This novel reads more like a memoir than a novel, a book of poetry, a book that is about books. Robin has been sent to a grandmother whom she has never met once her parents are sent to prison for murder and accessory to murder. Trying to hide her identity, Robin weaves fantastic stories of who she is and where she came from. She only tells the truth to Peter, a young football player who shares her love of books and also lost a parent since his mother recently died. The setting where they meet was not at all romantic since they met at a cemetery. This book was a beautiful story of a young girl who faces her past and who finally accepts it. I really enjoyed the way the author seamlessly wrote about the past and the present, telling Robin and Peter’s stories. I really enjoyed the mention of all of Robin’s favorite books, bringing to my mind how much I liked or disliked some of them. My most enjoyable part of this book were Robin’s poems, the ones she wrote for Peter in payment for the books he gave her during their high school years of finding friendship in each other. I expected a lot from this book because I have read Erin Bartels’s previous novels, and this book did not disappoint. It was by far by very favorite, telling the story of books and the story of an unlikely heroine who has to rise above the reputations of her parents and create her own life, declaring an independence that is vulnerable and reaching out to others at the same time. I loved this book and I am confident that fans of the author and readers who just want to read an excellent story that will touch your heart will savor this book. It’s not just a book; it’s a masterpiece!

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Books, the publisher. 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 amazing book is available now from your local bookseller or online and is appropriate for teens and adults. It is a Christian book, so it is a clean read.

This book just tore my heart because of its subject matter. Dr. McDonough was a teen tasked with taking care of his family when his dad was out of town. That’s when the fire occurred that burned him badly and killed two members of his family. This is the story of the pain he endured on his way to healing, both physically and mentally. It is also the story of a young man who learns to cry out to God. He suffered the worst way imaginable and was able to come through with a new vision and purpose for his life. The story was hard for me to read because my father was burned badly when I was a young child. I knew that my dad spent over a year in a burn unit and had scars for the rest of his life. This book gave me insight into the horrible treatment that my father had to undergo and, honestly, there were times when I could not see the print through my tears. I am thankful that this memoir gave me this insight and I think that all who want to empathize with victims of great tragedy should read it; it will certainly open your eyes to the suffering that burn victims go through and the changes that they have to accept in their lives. My father passed away two years ago; I wish that I had had this book before he died so I could talk to him and just tell him that I understood his pain more clearly. I hope that all who read this review will pick up this book and read it with an open mind and an open heart.

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, Revell Books. 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 heart-wrenching book is available now at your local bookseller or online. Because of the graphic descriptions of the author’s suffering, I would only suggest that mature teens and adults read it.

No, this is not going to be a regular thing. Or, at least I don’t think so. But I have limited time this morning and it just came to me that I should share some favorite quotations about life. I hope that they make you think, just as they have done so for me. Have a blessed day!

This is the second book in the Kaely Quinn series, but it can be read as a standalone. It could be romantic suspense, but there is not a lot of romance, so I would just call it suspense. In this book, I found out a lot more about Kaely’s background, where she came from and why she has such a difficult time with her mother. Kaely goes home to Darkwater, Nebraska, to help her brother Jason care for their mother Marcie, a cancer patient who is dying. In this little town, FBI profiler Kaely manages to discover that the repetitive fires occurring around the town are the work of a serial arsonist. At this point, her partner and romantic interest, Noah Hunter, appears to help out with the arson cases. Although Noah loves Kaely, there is no real declaration of love here nor any really romantic scenes. They are just working together to solve the mystery of the fire starter. There is not enough suspense for me in this novel and not enough resolution at the end. The family troubles still exist and the relationship between Noah and Kaely is still up in the air. Nevertheless, it is a good, clean read that will entertain fans of Christian suspense. I am looking forward to the next book in the series because Mehl does know how to tell a story that enthralls her readers.

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 Christian book is available now at your local bookseller or online.

This book, yes just this book! Be ready to laugh and cry and sometimes both at the same time! The characters are realistic, with an in-depth portrayal of what it is like to love and lose. Emma lost her mom to suicide and is basically just dumped on her grandmother, the aristocratic and so proper Genevieve. When she disappoints her grandmother, Emma is banished to live with her maternal grandfather and to make her own way in life. She ends up with a Ph.D. in psychology and the single mother of a beautiful and intelligent young teen named Riley. The men in the book were mostly weak and unhelpful to the women whose lives they affected. The exceptions are Paul (Emma’s pop or grandfather) and Miller, a neighbor to Genevieve who has suffered his own losses and faces many challenges in life. I loved the story and how it was told from the viewpoint of the characters, even some of what I might consider minor ones. I devoured this book daily during my reading time, eager to find out if Emma and Genevieve would patch up their relationship, to find out what would happen with Miller and his little terror of a daughter Tess, and to discover what would happen to Riley. It is difficult to choose a favorite character since they are all so great that by the end of the book, I felt that they were all friends whom I had gotten to know well. That’s what a great job Kristan Higgins does in writing! I was captured by the story and lived it with the characters! Fans of women’s fiction will definitely want to read this book, to savor its wisdom and to talk to others about its life lessons.

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I purchased a copy of this book from RJ Julia Booksellers. I was not required to write a positive review, but it was my great pleasure to do so. The opinions expressed are my own.

This amazing book is available at all local booksellers or online. I highly recommend it to adults, teens, to anyone who wants to read a good story that is told well.

Every day brings new challenges to each of us. Today, I am facing the challenge of tropical winds heading our way from Hurricane Dorian. Nevertheless, my heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones recently. There was a horrible boat fire in the Pacific and over thirty people died. The hurricane went through the Bahamas and devastated it, with at least twenty people dead so far. There are people who die daily, whether from storms, gunshot wounds, other tragedies or just natural deaths. What I want to know is how many were ready, I mean, truly ready to meet God. Some people who died were just going through their daily routines and then they weren’t. God said, “I am” because He always is and always will be, but we have a finite amount of time here on earth. It saddens me that thousands (maybe even millions) are dying without any knowledge of the Savior. Jesus died to give us eternal life, but so many don’t believe. Did the victims of that boat fire know the Lord? Or the victims of the hurricane? Or the men and women lying in hospitals everywhere, taking their last breath here on earth? Jesus told us to go and to tell about Him, and the reason is clear. People are dying without the hope of salvation. I don’t have all of the answers; I only have questions. Does everyone have an equal chance to hear the Good News? Am I doing what I am supposed to be doing to help spread the Gospel? Have I wasted my life teaching in high school when so many are dying without the knowledge that could lead to eternal life? What do I do now to make a difference? What can you do? We need to let people know that there is hope, that there is life after death.

Jesus is our life…He wants everyone to believe in Him and the power of His resurrection. It is our sacred duty to tell others about Him and His life, death and resurrection. I want the hope that I have of eternal life and never dying to be in others. There are members of my family who have a vague sense that there is a “god” somewhere or that this life is all that there is. Have I talked to them? Some, but maybe not enough since they don’t want to listen to what I have to say. One will call me for prayer when all in her life seems to be topsy-turvy, but most of the time she tells me that she doesn’t want or need my religion. It’s not a religion, folks. It’s a choice between living and dying. If you die without accepting the Lord Jesus as your Savior, then you are dying forever. No more life at all. I don’t know what life after death is like, but I know that whatever it is, it will be good because God planned it for us. The fact that many are dying every day without Him leads me to cry out to God for help in being bolder to speak His truth to others. It’s a matter of life or death!

God is walking with us, giving us good things here on the earth. Dare we question what His plan is for our eternity? Of course not! Whatever we see that is beautiful on earth is not comparable to the glory that we shall behold in Heaven. But, like you, I want to take as many loved ones with me as I can to that place of real eternal rest. I just don’t always know what to say or do in order to attract them to the salvation that can be theirs. I think that there are many of you out there in the same predicament. What do I say to make eternity real to them? That is a puzzle to me, one that I feel an urgent desire to solve, so that others may know the joy of resting in His peace and knowledge that eternity is not to be feared. What do you say to your loved ones who do not believe? How do you approach them? Once they die, it’s too late, so help me to know what to do and say. It’s a matter of eternal life or just the final knell of death. Help me to know what to say. My prayer is for the Holy Spirit to give me wisdom, but I am also open to suggestions from you, my faithful readers. Blessings to you all!

I sincerely appreciate Big Sky Buckeye and his blog that takes me out of my chair to the beauty of the western part of the United States. He is an online friend and an inspiration because of his insight into life and the lessons we can learn on our journey. Please check out his amazing blog! He has graciously invited me to participate in the 3-2-1 Quote Me Challenge.

The rules for this “chain-letter” are quite simple:

1. Thank the selector.

2. Post two quotations for the dedicated “Topic of the Day” (in this case, “happiness”)

3. Select three bloggers to participate in the 3-2-1 Quote Me Challenge.

Here are my quotations about happiness:

I nominate the following incredible bloggers to participate, if they wish to do so. All of you are magnificent bloggers, and all of my readers are encouraged to check out their sites and follow them if you have not yet done so.

Gracie M

Becoming His Tapestry

Kathy Wire

Blessings to everyone who reads this for a wonderful and safe day!

I read this book slowly because the content was hard to take at times. With a theme of spousal and child abuse, there was a great deal of violence. Since I have been a victim of the same, it was hard for me to read the descriptions of the events in the lives of Zane, Britt and Darby. The theme is that everything looks fine on the outside, but on the inside, the part that no one sees, there is danger and emotional destruction. This is the “undercurrent.” I did enjoy reading this book that is the story of survival, redemption and the triumph of love in the face of many obstacles. Nora Roberts definitely knows how to tell a story that will pull you in and not let you go, like a rip tide of strong feelings and deep involvement in the lives of the characters. The story seemed a little long to me, with all of the details about Darby’s landscaping, but for those who enjoy gardening (I don’t), this may add to the book. My favorite character was Darby who was quirky, independent and resourceful. Zane was the best foil for her since he had learned to defend himself when attacked, whether the attack was verbal or physical. The book has four parts and each part begins with a quotation that gives the reader a clue about what will happen in that section. There were many parts that I was able to guess what was happening, so there was not a lot of mystery to the story, but there was definitely a lot of drama. This book would make a great movie for TV, on a channel like LIfetime. Readers of women’s fiction will enjoy this book, but all readers should be aware that there are descriptions of a lot of graphic violence.

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I purchased a copy of this book from Amazon, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.

This book was excellent but it is not for everyone because of its theme of abuse and survival. It is available now at your local bookseller.

There is so much going on in the world, in my community and in my life. Some things are great and I can be thankful for them. Others leave me gasping, “What is this? A test, again?” For example, for those of you who have been living in a cave for the last week, there is Hurricane Dorian. It seems to be skirting the Florida coast, which is where I have two siblings living. So, I have been in much prayer for their safely. Now, our governor here in VA has declared an emergency for our state because we may be in the path of destructive winds and rain. “Oh, no!” Thinking back to Tropical Storm Isabel and eleven days without electricity, I started to panic. That is my response to this new storm, and then I had my devotional this morning. This is what I read.

This is a chorus that we sang for many years in various churches, so I know this verse. At least, in my mind I know it, but now I need to get it deep into my heart. God is the only One who matters. He is with me, no matter what happens…blurred vision, storms and demands from family members. Regardless, God is still on His throne. He didn’t move. Let that sink deep into your heart, just as it is beginning to rest in mine.

My hope is in God, in the promises that are in His Word. I may not like what is happening all around me, but I know that His Word is true and He will keep me until it is time for Him to call me home. So, I’m getting more relaxed now…more rested in my mind and my spirit. You see, I have discovered that once my spirit is focused on the compass that it should be following, my mind follows suit and I rest in the Lord. Nothing that happens in my life (or yours) is a surprise to God. Therefore, we can depend on Him. He will walk with us through all of the storms of life and we already know that nothing is impossible or too hard for Him. The same God who parted the Red Sea is my God (and yours, if you believe in Him). No fear! Think about it, and have a blessed day.