I am a Christian, a retired teacher, a mother and a grandmother. I love to read and I love the Lord Jesus Christ! Unless otherwise specified ,all visual illustrations are from the YOU VERSION APP of the Bible.
Oh, my! My eyes are still leaking tears as I ponder what to write in a review that would do this incomparable book justice. It is the story of an elderly woman who goes to hospice and the reporter assigned to write her obituary and eventually her story. Mrs. Kip is just the person I aspire to be, pouring out her life selflessly for the sake of others in need, including the young cub reporter Aidyn Kelley. The assignment meant to be a consequence for Ms. Kelley turns out to be the biggest blessing of her life as she discovers what it means to walk a life of faith, no matter the cost. Some of the story is based on facts about the Laotian refugees who settled in Kansas City and the volunteers who offered them hope in a new world. Mrs. Kip’s story of her exploits with the refugees was nothing short of breathtaking and awe-inspiring. In fact, her entire story is one that makes me want to know this fictional character in real life, and if I can’t know her, I want to be just like her. Her battles on earth were not just against the death encroaching on her now, but they were always waiting for her to surrender to the despair and hopelessness that she should have felt in the presence of insurmountable circumstances. I cannot write too much about the plot without giving away spoilers and it is my desire that everyone who reads this review get a copy of the book and savor it as I have. It is a book to read with others, discuss with book groups and to carry in one’s heart as a testimony to what can be accomplished by one person who stands in the gap. If you only read one book besides your Bible this year, let it be this one. This is inspirational fiction at its very best and deserves much more than the five stars that I can give it. It is without any doubt the best contemporary Christian fiction book that I have ever read! Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Rated G for all audiences. Sara Brunsvold creates stories that speak hope, truth, and life. Influenced by humble women of God who find His fingerprints in the everyday, she does the same in her life and her storytelling. Sara’s recognitions include the 2020 ACFW Genesis Award for Contemporary Fiction. She lives with her family in Kansas City, where she can often be spotted writing at a park or library.
Awards ACFW Genesis Contest Winner, Contemporary Category, 2020 ACFW Genesis Contest Semi-Finalist, Contemporary Category, 2018 Mattie Dykes Creative Writing Award – Fiction, 2000 PHOTO and BIO from the author’s website at http://www.sarabrunsvold.com
This amazing book by a debut author is available now. Purchase Links:
I cannot express appreciation deeply enough for Revell offering me the opportunity to read and review this book. I read almost 300 books annually and this is the best that I have ever reviewed. Please add it to your TBR list, request that your library purchase a copy and spread the word so that this debut author makes a big splash in the literary world, just as she should.
I don’t know about you, but I’m a people-pleaser. I started that habit as a child to receive approval from a very critical mother. I would do whatever it took to get someone to notice that I was doing good things and to praise me for it. I would like to think that I have outgrown that habit, but I probably haven’t since I still find myself sometimes saying “yes” a lot when what I really mean to say is “no.” I think that’s the people-pleaser in me coming out.
Part of my devotional today is about pleasing God, making wise choices with my words and my thoughts. To do that, I have to spend time with Him, making sure that I’m on the same page as He is. Sometimes lately I have found that God has moved on to the next page, or even the next chapter, and I’m still standing in the past demanding that He fix things for me. Then He speaks quietly to my heart and tells me to just move on with Him, that it will all be okay.
If I please God, then I will be pleasing to Him and that makes my heart happy.
Have a blessed day and may you find yourself on the same page as God and be able to find pleasure in pleasing Our Maker.
You know you aren’t thirty anymore when you try to stay up later to read and drag yourself to bed, barely able to brush your teeth before falling on to the pillow. I haven’t been thirty in over four decades and this has been one of those weeks in which I’m feeling my years. My darling cat Daisy plopped herself down on the bath mat right in front of me and in trying not to step on her, I pulled a muscle in my leg. Ouch! So, I hobbled around for the first part of the week. Thanks, Daisy! But feeling my age isn’t all bad as I discovered this morning in my devotional. God has promises for those of us in our golden years, too.
The fruit I want to bear is more people hearing about God’s grace, mercy and forgiveness. I volunteered to work at VBS this year at our church. No, I cannot run around with the kids but I can be there for them, to sing and to pray and to just be a witness to God’s great love and the fact that He is their Rock in times of trouble.
You know, there is no greater sustainer than God and when He promises to sustain me, I believe it. No health problems are too big for God. As I have told my very negative sister multiple times, I’m not leaving this earth until God calls me home, so I’m not worried about when or how I will die. I just want to keep on working for Him until He calls for me.
How about you? Do you have a promise from God that He spoke into your heart this week? Please share it in the comments. And have a blessed day!
Former SEAL Ranger Kingston is involved in a mission to rescue a group in Nigeria from Boko Haram. In fulfilling this mission, he meets Noemi Sutton for the second time and realizes that they may be destined to be together. With his brothers Dodge and Colt, Ranger runs toward danger and this book is chock full of action from page one all the way to the end. Set mostly in Nigeria but also in Alaska, the descriptions themselves make the book worth reading. The characters were take-charge and rough and ready kind of people. I especially loved Noemi’s family in Nigeria, particularly her Aunt Precious and Uncle Efe who loved her so much and wanted to take care of her. The celebration that they organized for her was sheer perfection to read and an education about customs in Nigeria. Ranger’s family in Alaska is a daring one, with a sky rescue service and the willingness to go wherever they were needed. So much was happening in this book at all times that I almost got whiplash from reading it! This was a fun, entertaining and edge-of-your-seat read that I had difficulty putting down. Each time I returned to it, I was so happy to see that the characters were all still alive because it was that realistic. I loved every minute that I spent engrossed in this book and I’m already looking forward to the next book in the series. Fans of romantic suspense, with the emphasis on thrilling suspense, will devour this book and clamor for more from this talented author. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell 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, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
The intense action and events make this a PG-13. It is a clean Christian read.With over 1 million books sold, critically acclaimed novelist Susan May Warren is the Christy, RITA and Carol award-winning author of over seventy-five novels with Revell, Tyndale, Barbour, Steeple Hill and Summerside Press. Known for her compelling plots and unforgettable characters, Susan has written contemporary and historical romances, romantic-suspense, thrillers, rom-com and Christmas novellas. With books translated into eight languages, many of her novels have been ECPA and CBA bestsellers, were chosen as Top Picks by Romantic Times, and have won the RWA’s Inspirational Reader’s Choice contest and the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year award. Of her books, Publisher’s Weekly has written, “Warren lays bare her characters’ human frailties, including fear, grief, and resentment, as openly as she details their virtues of love, devotion, and resiliency. She has crafted an engaging tale of romance, rivalry, and the power of forgiveness.” And Library Journal adds, “Warren’s characters are well-developed and she knows how to create a first rate contemporary romance…” Susan is also a nationally acclaimed writing coach, teaching at conferences around the nation and winner of the 2009 American Christian Fiction Writers Mentor of the Year award. She loves to help people launch their writing careers and is the founder of Novel.Academy and http://www.LearnHowtoWriteaNovel.com, a writing website that helps authors get published and stay published. She’s also the author of the popular writing method, The Story Equation. BIO and PHOTO from the author’s website on Amazon at Amazon
This book is available now and can be purchased wherever Christian books are sold. Here are purchase links:
Who doesn’t like a good romance with a good lesson to learn? This book is a perfect romance between two lost souls who need to find each other. Hope is newly settled into the small town of Oceanside, teaching and counseling at the local high school and trying to make friends by volunteering at the local animal shelter. There she meets Cade Lincoln, an ex-marine who is a wounded veteran. She also meets Shadow there, a poor abused dog who trusts no one except Hope. It’s love at first sight for Hope and Shadow and Cade isn’t far behind. How they get to their “happily ever after” is an amazing trip with some unexpected turns and complications, including students taking drugs, vandalism and family drama. I really enjoyed the sub-plot about teen Spencer and his attempt at being accepted by a girl he really likes but who is so popular his chances are slim. The lessons taught include never giving up, being hopeful for the future and choosing to do the right thing in spite of obstacles and others leading the wrong way. I especially liked the inclusion of honoring veterans who sacrifice so much for our nation. This is a wholesome book that is encouraging and uplifting as well as a really good story. 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, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Clean, wholesome fiction Debbie Macomber is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of today’s most popular writers with more than 200 million copies of her books in print worldwide. In her novels, Macomber brings to life compelling relationships that embrace family and enduring friendships, uplifting her readers with stories of connection and hope. Macomber’s novels have spent over 1,000 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Fifteen of these novels hit the number one spot. In 2022, Macomber’s all-new hardcover publications include The Best Is Yet to Come (July) and The Christmas Spirit (October). In addition to fiction, Macomber has also published three bestselling cookbooks, two adult coloring books, numerous inspirational and nonfiction works, and two acclaimed children’s books. Celebrated as “the official storyteller of Christmas”, Macomber’s annual Christmas books are beloved and six have been crafted into original Hallmark Channel movies. Macomber is also the author of the bestselling Cedar Cove Series which the Hallmark Channel chose as the basis for its first dramatic scripted television series. Debuting in 2013, Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove was a ratings favorite for three seasons. She serves on the Guideposts National Advisory Cabinet, is a YFC National Ambassador, and is World Vision’s international spokesperson for their Knit for Kids charity initiative. A devoted grandmother, Debbie and Wayne live in Port Orchard, Washington, the town which inspired the Cedar Cove series. 2022 Debbie Macomber Bio
This book will be released on July 12, 2022. It is available for preorders now. Purchase Links:
This is Amish fiction combined with contemporary mystery. Leah Miller is a deputy sheriff in the small town in Montana where she grew up and where her family was murdered. She feels responsible for their deaths because the young English man she was secretly seeing at the time is the one who killed them and wounded her. As a deputy, she wants to find the man who disappeared a decade ago. The new chief of police, Dalton Cooper, also wants to find the suspect, but mostly because young Amish girls are currently being murdered in like manner to Leah’s family. Sure that the cases are connected, Dalton joins forces with Leah to track down the killer before he kills again or goes after Leah. The action is fast-paced and riveting with some red herrings thrown into the mix to keep things interesting. The characters are realistic and portray their humanity in several ways, the most endearing being that they end up falling in love with each other. I enjoyed that Leah’s foster mother Marge is involved in the center of the mystery and has a secret herself that is revealed slowly and methodically. There were some parts of the book that were predictable, most notably when young Amish girls had clandestine meetings with strangers. But the predictability did not detract from the entertainment value of the book. I enjoyed the setting out west, a place that I had never associated with the Amish before and I liked the research that went into including tribal law enforcement in the quest of justice. All in all, this is a solidly entertaining and engaging book and I recommend it for those who enjoy clean romantic suspense with more than a little mystery included. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell 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.”
A definite PG-13 or higher because of the violence depicted. It is not graphic but it is present. There is also a trigger concerning mental illness. Mary Alford is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of more than fifty novels. Her books have been finalists in the Selah Award, the Daphne du Maurier Award, and the HOLT Medallion Contest. As a writer, Mary is an avid reader. She loves to cook and can’t face the day with-out coffee. She and her husband live in the heart of Texas in the middle of 70 acres with two very spoiled cats and one adorable rescue dog. Mary is very active online and would love to connect with readers on Facebook and Twitter or any social platforms listed at http://www.maryalford.net. BIO and Photo are from the author’s website on Amazon
This edgy Christian mystery is available now. Purchase Links:
Did you see this verse in which it states clearly that endurance is taught in the Scriptures? It is also learned through life experiences. And the end result is hope. Our daughter is named Hope and there is an interesting story behind her name. My husband is a twin, but his twin Beverly died at birth while he lived. His mom was always saddened by the fact that she never had a little girl, although she was blessed with three strapping boys. When I got pregnant, I shared with her that I hoped to have a girl and she immediately told me that the male determines the gender and her side of the family only had boys. Nevertheless, I dared to hope that our first baby would be a girl, even choosing the name Hope and the middle name Ellen (her Grammy’s name). When I went into labor at the end of August, before the time of gender reveals and ultrasounds telling you the sex long before the due date, I was still hoping that the baby would be a girl but I wasn’t going to be surprised to have a boy instead. After a very short labor (less than four hours from beginning to end and another answer to prayer), our little miracle was born. A girl! Hope Ellen Watts was born at 3:15 in the afternoon on August 31st! Now, when I am praying and think about how impossible it might be for God to answer, I remember that day in the hospital when SHE was born. She lives up to her name, too, spreading light and cheer wherever she goes. I’m sure her grandmother would be so proud of the beautiful young woman she grew up to be. Grammy lived to see Hope settled meet a few of her great grandchildren, but no one seemed to touch her heart as much as Hope Ellen, her namesake and the girl who was supposed to be a boy. Encouragement, endurance and hope!
Have a blessed day today and remember to smile at others. It may give them some hope!
As Christians, we are free from sin but not free to do whatever we want. God loves us enough to put boundaries on our freedoms so that we will not harm ourselves or others.
This is a well-researched book that delves into the dark world of cybercriminals and also informed me of how much harm a cyber attack can actually do. Part of the Rocky Mountain Courage series, this one knocked it out of the park with suspense from the very beginning until the end. I liked the picturesque setting in Montana and all of the ways that the setting was used so well for the non-stop action. I particularly enjoyed the low-key romance developing between Alex and Mackenzie. They were so busy concentrating on finding and stopping the cyber attack that they barely had time to acknowledge each other’s feelings, but they were definitely attracted to each other. That is my kind of love story, simmering on the back burner until one day it catches on fire. The plot was complicated and very well told so that it was understandable in spite of the fact that it dealt with some really complex issues in the cyber world. I really enjoyed meeting the characters from the previous books in the series again as they were called in to help Alex safeguard Mackenzie and capture the criminal. I was not able to guess who the bad guy was, and I do love a book that keeps me guessing until the big reveal. Fans of romantic suspense, with the emphasis on suspense, will enjoy this final book in the trilogy and, like me, will look forward to the next book from this talented author. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and from Revell via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Christian fiction with some intense actionBio: With over a million books sold, Elizabeth Goddard is the USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of over fifty novels and counting, including the romantic mystery, THE CAMERA NEVER LIES–a 2011 Carol Award winner. Four of her six Mountain Cove books have been contest finalists. Buried,Backfire and Deceptionare finalists in the Daphne Du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery and Suspense, and Submerged is a Carol Award finalist. A 7th generation Texan, Elizabeth graduated from North Texas State University with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and worked in high-level software sales for several years before retiring to fulfill her dreams of writing full-time. Information from the author’s website at https://elizabethgoddard.com
Questions and Answers from the author:
1. This book deals with cyber-security as the villain and heroine are hackers. What led you in that direction?
I have a computer science degree and worked in the software industry for almost a decade before retiring to become a writer. Cybercrime is a huge issue since we are all connected to technology so I decided to dive into the topic, especially since I love to bring intrigue into my adventure stories, this one in Montana.
2. What was the most interesting (or most frightening) thing you learned while doing research for this book?
While conferring with a cyber security expert, I learned that almost anything I could imagine a hacker could do—they actually CAN do.
3. What was your favorite part of writing this book/series?
I loved writing about both my characters, Mackenzie and Alex. I especially enjoyed writing about Alex’s character and his background as a Diplomatic Security Services special agent
4. Did anything in the story end up surprising you or changing trajectory?
What a great question. This often happens in stories and that’s okay because if it surprises me, then it surprises my readers. If the trajectory changes, then that’s a great twist as well. On Critical Alliance, I’m not sure the trajectory was changed, but since I mostly write by the “seat-of-my-pants” everything was a surprise.
5. Do you base your characters (even loosely) on anyone you know?
I do not intentionally base a character on someone I know, but I think it’s impossible not to include bits of every person you’ve ever met when creating a brand-new character.
6. Do you have any “bits of trivia” or “behind the scenes tidbits” that you would like to share with my readers?
Yes! I introduce Detective Trevor West in Critical Alliance and he shows up as the main character in book 2 in my Missing in Alaska series—coming next year.
7. What’s coming next and when can we expect it?
Cold Light of Day is book 1 in my brand-spanking-new series, Missing in Alaska, and will release in February 2023. I’m so excited for you to get your hands on this first book.
Thank you for having me! Readers can stay in the knows by signing up for my newsletter at my website: elizabethgoddard.com
This book will be released tomorrow, on July 5th, but you can preorder it now. Purchase Links:
Get this amazing book today and enjoy it! I am blessed to be a member of the Revell Reads Blogger Program and was chosen to read an early Netgalley copy of the book. I also received a hard copy from the author since I am a member of her influencer team. Double blessings and one of the best books I have ever read!
If you have ever had a panic attack, you know the terrible feeling that you just cannot get enough air and the light-headedness that follows. I used to have panic attacks frequently, particularly in large crowds or heavy traffic. Diagnosed as agoraphobic (fear of crowded spaces), I was told I could overcome the fear or it would overcome me. Well, since fear is not part of God’s desires for me, I chose to overcome the fear. How? Be taking deep breaths and saying a prayer before I faced a difficult situation and by making sure that my husband was nearby until I felt comfortable.
Today’s Scripture verse reminded me of the hard times I went through about thirty years ago as I dealt with a fear that could be debilitating except for God’s grace and power.
The devotional itself reminded me of the tactics I used to make it through the difficulty of being in a crowd. Jeanette Blackmer who wrote today’s devotional for “Mornings with Jesus” said that when you are afraid, you should say a “breath prayer.” Breathe in slowly and say, “Jesus is with me.” Then exhale slowly and say, “God created me and is with me.” Or, of course, any other short prayer that you want to say. I realized when I read the devotional that this is almost exactly what the Holy Spirit had led me to do during my fear phase. Overcoming fear means to let Go and allow God to occupy the space that fear has been occupying. Let God in and fear flees. No great wisdom, but it was a great help to me and I hope that some of you will see the practicality in this simple solution to fear.
Have a blessed Sunday and may you find a good church to worship God, our Maker and Restorer, today.
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 