Wednesday, November 30, 2016

The Lost Diaries of Elizabeth Cady Stanton by Sarah Bates



From Goodreads.com: Johnstown, New York, 1823: It is a time when a wife’s dowry, even children, automatically becomes her husband’s property. Slavery is an economic advantage entrenched in America but rumblings of abolition abound. 
For Elizabeth Cady to confront this culture is unheard of, yet that is exactly what she does. Before she can become a leader of the women's rights movement and prominent abolitionist, she faces challenges fraught with disappointment. Her father admires her intellect but says a woman cannot aspire to the goals of men. Her sister’s husband becomes her champion–but secretly wants more. Religious fervor threatens to consume her. As she faces depression and despair, she records these struggles and other dark confidences in diaries. When she learns the journals might fall into the wrong hands and discredit her, she panics and rips out pages of entries that might destroy her hard-fought reputation. Relieved, she believes they are lost to history forever.
But are they? Travel with Elizabeth into American history and discover a young woman truly ahead of her time.
 

My Take:This book is very good as it tells the story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton who along with Susan B. Anthony was very instrumental in getting the 19th Amendment passed.  She lived during a time when women were not given the same opportunities that men had and without her it might be the same way today.  History doesn't really tells us much about Elizabeth as she is outshown by Susan.  But if it wasn't for Elizabeth and many others Susan B. Anthony wouldn't have been able to do what she did.  

I was given a review copy in exchange for my honest reeview by Virtual Author Book Tours.  

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

The Remnant by Monte Wolverson

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The Remnant (Plain Truth Ministries, August 2016)
In the year 2069 the Apocalypse came and went, but Jesus didn’t show up, as some expected.
Instead, a cataclysmic war, natural disasters and pandemics eradicated 90 percent of earth’s population. Now, in 2131, a totalitarian government rules the world from the majestic, opulent capitol of Carthage, Tunisia. Blamed for igniting the war, religion and religious books are banned. Citizens who will not renounce their religion are sent to work camps.
Grant Cochrin, imprisoned in a bleak petroleum camp in what was once North Dakota, leads his family and friends to escape and embark on a long, dangerous quest for a Christian community. Their resource in this journey? A cherished page torn from the now banished Bible—a remnant of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount handed down from Grant’s grandparents.
What if there were an Apocalypse and Jesus didn’t return? What if the survivors found themselves living in a world ruled by a totalitarian government, where religion is forbidden and all religious texts have been destroyed?
In The Remnant, award-winning author Monte Wolverton tells the tale of a band of concentration camp escapees who trek through the lawless American wilderness on a quest for authentic Christianity, only to come face to face with an unthinkable dilemma. The Remnant is a fast-paced story punctuated with dry satire, memorable characters and hard questions about religious institutions.
Monte Wolverton

{MORE ABOUT MONTE WOLVERTON}

Monte Wolverton is an award-winning author and syndicated editorial cartoonist. He is associate editor of CWR magazine. He is an ordained minister and holds a MA from Goddard College in Vermont. Along with his wife Kaye, he makes his home in southwest Washington State.




My take:  I have always liked fiction that asks what would happen for the future.  I did enjoy this book to a point but I had a bit of a problem keeping my attention with this book.  I did enjoy learning various facts about different leaders.  Since the main characters had grown up when the Bible was outlawed and all Bibles were destroyed.  They just had one part of a page of the Bible so they escaped the work camp they were in and went looking for a group of Christians.  They meet different types of people along the way and continued on to find a group of Christians they felt comfortable with.  There was a bit of action and not a graphic violence.  I would recommend this book if you Last Days fiction and in you like wondering what might happen. 

I received a review copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest opinion. 

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Where Two Hearts Meet by Liz Johnson

Where Two Hearts Meet (Prince Edward Island Dreams #2)

From Goodreads.com :  Evocative Contemporary Romance Set in a Charming Inn on Beautiful Prince Edward Island 
In her kitchen at the Red Door Inn, executive chef Caden Holt is calm, collected, and competent. But when her boss asks her to show off their beautiful island to impress a visiting travel writer and save the inn, Caden is forced to face a world much bigger than her kitchen--and a man who makes her wish she was beautiful. 
Journalist Adam Jacobs is on a forced sabbatical on Prince Edward Island. He's also on assignment to uncover a story. Instead he's falling in love with the island's red shores and Caden's sweets. 
When Caden discovers Adam isn't who she thought he was, she realizes that the article he's writing could do more than ruin the inn's chances for survival--it might also break her heart. 
Readers will discover hope for the hurting, joy for the broken, and romance for the lonely at the enchanting Red Door Inn

My Take: This is the second in the Red Door Inn series.  I did not read the first book and was able to enjoy this book fine but I will be going back to the first book because I want to learn more about this cozy little bed and breakfast.  Caden is a great main character.  She is shy and is trying to prove herself as a chef.  Don't read this book on an empty stomach as it will have you craving all sorts of different food.  I liked Adam is a good main character also.  I thought he should be upfront with Caden but it did help with the tension that he wasn't at first.  Nice contemporary Christian romance. 

I received a review copy by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.  

The Redical Book for Kids by Champ Thornton

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he Radical Book for Kids (New Growth Press, October 2016)
A kid-sized explorer’s guide to faith and life
The Radical Book for Kids is a fun-filled explorer’s guide to the Bible, church history, and life for boys and girls age 8 and up. Along with examining some of the most exciting realities in the universe, the handbook is vibrantly illustrated and chock-full of fun facts and ideas. Deep truths are communicated to elementary and middle-school aged kids while stimulating their curiosity and sense of adventure within a gospel-centered framework.
This power-packed book is “radical” in more ways than you might think! It is “radical” in the sense of the original meaning of the word, “going to the root or origin.” The Radical Book for Kids will take children on a fascinating journey into the ancient roots of the Christian faith. But it’s also “radical” in the more modern sense of being revolutionary. Kids read about men and women who learned to trust Jesus and stand for him—displaying radical faith—even when everything seemed against them.
But The Radical Book for Kids is also “radical”—meaning fun or cool—in the eyes of a child. Kids read about ancient weapons (and how to make one), learn about jewels, create pottery, discover ancient languages, use secret codes, locate stars, tell time using the sun, play a board game that’s 3,000 years old—and more.
Check out the table of contents, skip around, or read straight through. However a child chooses to explore it, The Radical Book for Kids will open new vistas for their imagination and help to make straight paths for their feet.
Champ Thornton

{MORE ABOUT CHAMP THORNTON}

Champ Thornton grew up in the Carolinas. He is presently an associate pastor at Ogletown Baptist Church in Newark, Delaware. Beginning in 2003, he pastored in South Carolina and later served as director of SOMA, a ministry training school in Columbus, Ohio. Champ is also the author of “God’s Love: A Bible Storybook,” and of Bible curriculum for early and upper elementary-aged children.
Find out more about Champ at http://www.champthornton.com.



My Take:  I cannot wait till by granddaughters are old enough to go through this book with them.  This will be a great book to have side by side when reading the Bible to help with any questions they may have.  This book take tough theological ideas and puts them into language that a child can understand.  This book is good for both Parents and kids to look through together.  Parents may even learn somethings, I know that I did.  It is a good quality book that should hold up to alot of handling.  I wish that I had this book when I was homeschooling.  Great resource.  

I received a review copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review. 


Trust My Heart by Carol J. Post.

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Trust My Heart (Waterfall Press, October 2016)
Grant McAllister arrives in Murphy, North Carolina, with one aim: to sell his inherited property and leave as quickly as possible.
The big-city lawyer has no interest in his late, estranged grandparents or the dilapidated mansion he just acquired. After his high-profile divorce, he should be avoiding perky reporters, too. But Jami Carlisle is honest, funny, and undeniably appealing.
After breaking up with her safe-but-smothering boyfriend, Jami is determined to ace her first big assignment. A story about the McAllister estate is too intriguing to ignore—much like its handsome, commitment-phobic heir. Thanks to her digging, the pieces of Grant’s fraught family history are gradually fitting into place, but also upending all his old beliefs.
The two draw closer as they share their dreams, until misread signals and misunderstandings begin to test their trust. But in the unspoiled beauty of the Smoky Mountains, there’s healing and forgiveness to be found. And for Grant, this unplanned detour may be just what’s needed to finally guide him home…
Carol J. Post

{MORE ABOUT CAROL J. POST}

From medical secretary to court reporter to property manager to owner of a special-events decorating company, Carol J. Post’s résumé reads as if she hasn’t yet decided what she wants to be when she grows up. But one thing that has remained constant through the years is her love of writing. She started as a child composing poetry for family and friends, then graduated to articles for religious and children’s publications. Now she pens fun, fast-paced inspirational romance and romantic suspense stories. Her books have been nominated for an RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Book award and selected as an RT Top Pick. When Carol isn’t writing, she enjoys sailing, hiking, camping—almost anything outdoors. She also plays the piano and sings with her music-minister husband. Their two grown daughters and their grandkids live too far away for her liking, so she now pours all her nurturing into taking care of a fat and sassy black cat and a highly spoiled dachshund.
Find out more about Carol J. at http://caroljpost.com.

My Take: I haven't read a book by this author before but I think I will be looking for books by her in the future.  Both of our main Characters Grant and Jamie were flawed because of past relationships.  Jamie turned to God for her strength whereas Grant relied on himself which cost him alot in the long run.  I felt like there was a bit of instalove which can be a turnoff especially in a contemporary fiction book.  This was a good clean romance and I did like the story.  Recommend this if you like contemporary romance and don't mind the instalove. 

I received a review copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review.  

$75 Cozy Cash Giveaway

Will an unplanned detour finally guide Grant home and find love with an honest, funny, and undeniably appealing reporter named Jami? Find out in a heartwarming romance by Carol J. Post, Trust My Heart. Grant McAllister arrives in Murphy, North Carolina, with one aim: to sell his inherited property and leave as quickly as possible. After breaking up with her safe-but-smothering boyfriend, Jami is determined to ace her first big assignment. A story about the McAllister estate is too intriguing to ignore—but as the two draw closer as they share their dreams, misread signals and misunderstandings begin to test their trust.

Join Carol in celebrating the release of Trust My Heart by entering to win her $75 Cozy Cash Giveaway.

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One grand prize winner will receive:
  • A copy of Trust My Heart
  • A $75 Visa cash card
  • A basket full of goodies made in North Carolina to keep you cozy in the cooler fall weather
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Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on November 23. The winner will be announced November 28 on Carol's blog.

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Christmas Novella Collection.




Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Death at First Sight by Lena Gregory

Death at First Sight (Bay Island Psychic Mystery #1)

It doesn’t take a crystal ball to see that something’s not right on Bay Island...

Since she left her psychiatric practice in New York City to open up a psychic shop in her hometown on Long Island, Cass Donovan has given her fair share of readings to conflicted customers. But what she sees in Ellie Hawkins’ future doesn’t bode well. 

When Ellie’s mother Marge publicly confronts Cass about the reading, the embarrassment makes her want to curl up and die. But when she later stumbles across Marge’s body—and is arrested for her murder—Cass is suddenly the star of Bay Island’s rumor mill.

Out on bail, Cass is determined to prove her innocence and save Ellie from meeting the fate in her unfortunate vision. But even with the help of her friends Bee and Stephanie, Cass will have to channel some serious sleuthing instinct to find the real killer...


My Take:   I don't really believe in psychics.  I have my opinions about how that all comes about.  I do know I like a good cozy mystery and this is one of those.  The mystery itself is a good one that has you guessing what will happen next.  It did pique my interest that Cass was a psychiatrist that then went on to open a psychic shop.  

I received a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.  

Friday, November 4, 2016

Cold Case Christianity by J. Warner Wallace and Susie Wallace

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Cold-Case Christianity for Kids(David C. Cook, October 2016)
Between the ages of 8 and 12, kids often start to wonder if Christianity is true.
In Cold-Case Christianity for Kids, detective J. Warner Wallace draws readers into the thrill of high-stakes investigation by showing them how to think rather than telling them what to think. In this children’s companion to the bestselling Cold-Case Christianity, detective Wallace gets kids excited about testing witnesses, examining the evidence, and investigating the case for Christianity. Includes author illustrations and links to a website where kids can download activities, fill in case notes, and earn a certificate of merit.
J. Warner and Susie Wallace

{MORE ABOUT J. WARNER AND SUSIE WALLACE}

J. Warner and Susie Wallace have been training young people in the church setting for over a decade. J. Warner is a cold-case homicide detective who has been featured on Dateline, FOX News, Court TV and other crime-related television shows. A former atheist, he is the author of Cold-Case Christianity: God’s Crime Scene and Forensic Faith. He has a master’s degree in theology and is the founder of ColdCaseChristianity.com. Susie has a master’s degree in speech pathology and co-writes (and edits) all the kids books in this series. J. Warner and Susie have four children and live in southern California.
Find out more about J. Warner and at http://www.coldcasechristianityforkids.com.


My take:  I am always on the lookout for books and materials that will help when my grandchildren have questions about the Christian faith.  This book is a good one to have on hand as it goes through the evidence from the lens of a detective putting together the facts to solve the case.  It is interactive as the kids fill out the case notes and come to the conclusions themelves.  I will gladly give my grandkids this book when they are old enough.  

I received a review copy of this book from LItfuse in exchange for my honest opinion. 

At the crucial age between 8 and 12, many kids begin to wonder if Christianity and the Bible are true. Help your kids become truth-seeking detectives with the help of J. Warner and Susie Wallace's Cold-Case Christianity for Kids. Detective Wallace gets kids excited about testing witnesses, examining the evidence, and investigating the case for Christianity. The book includes author illustrations and links to a website where kids can download activities, fill in case notes, and earn a certificate of merit.

Encourage your kids to investigate the case for Christianity by entering to win a faith examination kit and a copy of J. Warner and Susie's new book.

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One grand prize winner will receive:
Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on November 4. The winner will be announced November 7 on the Litfuse blog.

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Thursday, November 3, 2016

Christian's Hope by Ervin R. Stutzman

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Christian’s Hope (Herald Press, October 2016)
When Christian Hochstetler returns to the Amish after seven years in captivity, he finds that many things have shifted.
Captured as a child during the French and Indian War, Christian has spent much of his life among Native Americans, who cared for him and taught him their ways. Now that Christian is home, his father wants him to settle back into their predictable Amish life of farming, and Christian’s budding friendship with Orpha Rupp beckons him to stay as well.
Yet Christian feels restless, and he misses his adoptive Native American family—who raised him as their own son. When faced with a life-altering decision, will Christian choose the Amish identity that his father desires for him? Or will he depart from his family and faith community yet again?
Christian’s Hope tells the story of the younger brother of Joseph and son of Jacob, whom readers have come to love in the first two books in the Return to Northkill series. Based on actual events and written by a descendant of the Hochstetler family,Christian’s Hope brings the sweeping epic of the Return to Northkill series to a soul-stirring end.
Ervin R. Stutzman

{MORE ABOUT ERVIN R. STUTZMAN}

Ervin R. Stutzman is author of “Jacob’s Choice,” “Joseph’s Dilemma,” “Tobias of the Amish,” and “Emma, A Widow Among the Amish.” Born into an Amish home in Kalona, Iowa, Stutzman based the Return to Northkill series on the life of his ancestor, Jacob Hochstetler. He has been featured on TLC’s “Who Do You Think You Are?”
Find out more about Ervin R. athttp://www.mennomedia.org.



My Take:  This is the third book in a series but I don't feel like you had to have read the other books to enjoy this book.  This book is a different kind of Amish story.  The Main character was kidnapped by Indians when he was young.  He is reunited with his family and other Amish but isn't really accepted because he preferred is life with the Indians. The Amish don't accept him because he is different from them.  There are other things that go on in the story that were interesting.  This series is based on a true event.  This was not your typical Amish book.  

I received a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. 

Book Spotlight Chaste by Jesse Teller

Chaste: A Tale from Perilisc

From Goodreads.com

When her devout parents died, Cheryl turned her back on her god. Years of denial and self-loathing have defeated her. Her life consists of taking orders and succumbing to abuse. A group of strangers stops in Chaste for the night, but an unnamed threat is preying on the town. Tragic deaths have become more and more frequent. Cheryl wants to protect these travelers, expose the evil force, and save her fellow citizens, but she must find a way to believe in hope.

A Sister;s Wish and An Amish Family Christmas by Shelley Shaprd Gray

a-sisters-wishamish-family-christmas

A Sister’s Wish (Avon Inspire, September 2016)
In Shelley Shepard Gray’s third book in her Charmed Amish Life series, a respectable young woman finds herself falling for an Amish man from the wrong side of the tracks.
Amelia Kinsinger is the perfect Amish woman—at least according to her neighbors. And while Amelia takes pride in her role as homemaker, she’s also harboring a secret: She’s been in love with bad boy Simon Hochstetler for as long as she can remember. Too bad he’s about as far from “perfect” as an Amish man could get… but that’s exactly why she’s so drawn to him.
Life hasn’t been kind to Simon. He ran away from an abusive home at fifteen and things went downhill from there. Eventually, Simon landed in prison. But the experience changed him. Now back in Charm as a grown man, he’s determined to make a new life for himself and not think too much about his wild past…unless it pertains to Amelia.
He’s loved Amelia for years. To him, she represents everything good and kind in the world. When he realizes that she returns his affections, he starts calling on her in secret, even though her older brother Lukas—who just happens to be Simon’s best friend—has made it perfectly clear that Amelia deserves better. Simon disagrees and believes he’s the only one who can truly make her happy.
But when Amelia gets hurt, it sets off a chain of events that forces them to consider their future together—and face their past mistakes. There’s a chance for love… but only if Simon dares to trust Amelia with the secrets of his past.

My Take: I really enjoyed this installment of the Charm Amish series.  I was glad to see Amelia get the respect that she deserved.  I was a bit surprised to see Amish treat Simon bad because of his past.  God forgives and the Amish claim to forgive  especially after the person has joined the church.  I was sad to learn about Simon's family life.  No one in the church bothered to reach out.  That just makes me sad. 


An Amish Family Christmas (Avon Inspire, October 2016)
In Shelley Shepard Gray’s fourth book in her Charmed Amish Life series, an unlikely Amish romance reveals that Christmas is a time for family, miracles—and love.
Ever since his father died in a tragic fire, Levi Kinsinger has felt adrift. Newly returned to Charm, Ohio, Levi is trying to fit into his old life, only to discover he seems to have outgrown it.
But when Julia, his young widowed neighbor, asks for his help with a Christmas project, Levi finds a sense of purpose for the first time in months. She and her daughter are new to Charm and could use a friend, a job Levi takes personally. Soon enough, friendship grows into attraction, but Levi can’t help having doubts. There’s something about Julia that doesn’t ring quite true…
Like Levi, Julia Kemps has survived her fair share of hardships—but only by hiding the truth of her past. Being an unmarried mother in an Amish community was unthinkable. Feeling hopeless, Julia did the only thing she could do: she moved to a new town and pretended to be a widow. But meeting Levi, she’s hopeful for the first time. Little by little, she begins to imagine telling him her darkest secret, and eventually…perhaps even sharing her life with him.
Christmas is a time for family, and as the holiday draws closer, Julia and Levi will have to face their pasts together…in order to find the healing, support and love they so desperately desire.

My Take:  I really liked this fourth book in this series.  I liked getting to know Levi the fourth Kinsinger sibling.  I Also liked getting to know Julia and her daughter.  This book brought home the fact that the Amish are still tempted the way we all are.  Again there was a situation in this book that I was surprised that the church didn't help.  I was very sad about this too.  
Shelley Shepard Gray
Shelley Shepard Gray is a “New York Times” and “USA Today” bestselling author, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time HOLT Medallion winner. She lives in southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town’s bike trail.
Find out more about Shelley athttp://www.shelleyshepardgray.com.

A SISTER’S WISH AND AN AMISH FAMILY CHRISTMAS BY SHELLEY SHEPARD GRAY | BLOG TOUR AND 5-BOOK GIVEAWAY

Don’t miss books three (A Sister’s Wish) and four (An Amish Family Christmas) in Shelley Shepard Gray’s Charmed Amish Life series. In A Sister’s Wish, when Amelia gets hurt, it sets off a chain of events that forces Amelia and Simon to consider their future together—and face their past mistakes. There’s a chance for love . . . but only if Simon dares to trust Amelia with the secrets of his past. In An Amish Family Christmas, Christmas is a time for family, and as the holiday draws closer, Julia and Levi will have to face their pasts together . . . in order to find the healing, support and love they so desperately desire.
Enter to win a book pack (a copy of A Sister’s Wish and a copy of An Amish Family Christmas) from Shelley. Five winners will be chosen! Click the image below to enter to win. The winners will be announced November 7th on Shelley’s blog!

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I received a review copy of these two books in exchange for my honest opinion.