Thursday, January 31, 2019

The Deceived by Kelly Harrel


About the Book




Buy your copy HERE



My Review


Danny's story was one sadly we hear in reality a lot today. Some of us have been there. God seems so far away, and we fill that longing for acceptance, love, and more with things- things that have consequences. It has become harder and harder for teens especially surrounded by lies that satan tells us through media, other lost peers, and through our own thoughts. I have to say I was glued to the page on this one as Danny was so relatable and down to earth. Each interaction he had with other characters was clear in my mind, and each character was very clear in my mind. I think that this book could really reach out to those the age of Danny as a way to share the Gospel with them and help them know that living life is hard, and without Christ and fellow Christians, it is impossible. The plot within was engaging, and the emotions I felt while reading were very real. Kudos to the author for making this a realistic, relatable, riveting read!

I received a complimentary copy of this book, and all opinions given are entirely my own.



About the Author


In addition to the Lauren Drake series, Kelly Harrel has written the Walking the Walk series, inspirational fiction geared toward showing the real-life struggles of young adults in the light of God’s love and grace. She enjoys speaking at women’s events and retreats, as well as teaching at writer’s conferences. Her heart’s desire and life goal is to bring others into a deeper relationship with Christ through her writing and speaking.

Kelly holds an MS in Educational Counseling and a Pupil Personnel Services credential as well as her California teaching credential. After several decades in education and ministry, she still claims her biggest accomplishment as homeschooling her children. She resides in Southern California with her husband, teens, and desert tortoise named George.

Read more about Kelly and her ministries at kellyharrel.com

Author's social media:

Saturday, January 26, 2019

The Essence of Humility by Lynn U. Watson


About the Book


Title: The Essence of Humility  
Author: Lynn U. Watson  

Genre: Devotional  
Release date: January, 2019

We live in a culture overwhelmed with disrespect, egos, entitlement, rudeness, and offense — lives focused on self, rather than God or others.

The Bible defines love in 1 Corinthians 13.

Every descriptive word included in the list whispers humility. Patience — humility
Kindness — humility
Not rude — humility
Not arrogant — humility
Rejoices in truth — humility
No envious or boastful — humility
Not irritable — humility
Keeps no record of wrong — humility

 Jesus entered our world and walked among us. He placed no importance on rank or position. Jesus life reflected love because it reflected humility, and He invites us to live and love like Him. Journey with our hostess, Cinnamah-Brosia and her friends at The Coffee Cottage. They lead us on a journey to meet real life people — our contemporaries and those on the pages of God’s word, who encountered the same real life challenges you and I face each day. Learn the blessings of a life lived like Jesus lived —- with love and humility.

Click HERE to purchase your copy!
 




My Review

This devotional was so not what I was expecting in a good way! I happen to be into essential oils, so finding out this devotional revolved around that was really interesting to me. I have to say, because of the setup I found it a little difficult to follow at first. Once I saw how it was set up I was able to follow better. The author does give a great intro to explain how everything reads however epecially since this book is in the middle of the series. I liked how each chapter revolved around an oil and a different aspect of humility. Each day had a story with the characters that truly set a scene that reminded me of the discipleship group I am currently in! Then the author would present the oil from the Bible and where it was incorporated. Some fun facts about the oil and how to use them with resources were also handy. I found this devotional to keep your interest because it was Biblical, quirky, and fun, and is so different from your typical devotional. I enjoyed how the author brought out aspects of Scripture that I hadn't considered before. I think this would be great for a group of women to use together! If you are looking for an out of the ordinary, Biblical devotional (and if you use oils that's a plus), you will be blessed by this book!

I received a complimentary copy of this book, and all opinions given are my own. 


About the Author



Lynn Watson combines many years’ experience in women’s ministry, love of essential oils, and her passion for God’s word to bring her readers freshly inspired encouragement for their walk with Jesus. Her devotional, The Essence of Courage, was recognized as a ‘must read’ by regional publishing industry leaders. Married since 1973, Lynn and Steve have filled their Bartlett, Tennessee home with handmade treasures and lots of love for family, especially their five beautiful (of course) grandchildren. Aromas of freshly baked bread often fill Lynn’s kitchen. Jasmine, her tuxedo kitty, enjoys sleeping in Lynn’s lap while she writes.



Guest post from Lynn

My first lesson in humility for Volume 3 of Cinnamah-Brosia’s Inspirational Collection came from an assumption. Right. Those are never a grand idea. When God spoke to me about writing this book, he clearly gave me the subject: Love. I immediately headed to 1 Corinthians 13 – The Love Chapter of the Bible. Of course the book’s title would be The Essence of Love. The end material of The Essence of Joy announced the new “Love” title coming in 2018. And God laughed. I read 1 Corinthians 13 over and over again. It whispered “humility” over and over again. I called my dear friend – the one I consult with on every one of these books – and said, “You know what? Listen to this. Love is patient – humility. Love is kind – humility. Love is not arrogant – humility. You get the idea. Every single line of this beautiful passage comes down to the barest bones: humility.” We both laughed a little, too. And we thanked God He clarified His instructions. To live and love like Jesus requires us to humbly trust God and to humbly serve others. In Philippians 2, the Apostle Paul presents a lengthy discourse on the humility of Christ. It begins like this: If then there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, sharing the same feelings, focusing on one goal. Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. ~Philippians 2:1-4 (HCSB) The title morphed to The Essence of Humility. I placed the focus on common everyday botanicals and plants – those familiar to us today – for this third volume in the collection. The fun came as I dug the plants from Scripture. I pray you enjoy the connections as much as I did uncovering them and connecting them to Jesus’ life, and to a whole list of characters who lived on the pages of the Bible, along with our contemporaries here in the 21st century. Thank you for choosing The Essence of Humility. So very many titles out there shout to be read. I am humbled for you to spend time with me here. I have prayed for every one of you. Copyright 2018, Lynn U. Watson


Blog Stops


Giveaway



To celebrate her tour, Lynn is giving away a grand prize of a wire basket that includes a hand-stamped “Gratitude, Kindness, Humility, Love” spoon necklace, Hillhouse Naturals fresh Linen hand lotion, locally hand-crafted Lavender-Eucalyptus body and foot scrub, embroidered “Love One Another” hand towel (nice ‘n soft), cozy Chamomile herbal tea, and a paperback copy of The Essence of Humility!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/d93b/the-essence-of-humility-celebration-tour-giveaway

Saturday, January 19, 2019

5 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom by Dan Willis


About the Book



Title: 5 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom  
Author: Dan Willis  
Genre: Finances/Christian living  
Release date: January 8, 2019  
Publisher: Whitaker House

As a young and naïve pastor, Dan Willis maxed out twenty-three credit cards and ruined his credit to support his ministry. It wasn’t until massive debt caused the cards to stop working that he realized that God never asked him to do this. Through his candor and honesty, Dan reveals the five steps God showed him to get out of debt: stop spending, create a budget, develop a debt payoff plan, begin saving, and repair bad credit. This led him to becoming a thriving and financially-free ministry. Now, Dan is on a mission to teach this to the world. Using biblical principles, but not relying on miracles or “name-it-and-claim-it” theology, Dan provides easy-to-follow, practical steps that can be used by anyone to escape financial bondage. Finally, he encourages readers to use their financial freedom to help others and advance God’s kingdom, and to use their newfound fiscal wisdom to store up wealth. Without shaming those who struggle financially, 5 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom is the perfect combination of spiritual wisdom and practical advice for those who desperately need it.


Click HERE to purchase your copy!


My Review

From Mr. Willis's personal experience, we get to get a first-hand account of a man's journey into massive debt and his spiritual and practical experience out of it. What I loved about this financial book is that it was simple, there were worksheets included, it was down to earth, and it was short. Mr. Willis presented each step from the Biblical perspective and then showed us how to do it pure and simple. Also, a prayer was included at the end of each chapter which I thought was nice considering that sometimes we tend to separate our finances from being a spiritual thing. I liked how he emphasized that this was not a "name it, claim it" approach and that tithing was of utmost importance. We can't afford not to tithe, because we can never truly prosper financially unless we obey the Lord with our finances since all good gifts come from Him in the first place. :) Like anything, I can't say I agree with 100% of this book, but it is a good, simple, practical, Biblical guide that any person could read (even people that don't like to read), and benefit from. If you want a Biblical, no nonsense, simple approach to handling finances, this is the book for you.

I received a complimentary copy of this book, and all opinions given are my own. 


About the Author



As a young boy, Dan Willis’s dreams involved entering the medical field until that fateful day when, at age sixteen, he was called to “temporarily” take over the pastor position of a local church. More than thirty years later, Dan is still there, serving as the senior pastor of The Lighthouse Church of All Nations in Alsip, Illinois. He took the small ministry of sixteen people and nurtured it into a thriving multicultural body of more than 1,500 people. Dan’s previous books with Whitaker House were Freedom to Forget: Releasing the Pain from the Past, Embracing Hope for the Future and Praise Is My Weapon.



Guest Post from Dan

Not 23 Ways to Money Greatness or 67 Options to Financial Well Being. Just Five Simple Steps to Financial Freedom. Why complicate this? Wipe out debt and create wealth.


Blog Stops


Robin is Bookish, January 11
Remembrancy, January 14
Texas Book-aholic, January 15
Bigreadersite, January 15
Aryn The Libraryan, January 16
Mary Hake, January 18
A Reader’s Brain, January 19
Carpe Diem, January 21


Giveaway



To celebrate his tour, Dan is giving away a $20 Starbucks gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/d8d4/5-simple-steps-to-finical-freedom-celebration-tour-giveaway

Friday, January 11, 2019

Flights of Fancy by Jen Turano

About the Book


Miss Isadora Delafield may be an heiress, but her life is far from carefree. When her mother begins pressuring her to marry an elderly and uncouth duke, she escapes from the high society world she's always known and finds herself to be an unlikely candidate for a housekeeper position in rural Pennsylvania.

Mr. Ian MacKenzie is known for his savvy business sense and has built his reputation and fortune completely on his own merits. But when his adopted parents are in need of a new housekeeper and Isadora is thrown into his path, he's unexpectedly charmed by her unconventional manner.

Neither Isadora nor Ian expected to find the other so intriguing, but when mysterious incidents on the farm and the truth of Isadora's secret threaten those they love, they'll have to set aside everything they thought they wanted for a chance at happy-ever-after.

Buy your copy HERE




My Review

Jen starts her newest series, American Heiresses, off with a bang! Miss Isadora Delafield is a truly complex, truly delightful, truly personable heroine that I wish I was friends with in real life. Constrained by high society, and her mother's determination to see her climb the social ladder even further through marriage, Isadora comes to the possibility of marrying a truly villainous duke (and when I say villainous, I mean villainous!) Our hero, Mr. Ian McKenzie has his own family struggles, and through Isadora's and Ian's meeting we find truly endearing, quirky family members to enjoy. I don't think I can praise this book enough, rather than to say it is simply stunning! The plot is one that keeps you glued to the page until you finish the entire book in one sitting. The romance blossoms beautifully and innocently, and the characters each develop beautifully in their own way. The history, the plot, the romance, the characters - I can not wait until the next installment in this series! Don't miss Jen Turano and her one of a kind, simply stunning novels!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, and all opinions given are my own. 






About the Author

Named One of the Funniest Voices in Inspirational Romance by Booklist, Jen Turano is a USA Today Best-Selling Author, known for penning quirky historical romances set in the Gilded Age. Her books have earned Publisher Weekly and Booklist starred reviews, top picks from Romantic Times, and praise from Library Journal. She’s been a finalist twice for the RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards and had two of her books listed in the top 100 romances of the past decade from Booklist. When she’s not writing, she spends her time outside of Denver, CO. She can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jenturanoauthor/ or visit her on the web at www.jenturano.com. She is represented by the Natasha Kern Literary Agency.


Thursday, January 3, 2019

Not So Happily Every After by Susan Barnett Braun


About the Book



Title: Not So Happily Ever After  
Author: Susan Barnett Braun  
Genre: Young Adult  
Release date: July 12, 2012  
Publisher: Self-published

Think history is boring? Then you’ve never met Mad King Ludwig, who inspired Walt Disney with his magnificent castle in the clouds. He ruled the German kingdom of Bavaria for twenty-two years, inspiring his people by his support for the arts. And yet, “Mad King Ludwig” rarely appeared in the capital or attended any government functions. He slept most of the day and stayed awake all night. He dined with his horse and waved pistols at servants. He created a fantasy world inside his castles, complete with caves and trap-door tables. To this day, no one is sure exactly what caused his untimely death in a lake. Who was this man: fairy tale king? Insane eccentric? Mad King Ludwig’s life followed many twists and turns on its way to Not So Happily Ever After. The book’s intended audience is young adults, but it is perfect for adults wanting to learn more about Ludwig also.
 


Click HERE to purchase your copy!

My Review

As a history buff, I had expectations for Not So Happily Ever After, and what I found within fully exceeded those expectations. "Mad King Ludwig" was certainly a worthy hero to dive deeper into- filled with eccentricities that made him a true individual. His life through this book reads as a fiction novel, but it is so much more satisfying knowing the plot found within is actually real history. It is amazing how one person in history can influence so much that they never dreamed possible. The way the book is written in short chapters with quotes, anecdotes, and the storyline is seamlessly woven together to produce a delightful read that even non-history readers will enjoy. This would be appropriate for young adult audiences, as well as adult history buffs or adult readers in general as the way the book is written makes it easy to read and provides a truly captivating plot. Mystery still eludes us to this day around this character of history, and I can promise you his story is not one to be missed! Not So Happily Ever After will thrill the history buff, and make readers into history buffs alike!

I received a complimentary copy of this book, and all opinions given are my own. 





About the Author



Susan Barnett Braun earned a BS in retail management from Indiana University and an MA in education from the University of Alabama. She taught for eight years in northeast Indiana, earning a Lilly Endowment Teacher Creativity Fellowship and a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Study Scholarship. Susan has had work published in Parents, Children’s Ministry, and The Secret Place. She also writes online for Fort Wayne Visitor’s Bureau and blogs at Girls in White Dresses. She is married with three wonderful young adult daughters. Susan enjoys reading, playing piano and organ, and spending her time with her family and pets (currently three rabbits and a chinchilla).



Guest Post from Susan

I first learned about King Ludwig II of Bavaria, Germany, while I was a high school German student. He fascinated me then, and he has continued to through several decades now. Ludwig is a hero to the Bavarian people. In America, we too have our heroes: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln. But Ludwig was different. He was so eccentric and unusual that I found him impossible to ignore. As a teacher, I taught my students about this fascinating king each year. They, too, loved him. I decided to write Not So Happily Ever After so that teens could be introduced to Ludwig as I had been. However, since the book has come out, a majority of its readers have been adults. What makes Ludwig so compelling? Oh, where to begin? There are many quirky anecdotes about him: he once invited his favorite horse to dinner in the palace, complete with china and crystal. Ludwig insisted on hiding behind large floral arrangements when he was forced to attend state dinners. He preferred to work at night and sleep during the day. The king built wonderful castles. His most famous, Neuschwanstein, inspired even the talented Walt Disney. If you’ve visited Disneyland or Disney World, the castles at those parks are the Disney version of Ludwig’s real-life home. Ludwig has an air of mystery too, continuing to his still-unexplained death. ”I want to remain an eternal mystery to myself and others,” he once famously said. You’ll have to read the book to learn more. I can pretty much guarantee that this king, who has been dead now for over 130 years, will pique your interest. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if you decided to start planning a trip to Bavaria to see Ludwig’s castles in person once you finish reading …


Blog Stops


Giveaway



To celebrate her tour, Susan is giving away a grand prize of a world/globe necklace and a paperback copy of the book!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/d8a1/not-so-happily-ever-after-celebration-tour-giveaway