When Calls the Heart DVD Review

ABOUT WHEN CALLS THE HEART
When Calls the Heart is the story of Elizabeth Thatcher (Drayton), a young teacher accustomed to her high society life, who receives her first classroom post in a prairie town in the Western Frontier lead by headstrong coalminer widows Abigail (Loughlin) and Frances (Smart). She is determined to prove to her family that she is brave enough to live on her own, but struggles with her own fears and doubts. When she discovers her late Aunt Elizabeth's (Grace) secret diary, Elizabeth learns she was a pioneer woman herself, a teacher in the frontier who struggled with prairie life and fell in love with a Royal Canadian Mountie (Amell). Inspired by her aunt's hopeful words and unfaltering determination, Elizabeth decides to embark on her own adventure, using the diary as her guide and family friend Edward, another Mountie (Sharman), as her support. Based on the Canadian West Book Series by Janette Oke, well renown author of over 75 books, most notably Loves Comes Softly

Actors: Maggie Grace, Stephen Amell, Lori Laughlin, Jean Smart
Directors: Michael Landon Jr.
Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen
Language: English
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
Number of discs: 1
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Millennium
DVD Release Date: December 31, 2013
Run Time: 89 minutes


Michael Landon Jr. – Director:  Michael Landon Jr., son of the late television legend Michael Landon, has been in the film business for over 25 years.  With two of the highest rated films in the history of the Hallmark channel, and several top ten releases targeted to the Christian market, Michael has become known for creating heartfelt, inspiring films that connect to the family.  He has developed and/or produced, directed, and written screenplays for Fox, CBS, NBC, Disney, Sony, Lifetime, and others.

About Word Entertainment:  A leader in the music industry for over 60 years, Word Entertainment, a Warner/Curb company, is a unique, comprehensive entertainment company comprised of multi-faceted artist service departments including publishing, merchandising, booking, and online initiatives. Word Entertainment represents some of the top names and brands in music, including Meredith Andrews, Chris August, BarlowGirl, Francesca Battistelli, Big Daddy Weave, Jason Castro, Patrick Ryan Clark, Everfound, for KING & COUNTRY, Group 1 Crew, Love & The Outcome, Dara Maclean, Point Of Grace and Sidewalk Prophets and is home to 25 Entertainment, Word Distribution (representing Curb Records and Big Idea/VeggieTales among others), Word Print, Word Films, Word Music Publishing and Word Label Group’s Word Records, Word Worship and Fervent Records.



MY REVIEW
I’ve read all of Janette Oke’s Canadian West series which starts with the book When Calls the Heart. I really loved this series and while this DVD When Calls the Heart is a lot alike the book it is different also. I wish the DVD was more like the book. In the book it just tells the story of Elizabeth and Wynn but the DVD tells of two separate stories. The Elizabeth of the book is the Aunt in this DVD while another Elizabeth is the niece. They both are from privileged families and both want to be school teachers, both ends up teaching in the Wild West. Another thing both start to like Canadian Mounties.  It’s like a story told twice in this movie.
  I do love the characters and the acting is tremendously good. The settings and scenery are excellent. This could be a 5-star DVD if it only had one story line.
  Even though I don’t like the two story lines I still think this is an excellent DVD to buy and watch. Great love story.


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“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one of the products  mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Unspoken by Dee Henderson A REVIEW

ABOUT UNSPOKEN
Charlotte Graham is at the center of the most famous kidnapping in Chicago history.

The task force of FBI and local cops found her two abductors, killed them, rescued her, but it took four very long years. The fact she was found less than three miles from her home, had been there the entire time, haunts them. She's changed her identity, found a profession she loves, and rebuilt her life.

She's never said a word--to the cops, to her doctors, to family--about those four years.

A family legacy has brought her back to Chicago where a reporter is writing a book about the kidnapping. The cops who worked the case are cooperating with him. Her options are limited: Hope the reporter doesn't find the full truth, or break her silence about what happened. And her silence is what has protected her family for years.

Bryce Bishop doesn't know her past, he only knows she has coins to sell from her grandfather's estate--and that the FBI director for the Chicago office made the introduction. The more he gets to know Charlotte, the more interested he becomes, an interest encouraged by those closest to her. But nothing else is working in his favor--she's decided she is single for life, she struggles with her faith, and she's willing to forego a huge inheritance to keep her privacy. She's not giving him much of an opening to work with.

Charlotte wants to trust him. She needs to tell him what happened. Because a crime cops thought was solved, has only opened another chapter...

Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (October 1, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0764211714
ISBN-13: 978-0764211713
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dee Henderson is the author of 14 best-selling novels, including the acclaimed O'Malley series and the Uncommon Heroes series. As a leader in the inspirational romantic suspense category, her books have won or been nominated for several prestigious industry awards, including the RWA's RITA Award, the Christy Award, the ECPA Gold Medallion, the Holt Medallion, the National Readers' Choice Award, and the Golden Quill. Dee is a lifelong resident of Illinois and is active online. Visit her at www.deehenderson.com.




MY REVIEW
  Unspoken by Dee Henderson isn’t one of my favorite books. I LOVE the O’Malley series and it is so well written. Unspoken started our really slow. It talks a lot about Bryce’s coin business and the coins Charlotte sells him. It is very boring for people who don’t know or like coins. It really took a lot to get into this book.
  I love how well Bryce treated and took care of Charlotte. He married her even though he didn’t love her, because he thought it was the right thing. I really don’t see many people if any who would marry someone just to help them.
  Charlotte inherits a lot of money and doesn’t want it and wants someone else to help her give it away.
  This was a really long story and I did enjoy the last part. I like how tender and loving Bryce is to Charlotte even though I don’t think a person would be without loving them.
This was an O.K. book, but if you want to read some fantastic books of Dee’s read her earlier books.


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Thank you to the  Author/Publicist  for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

The Promise: Birth of a Messiah REVIEW & GIVEAWAY

ABOUT THE PROMISE: BIRTH OF A MESSIAH
In ancient Israel, during the days of King Herod, a young couple’s world is turned upside down when the prophecy of a long-awaited deliverer unfolds upon their lives. They must trust in God’s promise in the midst of rising challenges, and their faithfulness is rewarded as they witness the most surprising and glorious event of all human history – the promise fulfilled in the birth of the Messiah.

The Promise: The Birth of the Messiah is an animated musical celebration of one of the most pivotal events in all human history, the birth of Jesus Christ.

This beautifully crafted musical is a faithful adaptation of the birth narrative from the Gospel of Luke in both story and song. The animated production leverages optical motion technology to blend traditional animation techniques with the performance talents of ballet dancers and dramatic stage actors. The result is a unique and worshipful story experience that will inspire audiences young and old for years to come.



Actors: Clara Scott, Michael Daniel Murphy, Lon Vining, Kathleen McAuliffe, Glen Bowser
Directors: Todd Shaffer
Producers: Ronald Mezey
Format: Animated, DVD Single, NTSC, Dolby
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
Number of discs: 1
Studio: Glorious Films
Run Time: 45 minutes

http://www.gloriousfilms.com/thepromise/

TODD SHAFFER (Creative Director) has more than 20 years of production experience with a wide-breadth of versatility, having worked on over one hundred projects which include commercials, feature films, television shows, animated movie titles, and game cinematics. His career began as an assistant director and animator at the oldest commercial animation studio in Hollywood, Playhouse Pictures, and has since worked for a dozen notable animation studios in Los Angeles. For 15 of those years he has worked for studios in both Los Angeles and Montreal, working with A-list animated celebrities such as Mickey Mouse, Tony the Tiger and the Keebler Elves. His advertising clients have included many top tier corporations such as Microsoft, Disney and Pepsi.

Todd is also a preaching elder at Renaissance Church in Montreal which is part of the Canadian National Baptist Convention, an affiliate of the Southern Baptist Convention. He studied biblical hermeneutics in the Logos program at Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, California, pastored by Dr. John MacArthur, and served as a deacon there for many years. Todd and his wife have four children and live in a suburb of Montreal.

RONALD MEZEY (Producer) has worked in the film and television industry for over 25 years. He began his career as a production assistant, and over the next fifteen years became a successful 1st Assistant-Director. This experience brought him to the Motion Picture Bond Company, where as Vice-President of production he monitored risk for the company’s portfolio of productions. In 2000, Ron was recruited by Film Finances, the world leader in completion guarantees, as Executive Vice-President to manage their Canadian business. Three years later he became principal owner of Big Bang Digital Studios, producing high-end CGI animation for feature films, Imax, television, video games and commercials, including the Emmy-nominated children’s series Bigfoot Presents: Meteor and the Mighty Monster Trucks. Since 2010, Ron has been developing his own entertainment products under the Glorious Films and Classics Animated brands. Ron lives in Montreal with his wife and daughter.

LON VINING (Director of Outreach) has been an ordained Southern Baptist pastor and missionary for over 20 years. He has a B.A. in Biblical Studies and is pursuing a masters in theology. Since 2007, he has served in Montreal as a church planter with the North American Mission Board (SBC) and pastor of Providence Church of the Canadian National Baptist Convention. Previously he worked as Director of Mission Northwest Arkansas at the 20,000 member Cross Church in Springdale, Arkansas. He has also planted churches through NAMB in Colorado and Arkansas and served with the International Mission Board in Tanzania, East Africa. Lon is excited to bring together previous experiences as a writer and marketing director with that of missionary and pastor to his new role of Director of Outreach and Bible consultant at Glorious. Lon is also the voice of Gabriel in The Promise. He and his wife have four children and live west of Montreal.

MY REVIEW
  The Promise Birth of the Messiah from Glorious Films is one of the best Christmas animated DVDs I have ever seen. What is even better is this movie is a musical and very, very well done. The whole DVD  tells the story from when Joseph and Mary met, get engaged and up until Jesus is born and they see Simeon in the Temple.
  The Promise is a very uplifting, precious story and it tells the birth story of Jesus as it actually happened in the Bible.
  The scenes and costumes are very realistic. Clara Scott and Michael Daniel Murphy do a great job as Mary and Joseph. Their singing voices are so superb. This DVD The Promise is for the whole family, from your youngest to your oldest family members. It can and will be enjoyed by all.
 I highly recommend this DVD The Promise-Birth of the Messiah. A new Christmas movie to become a classic.

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one of the productS mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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