Children's Duo

Delightful! That's the best word to describe this duo of children's books. The author is Lisa Tawn Bergren. She's taken on the task of explaining the gospel message to children and she succeeds.


In God Gave us Love, Little Cub is out fishing with her grandfather.
She is not pleased when the otters are scaring away the fish!
But Grampa Bear carefully explains that they can share their fishing spot.
He tells her that showing love to others, both families and friends,
is something we can do to share God's love.
We know God loves us because he sent his Son to show us.









In the second book, God Gave us Christmas, Little Cub is excitedly getting ready for Christmas. She starts questioning her mom about Santa, God, and Christmas. Mama Bear takes Little Cub on a camping expedition to find God. Little Bear learns God is easy to find because He is everywhere. And to answer her question about how we got Christmas, Mama Bear tells her, "Jesus is the light of the world. Jesus is how God gave us Christmas."

Beautifully illustrated, simply presented, and fun to read. Your little ones will love them. I did.


Both are hardback from WaterBrook Press.
I'm keeping my copies!
(for purchase information, you can click on the books)

40 Minute Bible Studies

Looking for in-depth Bible studies on various topics?
Feel like you don't know where to start or that you don't have the time to set aside?

Kay Arthur has produced just the thing for you! Her teaching team at Precepts Ministries International produces a series called 40 minute Bible Studies. These inductive study guides are designed for 6-week segments, 40 minutes a week, with notes, scripture to research, and probing questions to answer.


Published by WaterBrook Press.
Some other topics are: Marriage, Leadership, Discipleship, etc.
Kay Arthur is a gifted teacher and author, using key "precept upon precept, line upon line" steps to study the Bible. Her studies are rich in content and well worth your time.

white picket fences

When I hear the term "white picket fences" I envision a sided house with shutters, tidy lawns and gardens, all encircled by a white picket fence alluding to an idyllic, perfect life within. Susan Meissner has taken that image and projected it instead as an emotional one surrounding a suburban stucco in San Diego. The well-maintained, immaculately landscaped home contains a "perfect on the outside" family with secrets.

Amanda's brother is a wanderer, both on US and foreign soil, forever beginning new jobs and leaving them after just months. His 16 year old daughter, Tally, has been raised in this lifestyle, and has become pretty adept at sudden uprootings. This time, though, her dad has taken off to Germany alone, alluding to her that he is searching for treasure their family left when fleeing the Nazis, and making her promise not to tell. Her maternal grandmother with whom she'd become reacquainted only the day before suddenly dies, leaving her alone and under child services supervision. Her aunt comes to the rescue, offering shelter and a stable home life. Yet, in white picket fences, we find a family with underlying emotional turmoil that is mostly ignored, ready to erupt.

Tally and her cousin Chase begin working on a sociology assignment, interviewing two men who survived the Holocaust. In the midst, they find intertwined lives, uncover and reveal some hidden family secrets, and struggle in learning the truth about their pasts. As Josef challenges them, "What is impossible for men is not impossible for God." (pg. 254) Will they turn to God for their answers? Read white picket fences and find out for yourself.


Paperback, 2009, from WaterBrook Press.
I have one copy to give away.

The Sound of Sleigh Bells

Cindy Woodsmall brings us a new winner in her tales of Amish life, The Sound of Sleigh Bells.

Beth Hertzler hides the truth in her heart about a tragedy involving her former fiancee. Walling off all who try to enter and bring healing during her extended mourning period, she cannot let go of the past. As a buyer for her aunt Lizzy's store, she takes a trip to an Amish community in another state where she is intrigued by an intricate carving which seems to touch the pain she bears. Through the intervention of her aunt, she begins a correspondence with the gifted carver, Jonah. His letters in return begin to draw her out of her shell, as he reveals some of the lessons he's learned through a tragedy in his own life.

Close knit family, community, forgiveness, and love combine to weave a soothing tale of redemption and hope. I found The Sound of Sleigh Bells an enjoyable and quick read.


Hardbound from WaterBrook Press.
I have one copy to give away.

Extraordinary

Ready for a stimulating, thought provoking book? Then grab a copy of Extraordinary by John Bevere.

Bevere is convinced we were all "meant for more" and he spends page after page citing and explaining Scripture to prove his point. God gives us the goods to live above the norm and accomplish remarkable feats. Whether we do so or not depends upon the disposition of our hearts.

Because we love God, we naturally want to please Him. What better way is there to do so than to appropriate the grace we've been given? How do we that? Through deep and abiding faith. Extraordinary contains a wealth of word pictures drawn by Bevere to illustrate his points. I especially liked his "pipeline of faith." A river of God's grace runs by our heart field. In our heart field there are sections called "Forgiveness of Sin", "Healing", "Living Holy", etc. The believer can tap into that river of grace by using his "pipeline of faith" to empower forgiveness of sin, but shut off holiness, healing, etc. because he never bothers to run a "pipeline of faith" to those sections. (pg. 152-153)

Bevere's explanation of body, soul and spirit is also one of the best I have seen. It gives new light to Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."


Extraordinary



New from WaterBrook Press.
I have one copy to give away.

For more about John Bevere: www.messengerinternational.org

If God is Good...

I don't want to put it down, but I have to. I am only a tenth of the way through. There is just so much my brain can absorb and digest at one time!

Randy Alcorn has written a thought-provoking treatise, tackling the age old question: "If God is good, why is there suffering and evil?" He challenges us to see spiritually the big picture of who God is and what He is doing in the world.

A few gems gleaned so far from If God is Good...

• "Believing God exists is not the same as trusting the God who exists." (pg. 12)
• "...most evangelical churches have failed to teach people to think biblically about the realities of evil and suffering." (pg. 14)
• God did not say trusting in Him would ward off all evil and suffering (pg. 38)
• "We shouldn't wait until suffering comes to start learning about how to face it any more than we should wait until we fall into the water to start learning how to scuba dive." (pg. 39)

Alcorn shares stories from people who have been through deeply painful circumstances, including himself, yet whose faith in God has grown deeper and richer. He quotes from many non-Christian sources and Christian writers, and loads his writing chock full of Scripture to continually point the reader to the God who holds all of us in His hand.

I would recommend If God is Good... Be prepared to be challenged.

2009, hardbound from Multnomah.

You Were Born for This

Bruce Wilkinson, whom you may recall authored The Prayer of Jabez, has penned a new book, You Were Born for This. In it, he lays out a handbook of sorts, using seven "keys" presented to Christians for encountering and delivering miracles to those in need.

I am not sure I really liked this book as it almost seemed at times that God is put in a box, and we need to know these keys in order to unlock the box for God to work in the lives of others. In fact, Wilkinson speaks much of people "partnering" with God in order to make miracles happen. I guess it was the term I didn't like, as "partner" seems too much like being on an equal footing with God whereas I view myself as His servant. I thought referring to heaven as "Mission Control" whereby God is planning what miracles should occur and who should be the one to bring them about, kind of a cocky attitude, but it did get across the author's point that God wants to use people to reach others in their time of need.

You Were Born for This is written to suggest readers open their spiritual eyes and spiritual ears and be more aware of God-nudges; you know, those times when a thought unexpectedly drops into your mind to speak to or do something for another person and you are not quite sure why. In Wilkinson's eyes, our response is determined by the amount of our faith, and we can either limit or release God to act.

2009 hardback from Multnomah.
see: http://bit.ly/wGT7l
I have one copy to give away.

Stray Affections

Haven't gotten a chance to read this yet, but here's a basic summary:

In Stray Affections, the last thing that Cassandra expects out of her Sunday is to be mesmerized at a collectors’ convention by a snowglobe. She’s enjoying some shopping time, with husband Ken at home tending their brood of four young boys, when she’s utterly charmed by the one-of-a kind globe containing figures of three dogs and a little girl with hair the color of her own. She can’t resist taking the unique globe home—even if means wrestling another shopper for it!

The beautiful snowglobe sparks long-dormant memories for Cassie, of her beloved Grandpa Wonky, the stray she rescued as a child and the painful roots of her combative relationship with her mother, “Bad Betty” Kamrowski. Life in Wanonishaw, Minnesota is never dull, though, and Cassie keeps the recollections at bay, busy balancing her boys, her home daycare operation, and being a good friend to best pal Margret. But after a strange—flurrious, as Cassie deems it—moment happens with the remarkable snowglobe, Cassie and the people she loves are swirled into a tumultuous, yet grace-filled, and life-changing journey.

“As a believer, I know the power of forgiveness and new beginnings, and of a God, and family and friends, who love me the way I am,” Charlene Ann Baumbich says. “The heartbeat of change flows through those wonderful gifts.”

With the quirky, close-knit Midwestern small-town feel that made Charlene Ann Baumbich’s acclaimed Dearest Dorothy novels so popular, Stray Affections invites readers to experience the laughter and the healing of second chances.

WaterBrook Press is the 2009 publisher, in paperback. I have one copy to give away.

These are also video links of the author introducing the book:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/video/video.php?v=101927788491

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWwya52SkjU

Deadlock

It's the Sunday after Annabeth Cooper married Whip Langford, the "Outlaw Marshal". Since there is no time for a formal honeymoon, they will be having a celebratory supper with the Brockman household after church. We find them all on their way to Riverton, where chief U.S. Marshal John Brockman is due to be guest preacher at the morning service.

Up ahead, the party spots Deputy Sotak on his horse. Intending to ask him if he would like to accompany them to church they head for the point where their trails will intersect. All of a sudden the scene of an ambush by outlaws unfolds before them. One is killed and the deputy is wounded. John and Whip head immediately to his side. Hearing the commotion, a couple of ranchers show up and the marshals borrow their horses to pursue the other outlaw. Whip quickly heads home to get his timber wolf, Timber, to help in the pursuit. After much territory is covered, Timber indeed helps them to corner Fortney. Having a captive audience while he transports the prisoner to jail, chief Brockman uses the time to preach the gospel. Fortney wants nothing to do with it.

And so begins Deadlock, the second book in the "Return of the Stranger" trilogy by Al and Joanna Lacy.

While I think the language is somewhat stilted, it's a fun and easy read. If you don't know the salvation message, you should have it memorized by the end of the book! The characters of Deadlock simply believe in Jesus as their Savior and walk out their faith. From an acquaintance who has never thought much about it to a prisoner about to be hung, they are determined to use the Scriptures to show each person the choice before them being heaven or hell, and their need for Christ.

Outlaws, bank robberies, a kidnapping or two and a walking miracle: that's what awaits you in Deadlock.

New from Mutnomah, 2009 paperback.
If interested, I have one to give away.
Purchases can be made at www.familychristian.com and www.christianbook.com.

MELTDOWN

CIA agent Walker (code name Phoenix) is heading her first Special-Ops mission. Task Force Valor is seeking the source of a liquid explosive believed to be stockpiled and distilled in the Chernobyl area. After spending more time in that wasted dead zone than they want, they discover the explosive is gone. It's been moved and possibly shipped to the US. Their suspicions are confirmed when reports of explosions across the country reach them: an internet exchange outage in the Silicon Valley, a train derailment and the Hoover Dam among the list of successfully hit targets.

Meanwhile, retired Colonel Michael Lafontaine has begun a campaign to discredit the weaknesses in homeland security. He starts with a press conference urging a new commitment to the war on terror and calling upon politicians to have a backbone when dealing with terrorists.

MELTDOWN switches from Task Force Valor and their undercover operation in the Ukraine to the terrorist activities happening in the US. This is action-packed book is filled with mystery, fun, and faith all rolled into one.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel by Chuck Holton.

Offered in paperback by Multnomah.

Back to School Fiction

[Note: I have a new computer and it has taken some time to get files transferred, settings fixed, and things arranged just the way I like them. I will try and catch up on my reviews this week.]


These sounded intriguing when they arrived, but I have not yet had a chance to read them.
All are paperback, 2009, from WaterBrook Press and can be purchased through www.randomhouse.com.


Summary for The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper
The future is clearly mapped out for socialite Eugenia “Gennie” Cooper, but she secretly longs to slip into the boots of her favorite dime-novel heroine and experience just one adventure before settling down. When the opportunity arises, Gennie jumps at the chance to experience the Wild West, but her plans go awry when she is drawn into the lives of silver baron Daniel Beck and his daughter and finds herself caring for them more than is prudent–especially as she’s supposed to go back to New York and marry another man.

As Gennie adapts to the rough-and-tumble world of 1880s Colorado, she must decide whether her future lies with the enigmatic Daniel Beck or back home with the life planned for her since birth. The question is whether Daniel’s past–and disgruntled miners bent on revenge–will take that choice away from her.


Summary for The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love
Once a month, the six women of the Sweetgum Knit Lit Society gather to discuss books and share their knitting projects. Inspired by her recently-wedded bliss, group leader Eugenie chooses "Great Love Stories in Literature” as the theme for the year’s reading list–a risky selection for a group whose members span the spectrum of age and relationship status.

As the Knit Lit ladies read and discus classic romances like Romeo and Juliet. Wuthering Heights, Pride and Prejudice, each member is confronted with her own perception about love. Camille’s unexpected reunion with an old crush forces her to confront conflicting desires. Newly widowed Esther finds her role in Sweetgum changing and is surprised by two unlikely friends. Hannah isn’t sure she’s ready for the trials of first love. Newcomer Maria finds her life turned upside-down by increasing family obligations and a handsome, arrogant lawyer, and Eugenie and Merry are both asked to make sacrifices for their husbands that challenge their principles.

Even in a sleepy, southern town like Sweetgum, Tennessee, love isn’t easy. The Knit Lit ladies learn they can find strength and guidance in the novels they read, the love of their family, their community–and especially in each other.


Summary for Rose House

A vivid story of a private grief, a secret painting, and one woman’s search for hope.
Still mourning the loss of her family in a tragic accident, Lillian Diamon finds herself drawn back to the Rose House, a quiet cottage where four years earlier she had poured out her anguish among its fragrant blossoms.
She returns to the rolling hills and lush vineyards of the Sonoma Valley in search of something she can’t quite name. But then Lillian stumbles onto an unexpected discovery: displayed in the La Rosaleda Gallery is a painting that captures every detail of her most private moment of misery, from the sorrow etched across her face to the sandals on her feet.
What kind of artist would dare to intrude on such a personal scene, and how did he happen to witness Lillian’s pain? As the mystery surrounding the portrait becomes entangled with the accident that claimed the lives of her husband and children, Lillian is forced to rethink her assumptions about what really happened that day.
A captivating novel rich with detail, Rose House explores how the brushstrokes of pain can illuminate the true beauty of life.

The Hope of Refuge

Cindy Woodsmall has written another compelling tale about hope, love, and faith.

In The Hope of Refuge, street smart New Yorker Cara Moore, always living on the edge, once more finds herself uprooting her life with her daughter and running from an unsavory stalker. Stopped for a bite to eat, she is perusing her beloved diary, the one connection she she has left of her late mother. Strangely a hidden address is revealed, causing her to head for Dry Lake, Pennsylvania, an Amish colony.

She discovers it's really no place for an outsider, yet after arriving there the surroundings bring back bits and pieces of Cara's childhood and the very brief time she spent there. Torn between her inclination to fend for herself and fiercely protective of her daughter, yet desiring to unravel the mysteries from her past that keep surfacing, Cara slowly lets down her guard. Ephraim, a young man who remembers her from the past, finds himself risking his community life in order to do what he believes is right: protect Cara and help her learn the truth about her family history.

If you liked Woodsmall's Sisters of the Quilt series, you will enjoy The Hope of Refuge.


In May, Cindy Woodsmall was featured on Nightline in an interview regarding her interest and excellence in writing romance novels set in the Amish community.

WaterBrook Press paperback, 2009. I have one copy to give away.

Blue Like Play Dough

I liked this book. Tricia Goyer writes a compelling story of how God shapes and molds mothers, especially through their children. She takes the reader step by step in her own journey as a rebellious teen, her unwed pregnancy as a senior in high school and the grace that was granted her as she surrendered herself more and more to God.

She lets us in on childhood memories and correlates the stretching and squishing of play dough to the challenges as a wife and mom. I identified with her homeschooling her children:
"In the choice to homeschool, I chose a challenge that still makes me ask myself, What was I thinking? at least once a week." (pg. 42) She speaks of God's faithfulness in showing up day after day and her utter dependence on Him.

In Blue Like Play Dough, Goyer underscores how different each child is and the need to assess the qualities that God creates in each one. She wondered how her children would react to working with her as she oversaw their church's teen pregnancy center. She found that it set an example of service that they would carry with them on future missions trips.

Goyer relates her struggles of comparing herself to others and feeling she fell short, and how the need to reach an unrealistic standard also carried into her firstborn's life and habits.
The desire as a mom to protect her children from hurts and mistakes is something I think we all share, along with the realization that those things are part of the molding and shaping of their lives.

Blue Like Play Dough will make you laugh, tug at your heart strings and nod your head as you recognize yourself in some fashion. It is well worth reading.


For more about Tricia Goyer, go to www.triciagoyer.com.

Published in paperback, 2009, by Multnomah.
I have two books to give away or you can purchase a copy directly from Random House.

A Perfect Mess

I did not find time to read A Perfect Mess yet, so below is a summary and information about the author, Lisa Harper.

There are interactive questions for personal reflection and group discussion at the end of each chapter. A Perfect Mess has been chosen by the Canton D.E.W. group to explore Psalms and God's incomparable love.

Caught up in the self-imposed pressure to do and be all the things they think a Christian woman ought to do and be, countless women are working desperately to convince everyone, including God, that they have it all together. Few have any idea that the Creator of the universe looks at them with delight even when they yell at the dog, drive a minivan littered with French fries, or think bad words about that rude clerk at the store.

A Perfect Mess offers hope to every woman who yearns for a vibrant relationship with God but worries she isn’t good enough or doesn’t do enough to merit His affection. With characteristic authenticity, speaker and author Lisa Harper shares poignant stories from her own imperfect life to showcase the real-life relevancy of the Bible in the lives of modern women.

As she guides readers on a story-driven journey through selected Psalms, they will be inspired to experience for themselves how God’s incomparable love transforms the messiness of life into a gorgeous work of grace.

Author Bio:

Lisa Harper is a master storyteller whose lively approach connects the dots between the Bible era and modern life. She is a sought-after Bible teacher and speaker whose upcoming appearances include the national Women of Faith Conferences. A veteran of numerous radio and television programs and the author of several books, she also is a regular columnist for Today’s Christian Woman magazine. Lisa recently completed a master’s of theological studies from Covenant Theological Seminary. She makes her home outside Nashville .

WaterBrook Press, 2009 paperback

Holy Roller

Julie Lyons, on her beat as a crime reporter for the Dallas Times Herald, was traversing South Dallas one late April evening in 1990. She was looking for a new angle reporting on crack-cocaine. The idea she pitched to her editor was a story about supernatural healing of addicts. Now she had to find the goods to back up her story.

Aimlessly driving, street after street, she was searching for a church that looked like it might have answers to her quest. At one point, feeling the presence of God in the car with her, she found herself stopping in front of a dilapidated building, one she would have dismissed in the natural. As she states, "I was looking for a feature story to run in the Sunday paper. What I was about to discover was a passionate, self-taught man who would introduce me to a world of spirits, healing, prophecy, and warfare waged to the death between invisible forces of good and evil. To Pastor Eddington these things were not superstition, legend, or overwrought emotion. This was reality, and over the next few months I would see it for myself." (page 5)

Holy Roller is a story of lives intertwined in a pursuit of God. Lyons writes at times with a "no holds barred" flair, exposing abuses and triumphs that she learns about in the black Pentecostal church scene at large. More than that, though, Holy Roller is a very compelling, honest tale of her own spiritual growth at the Body of Christ Assembly. She holds up her best examples, a godly pastor and his wife, a church family where people are desperate for God, and living a life of holiness is taught and expected. Always recognized is the fact that people have a choice: holiness or hell.

This riveting tale of God's love and compassion, with an emphasis on speaking truth in love and recognition of a very real spiritual battle for souls was hard to put down. It's well worth your time.

2009 in hardback, published by WaterBrook Press.

The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn

Ready for a fun book? Try this one....

MacKenzie Thorn, the governor's granddaughter, teaches a GED class at Oregon State Prison. The F.B.I. receives a tip that someone wants her dead. Agent Myles (Parsons) Borden agrees to go undercover in order to protect her and winds up in the GED class. We find Kenzie and Myles slinging cleverly crafted remarks at each other. It's sort of a "love at first sight" situation which seems a little contrived. This quickly escalates into a feel of tension and electricity between them.

One of the guards offers Myles a chance to abduct her, so he does, much to her consternation. His object is to get her to a "safe house" where later he will explain who he really is. He tells her (and himself) he is just doing his job, protecting her until the agency finds out who is behind the death threat. However, Myles finds himself crossing the line as an agent, actually developing non-professional feelings for Kenzie, though there is no way he will admit it to her.

The novel switches back and forth from the perspective of each character, as they pray individually, looking to God for answers. There's plenty of adventure as they join forces (cautiously on Kenzie's part) to find out who is behind the threat. And when Kenzie "escapes" she heads back to her grandparents, their dog, Henry, and even more danger.

I liked Liz Johnson's descriptive writing in The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn. She paints a very good picture for the reader. One example: "...a gray cement barrier jumped out of nowhere. Her front bumper left a six-inch white kiss on it..." (pg. 139)

The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn was a new venture for me, as I don't tend to read books in the "romance" genre. It was fun. You see, I have personally met the author as she was a co-worker with my daughter-in-law. We were excited for her when we found out her FIRST book had been accepted for publication! And another bonus...we personally know the dog in the book, Henry. Why, he's even stayed at our house!

For more info see www.lizjohnsonbooks.com or just click on the book above.


Curious about education and background preparation for writing I asked Liz a couple of questions:

1) if you know, when/where did you get your idea for The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn?

There are a lot of little inspirations for this book. I think that a big part of developing Kenzie’s story was where I was at in my own life. I had just made two major moves in the span of six months, and I was 1100 miles from my family. I felt like the only one I could lean on was God, so reliance on Him became one of the key themes of Kenzie’s story. I also had a friend from high school who made some really poor choices and ended up in prison for five years. His sister asked me to write to him, and I did. We wrote back and forth for years, and his letters made me wonder if there was anything that would cause someone to willingly go to prison. It all just developed from there.

2) do you feel your college education prepared you enough for your current job?

Oh, wow! What a question. :) I’m not sure. I mean, definitely I learned a lot about writing press releases and other publicity items, but can you ever really be prepared for a job as a publicist? It’s definitely one of those jobs where you learn a lot as you go. But one of the things that my college degree taught me was perseverance. It takes a lot of work to make it through college, and it takes a lot of work to succeed in most jobs. My degree definitely set me up for success, but mostly it prepared me to work hard in whatever area I decided to pursue.

Under the Distant Sky

Ready for another western? This is brought to you by Al & Joanna Lacy, authors of Outlaw Marshal.
In Under the Distant Sky, we join the family of Solomon and Hannah Cooper, proprietors of Cooper's General Store in Independence, Missouri. It is around the year 1860 and their town is a gathering place for wagon trains heading west. Those gearing up for travel are making their last minute supply purchases. With all the talk and excitement, the idea of moving west starts settling in Sol Cooper's mind and heart. He and Hannah have been diligently taking this to the Lord in prayer, seeking His guidance as to whether this is a move He really wants them to make They have to consider the possible dangers for not only themselves but for their four children as well. Hannah is reluctant, for she, as most women, see not only the adventure ahead but the security and bonds of community life that will be left behind.

After much prayer and finally confirmation that comes through former Union Army officers and friends whom Solomon and Hannah were close to while he was in the Civil War, they both settle in their hearts that they are to leave Independence and move to Fort Bridger, where they will establish another general store. They break the news to Hannah's parents who are blatantly against the whole idea, questioning that they've heard correctly, are neglecting the dangers to their grandchildren, reminding them that they are up in years and will most likely never see them again, and even though invited, will definitely not come along. Knowing the Lord has made the decision for them, the Cooper's step out in faith on their covered wagon adventure.

I think we tend to romanticize life in the old west, and the Lacys paint a good picture of the hardships. I mean, can you imagine a goal of 15 miles a day (on level ground, that is), cooking over a campfire every night, washing once a week in a river, and exposed to all the forces of nature? There are plenty of challenges along the way, with troublemakers in the group, thunder, lightning and hail, lack of water, Pawnees, rattlesnakes, etc. There are plenty of bright moments, too, with new friends made, salvations, and spiritual growth.

If you like western adventures, I think you will enjoy Under the Distant Sky.
As Ward Bond would say, "Wagons, ho-o-o!"

Published by Multnomah.

The Vanishing Sculptor

(By guest reviewer, Laura Blewett)

The Vanishing Sculptor, by Donita K. Paul, follows a girl named Tipper, her friend and guardian, Beccaroon (who happens to be a large, talking bird), and an assortment of other characters including her father (Verrin Schope), an old librarian, a wizard, an artist, a prince, and a few dragons as they venture on a “quest” to find some missing sculptures that apparently hold the fate of the world within their stone. Unfortunately, in the beginning the author seems so concerned with having the characters refer to their actions as a “quest” or “adventure” that she forgets to let the reader actually experience it.

The book opens with Tipper selling off one of her father’s sculptures (he is a great artist), with Beccaroon questioning the wisdom of her decision and Tipper pointing out that they have no other source of income. They then muse over how angry the great artist would be if he found out his famous works were being sold (what else would you do with all your art?), because you see, Tipper’s father abandoned the family years ago and they have not heard anything from him since. As the story unfolds, we meet Tipper’s mother (who is flighty and self-centered and believes that her husband still lives with them) and Bealomondore, an artist who wants to be apprenticed to Schope. To satisfy her mother’s complaints about Schope not painting a view she likes, Tipper tricks Bealomondore into copying Schope’s style as a “tryout” for her father. Here the author takes the opportunity to demonstrate how Tipper is flawed and introduces the concept of a god (referred to as Boscamon) who may or may not be in control of all things, for us to mull over.

In the next few chapters, we find out that Tipper’s father really is alive; he was just trapped somehow in another part of the world and could come see Tipper’s mother at night, but did not manage to let his daughter know what was happening. Schope brings along with him a librarian and a wizard, two old men meant for comic relief. We learn that by separating a particular rock to carve three sculptures (which can, conveniently, be combined into one large sculpture), Schope may have doomed the world. Apparently the stone was a keystone of sorts, without which things (the most important of which is Verrin Schope) come in and out of existence, sometimes reassembling incorrectly. Upon Schope’s arrival back home there is no dealing with any hurt or betrayal that Tipper would have felt when seeing her absentee father suddenly appear—they are merely a happily united father and daughter and act like nothing ever happened. Furthermore, Tipper is admonished for selling the works that her father wanted kept safe (although what she should have done to keep them all fed, we never find out). They also present the concept of Wulder, a god who is involved in the lives of humanity—not just a god of absence and chance that Boscamon represents.

The three men decide to continue looking for the three sculptures and Tipper and Beccaroon tag along because they have decided to ask Bealomondore for help, thinking he’d be more likely to know where the sculptures are than a dealer or collector would (although there does not seem to be an example of this being the case). Luckily, Tipper’s mother has conveniently gone on a trip and therefore needs no attention. Over the next third of the book, the author has various members of the group use the words “quest” and “adventure” and “danger” numerous times and they stop in various towns and meet people, but nothing particularly interesting happens. The author attempts to thrill with various inventions or oddities particular to the magical world, but an interest in the characters and what happens is just as—if not more—important than the unique atmosphere in which the story happens. We merely read about how Tipper would sometimes like to say mean things that she shouldn’t and have the old men complain about how she always voices her opinion and wants to jump into something without listening to them, though they rarely, if ever, explain their actions.

Eventually the group meets Prince Jayrus, who lives as a dragon-keeper and who may or may not be used to fulfill a prophecy, and of course is handsome and charming and Tipper and he develop a “thing,” though neither demonstrate any impropriety. After Prince Jayrus and some of his dragons join the group, they visit a collector who does not want to sell the important piece he owns. After they leave, the author has the man kidnap Verrin Schope so that the group of “adventurers” can stage a rescue, Tipper can do something rash, and Jayrus can save them all from the collector. By the way, we have been told quite obviously from the start that the collector is a rather disagreeable person. He is also mean to his wife, who whimpers a lot.

At this point, which was less than two-thirds of the way through the book, I stopped reading. The characters never captured my attention, and the constant mentioning of their “quest” seemed like an attempt to artificially create excitement. Tipper’s development as a character consisted of her staging hotheaded internal debates, the other characters reprimanding her, and her debating the existence of the Wulder-god, who the other characters said influenced their actions. All of their actions seemed rather pointless, convoluted, and showy.

Overall, I thought the writing was rather simplistic and the story nothing special. Although she seemed to have an interesting concept of what she wanted to write, the author’s execution was poor and I will not be checking out anything else by her.


If you want to read The Vanishing Sculptor and let me know if you agree or not with my assessment, I have two copies to give away.

Father's Day Blog Tour

This group of three books I planned to read before now, but the time got away from me. I don't suppose that happens to any of you, does it? Anyway, here are three new ones that might just be interesting enough for the men you know to pick up and finish.....



Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart looks like it might grab the attention of any youth/teen reader who likes tales of knights and kingdoms worth fighting for. The chapters are fairly short...

"Sir Dalton, a knight in training, seems to have everything going for him. Young, well-liked, and a natural leader, he has earned the respect and admiration of his fellow knights, and especially the beautiful Lady Brynn.
But something is amiss at the training camp. Their new trainer is popular but lacks the passion to inspire them to true service to the King and the Prince. Besides this, the knights are too busy enjoying a season of good times to be concerned with a disturbing report that many of their fellow Knights have mysteriously vanished.
When Sir Dalton is sent on a mission, he encounters strange attacks, especially when he is alone. As his commitment wanes, the attacks grow in intensity until he is captured by Lord Drox, a massive Shadow Warrior. Bruised and beaten, Dalton refuses to submit to evil and initiates a daring escape with only one of two outcomes--life or death. But what will become of the hundreds of knights he'll leave behind? In a kingdom of peril, Dalton thinks he is on his own, but two faithful friends have not abandoned him, and neither has a strange old hermit who seems to know much about the Prince. But can Dalton face the evil Shadow Warrior again and survive?"

The author, Chuck Black, is a former F-16 fighter pilot and tactical communications engineer. This is the third book in his The Knights of Arrethtrae series.

Check here for more information.



Eyes Wide Open, by Jud Wilhite, invites readers to find, "The real you, loved and forgiven by God, living out of your identity in Christ.

"I had it all backwards. The main thing was not my love for God, but his love for me. And from that love I respond to God as one deeply flawed, yet loved. I’m not looking to prove my worth. I’m not searching for acceptance. I’m living out of the worth God already declares I have. I’m embracing his view of me and in the process discovering the person he created me to be."

A travel guide through real spirituality from one incomplete person to another, Eyes Wide Open is a book of stories about following God in the messes of life, about broken pasts and our lifelong need for grace. It is a book about seeing ourselves and God with new eyes-eyes wide open to a God of love.

Jud Wilhite is senior pastor of Central Christian Church in Las Vegas.
Check here for more information.



The Disappearance of God, authored by R. Albert Mohler Jr., challenges Christians to study to know unchanging, Biblical truth...

"More faulty information about God swirls around us today than ever before. No wonder so many followers of Christ are unsure of what they really believe in the face of the new spiritual openness attempting to alter unchanging truth.

For centuries the church has taught and guarded the core Christian beliefs that make up the essential foundations of the faith. But in our postmodern age, sloppy teaching and outright lies create rampant confusion, and many Christians are free-falling for “feel-good” theology.

We need to know the truth to save ourselves from errors that will derail our faith.”

In the age-old battle to preserve the foundations of faith, it's up to a new generation to confront and disarm the contemporary shams and fight for the truth. Dr. Mohler provides the scriptural answers to show you how.

R. Albert Mohler Jr. is president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is also a columnist, radio host, and blogger. He has appeared on Larry King Live, The Today Show, The News Hour with Jim Lehrer, and The O'Reilly Factor.
Check here for more information.

All books are published in 2009 by Multnomah.

Never the Bride

I had my doubts about this book, since the last one I read authored by Rene Gutteridge, Skid, was in my opinon, just plain dumb. And this one sort of started out that way, with the main character, Jessie, complaining about being a brunette and never finding the right guy, so much so that she's been a bridesmaid 11 times!

Yet, in Never the Bride, authors Cheryl McKay and Rene Gutteridge have teamed up to write a lively story of 34 year old Jessie. Her main goal in life, finding a husband, has yet to be fulfilled. Journal after journal, with her feathered purple pen, she has recorded desires, dreams, fantasy wedding dresses and 1256 possible marraige proposals. Enter the scene: God. She is the only one who can see Him. Some of her questions He can answer, some He can't...yet. In exchange for her feathered purple pen, He offers to write her story for her. Noting everything she has accomplished has been without Him, she asks why she should trust Him to do that. God's answer, "Of course, you can keep doing things your way. If that's working for you." Ouch! (pg. 59) He gives her 24 hours to decide.

The next day we find Jessie about to give a major presentation at work, and God shows up. Remember, only she can see Him. Flustered, she ducks out of the meeting and confronts Him, questioning why He had to show up there. God: "I'm kind of on my own schedule. I'm not in the habit of checking if it's convenient." Jessie's thoughts: 'I put my hands on my hips but I don't say anything. That does sound very God of the universe. And it feels foolish arguing that he's not working with my schedule.' (pgs. 73-74)

Throughout Never the Bride, Jessie continues to grow and learn universal truths that we tend to ignore. Pondering why God isn't hooking her up with her lifelong friend who has grown into a hunk, Jessie thinks to herself, 'I mean, I know I'm not God and can't see all things, but sometimes there are things that feel so natural and so right. As humans, how do we know that they aren't? What do we have other than our instincts?'

Trials, tribulations, mistakes, and not listening to God make for a light yet thoughtful story, and lessons learned. And for the happy ending...

Jessie: "You know, it doesn't escape my notice that this could have happened a lot sooner had I not gotten in Your way."

God: "I know."


New from WaterBrook Press, in paperback.
Available here.

Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes!

Economy got you down? Longing for an adventure but don't know where to go? Then grab Robin Jones Gunn's new novel, Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes!

Summer and Noelle have been pen pals since childhood, though they have never personally met. After forty years, both have families with grown children. One lives in the United States and the other in the Netherlands. After a recent medical exam, Summer gets a call from her doctor's office saying her mammogram test result was abnormal. The doctor wants her to come in for a biopsy. Reeling from this news, and harboring fear because of her mother's early death, Summer reacts by doing an inexplicable thing: she emails Noelle and asks if the next week is a good time to visit! Off she flies to the Netherlands to fulfill a life-long dream of meeting face to face.

The two spend a delightful week, not strangers because of years of correspondence, but finally able to fill in the missing physical pieces of voice, clothing, manners, etc. Their week together, each gently probing and reacting to one another, causes internal emotional barriers to be broken, healing to take place, and more awareness of God working and weaving their lives.

Some tidbits:
(page 106 - Summer) "I learned something important about myself in that moment. I like to be in control...At the foundation of my need for control was the thought that it was up to me to make things run smoothly or at least make them go the way I wanted them to go...I was embarrassed by my need to be in control...That embarrassed me because I knew that in many cases controlling could be the opposite of trusting."
(page 115 - Summer) "I've probably even memorized it [the verse] at some point. But I want to hold onto it...There's a difference for me between memorizing something and really holding on to it in my heart." "Ah." Noelle's voice softened. "You want to own the truth and not just rent the words."

Gunn's first person style in Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes makes for a very personal treat. Picking up the book, I was immediately drawn into the story just as if it was actually taking place.
I don't think you will be disappointed.


2009 paperback from Multnomah.
Check here for purchases.
I have one copy to give away.

Saints in Limbo

Saints in Limbo, by River Jordan, is kind of an odd book. In the prologue, a stranger arrives. "For a time the man and the whirlwind were one and the same. Man and Whirlwind. Whirlwind and man. But after a long moment, but still only a moment, the man stepped straight out of that wind, and without the least bit of tussle, he planted his boots on solid ground. And in this exact manner, on this kind of day, the man was born feetfirst onto the earth....He was a million miles roamed and completely at home. King to the subjects who might demand, but simple statesman to the orphan clan." (pg. 3)

The main character, Velma True, is an elderly woman who has lived alone since her husband's death. Depressed, she has taken to stringing guide lines from her front porch to various outlying areas on the property. She does not venture out past the lines. This particular day happens to be her birthday, and the mysterious stranger appears on her doorstep. He exudes a warmth, peace and comforting "light." She feels completely at ease, telling him all about her current circumstances. He presents her with a special rock. Throughout Saints in Limbo, it spirits her away in her memories, to different stages in her life. The stranger warns Velma that mysterious "scouts" will be looking for it, but not to let them have it.

I was about halfway through Saints in Limbo before I was curious enough to read on and see how it would end. There are dark appearances of a scout described as something with "gray arms", or "a strangely rubbery body," to a "smoky winged thing." There are spiritual nuances. A grown son that has some maturing to do, a young girl who hitchhikes to the town, a sensible bar owner, plus a no-nonsense friend all team up to aid each other. Velma eventually emerges from her depression and is freed to hope in the future.

Saints in Limbo is newly published in paperback by WaterBrook Press.
Check here for more information.
I have two copies to give away.

The Night Watchman

I thought this book was really good. It is the first fiction I've read in a long time that was authored by a male. I was not disappointed. Mark Mynheir has written a gritty suspense novel, The Night Watchman.

The main character, Ray Quinn, is a homicide detective sidelined by an ambush in which he was severely wounded and his partner killed. Currently employed as a night watchman at a swanky apartment building complex, he is implored to try and solve a murder-suicide case which takes place there and is deemed closed. The deceased pastor's sister insists that the conclusion is not right. Curiosity aroused, Ray searches through the files and uses his police contacts to delve into finding the answers. He finds himself on the trail of nightclub owners, exotic dancers, politicians and crooked cops.

Ray reminded me a lot of the Bruce Willis character in "16 Blocks". Mynheir's descriptive words make the reader feel Ray's tiredness, pain, "get me through the day" attitude, and his passion for his friend 'Jim' (Beam) who spends the time after his evening shift with him, plus his love of the greatest action hero ever, John Wayne (170 DVD's and counting). Also realized is his need to get the real answers as to why things aren't quite right with the case conclusions.

Mark Mynheir has the background for writing a very realistic, believable novel, as he is a detective with the Criminal Investigations Unit in Central Florida, and has worked on narcotics units, SWAT teams, and in high-risk situations.

If you like mysteries and crime scene investigation entertainment, I think you will enjoy The Night Watchman.


Paperback from Multnomah.
You can find more information here.
I had two copies to give away. Now I have one.

Stealing Home

I love the game of baseball. What better summer pastime is there? So with curious anticipation I began Allison Pittman's new novel, Stealing Home.

The setting is 1905, and the Chicago Cubs are ready to begin a banner year. However, their star catcher, "Duke" Dennison has missed much of the training period, for reasons that the club is not making known. Apparently his alcoholism has gotten the better of him, and he's been sent to recover in the small, "dry" town of Picksville, Missouri. He is relatively unknown there except to the sheriff in whose house he boards and his daughter Ellie, a ticket agent at the railway station. Ned, a long-time admirer of Ellie's who runs the feed store and whose office is crowded with baseball newpaper clippings, is one of the few who immediately recognizes him.

Being much a ladies' man, Duke flirts with Ellie and charms the other ladies in town. The townsmen revere him once he's recognized. Morris, a 12 yr. old Negro boy, (this is 1905, remember) crosses the tracks to spend his days in town running errands for various townspeople to earn money he stashes away in order to eventually leave. He's polite, courteous, a hard worker, and is wiser about God than most. He finds much acceptance, to a point, though Ellie and Ned are genuine in their concern for his well-being.

Duke discovers Morris' talent for throwing a baseball and begins to think of helping someone other than himself, for a change. Possibly there will be a berth in the Negro leagues? Duke and Ned team up with Morris's help to build a baseball diamond on unused land across from the railway station. Eventually all the men of the town join in construction and friendly games ensue. It's here that Morris' pitching arm is thoroughly tested. Suddenly, tragedy strikes and threatens to break the spirits of those involved. Will faith and renewed love be enough to carry them through?

Stealing Home is new from WaterBrook Press.
In paperback, it is also available here.
I have one copy to give away.***edit: the copy is now taken.

Amish Love

What’s all the hubbub about Amish fiction? Major media outlets like Time and ABC Nightline are covering it, and authors like Cindy Woodsmall are making the New York Times bestseller list regularly. What makes these books so interesting?

Check out the recent ABC Nightline piece here (http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=7676659&page=1) about Cindy and her titles When the Heart Cries, When the Morning Comes, and When the Soul Mends. It’s an intriguing look at Amish culture and the time Cindy has spent with Amish friends.

And don’t forget that Cindy’s new book The Hope of Refuge hits store shelves August 11, and is available for preorder now.

Mother's Day Books

If you have teenage daughters you might enjoy reading Dear Mom. Below is an exerpt...

Every mom knows how communicating with a teenage girl can be difficult, even impossible at times. One-word answers. Defensive conversations. Daily arguments. How typical for teens to put up such barriers. All the while, moms truly long to know what their daughters really think.

Best-selling author Melody Carlson, whose books for women, teens, and children have sold more than three million copies, bridges this chasm with trusted insight. She speaks frankly in the voice of the teen daughters she’s written for and she tells it like it is: struggles with identity, guys, friendship, and even parents—it’s all here. The straight-talk to moms covers such things as “I need you, but you can’t make me admit it,” “I’m not as confident as I appear,” and “I have friends. I need a mother.”

Instead of focusing on outward behaviors, Dear Mom looks at a young woman’s heart and reveals to moms:

· how to talk to teens so they hear,

· how to connect despite the differences of perspective or years and experiences,

· and how strengthen the bond every mom and daughter ultimately wants.

The lively chapters in Dear Mom can be dipped into topically or used as a read-through tool by moms and daughters alike to understand what motivates or deflates, troubles or inspires—and just in time for Mother’s Day and all the Mother’s Days ahead.

I enjoyed Amy Wallace's previous two novels in her "Defenders of Hope" series. I look forward to reading Enduring Justice Below is an exerpt...

In Enduring Justice, Hanna Kessler’s childhood secret has remained buried for over two decades. But when the dark shadows of her past threaten to destroy those she loves, Hanna must face the summer that changed her life and the man who still haunts her thoughts.

Crimes Against Children FBI Agent, Michael Parker knows what it means to get knocked down. And when the system fails and a white supremacist is set free, Michael’s drive for retribution eclipses all else.

A racist’s well-planned assault forces Hanna and Michael to decide between executing vengeance and pursuing justice. When the attack turns personal, is healing still possible?

This thought-provoking novel deals with healing from sexual abuse, the balance of justice and mercy, and maintaining mixed-race friendships in the midst of racial tension. Readers who enjoy investigative thrillers by Dee Henderson, Colleen Coble, and Catherine Coulter, and who watch crime dramas like Law & Order: SVU, Criminal Minds, and Without a Trace will love this book—and the entire series.

My first reaction to Mama's Got a Fake I.D, was that it bordered on feminism and the "me syndrome". The author, Caryn Dahlstrand Rivadeneira, writes from her own perspective on her identity crisis that developed when she became a mother. She longed to go back to being known as an advertising copywriter, editor, writer, etc. using her skills and living her dreams. Anything more than "just a mom". About halfway through the book it got a little more interesting as she finally got past all the whining about identity and got into how we as women and moms can open ourselves up to being known for our gifts and callings in God. As a mom of four I know the times I experienced discouragement and wondered if I would find out who "I" really was. God's promise to me was that family was what I was currently called to invest in and He would be with me as I walked out this particular portion of my life. He used the family to cause me to grow and mature in the things He deposited inside.

I think the real meat of Mama's Got a Fake I.D. finally arrived on page 171. In a discussion on opening up, revealing our hopes and dreams, and living as God made us, Rivadeneira states "Tell you what, sisters: This means that this new, real I.D. you've been given comes with responsibility and expectations--to reach out and help other moms who are trapped as you once were. All moms need to know that God created us special with a purpose that extends beyond motherhood--and that it's okay to want to be know and loved for who God made us to be".

As I look around at the many moms I know, I see much more than the "mom I.D." I see gifted office decorators, artists, choreographers, cooks, seamstresses, writers, prayer warriors, waste managers, care givers, hair stylists. dental hygenists, teachers. Most of all, I see servants in the body of Christ. That's the best I.D.

All three books are paperback, and published by WaterBrook Press.

They can be purchased through www.randomhouse.com.

I have one copy of each to give away.

Two New Jane Kirkpatrick Books

Any history buffs or quilters out there?

I really liked Jane Kirkpatrick's Change and Cherish Historical Series, which featured Emma Giesy and her life story as she moved west with her husband in the 1800's. He and several other men were members of a scouting party sent out by their religious leader seeking to establish a new communal colony. They eventually founded the Aurora Colony in Oregon's Willamette Valley.

With that in mind, I was excited to get my hands on this beautiful new non-fiction book, Aurora: An American Experience in Quilt, Community, and Craft. It is a combination history book and quilt book. Featured are quilts made by members of the colony, family photographs, histories, and lush descriptions of the fine colony crafts and skills which intertwined the colony members with the surrounding villages.

Kirkpatrick's detailed research with the Aurora Colony Historical Society and direct contact with descendants of colony families makes this hardback book a rich delight to read.




If you like historical fiction, get ready for Jane Kirkpatrick's newest novel, A Flickering Light. It was inspired by her grandmother who traveled and worked as a photographer's assistant in the early 1900's.

"Fifteen-year-old Jessie Ann Gaebele loves nothing more than capturing a gorgeous Minnesota landscape when the sunlight casts its most mesmerizing shadows. So when F. J. Bauer hires her in 1907 to assist in his studio and darkroom, her dreams for a career in photography appear to find root in reality.
With the infamous hazards of the explosive powder used for lighting and the toxic darkroom chemicals, photography is considered a man's profession. Yet Jessie shows remarkable talent in both the artistry and business of running a studio. She proves less skillful, however, at managing her growing attaction to the very married Mr. Bauer.
This luminous coming-of-age tale defly exposes the intricate shadows that play across every dream worth pursuing--and the irresistible light that beckons the dreamer on."

This is the first book in Kirkpatrick's Portrait of a Woman series.


Both books are published by WaterBrook Press.
They can be purchased through www.randomhouse.com