This is a book that ALL teachers will want to read, so that means that everyone will want to read it because, after all, we are all teachers in some way. It is the story of a young teacher who wants to make a difference in the life of a boy with a heart condition. Maggie takes on the additional responsibility of home schooling little Yuri, a boy who loves baseball above all things and wants to be able to play, but his heart condition keeps him on the sidelines. His parents, Katya and Sasha are immigrants from Ukraine and were gravely affected by the nuclear accident at Chernobyl. Katya was once a promising ballerina and Sasha is a talented scientist. Both are compelled to seek the best life for Yuri, no matter what the consequences. Throughout many afternoon meetings with Maggie, Yuri discovers that learning can be fun and he begins to write a heartfelt journal about his life’s wish to play baseball and about his life that is mostly on the inside looking out. As a former teacher, I loved this novel and all of the lessons that it teaches. We can make a difference, one child at a time, one family at a time. This book has heart and empathy and teaches about sacrifice and overcoming. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading!

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I won a complimentary copy of this book from the author in an online contest. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

This is a totally clean read and is suitable and recommended for all readers. It is available now at your local bookseller or online.

Special note: My local book group has a Skype meeting with the author scheduled for November 4th. If you are in the central VA area and would like to participate, please feel free to message me for the details.

Just a reminder to enter the contest to enter a free signed copy of Debra Webb’s latest romantic suspense. To enter, just comment on my original blog post about the contest or comment on this one. Good luck, my friends! The contest ends Friday, and I will pick a winner on Saturday, using an app called Randomizer. U.S. entries only for the book. Sorry to my international friends!

Yesterday, I wasn’t online much because I was on a church trip with the Fun Bunch, a group of us who are over fifty-five. We went to a little town in the Shenandoah Mountains of Virginia and saw some beautiful places. We also visited The Cheese Shop, a kind of grocery store run by the Mennonites, with homemade butter and cheeses. Plus, there was a deli there with sandwiches with their cheeses and homemade breads. Yum! So much goodness in one place! We also visited a nursery called Milmont, with so many lovely plants. My favorite, of course, was the yellow rose bush. Mine died after my husband tried to transplant it and I still miss it. Finally, we went to a place with all kinds of country crafts and handmade items. I couldn’t go see what was upstairs or downstairs because of my handicap, but I enjoyed the main floor a lot. So, I did read my Bible yesterday before I left and then off I went to spend the day with friends. Please bear with me as I share photos of my adventure.

I hope that all of you get to spend time with church family. It’s like a little taste of Heaven since one day we will all be together with the Lord. The trip was about two and a half hours away, and that was a lot of car fellowship. Our pastor Scott Pollard is on the left and I am on the other side, on the right. Just in case you don’t recognize me, I’m the one with the cane. The trip was lots of fun! I especially enjoyed making new friends who were only acquaintances before. We are all part of God’s family and it’s such a special thing to be able to spend time together. Blessings, my friends, for a wonderful day filled with God’s Word, fellowship with family and friends, and a feeling of being enough, wherever and whatever you are!

Part science fiction and part thriller, this book started out fast and kept its quick pace throughout. Claire Abrams wants a baby without genetic weaknesses that killed her firstborn son, Colton. She turns to genetic researcher, Dr. Robert Nash, for help in having a child without the mitochondrial disorder that runs in her family. Together with his brilliant and devious lab assistant Jillian, Dr. Nash is able to impregnate Claire with a baby, but his unauthorized research is discovered, so he has to go into hiding. He takes Claire with him and leaves Jillian to face the repercussions. Fast forward eleven years and we have a very angry and vengeful Jillian, fresh out of prison. The book is told in first person, from the POV of various characters and flashes from the past to the present. The short chapters made it an easy book to read, even though books with so much sci-fi usually do not interest me. The psychological thriller part of this book grabbed me and kept me interested until the end, even though I had predicted what that end would be. Fans of trillers with a scientific bent will really enjoy this book!

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

This book is available online and at your favorite local bookseller.

Good morning, faithful readers! I am pleased to announce the author Debra Webb has agreed to provide a free copy of her book to the winner of my blog contest. To enter, all you have to do is comment and tell me what you enjoy about reading. Simple, right? So, here is the book that you can win. The contest will be open until Friday and I will announce the winner on Saturday! Good luck, everyone!

Available TODAY in mass market paperback and e-book.

Note: Because of mailing costs, the contest for a physical book is open to U.S. readers only. Those outside the U.S. are eligible to receive an e-book copy.

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to read and study God’s Word. But it is also important to put it into our hearts so that when we need it, it’s there for us…and for others.

We don’t study God’s Word once in a while. The word used in the MEV is “continually.” That means always, daily and as often as you can. How do you meditate? I know that I just sit quietly and let God’s Word for the day speak to my heart and ask that He show me how to apply it to my life. I want to be obedient, even though I must confess that often I fall short. Nevertheless, my desire is to obey and to take His Word to a hurting world. There is so much wrong in our world today. I hesitate sometimes to turn on the morning news because I simply don’t want to hear the bad news. But I never hesitate to read His Word because I always find encouragement and love there. It’s like my daily hug! God’s Word is important because it’s His message to us, His children. Blessings for a day filled with His love and may His words to you bring you the comfort that you need for the day. Then, go out and bless someone else!

Have you read any of Debra Webb’s series with her heroine, “The Undertaker’s Daughter”? I will be giving away a copy of her latest release, THE LIES WE TELL, next week. If you enjoy romantic suspense, you will really love this book. Watch for more details on Tuesday, release day!

This delightful Christmas novella totally enchanted me! I love Melody Carlson’s books because they are all quick and fast-paced reads. This little book was a real joy to read and to prepare one’s heart for the holiday season. Krista Galloway, the main character, doesn’t really like Christmas at all because she spent her childhood in foster homes and has no good memories of the holiday. She does want to create good memories for her daughter Emily, though. The two have just moved to the little town of Winter Hill as Krista has accepted the job of city manager there. Unbeknownst to her, Krista has also accepted the job of managing the town’s annual festival called Christmasville. It will take a local man and his daughter to convince Krista that there can be good in life, and especially at Christmastime. Fans of Carlson and Debbie Macomber will enjoy this book because it touches all of the right chords to make your heartstrings hum.

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

This sweetly clean tale is available now from your local bookseller or online.

Although this is the third book in the Dive Team series, it is the first one that I have read and I really enjoyed it. There were some gaps about the characters that made me wish that I had already read the other two books first, but nothing that was big enough to disrupt my enjoyment. This is the story of Gabe Chavez and Anissa Bell. Gabe is an investigator and Anissa is a dive team captain who are thrown into investigating the same shooting when it happens on the water. Gabe and Anissa have a past that they have to overcome in order to build a romance together, and I enjoyed how Ms. Blackburn built their relationship together slowly. I liked the intriguing plot and the surprising ending; I was not able to guess who the villain was although, upon reflection, Ms. Blackburn did leave subtle clues. This is the first Blackburn book that I have read but it will not be the last because it included all that I look for in Christian romantic suspense. It was a clean read and very satisfying! Fans of romantic suspense will enjoy this book, but I do recommend reading the other two books in the series first.

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

This clean romantic suspense is available now from your local bookseller or online.