Everything is Possible by Jen Bricker A Review

ABOUT EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE
Born without Legs, She Inspires Others to Overcome

Jen Bricker was born without legs. Shocked and uncertain they could care for her, her biological parents gave her up for adoption. In her loving adoptive home, there was just one simple rule: "Never say 'can't.'" And pretty soon, there was nothing this small but mighty powerhouse set her sights on that she couldn't conquer: roller-skating, volleyball, power tumbling, and spinning from silk ribbons thirty feet in the air.

Everything Is Possible is her incredible story--a story of God working out his plan for her life from before day one. Readers follow Jen from the challenges of growing up different to holding captive audiences numbering in the tens of thousands. Everything Is Possible shows readers what they can accomplish when they remove the words coincidence and limitation from their vocabulary. Filled with heart and spirit, as well as Jen's wit, wisdom, and no-holds-barred honesty, this inspiring true story points the way to purpose and joy. Foreword by Nick Vujicic.

Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: Baker Books (September 6, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0801019303
ISBN-13: 978-0801019302
Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 1 x 8.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 12 ounces

ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Jen Bricker is an author, aerialist, and motivational speaker. A state champion in power tumbling, she has traveled internationally with Britney Spears's Circus Tour and appeared as a headliner at the prestigious Palazzo Hotel in Las Vegas, New York's Lincoln Center, the Shangri-La Hotel in Dubai, and the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. She has been featured on numerous news shows, including HBO's Real Sports, ABC's 20/20, Good Morning America, and ESPN's Versus. She is currently living in Los Angeles and has added a successful international speaking career to her list of accomplishments, including a TEDx talk and speeches in Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and elsewhere.

Sheryl Berk is a New York Times bestselling author several times over. Soul Surfer, her #1 bestseller with Bethany Hamilton, was made into a major motion picture.

MY REVIEW
  Everything is Possible by Jen Bricker is an amazing book. Jen was born without legs and her parents left her at the hospital. She was adopted by a wonderful family who said Never say can’t. So Jen did everything everyone else did she didn’t let anything hold her back.
  Jen really loves the Lord and clings to Him for everything. She has done many things already in her young life and has big plans for the future. She is such a funny, wise girl and you will love her outlook on life.
   It’s an amazing thing how Jen found her sisters and Mom and how they now love each other.
  I recommend this book, because it will lift you up from your everyday life. Very good.

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“Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC;s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”) : Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive this book in exchange for this review and post.

The Heart Answers by Colleen Coble~A Review~

ABOUT THE HEART ANSWERS
 Jessica knows all about men—and how they should never be trusted.

Jessica DuBois is not used to getting her hands dirty or her heart broken. When her mother remarries and takes Jessica with her to rugged Fort Bridger, Wyoming, Jessica longs for her Boston parties and the control she used to have over her life.

Then she meets Reverend Clay Cole, a man who seems only to have eyes for God and his adoring three-year-old cousin. Clay is not just immune to Jessica's charms, he challenges her selfish attitude.

When tragedy brings this unlikely pair together, they must decide: Is love truly powerful enough to heal the soul?

Rich in historical detail, The Heart Answers takes us to 1867 Wyoming, where a misplaced socialite and an independent preacher ask the deepest questions of the heart.


Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson; Reprint edition (June 14, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0529103443
ISBN-13: 978-0529103444
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.6 x 8.4 inches
Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Best-selling author Colleen Coble's novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, the ACFW Carol Award, the Romance Writers of America RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers' Choice, and the Booksellers Best. She has over 2 million books in print and writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Colleen is CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers. She lives with her husband Dave in Indiana. Visit her website at http://colleencoble.com.

MY REVIEW
  The Heart Answers by Colleen Coble is a good story of love and redemption. I’ve read many of Colleen’s books and this one isn’t my favorite.
  This is a series and I didn’t read the first two books, but didn’t have any trouble following along.
  The Reverend Clay Cole wasn’t a very good example of how to be a Christian. He didn’t believe that Jessica could become a better person and he gave up on her near the ending.
  I’ve heard others say that the first two books in this series Jessica was so evil that they had a hard time believing she would change.
  It was a good story, but didn’t care for how Jessica and Clay treated each other and how they fought so much. The only thing that kept them talking and seeing each other was Clay’s little three year old cousin.
  It was a sweet, sad, redemptive kind of story and I recommend it.


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I received my free copy from Net Galley for my 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 Inheritance by Michael Phillips~ A Review

ABOUT THE INHERITANCE
Dramatic New Series from Fan Favorite Michael Phillips

The death of the clan patriarch has thrown the tiny Shetland Islands community of Whale's Reef into turmoil. Everyone assumed MacGregor Tulloch's heir to be his grand-nephew David, a local favorite, but when it is discovered that MacGregor left no will, David's grasping cousin Hardy submits his own claim to the inheritance, an estate that controls most of the island's land. And while Hardy doesn't enjoy much popular support, he has the backing of a shadowy group of North Sea oil investors. The courts have frozen the estate's assets while the competing claims are investigated, leaving many of the residents in financial limbo. The future of the island--and its traditional way of life--hangs in the balance.

Loni Ford is enjoying her rising career in a large investment firm in Washington, DC. Yet in spite of her outward success, she is privately plagued by questions of identity. Orphaned as a young child, she was raised by her paternal grandparents, and while she loves them dearly, she feels completely detached from her roots. That is until a mysterious letter arrives from a Scottish solicitor. . . .

Past and present collide in master storyteller Phillips's dramatic new saga of loss and discovery, of grasping and grace, and of the dreams of men and women everywhere.

Series: Secrets of the Shetlands (Book 1)
Paperback: 432 pages
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (April 5, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0764217488
ISBN-13: 978-0764217487
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1.1 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 1 pounds

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael Phillips is a bestselling author with more than 70 of his own titles. In addition, he has served as editor/redactor of nearly 30 more books. He is known as the man responsible for the reawakened interest in George MacDonald of the last 30 years. In addition to the MacDonald titles adapted/edited for today's reader, his publishing efforts in bringing back full-length quality facsimile editions also spawned renewed interest in MacDonald's original work. Michael and his wife, Judy, spend time each year in Scotland but make their home near Sacramento, California.


MY REVIEW
  I’ve read  many of Michael Phillips books and this was a good one. It is the beginning of a series-Secrets of the Shetlands. You get a lot of detail in the description of the characters, the scenery is greatly meticulous.
  I really love Michael Phillips writing style, but at times it can be very slow and boring. I think his description of people, places etc.. can be to long and to much detail is in it.
   I read this book to find out what happens to certain characters and what happened to the Inheritance, but by the end of the book you are still wondering. I wish more things had been settled, but being a series sometimes that doesn’t happen.
  I love to read books about  Scotland, inheritances and family and this book has it all. It’s a long book, but the chapters are short so that is nice.
  I recommend this book. Besides being very descriptive it is interesting.

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Thank you to Bethany House 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 Bee-Friendly Garden by Kate Frey and Gretchen LeBuhn A Review

ABOUT THE BEE-FRIENDLY GARDEN

For every gardener who cares about the planet, this guide to designing a bee garden helps you create a stunningly colorful, vibrant, healthy habitat that attracts both honeybees and native bees.

In The Bee-Friendly Garden, award-winning garden designer Kate Frey and bee expert Gretchen LeBuhn provide everything you need to know to create a dazzling garden that helps both the threatened honeybee and our own native bees. No matter how small or large your space, and regardless of whether you live in the city, suburbs, or country, just a few simple changes to your garden can fight the effects of colony collapse disorder and the worldwide decline in bee population that threatens our global food chain. There are many personal benefits of having a bee garden as well! Bee gardens:

· contain a gorgeous variety of flowers
· bloom continuously throughout the seasons
· are organic, pesticide-free, and ecologically sustainable
· develop healthy and fertile soil
· attract birds, butterflies, and other beneficial insects
· increase the quantity of your fruit and vegetable harvest
· improve the quality, flavor, and size of your produce

Illustrated with spectacular full-color photos, The Bee-Friendly Garden debunks myths about bees, explains seasonal flower progression, and provides detailed instructions for nest boxes and water features. From “super blooming” flowers to regional plant lists and plants to avoid, The Bee-Friendly Garden is an essential tool for every gardener who cares about the planet and wants to make their yard a welcoming habitat for nature’s most productive pollinator.


Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Ten Speed Press (February 9, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1607747634
ISBN-13: 978-1607747635
Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 0.7 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

KATE FREY is an international garden designer and consultant specializing in sustainable, insect-hospitable landscaping and small farms. She won two gold medals at the Chelsea Garden Show in London for ecologically themed gardens and is a popular speaker at garden shows and clubs. She has written for Gardens Illustrated and Pacific Horticulture magazines, and lives in Hopland, CA. Learn more at freygardens.com.

GRETCHEN LEBUHN is a professor of biology at San Francisco State University and the author/editor of two books on pollinators, Field Guide to the Common Bees of California and Attracting Native Pollinators. She is the founder and director of The Great Sunflower Project (www.greatsunflower.org), a national citizen science program designed to gather information about bee diversity and activity.

MY REVIEW

  The Bee-Friendly Garden is an amazing book. Full of useful information for the gardener and lovers of fruits, flowers and trees.
  Some of the chapter titles are Plants for Your Bee-Friendly Garden, Bee Garden Basics, Designing Your Bee Garden.
   You will learn about the different kinds of bees and what they like and don’t like in a garden. What plants they pollinate.
  I was amazed at two pictures in this book which told about the produce choices with bees and produce choices without bees.  An remarkable difference. It would be a very bland earth without bees.
  I think this book is so good to help us realize we need our bee friends. God put them on the earth for a reason and they should remain.
  In the back of this book it tells of different projects you can join and gives you a great list of recourses. A great book to have in any library.

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Thanks to WaterBrookMultnomah 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

A Moment of Weakness by Karen Kingsbury*A Review

ABOUT A MOMENT OF WEAKNESS

Had they found each other again after all these years, only to lose everything that matters most?

As children, Jade Conner and Tanner Eastman were best friends—until scandal drove them apart. Then, one golden summer, they find each other again.  Through endless days they share their hearts and souls and dreams of forever.  Then, in a moment of weakness, they make a decision that will tear them apart for nearly a decade.
In their own separate corners of the country, Jade and Tanner have become fighters for religious freedom. Now Jade’s unfaithful husband is determined to destroy her in a custody battle that will rock the nation and shake people’s understanding of faith and freedom. Could Jade lose her only child because of her faith? Only one man can help her in her darkest hour. And only one old woman knows the secret about that summer and the truth that can set them all free.

Series: Forever Faithful
Mass Market Paperback: 464 pages
Publisher: Multnomah Books (September 29, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1601428480
ISBN-13: 978-1601428486
Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1.2 x 6.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
KAREN KINGSBURY is a USA Today and New York Times best-selling author, with nearly twenty million books in print.  Dubbed the "Queen of Christian Fiction" by Time magazine, Karen has written more than forty Life-Changing Drama, which encompasses the Redemption, Firstborn, and Sunrise series, as well as stand-alone novels such as Like Dandelion Dust, When Joy Came to Stay, and This Side of Heaven.  Karen and her husband, Don, live in the Pacific Northwest and are parents to six children, including three adopted from Haiti.  Visit her Web site at www.KarenKingsbury.com


MY REVIEW
  A Moment of Weakness by Karen Kingsbury is a very good novel. It is book two in the Forever Faithful series. Karen really keeps you attention with her books.
  Jade and Tanner grew up together and became fast friends. Tanner was always saying I will marry her one day. Family problems and Jade moved away and Tanner never knew what happened. His mother knew but she hated the Conner family.
   So they grew up and just happened to find each other again. They had a wonderful summer together and then they had to go on with their lives. Not to give the story away Tanner’s mother told Jade lies and hurt her so much she didn’t want anything to do with Tanner.
  Jade married another and Tanner never knew what happened. To make a long story short Jade’s husband wanted a divorce and wanted their son. So Jade gets Tanner to help fight for him.
  This is an amazing story, but so many hurtful things happen and Jade and Tanner’s mother use and deceive others. I don’t feel like this is a very realistic story. I know we are to forgive and understand how people can do such things, but in this book it is almost like they understood and forgave instantly.  Recommend this book, but not one of my favorites.

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Thanks to WaterBrookMultnomah 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

Miracle Drug by Richard L. Mabry, M.D. A Review

ABOUT MIRACLE DRUG
The infection wasn’t supposed to happen, but it did. The treatment was supposed to take care of it, but it didn’t. Dr. Josh Pearson must get his hands on a particular experimental drug for his patients, which include the President of the United States, for them to have a chance against this different strain of the original virus. But Josh learns that the manufacturer may have already discarded the only supply of the drug. Without it the President and Josh’s other patients will most certainly die. And then Josh is hit with more devastating news: Rachel Moore, a nurse with whom he is falling in love, becomes ill making Josh even more desperate to find the medication. Overcoming these odds will take more than a miracle drug—it will take

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Abingdon Press (September 15, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 163088118X
ISBN-13: 978-1630881184
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I'm a retired physician who is now writing. I also stay busy being a husband and grandfather, working on my golf game, and doing the hundred-and-one other things that retired people do.

I got into non-medical writing after the death of my first wife with my book, THE TENDER SCAR: LIFE AFTER THE DEATH OF A SPOUSE. I'm gratified that it continues to help those who have lost a loved one.

From that point, I moved into writing fiction. Thus far I've had seven novels of medical suspense published: CODE BLUE, MEDICAL ERROR, DIAGNOSIS DEATH, and LETHAL REMEDY were the first four. The second and third books listed were named finalists for the ACFW Carol Award and Romantic Times' Best Inspirational Novel respectively, and LETHAL REMEDY won the Selah Award.

Then came STRESS TEST (also a finalist for Romantic Times' Best Inspirational Novel), HEART FAILURE, CRITICAL CONDITION, FATAL TRAUMA, and my latest, MIRACLE DRUG (which made the CBA bestseller list). I've also self-published a novella, RX MURDER, which is currently available for Kindle and in hard copy.

You can follow me on my blog (rmabry.blogspot.com) and my web page (rmabry.com).


MY REVIEW
  Miracle Drug by Richard L. Mabry is an excellent novel. It is very intriguing with the way the characters receive the infection and how there is no drug on the market, but an experimental drug that shows promise.
  Miracle Drug is full of mystery and suspense. Just when one problem gets solved another one crops up and you believe that isn’t any way out of the problem, but then things happen and things work out.
  Josh and Rachel are very likable characters whom work in the hospital and she is one of the people who become infected. Josh is the ex-presidents doctor and he also has the same infection that Rachel does. Who gets the very limited supply of the experimental drug?
  Miracle Drug is very suspenseful with a touch of romance. Politics and medicine with suspense and romance make an excellent book. Recommend this book Miracle Drug for your reading enjoyment.
   

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This is my own book and I wasn’t asked to review it.

When Others Shuddered Eight Women Who Refused to Give Up BY Jamie Janosz A REVIEW

ABOUT WHEN OTHERS SHUDDERED:EIGHT WOMEN WHO REFUSED TO GIVE UP
When Others Shuddered: Eight Women Who Refused to Give Up is the story of eight women called to serve God and who, in doing so, changed the world. They lived at the turn of the century, rubbing shoulders with the well-known men of their time, like John Rockefeller, Marshall Field, and Dwight Lyman Moody.

These women—Fanny Crosby, Mary McLeod Bethune, Nettie McCormick, Sarah Dunn Clarke, Emma Dryer, Virginia Asher, Evangeline Booth, and Amanda Berry Smith—were unique. They were single and married, black and white, wealthy and poor, beautiful and plain, mothers and childless. Yet, each felt called to make a difference and to do something—to meet a pressing need in her world.

These women wanted to live lives less ordinary. Their stories inspire us to follow God’s calling in our own lives. They teach us that each individual person can make a difference. These eight women will show you how God can use your life to change the world.

Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Moody Publishers; New Edition edition (February 1, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0802410782
ISBN-13: 978-0802410788
Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.5 x 7.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jamie Janosz is a wife, mother, writer, and follower of Jesus Christ. She enjoys "everything old" - and can often be found poking around dusty antique shops in search of treasure. She is a contributing author to Moody Bible Institute's daily devotional, Today in the Word. Jamie and her husband have been married for 21 years and live in the Chicago suburbs with their teenage daughter. Visit her blog at http://jamiejanosz.blogspot.com/

MY REVIEW
  When Others Shuddered Eight Women Who Refused to Give Up by Jamie Janosz is an interesting book. It’s not an entertaining book, but one that tells about the lives of eight different women who didn’t follow the normal things in life for their time period.
  Each chapter follows the life stories of these ladies, Fanny Crosby, “Emma” Emeline E. Dryer, “Nettie” Nancy (Fowler) McCormick, Sarah Dunn Clarke, Amanda Smith, Virginia Asher, Evangeline Booth, Mary McLeod Bethune. They all grew up in the 1800’s and early 1900’s.  All of these ladies knew and worked with at times D.L. Moody.
 Fanny loved to learn even though she couldn’t see. As we know she wrote hundreds of Hymns.
  Emma helped people after the Chicago fire and got things in order to start a Bible school.
  Nettie became very rich, but gave so much away and helped so many people. She didn’t let her riches make her any better than the poorest person she helped.
  Evangeline helped to get the Salvation Army into many countries and put others above herself.
  All of these women put God and others ahead of themselves. Many of them didn’t even marry because their work and God meant so much more than their own happiness.
  It’s remarkable what they accomplished for being women in that time period. Really interesting. Recommended reading.

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Thank you to Moody Publishers/River North 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 Blender Girl Snoothies by Tess Masters A Review

ABOUT THE BLENDER GIRL SMOOTHIES

A beautiful collection of vegan smoothies from powerhouse blogger The Blender Girl, featuring photographs, flavor boosters, and nutritional add-ons for every recipe.

The Blender Girl takes smoothies to the next level in this comprehensive guide, helping you blast your way to good health and blended bliss. These 100 creative and delicious recipes are designed to fit your every need, whether you want to detox, lose a few pounds, get energized, or guard against seasonal colds. Each smoothie has three optional boosters (like chia seeds, ginger, coconut oil, or wheat grass) that allow you to ramp up flavor, nutrient value, or both. Featuring gorgeous photography throughout, a smoothie pantry that demystifies unusual ingredients, icons to identify smoothies that fit your particular dietary needs, and strategies for achieving smoothie success, this accessible handbook makes it fun and easy to find your perfect blend.

Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Ten Speed Press; Reprint edition (June 30, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1607748932
ISBN-13: 978-1607748939
Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.7 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Australian-born TESS MASTERS is a writer, actor, voiceover artist, and self-professed blendaholic. She shares her enthusiasm for healthy living at theblendergirl.com.

As a presenter and recipe developer, Tess collaborates with leading food, culinary, and lifestyle brands. She has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, InStyle, Prevention, Real Simple, Thrive, Vegetarian Times, Living Without, Allergic Living, and New Idea; and online for Today, Shape, Glamour, Food Network, Parents, and Chow, among other publications and websites.

Away from the blender, Tess enjoys a diverse performance career. She has toured internationally with stage productions, worked in film and television, and lent her voice to commercial campaigns, audiobooks, and popular videogame characters. Tess and her partner, Scott Brick, live in Studio City, California, with their West Highland white terrier (and blender-cuisine maven), Cookie.

MY REVIEW
  The Blender Girl Smoothies is an excellent book. The recipes, ingredients and photos are very professional.
  Each recipe of course tells you the ingredients and also what can go with this smoothie to boost it even more. Each one is very healthy and good, but with the extra boost it is even more so.
  Above the recipe Tess Masters tells you what the smoothie will help you with and gives you a little extra advice to help with your health and well being. Also you will find at the end of the recipe the nutritional facts that we all like to know.
  If I didn’t think the recipes were so delicious sounding the pictures would win me over. Crisp, clear and may I say delicious looking pictures.
  You will find smoothie recipes for your immunity, weight loss, detoxifying, energizing and protein.
  The last chapter is called the Smoothie Pantry. It tells you all about tons and tons of fruits, vegetables that you can use to make nutritious and delicious smoothies.
  Love this book and know you will also. A recipe book that you will love and your body will thank you for it. Highly recommended.

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Thanks to WaterBrookMultnomah 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 Bones Will Speak by Carrie Stuart Parks~A Review

ABOUT THE BONES WILL SPEAK
A killer with a penchant for torture has taken notice of forensics expert Gwen Marcey . . . and her daughter.

When Gwen Marcey’s dog comes home with a human skull and then leads her to a cabin in the woods near her Montana home, she realizes there’s a serial killer in their community. And when she finds a tortured young girl clinging to life on the cabin floor, she knows this killer is a lunatic.

Yet what unsettles Gwen most is that the victim looks uncannily like her daughter.

The search for the torturer leads back in time to a neo-Nazi bombing in Washington state—a bombing with only one connection to Montana: Gwen. The group has a race-not-grace model of salvation . . . and they’ve marked Gwen as a race traitor.

When it becomes clear that the killer has a score to settle, Gwen finds herself in a battle against time. She will have to use all of her forensic skills to find the killer before he can carry out his threat to destroy her—and the only family she has left.

File Size: 842 KB
Print Length: 331 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1401690459
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (August 11, 2015)
Publication Date: August 11, 2015
Sold by: HarperCollins Christian Publishing
Language: English
ASIN: B00PWOH87M

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carrie Stuart Parks and Rick Parks met in the romantic hallways of the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. They married in nineteen eighty-nine and formed a dynamic and successful team in their fine and forensic art, working on major national and international cases and creating exquisite watercolors and stone carvings. They travel internationally, teaching forensic art to a variety of participants: from the Secret Service to the FBI, from large law enforcement agencies to the smallest two-man departments in their one-week classes. They welcome civilian artists to attend their courses as well. Carrie has won numerous awards for her innovative teaching methods and general career excellence and is a signature member of the Idaho Watercolor Society. Rick has received national recognition for his exquisite art placed on musical instruments.
Carrie began her fiction writing career while battling breast cancer. Mentored by NY Times bestselling author, Frank Peretti, Carrie's debut novel garnered immediate interest by major publishing houses and landed her a three book deal at HarperCollins Christian.

MY REVIEW
  The Bones Will Speak by Carrie Stuart Parks is a good novel with a super ending. The ending was very suspenseful and had me sitting on the edge of my seat.
  The Bones Will Speak started off slow, but it wasn’t long before it started to get better. I’m glad I didn’t give up on this book.
  I always try to guess who the criminal is in a book and usually can guess, but in The Bones Will Speak I was completely wrong. I really like a book where I can’t guess who the evil one is.
  The ending really blew me away. It is a thriller for sure. I recommend this book if you love mysteries and thrillers. You will be well entertained.

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I received my free copy from Net Galley for my 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

Love's Abundant Harvest by Beth Shriver A Review

ABOUT LOVE'S ABUNDANT HARVEST
Will setback and loss help Lucy learn the
true meaning of Christian fellowship...and love?

When a fire takes Lucy’s livelihood and the life of her
overbearing husband, she is on her own with a baby on the
way.  Overwhelmed with all the responsibilities of the farm, she
goes to stay with her grandmother.  There, she feels safe and gets
to know Manny, a handsome widower who checks in on the ladies.

Lucy’s shy and gentle ways are appealing to Manny, but accepting
love and affection comes hard for her.  Will spending time with
her grandmother’s wise friends teach her the true meaning of
Christian fellowship and love?

Series: Spirit of the Amish (Book 2)
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Realms (January 6, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1629980080
ISBN-13: 978-1629980089
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Beth Shriver is the author of over a dozen books,
including Healing Grace, Annie’s Truth, and Grace Given.  She
received a degree in social work from the University of
Nebraska and was a caseworker before starting a family.
She followed her passion and now writes full time.
She resides in Flower Mound, Texas.


MY REVIEW
  Love’s Abundant Harvest  by Beth Shriver is the first book I’ve read by this author. It was a good book and I enjoyed it.  I was quite intrigued after reading the back cover of the book, but when I thought that Lucy met Manny after her husband died I was mistaken. They knew each other before and became acquaintances if not friends. I didn’t like that part, because it would have been better if they met after and became friends.
  Lucy had a hard life with her husband. He didn’t physically abuse her, but with words. She was beaten down with everything she said or did.
  Lucy was pregnant before her husband died and Lucy didn’t want to raise the children alone. She was with her grandmother and sister and lots of friends, but she still felt alone.
   Lucy and Manny become more than friends, but Lucy has twins and then the problems start. Will she make it or will trouble keep happening?
  I enjoyed this book and recommend it.


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Thanks to Charisma House 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

Get To Me by Lara Van Hulzen A Review

ABOUT GET TO ME
Aimee can identify a killer.
Dane can keep her safe.
But is he willing to face his past to do it?

When Aimee Jansenn stumbles upon a drug deal gone bad she comes face to face with a killer. As the only witness to a crime, she falls into a deadly situation and is need of police protection.

Dane Scott has sworn off women. Until a fireball named Aimee enters his world. Telling himself they’re just friends, he vows to protect her. Can his heart follow suit or will she change his mind about love for good?

File Size: 3001 KB
Print Length: 304 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Lara Van Hulzen; 1 edition (April 14, 2015)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00UGJ28T6
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
X-Ray:
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Word Wise: Enabled
Lending: Enabled

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lara Van Hulzen received her BA in Journalism from Point Loma Nazarene Universtity in 1994. Her first published article was when she was a senior in high school. She has worked as a book reviewer for the past 18 years with various organizations such as Crossings Doubleday, YouthWorker Journal, and www.radiantlit.com. She lives with her husband and three children in Northern California. Visit Lara's website at, www.laramvanhulzen.com




MY REVIEW
   Get to Me by Lara Van Hulzen is an excellent book.
  Aimee sees someone being murdered and she can identify him. So the murderer is after her. Aimee’s best friend is a police offercier and so is the best man at her sister’s wedding. Dane is also very handsome and ready to be of help. It ends up with Dane taking Aimee to his parents ranch where he knows she will be safe.
  In books like this you usually hear more about escaping the killer and how they are trying to get him, but in Get to Me the story is more about Aimee and Dane’s friendship and how Dane is having a hard time forgetting his past and moving on. The killer is only in the first and last parts of the book. I guess that is alright, but I like more of the book to be suspenseful.
  Another thing I didn’t care for was the occasionally use of swear/slang words. I mean it wasn’t often, but more than I like. Also the last part I didn’t care to read the very vivid description. I won’t say what it is about in case you want to read this book. I think you really should, because it is excellent. I would give it 5 stars if the author would have left out the parts I mentioned. I do recommend it.
 
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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 Wood's Edge by Lori Benton A REVIEW

ABOUT THE WOOD'S EDGE
At the wood’s edge cultures collide. Can two families survive the impact?

The 1757 New York frontier is home to the Oneida tribe and to British colonists, yet their feet rarely walk the same paths.

On the day Fort William Henry falls, Major Reginald Aubrey is beside himself with grief. His son, born that day, has died in the arms of his sleeping wife. When Reginald comes across an Oneida mother with newborn twins, one white, one brown, he makes a choice that will haunt the lives of all involved. He steals the white baby and leaves his own child behind. Reginald’s wife and foundling daughter, Anna, never suspect the truth about the boy they call William, but Reginald is wracked by regret that only intensifies with time, as his secret spreads its devastating ripples.

When the long buried truth comes to light, can an unlikely friendship forged at the wood’s edge provide a way forward? For a father tormented by fear of judgment, another by lust for vengeance. For a mother still grieving her lost child. For a brother who feels his twin’s absence, another unaware of his twin’s existence. And for Anna,

Series: The Pathfinders
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Press (April 21, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1601427328
ISBN-13: 978-1601427328
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1 x 8.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lori Benton was born and raised east of the Appalachian Mountains, surrounded by early American and family history going back to the 1600s. Her novels transport readers to the 18th century, where she brings to life the Colonial and early Federal periods of American history, creating a melting pot of characters drawn from both sides of a turbulent and shifting frontier, brought together in the bonds of God's transforming grace.

Lori's debut novel, Burning Sky, earned the 2014 Christy Award for First Novel, Historical, and Book of the Year.

MY REVIEW
  The Wood’s Edge by Lori Benton is another superb read. This is Lori’s third book and each one is excellent. I’ve read all of them and will continue to look for her books in the future. Book 2 of the Pathfinders series will be out next year. Can’t wait.
  All of the characters in this series are well developed and very likable. When Reginald stole the white twin of a woman to give to his wife as their own son and placed his dead son in the other woman’s arms it just is such a sad and desperate move. You will feel the anguish of all of the parents involved. How one seeks revenge, how one is so very guilty. The mother that had her baby stolen knew right away when she woke what happened and how her heart was torn open with the grief. The mother who had her child die didn’t realize the switch so she loves this child fiercely.
   I love the names of the twins who were born to the Indian father and white mother. They are called Two Hawks and He-is-Taken.
  Also in the story a little girl {Anna} was almost murdered by the Indians but Reginald saved her. She meets Two Hawks in the woods, but doesn’t know that her adopted brother is really Two Hawks twin brother. Anna forms a friendship with him and they meet to talk of her brother, which is Two Hawks real brother.
  This is really a heart touching, precious story. Of loss, love, vengeance, forgiveness. Very good novel. I highly recommend it.

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Thanks to WaterBrookMultnomah 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

A Harvest of Hope by Lauraine Snelling A REVIEW

ABOUT A HARVEST OF HOPE
Miriam Hastings has her future plans in place...
But Trygve Knutson is intent on changing them.


Just a few short weeks into her year-long training at the Blessing Hospital, Miriam Hastings is called home to Chicago, where her mother is gravely ill. With siblings to care for, Miriam pleads to be allowed to finish her training in Chicago. Her nursing supervisor grants her a brief reprieve but extracts a promise that Miriam will return to Blessing and fulfill her one-year commitment.

While in Chicago, Miriam has tried to get Trygve Knutson and Blessing out of her mind, but his letters make that impossible. Trygve is busy building a house, hoping he can convince Miriam to return to North Dakota and marry him. Torn between Trygve's love and her family's needs, she doesn't know what to do.

When Miriam finally returns to Blessing, she buries herself in her work. But no matter how hard she tries to put it off, she has some life-changing decisions to make about her future, her family... and the man who is never far from her thoughts.

What will it take to convince her to stay?

Series: Song of Blessing
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (March 3, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0764211056
ISBN-13: 978-0764211058
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lauraine Snelling, an award-winning author of fifty-plus books with sales of over 2 million copies, also writes for a wide range of magazines and teaches at writers' conferences across the country. She and her husband make their home in Tehachapi, California.






MY REVIEW
  I have always loved books by Lauraine Snelling and A Harvest of Hope is another fantastic read. I must warn you if you haven’t read any of Lauraine’s books in the town of Blessing, North Dakota you may get lost with all of the people and things they are talking about. Even though this book is the 2nd book in the Song of Blessing series it takes a lot from other books that Lauraine wrote years ago.
Here are all of the books that happen in Blessing:
Bjorklund Family Novels & Series
An Untamed Heart (prequel to the Red River of the North series. October 2013)

Red River of the North series (First Bjorklund family series)
An Untamed Land
A New Day Rising
A Land To Call Home
The Reaper’s Song
Tender Mercies
Blessing In Disguise

Return To Red River series (Second Bjorklund family series)
A Dream To Follow
Believing The Dream
More Than A Dream

Daughters of Blessing series (Third Bjorklund family series)
(This series has limited print availability but is available in e-book format)
A Promise for Ellie
Sophie’s Dilemma
A Touch of Grace
Rebecca’s Reward

Home to Blessing series (Fourth Bjorklund family series)
A Measure of Mercy
No Distance Too Far
A Heart for Home

Song of Blessing series (Fifth Bjorklund family series)
To Everything A Season
A Harvest of Hope (Spring, 2015)

I have always loved the town of Blessing and all of the wonderful characters who are so loving and kind. How they help each other in pain, heartache and just share their joys. I think you will really love it, but I recommend that you read the books in the series first. Very good stories.

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Thank you to Bethany House 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