Saturday, May 31, 2014

Bowe Bergdahl Freed . . . My Take

I live in Idaho and this entire state is going haywire because Sgt Bowe Bergdahl has been freed from his captors in Afghanistan.

I am so skeptical. I am amazed at how many people are just accepting his captivity and release without asking any questions.

Why did he leave his post, why didn't his captors kill him, why did the U.S. Army promote him twice during his captivity. What did he do to earn those promotions? Why is he being celebrated as a hero, by some, while the men from his unit who searched for him that were killed have not been mentioned. What about those emails he sent to his folks saying he was disenchanted with America and their mission in Afghanistan, and that he was embarrassed to be apart of the Army.

These are just a few of the questions I have, and I hope we get the true answers. I am not a fan of "honoring" someone who disobeys orders and places others in harms way.

Maybe it's the navy brat in me, but I don't buy any of his story. It's all a little too fishy.
He will be debriefed and told what he can talk about and what he can't. I am hoping that once he is officially on U.S. soil the men in his unit will be able to talk freely about what happened.

For his family, I am glad they will be reunited with him. However, I hope our government does their job and gets answers, and holds him accountable. Some say that his 5 years as a POW is payment enough. I highly disagree. His actions cost men their lives, children their fathers, and wives their husbands. He had no right to place those American soldiers in jeopardy.


Friday, May 30, 2014

All My Belongings | Enter to win a $200 Visa Card from @CynthiaRuchti & RSVP for 6/11 LIVE Webcast Event

About the book: A new life and a new identity can't protect Becca from a past that refuses to go away.


After spending years running from the shame her father put on her family, Jayne is determined not to let him steal her future in the same way he stole her childhood. Changing her name to Becca Morrow, she moves to California and settles into a new life and new job caring for ailing mother of handsome young businessman, Isaac Hughes.
But just as she's wondering if she and Isaac are headed for a relationship, Becca's patient passes away under unusual circumstances. Suddenly, her past catches up with her and the unnerving details of her heritage threaten to destroy all sense of home and all hope for love.
Even if she could clear her name, a phone call wraps a suffocating shroud around her heart. Her estranged father needs her help. But can Becca open her new life to the man who ruined her past?

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/x96lt
 
 About the author: Cynthia Ruchti has more than three decades of radio broadcast experience with "Heartbeat of the Home" radio and currently serves as Professional Relations Liaison for American Christian Fiction Writers.



Cynthia can be found at: website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads
 
 
Cynthia Ruchti asks what it takes to overcome your past and become who you were meant to be in her latest novel, All My Belongings. Cynthia has woven a heart-wrenching tale of forgiveness, grace, and learning what it means to truly belong.



Cynthia is celebrating the release of her latest novel with a fun giveaway and a live webcast event!


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One winner will receive:



  • A $200 Visa cash card

  • All My Belongings by Cynthia Ruchti


Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 11th. Winner will be announced at the All My Belongings LIVE webcast event on June 11th. Connect with Cynthia for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Cynthia will also be taking questions from the audience and giving away books, fun prizes, and gift certificates throughout the evening.



So grab your copy of All My Belongings and join Cynthia and friends on the evening of June 11th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)




Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today by signing up for a reminder. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 11th!


 
My Take:
This is the first book I have read of Cynthia's and it won't be my last. She creates great relationship angst. 
I have been up late at night reading, saying just one more chapter and I couldn't put it down. 
What would you do if you found out that your father, a pharmacist performed a mercy killing on your mother who was dying from ALS. Jayne does more after finding out, she turns him in, so her name is mud and she decides to change her name so that she could find a job. When her close friend recommends her for a job caring for her sister in California, Jayne Dennagee, who has changed her name to Becca Morrow takes the job and moves to California. 
This book is more than a good story, it shows how our past can chain us unless we give it to God and let Him handle it, we aren't our past.
Becca's dry sense of humor was great, and I loved watching her relationship with Isaac develop. 
I highly recommend this book! 




 

Until I Found You

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Until I Found You
Bethany House Publishers (May 6, 2014)
by
Victoria Bylin


ABOUT THE AUTHOR: A word from the Author:

This may sound crazy, but I was driven to write romance by giant bugs and killer rabbits. I just couldn't take it anymore. My husband and two sons would be camped in front of the television watching a movie about spiders the size of bowling balls, and I'd be wondering when the handsome scientist would get around to kissing the spunky woman with the bug spray. When it didn't happen, I decided to write my own happy endings--without the giant bugs...

Known for her realistic, likable characters and vivid writing, Victoria Bylin writes both western and contemporary inspirational romance. Her books have finaled in the ACFW Carol Awards, the Rita Awards and RT Magazine’s Reviewers’ Choice Awards. She and her husband currently live in Lexington, Kentucky and have two grown sons.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Finding each other was only the beginning . . .

When Kate Darby swerves off a mountain road to avoid hitting a California condor, she ends up trapped in her car, teetering on the edge of a cliff. Terrified, she breathes a prayer that changes her life.

It's Nick Sheridan who comes to Kate's rescue. Nick is handsome and confident, and he seems to develop a habit of rescuing her, but Kate is in town only until her grandmother recuperates from a stroke. She's not planning to get involved with one of the locals.

Nick is a reformed veteran of life in the fast lane, a new Christian, and a travel writer. When he sees a car dangling on the edge of a cliff, the daredevil in him jumps into action. He doesn't expect to be swept off his feet by the car's occupant. He's made a vow--no dating for a year--but keeping that vow is going to be a lot more difficult now that he's met Kate Darby. . . .

If you'd like to read the first chapter of Until I Found You, go HERE.

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

While Love Stirs by Lorna Seilstad

Take one lovely young woman.
Add two ambitious young men.
Stir . . . and stand back.


As a graduate of Fannie Farmer's School of Cookery, Charlotte Gregory is thrilled to have the opportunity to travel, lecture, and give cooking demonstrations on the very latest kitchen revolution--the gas stove. And she certainly doesn't mind that the gas company has hired the kindhearted Lewis Mathis to entertain at her lectures.

Lewis encourages Charlotte's work, especially her crusade to introduce fresh, appetizing, nutritious food to those convalescing in hospitals. But young hospital superintendent Dr. Joel Brooks is not convinced any changes should be made--especially by this outspoken young woman.

When Charlotte and Joel are coerced into planning a fund-raising gala for the hospital, will this combustible pair explode?

Follow the second Gregory sister as she looks for true love and makes her way in a rapidly changing world in this breezy, lighthearted love triangle that will keep you guessing.




Lorna Seilstad is the author of When Love Calls and the Lake Manawa Summers series. A former high school English and journalism teacher, she has won several online writing contests and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. Lorna lives in Iowa with her husband. Learn more at www.lornaseilstad.com.












My Take:

Lorna has stirred up another sweet yet snarky book that is perfect for summer! Charlotte drives Joel crazy. As a graduate of Fannie Farmer's School of Cookery she believes she has the best menu for patients recovering, Joel takes notice of this after she wins the cooking contest put on by the company of the latest invention, a gas stove. Charlotte enjoys the opportunity to travel, cook, and lecture. What she really wants is to bring change to hospital food, yet Dr. Joel Brooks is reluctant to agree.
Joel and Charlotte are fire and oil, be careful not to light a match around them or they will explode!
Lorna's books are fun, and full of humorous banter, along with traveling back in time. I know I will enjoy every minute spent reading one of Lorna's books and this one did not disappoint. Highly recommended!








A Stitch and Prayer

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
A Stitch and A Prayer
Abingdon Press (May 20, 2014)
by
Eva Gibson


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

(No image available) Eva Gibson is the author of twenty books, including A Stitch and a Prayer, the latest release in the Quilts of Love series from Abingdon Fiction. She currently teaches Writing Your Life Story classes for Portland Community College and is an active member of Oregon Christian Writers. She has lived most of her life on the family farm in Wilsonville, Oregon, which is the setting for her novel.

ABOUT THE BOOK

After her fiancé returns from the Klondike gold rush in 1897, Florence Harms sets about building a new life in her new marriage—even though the lingering effects of illness have left her weak and vulnerable. She and her young husband, Will, work tirelessly to clear the land around their Northwest cabin, content with their modest life. But then a stranger comes knocking and Florence suddenly senses a restlessness in Will’s spirit that she had never seen before. When he leaves her with only a note that tells her he will return before their baby’s birth, she is devastated, and the illness that stiffened her joints returns. Counting the days until Will walks back through her door, Florence busies herself with a Tree of Life quilt displaying a map of the farm they call home. Doubts claw at her heart as Florence struggles to believe Will’s promise to return to her. Will her labor of love—and faith in God—sustain her as she waits to see her beloved once again?
If you would like to read the first chapter of A Stitch and A Prayer, go HERE.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

DAISIES ARE FOREVER | Enter to win a Kindle HDX from Liz Tolsma!

About the book:

Gisela must hold on to hope and love despite all odds in the midst of a war-torn country.
Gisela Cramer is an American living in eastern Germany with her cousin Ella Reinhardt. When the Red Army invades, they must leave their home to escape to safety in Berlin.
However, Ella is a nurse and refuses to leave, sending her young daughters with Gisela. During their journey, Gisela meets Mitch Edwards, an escaped British POW. She pretends she is his wife in order to preserve his safety among other Germans, especially one wounded German soldier, Kurt, who has suspicions about Mitch's identity. Kurt also has feelings for Gisela and tries to uncover the truth about her "marriage."
Their journey to Gisela's mother in Berlin is riddled with tragedy and hardship, but they strive to keep Ella's daughters safe so they can reunite with their mother. During the journey Gisela and Mitch begin to develop feelings for one another beyond friendship. They reach Berlin, but their struggles are far from over. Gisela and Mitch must learn to live for the day and find hope in the darkest of circumstances.
In this moving, historically accurate portrayal of WWII Germany, the characters learn that, even with destruction all around them, some things last forever.

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/wAD3T 


About the author: 

New York Times best-selling author Liz Tolsma is the author of Daisies are Forever, Snow on the Tulips, and the contributing author of A Log Cabin Christmas. When not busy putting words to paper, Liz enjoys reading, walking, working in her large perennial garden, kayaking, and camping. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband and children, all adopted internationally.

Connect with Liz: website, Faceobok, Twitter
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Liz Tolsma's latest WWII historical fiction novel, Daisies are Forever, is getting rave reviews. 



". . . compelling and fast-paced tale about the atrocities and tremendous losses. . . ." —Library Journal



"Excellent storytelling, accurate historical reporting and gritty, persevering characters make this WWII-era novel a must-read." —CBA Retailers + Resources




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Liz celebrating the release with a Kindle HDX giveaway!



One winner will receive:



  • A Kindle Fire HDX

  • Daisies are Forever by Liz Tolsma


Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 31st. Winner will be announced June 2nd on Liz's website.






Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by Liz's website on June 2nd to see if you won.



My Take:

Liz has written another captivating novel, that takes you right into the middle of Nazi Germany. Gisela is an American and when her sister Ella refuses to leave and sends her daughters on with Gisela. She meets Mitch a British POW. They act like they are married, as they cross through war torn Germany. During this time of turmoil you would never expect a romance to bloom and blossom, but it does.
As you finish the book you find the story behind the story.
Highly recommended!

 

Friday, May 23, 2014

MEANT TO BE MINE $200 Visa Card Giveaway & Facebook Party (6/10) with @BeckyWade

About the book: 

Ty Porter has always been irresistible to Celia Park. All through high school---irresistible. When their paths cross again after college---still irresistible. This time, though, Ty seems to feel exactly the same way about Celia. Their whirlwind romance deposits them at a street-corner Las Vegas wedding chapel.
The next morning they wake to a marriage certificate and a dose of cold reality. Celia's ready to be Ty's wife, but Ty's not ready to be her husband. He's a professional bull rider, he lives on the road, and he's long planned to settle down with the hometown girl he's known since childhood.
Five and a half years pass. Celia's buried her dreams so that she can afford to raise her daughter. Ty's achieved all of his goals. Or thought he had, until he looks again into the eyes of the woman he couldn't forget and into the face of the child he never knew he had.
How much will Ty sacrifice to win back Celia's trust and prove to her that their spontaneous marriage can still become the love of a lifetime?

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/x1YKE
 
 
 About the author: 

Becky makes her home in Dallas, Texas with her husband, three children, and one adoring (and adored) cavalier spaniel. Her CBA debut, My Stubborn Heart, was a finalist in both the RITA and INSPY awards. Undeniably Yours kicked off her Texas-set Porter Family series. Her newest contemporary romance, Meant to Be Mine, has just hit shelves!

Becky can be found at: website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest
 
 
 
 
 
Becky Wade's latest novel, Meant to Be Mine, is a keeper! 



Celebrate with Becky by entering her "Dream Come True" $200 Visa cash card prize pack giveaway and RSVP for her June 10th Facebook party!




 

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One winner will receive:



  • A $200 Visa cash card

  • Meant to Be Mine by Becky Wade


Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 10th. Winner will be announced at the Meant to Be Mine Facebook author chat party on June 10th. Connect with Becky for a fun evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Becky will also share an exclusive look at her next book and give away books, fun prizes, and gift certificates throughout the evening.





So grab your copy of Meant to Be Mine and join Becky on the evening of June 10th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)




Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP todayTell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 10th!


 My Take:


Becky’s new novel, Meant to Be Mine is a deliciously fun read.  Ty and Claire have known each other since high school. Claire had a huge crush on Ty, and when they run into each other in Las Vegas things get a little crazy. Ty and Claire end up in a twenty-four hour wedding chapel and get married. The next morning Claire’s dreams are shattered when Ty says he has a girlfriend and that Tawny is the one he wants to marry.
Fast forward five years, Ty reenters Claire’s life but she’s not alone. She has a five year old little girl  . . . Ty’s daughter. When it is revealed that Ty is the father, the relationship between Addie and Ty is a precious daddy and daughter one. Ty dotes on Addie, and it is super sweet.
The banter between Claire and Ty is both hilarious and frustrating, as you can see the writing on the wall.
Becky writes a great romance, however this is not just a great summer romance that will keep you up late into the night. It is a book about accepting and giving forgiveness, not only from each other, but from God. At one point in the book, I found myself beginning to pray for these characters, which took me completely by surprise.
This is the second book in the Porter Family series however it can be read as a stand alone.
I highly recommend this book!


 





Gathering Shadows by Nancy Mehl

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Gathering Shadows
Bethany House Publishers (May 6, 2014)
by
Nancy Mehl


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:



Nancy Mehl lives in Wichita, Kansas with her husband Norman and their dog, Watson. She’s authored thirteen books and is currently at work on her newest series for Bethany House Publishing.

All of Nancy’s novels have an added touch – something for your spirit as well as your soul. “I welcome the opportunity to share my faith through my writing,” Nancy says. “It’s a part of me and of everything I think or do. God is number one in my life. I wouldn’t be writing at all if I didn’t believe that this is what He’s called me to do. I hope everyone who reads my books will walk away with the most important message I can give them: God is good, and He loves you more than you can imagine. He has a good plan especially for your life, and there is nothing you can’t overcome with His help.”

She and her husband attend Believer’s Tabernacle in Wichita.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Wynter Evans is a promising young reporter for a television station in St. Louis, but even a bright future doesn't take away her pain over the disappearance of her brother nine years ago. So when she stumbles across a photograph of a boy with an eerie resemblance to him, she can't pass up the chance to track him down. With research for work as her cover, she sets out with one of the station's photogs for the place where the picture was taken: the town of Sanctuary. Almost as soon as she arrives, she meets the town's handsome young mayor, Rueben King, and together they begin to uncover long held secrets that could tear the small town apart and change everything Wynter thought she knew about her life. As the truth of her family's past hides in the shadows, it's clear someone will stop at nothing to keep the answers she's searching for hidden forever--even if the cost is Wynter's very life. If you'd like to read the first chapter of Gathering Shadows, go HERE.


Monday, May 19, 2014

Pieces of My Heart by David L. Wood

“Pieces of My Heart,” is made up of 82 bite-sized, short stories about lessons found in everyday life.  They are meant to encourage us to respond to God's gentle call to us, if we will dare to open our eyes and ears to see and hear Him.  Each story is about anything and everything I encountered along this ride we call "life" and the ways God used it to teach me about Him. It is my hope that these stories will draw the reader closer to the heart of God.
My original intention was to keep a journal for my 6 daughters so that they would always have a piece of their dad with them. Since it was uniquely my thoughts filled with my humor and my experiences, in my mind, I looked at it as actually giving them a piece of my heart.  I wanted to give them something that they would be able to read long after I left this world, and hoped that my written words would bring me back so that my memory would never fade in their hearts.  I pictured my daughters reading these stories to my grandkids and then my grandkids could read it to their kids when they became parents…and so on. I suppose it was the legacy I desired to pass on to future generations.
Through the social network Facebook, I began to share some of these stories with people and the response was very good.  Several people told me I should write a book and each time I laughed it off.  Then God began to speak to me about touching lives beyond my own family. When I was connected with a small Christian publisher, the journal I started in 2001 transformed into a book. Now you too can share…along with my daughters…in “Pieces of My Heart.”


David’s personal journal that is now a published book was started in 2001 with the intention of being a gift to his daughters in his later years so they would know what their dad thought about things in this life. The purpose was to capture for them a glimpse of himself, his thoughts, his crazy humor, so that even after he was gone, it might bring comfort and courage to them by leaving an actual piece of his heart behind in words. But God kept pressing David to share it more widely as a blessing to anyone who wished to read his stories. Out of this conviction, eighty-two of these stories made the transition from journal to the published book called “Pieces of My Heart.” David’s hope is that these stories will spark thoughts about God’s constant involvement and intervention in our lives and stir a sense of how much He cares about every detail that is important to us. David would say, “God is here now, right with us, all the time…closerthanthis.”
It has been said that pain in our lives creates a “sacred wound” that the Lord can use to touch others in their times of difficulty. As you share David’s experiences, thoughts and questions about life, he hopes you will feel less alone and comforted by our Father in heaven who loves us all so deeply. More than we can ever imagine.
David resides in Boise, Idaho with his wife, Denice, and works as an engineer at Micron Technologies. He is the proud father of 6 beautiful daughters and “Papa Dave” to 7 grandchildren, 5 boys and 2 girls. He enjoys almost any sport, especially softball and racquetball, and also enjoys recreational time on his boat with family and friends. One of his greatest joys is serving as a guest worship leader at churches and speaking about his book in his local area.

 Book trailer:


My Thoughts:

I am in small group with David and his wife, Denice. I was honored that Dave asked me to read an review his book.
This book is a treasure, and very inspiring. It reminds me of Chicken Soup for the Soul, only a lot better!
Dave shares his heart in this book through short snippets of daily life, which are heartfelt and inspirational. He ends each story with a verse(s) that relate to the story. This is a book that can be read over and over again, and you will gain new insights. I highly recommend it!


Thursday, May 1, 2014

One Perfect Spring - Irene Hannon

Claire Summers is a determined, independent single mother who is doing her best to make lemonade out of the lemons life has handed her. Keith Watson is a results-oriented workaholic with no time for a social life. As the executive assistant to a local philanthropic businessman, he’s used to fielding requests for donations. But when a letter from Claire’s eleven-year-old daughter reaches his desk, everything changes. The girl isn’t asking for money, but for help finding the long-lost son of an elderly neighbor.
As Keith digs reluctantly into this complicated assignment, he has no idea how intertwined his life and Claire’s will become–nor how one little girl’s kindhearted request will touch so many lives and reap so many blessings.
Through compelling characters and surprising plot twists, Irene Hannon offers readers this tenderhearted story of family connections that demonstrates how life is like lilacs–the biggest blooms often come only after the harshest winters.




About this author
:

Irene Hannon, who writes both romance and romantic suspense, is the author of more than 40 novels. Her books have been honored with two coveted RITA Awards from Romance Writers of America (the “Oscar” of romantic fiction), a National Readers' Choice Award, a HOLT Medallion, a Daphne du Maurier Award, a Retailers Choice Award and two Reviewers' Choice Awards from RT Book Reviews magazine.

A former corporate communications executive with a Fortune 500 company, Irene now writes full time. In her spare time, she enjoys singing, long walks, cooking, gardening, traveling and spending time with family. She and her husband make their home in Missouri.

To learn more about Irene and her books, visit www.irenehannon.com



My Take:

Haley has to be the dearest eleven year old. Her next door neighbor, who has cancer and wants to find the son she put up for adoption. When Haley sees David's company on the news, she has a grand idea. She writes a letter to him asking to help Marianna find her son. She had no idea when she wrote that letter the course of events that it would spin in motion. 
Keith drove me crazy for the first half of the book. Once I understood him more, I liked him.
Haley by far was my favorite. She not only was kind in thinking about Marianna, she was a lot of fun.
Besides this having a huge adoption theme, it was also about strong, independent women, and the theme of Jeremiah 29:11 flowed throughout it.
 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
  
Grab a copy and enjoy!














The Pelican Bride - Beth White

It is 1704 when Genevieve Gaillain and her sister board a French ship headed for the Louisiana colony as mail-order brides. Both have promised to marry one of the rough-and-tumble Canadian men in this New World in order to escape religious persecution in the Old World. Genevieve knows life won’t be easy, but at least here she can establish a home and family without fear of beheading. But when she falls in love with Tristan Lanier, an expatriate cartographer whose courageous stand for fair treatment of native peoples has made him decidedly unpopular in the young colony, Genevieve realizes that even in this land of liberty one is not guaranteed peace. And a secret she harbors could mean the undoing of the colony itself.








I grew up in the South, specifically North Mississippi, which has a rich tradition of fostering writers, storytellers, and musicians. I’m fond of both music and literature, so I amuse myself by teaching chorus and piano in an inner-city public high school by day, while conducting a secret life as a romance writer by night.

Anyway, I find myself, after more than half the years I’ve been alive, still married to my last college boyfriend. He still makes me laugh, he still gives me the warm fuzzies, and he still checks my tires, so I guess I’ll keep him. We somewhat successfully raised two young adults, who are both married and have begun producing amazing grandchildren. My cup runneth over.

You can read more about her on her website:


My Take:

It's 1704, Genevieve and her sister Aimee escape the persecution in France and head as mail order brides on board The Pelican. When they arrive, they find that the New land is not at all what they envision it to be.
This was a completely new take on mail-order-brides, and historical fiction. Beth does a great job of portraying this time period. 
I enjoyed this book and recommend it!





If the Boot Fits (Texas Ever After #2) by Karen Witemeyer Reviewed

  About the book: Title: If the Boot Fits Series: Texas Ever After #2 Genre: Christian Fiction Fairytale Re-telling Romance Author: Karen Wi...