice (4 to 5 oranges)
1 tablespoon finely grated orange rind

Orange glaze and garnish:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup fresh orange juice (1 orange)
Toasted coconut chips (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a Bundt pan.

Combine flour and next five ingredients (flour through salt).

In a separate bowl, combine coconut milk, oil, eggs, vanilla, and orange juice and rind. Pour into dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Pour into prepare pan.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before removing from pan.

To prepare glaze, whisk together powdered sugar and orange juice. If there are little lumps, let glaze sit 30 minutes, until they dissolve. Pour glaze over completely cooled cake. Sprinkle coconut chips on top, if using.

How did it turn out? Fabulous! It had the best texture of any cake I've ever made. I'm sure the glaze helped, but the cake was yummy to begin with. 

Would I do anything differently? I would add more unsweetened coconut to the batter or garnish the cake with toasted coconut chips because the orange flavor came through nicely, but I felt the coconut flavor wasn't strong enough. I also should have waited a bit longer to glaze it. The cake was still a bit warm, so the glaze didn't harden the way I expected. Most of it soaked into the cake. 

Do you have a great recipe for an orange coconut cake? I would love to try it out. 

Book Spotlight: If God Wills by Kent Philpott

If God Wills is an expression familiar to the Muslim world (enshallah in Arabic, or "If Allah Wills"). It connotes the hope that God is in control of our lives and world events. Pastor Kent Philpott has been studying Islamic theology and practice for fifteen years, yet maintains his own deep Christian faith. This book is written for both the Muslim and Christian reader to consider various aspects of Islam as found in the Qur’an and other traditional texts and compare them to what Jesus brings as found in the Bible and Christian history. Philpott does not condemn Muslims or attack the tenets of Islam or the prophet Muhammad but reaches out with care and concern with an offer of the love and grace of Jesus. This book is an excellent resource for Christian evangelists and apologists, especially to give away in the Muslim community. ePub and Kindle versions also. A free chapter download of "If Allah Wills" (essentially the same book but specifically with the Muslim book buyer in mind) is available on the Home page.


Paperback: 126 pages
Publisher: Earthen Vessel Publishing (August 1, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0996859047
ISBN-13: 978-0996859042


Purchase from:

Earthen Vessels Publishing
Amazon

Mailbox Monday - Sep 5

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

Happy Labor Day, gang! Hope you're having a great long weekend. Mine has been fabulous: I've dropped three pounds since I restarted the 21 Day Fix; I managed to get in some workout every day this weekend; we attended the Greek Festival in Marlborough, and I sold a house four days after I listed it. Talked to another person Saturday and I'll be listing her home this coming Friday. Not bad for a holiday weekend.

Dancing Yia-Yia

As far as health and fitness goes, I'm really trying to focus on getting rid of that "dough belly." That's what the girls call my very soft, round middle. Weight loss is great, but it's not my focus. I want better legs and a trimmer middle. As such, I've added some different workout routines to my 21 Day Fix program. I haven't used CIZE as much as I thought I would, but I'm going to pop the second DVD in tomorrow to see what I can do. I'm doing a fair amount of upper body work, which will help with the tennis elbow.

I'm also going to really dig into I Quit Sugar by Sarah Wilson. I bought it last year, but didn't do much with it. I know that drinking Pepsi® twice a day is a part of the "dough belly" issue. I don't eat a ton of sweets, but I really want to focus on getting rid of all of the bad stuff. This should help.

My mail carrier brought a surprise this past week and it sounds superb.

Where is hope when there is no hope?

First-time parents Joe and Tahni Cullen were thrust into the confusing world of autism when their toddler, Josiah, suddenly lost his ability to speak, play, and socialize. The diagnosis: Autism Spectrum Disorder. In their attempts to see Josiah recover and regain speech, the Cullens underwent overwhelming physical, emotional, and financial struggles. While other kids around him improved, Josiah only got worse.

Five years later, Josiah, who had not been formally taught to read or write, suddenly began to type on his iPad profound paragraphs about God, science, history, business, music, strangers, and heaven. Josiah’s eye-opening visions, heavenly encounters, and supernatural experiences forced his family out of their comfort zone and predictable theology, catapulting them into a mind-blowing love-encounter with Jesus.

- Find hope in hardship.
- Catch a fresh glimpse of heaven.
- Learn to hear and trust God’s voice.
- Identify the roles of Father, Son, and Spirit.
- Be aware of the workings of angels, and much more!

Follow a trail of truth into Josiah’s mysterious world, and see why his family and friends can no longer stay silent.

I also downloaded a Kindle freebie--darn free books are bad for me. I'll never whittle down my TBR pile as long as they exist.

7 Days to a Byline that Pays explains how to tell stories that audiences will read and editors will pay you to write. Delivered in a breezy and compact manner, this book will help you work fast, smart, and get paid for your work.

"I've worked with writers and editors across the country to compress the salient points in an easy-to-grasp approach that you can tackle," says author, Michael Ray Smith. "I'm convinced you can accomplish your goal of writing a salable article in seven days by using the ideas in this book."

Then I purchased this one for only 99 cents!

A wonderfully warm and witty debut novel about family secrets and sibling rivalry.
The four MacLeod sisters are no strangers to sisterly rivalry and with one of them about to be married, there are bound to be fireworks. Perfectionist Natalie wants the ‘wedding of the year’. Harassed mother, Milly, just wishes her bridesmaid’s dress wasn’t the size of a tent. Career-obsessed Avril secretly moons over a married man and world traveler, Hazel, the youngest, yearns to be taken seriously. Forced together for the first time in years, and with an unexpected guest stirring up old resentments, squabbles are inevitable. But when tragedy strikes things really fly apart - as some shocking skeletons emerge rattling from the crowded MacLeod closet…


What was in your mailbox this week? Any great plans for the holiday?

Guardian Angel Kids - September Issue Online

This a free digital magazine that my publisher, Guardian Angel Publishing, produces once a month. Each issue has poems, short stories, and articles. There are free games and activities too. This month is dedicated to monkeys.

You can check out our current and past issues by visiting http://guardian-angel-kids.com

New Release: Josiah's Fire by Tahni Cullen with Cheryl Ricker

This book just arrived in my mailbox. I am so excited. Can't wait to read it.

Where is hope when there is no hope?

First-time parents Joe and Tahni Cullen were thrust into the confusing world of autism when their toddler, Josiah, suddenly lost his ability to speak, play, and socialize. The diagnosis: Autism Spectrum Disorder. In their attempts to see Josiah recover and regain speech, the Cullens underwent overwhelming physical, emotional, and financial struggles. While other kids around him improved, Josiah only got worse.

Five years later, Josiah, who had not been formally taught to read or write, suddenly began to type on his iPad profound paragraphs about God, science, history, business, music, strangers, and heaven. Josiah’s eye-opening visions, heavenly encounters, and supernatural experiences forced his family out of their comfort zone and predictable theology, catapulting them into a mind-blowing love-encounter with Jesus.

- Find hope in hardship.
- Catch a fresh glimpse of heaven.
- Learn to hear and trust God’s voice.
- Identify the roles of Father, Son, and Spirit.
- Be aware of the workings of angels, and much more!

Follow a trail of truth into Josiah’s mysterious world, and see why his family and friends can no longer stay silent.

Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Broadstreet Publishing Group, LLC (September 1, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1424551404
ISBN-13: 978-1424551408

Order from:

CBD
Amazon
Barnes&Noble

The Challenge with Health and Fitness

I've come to discover I have two challenges with my health and fitness goals:

1. I keep buying new equipment.

2. My stomach doesn't enjoy junk food the way it used to.

The first challenge gets darn expense and the second one is just no fun. I guess you could say that all those years I ignored my diet and didn't exercise means I've got an untapped budget in the workout department; but it seems everything I want to do costs an arm and a leg: you remember I am an Ebeneezer Scrooge when it comes to spending money, right? 

So far I've invested in the 21 Day Fix and the CIZE programs from Beachbody. I definitely find the first one easier, but CIZE is fun on the days I feel like a different kind of workout. Recently, I purchased a set of resistance bands and new weights. 

When they released me from physical therapy this summer, they encouraged me to keep up my resistance band workouts. I had bought some loop bands last year, but I snapped one of them and figured it was time to buy something sturdier. Those things don't feel good when they snap. 

I would really like to order the 3-Day Refresh, but I am afraid I won't be able to stomach the shakes. I haven't been able to tolerate them in the past. Since the majority of the program is the shakes, I sure don't want to spend $69.95 and not get the results I'm looking for. 

It's a challenge that I am on this new healthy eating kick, but the kids still want goodies. I've always loved junk food. When I eat it these days, I just don't feel right. My stomach bloats and I'm sluggish. I guess I should be excited, but instead I miss being able to eat cookies and cake and other yummy foods without feeling yucky. Well, that's not totally true: I used to feel yucky before. I just didn't know how yucky until I started taking better care of myself.

I'm glad I'm making the right changes for my health. Too bad I didn't do it two decades ago. I can't see myself ever looking forward to exercising, but at least I am staying focused on my goals. 

What is your health and fitness plan? If you don't have a health and fitness plan, what stands in the way of you making one? What are some of your favorite healthy snacks? Anything you simply can't give up?