Boy (Man)-Crazy November 27, 2013

Confessions of a Boy-Crazy Girl:

On Her Journey From Neediness to Freedom

by

Paula Hendricks

Book Description:

Sound familiar?
1. You spot a cute boy (we’ll call him Boy A).
2. You dream about Boy A.
3. You do whatever it takes to make Boy A notice you.
4. Even though Boy A doesn’t pursue you, you hang on to your dream of Boy A until he (a) moves to the North Pole with no access to a cell phone or computer, (b) dies and is buried or cremated, or (c) begins dating another girl.
5. You mend your broken heart by hating Boy A and finding another cute boy (Boy B). You replace Boy A with Boy B and begin all over again . . .
Paula has gone through an entire alphabet-and more-of boys over the years.
As she shares her journal entries and stories-the good, the bad, and the ugly-you’ll be encouraged to trust God with your love life and buckle up for the ride!
Written for teen girls, Confessions of a Boy-Crazy Girl will help you on your own journey from neediness to freedom.

My thoughts:

Okay, I’m pretty sure Paula must have stolen my journals and used them in her book. Totally kidding 🙂 But her thoughts so resonated with me and what I was like most of my life until a few years ago.

This book is written for a teen girl, but honestly, I think any woman who struggles with being obsessed with wanting a man should read this. Seriously. I needed this book desperately only a few years ago and even today it is a great reminder for me to keep my mind on Christ and not on myself, my appearance or what others think of me.

Paula shares actual snippets from her journal. This is unedited, raw feelings and I love it. If you see your daughter starting to become boy-crazy you need to get this book in her hands. As always, I recommend reading it first or with her so you can have dialogue about the book. I’m holding on my copy if/when my daughter needs it.

Even more, if you see something in yourself as an adult woman, whether married or single, and you’re struggling with being obsessed about what men think about you, this book could speak even to you.

Grab your copy at your local bookstore, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Christianbook.com, or Books-A-Million.

Visit Paula’s website here.

A copy of this book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Stranded by Dani Pettrey November 25, 2013

Stranded

by

Dani Pettrey

From the back cover:

When her friend vanishes from a cruise ship, reporter Darcy St. James isn’t satisfied with their explanation that she simply left her job of her own accord. Something isn’t lining up, and Darcy believes the only way to find the truth is to put herself in Abby’s position.

Within days, Darcy learns her friend wasn’t the only person to disappear mysteriously. Last summer, a woman vanished under almost identical circumstances.

Gage McKenna has taken a summer-long stint leading adventure excursions for the passengers of various cruise lines that dock for a few days of sightseeing. He’s surprised to find Darcy working aboard one of the ships, investigating a troubling report.

Something sinister is going on, and the deeper they dig, the more Gage fears they’ve only discovered the tip of the iceberg.

Watch the trailer here.

My thoughts:

This is the third book in a series. I really enjoyed the first two and was very excited to read Stranded.

This book has a great plot and characters. It was great catching up with the McKenna family and seeing how they were doing. Darcy St. James showed up in book two and was a spunky character I really enjoyed.

Dani wove a suspenseful story and had me wondering how were the bad guys and who were the good guys. I just wasn’t sure who I could trust.

For whatever reason, I didn’t find myself flipping pages (or tapping the screen) early on in the book as fast as I did with the first two books. As I said, it was a very good story but it didn’t give me the heart-pumping, nail-biting read I have come to expect from the first two books.

If you pick this book up first, don’t worry, you won’t feel lost if you haven’t read the others. Although you will understand the other characters better if you have read the first to books (Submerged and Shattered).

If you enjoy romantic suspense I think you’ll like Stranded. So give it a chance and grab your own copy.

Grab your copy at your local bookstore, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Christianbook.com, Deeper Shopping or Books-A-Million.

Check out Dani’s website here.

An ebook of this book was given to me by the publisher through NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

Trafficking In Your Backyard November 22, 2013

There is a ministry that is dear to my heart called The Daughter Project. They are located in Ohio. They have a home that takes girls who have been rescued from sex trafficking and loves on them until they are ready to return back to there homes.

Did you know Toledo, Ohio is at the top of this list for sex trafficking? Watch this shocking video here.

This is only twenty minutes from my house.

We go to Toledo all the time to shop or go out for dinner. This is happening in our backyards, not just across the ocean, which we tend to believe.

Here’s the problem. The Daughter Project currently has no girls in the home because they don’t have the money to run the home. They need YOU to join their Adopt-A-Daughter program so these girls have a Christian home to go to and so they can feel the love of Jesus, the only pure love that exists.

They haven’t asked me to post this, I am doing this because I feel God has asked me to. I subscribe to TDP blog and they sent out this cry for help last week. Can you help? We are quick to send money to another countries but what about the girls in the United States who desperately need our help?

You can read the post about it here.

Visit The Daughter Project website here.

Thanks for considering how you can make a difference in a young girl’s life.

Five Days in Skye by Carla Laureano November 20, 2013

Five Days in Skye

by

Carla Laureano

From the back cover:

Hospitality consultant Andrea Sullivan has one last chance to snag a high-profile client or she’ll have to kiss her dreams of promotion good-bye. When she’s sent to meet Scottish celebrity chef James MacDonald on the Isle of Skye, she just wants to finish her work as efficiently as possible. Yet her client is not the opportunistic womanizer he portrays himself to be, and her attraction to him soon dredges up memories she’d rather leave buried. For James, renovating the family hotel is a fulfillment of his late father’s dreams. When his hired consultant turns out to be beautiful, intelligent, and completely unimpressed by his public persona, he makes it his mission to win her over. He just never expects to fall under her spell.

Soon, both Andrea and James must face the reality that God may have a far different purpose for their lives—and that five days in Skye will forever change their outlook on life and love.

My thoughts:

Oh my….this is a book I could read more than once, it was that good.

If you enjoy contemporary romance set in a faraway place you will adore this book.

The funny thing is I skipped over this book many times because I thought it didn’t sound very interesting but I kept hearing about it and decided to give it go. I am so glad I did.

The tension between Andrea and James is so intense you will have to keep flipping pages to see you can find some relief.

This book has Genesis 5020 all over it. Things have happened in both James and Andrea’s lives that have led them to the place they are now. Without those events they would have never crossed paths. God used what was meant to harm them for His good.

My heart was aching through most of the book but by the last third of the book tears pooled in my eyes until the end where I just let loose and the tears flowed.

I so badly wanted them to find away to be together, but the constant question is how can they find away? Who will give up what they have? And would Andrea ever surrender her life to God?

You’ll just have to read the book to get the answers and trust me, this book is well worth your time and money. I give this book five stars and can’t wait to read more from Carla.

Grab your copy at your local bookstore, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Christianbook.com, Deeper Shopping or Books-A-Million.

Visit Carla’s website here.

A copy of this book was given to me by the publisher through NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

Review and Giveaway: Torn Blood by David J. Bain November 18, 2013

Torn Blood

by

David J. Bain

From the back cover:

Three weeks before officially reporting for duty at the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, Addison Deverell arrives in Israel to unearth an enigma.

Bound to an escort by the embassy, and unable to begin his search, time is running out. With mere days before he must report for duty Addison is freed from his escort’s bondage. Racing to find answers that promise to establish a career—and facing danger from those he seeks to understand—he finds himself in a fight to the death for a nation’s life.

Nearly seven thousand miles away, Dr. Janelle Henning confronts a peril that threatens to destroy her deepest soul. A search for understanding thrusts her into a world long buried to confront a heritage abandoned by the passage of time.

Brought together by events, Janelle and Addison discover identities hidden from them both in a relationship they have shared for a lifetime.

My thoughts and giveaway:

This book is not the warm and cozy romances I often read. But I really don’t put myself into a category as a reader. I read a lot of different genres and enjoy them. So I thought I would enjoy this book as well.

I am going to be honest, this book wasn’t for me. I really struggled to get through the first fifty pages. It was very wordy and scientific sounding, which it was supposed to be due to the nature of the book.

Many characters are introduced in the first quarter of the book, which had me scratching my head trying to keep it all straight. Also, the time line kept jumping back and forth and in the beginning I really didn’t grasp why, although it all comes together eventually.

The plot is very intriguing and I do think a lot of people will like this book, especially if you are looking for a serious read. It has gotten good reviews.

Like I said, I really think this was just me. I enjoy a fast paced adventure from start to finish and this really didn’t grab me like I wanted it to.

Find out what you think about the book by grabbing a copy at your local bookstore, Amazon, Barnes and Noble or Christianbook.com.

Or, enter to win a copy by leaving a comment by November 24th at 5:00 pm. (U.S. residents only)

Check out the Torn Blood website here.

A copy of this book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Do You Have A Nail In Your Head? November 15, 2013

So I normally share more serious stuff here but I thought today I would share a video with you that makes me chuckle. But honestly, there is so much truth in it.

Sometimes our problems are so obvious to others and yet we refuse ot deal with it. Many of us look (kind of) like the woman in this video, wearing our brokeness for all too see yet we do nothing to fix it. We just talk about it and get angry at people who do try to point us in the right direction.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the video. Have a great weekend.

Click here to watch the video.

Review and Giveaway: Derailed by Neta and Dave Jackson November 13, 2013

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Derailed
Worthy Publishing (October 8, 2013)
by
Dave and Neta Jackson

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

As a husband/wife writing team, we are enthusiastic about books, kids, walking with God, gospel music, and each other! Together we are the authors or coauthors of over 120 books. (You can see our Publication Record by clicking HERE.) In addition to writing several books about Christian community, we have been privileged to coauthor numerous books with expert resource people on a variety of topics from racial reconciliation to medical ethics to ministry to kids in gangs.

But over the years the we have especially enjoyed writing for children and young people! This includes our award-winning TRAILBLAZER series, historical fiction about great Christian heroes and heroines for young people ages 8-12, and the four-volume HERO TALES: A Family Treasury of True Stories from the Lives of Great Christians, and the companion book, Heroes in Black History.

Somewhere along the way, our own children grew up! Son Julian is Director of Experience Design for the Alder Planetarium in Chicago where he “provides the experience of exploring space” for visitors. He has two sons, Liam Isaac and Elijah David. Daughter Rachel graduated from Eastern Mennonite University and after working in the field of rape-crisis prevention went on to earn a Masters Degree in counseling from the University of Illinois. She is now a counselor at “Uni High School” in Champaign, Illinois. She is the loving mother of Havah Noelle (our first grandchild!) and Noah Zion, our youngest grandchild. The Jackson family also includes a Cambodian foster daughter, Samen Sang, who has four children.

We live in Evanston, Illinois, where for twenty-seven years we were part of Reba Place Church, a Christian church community. We are now members of a multi-racial congregation in the Chicago area.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Forced to give up his hard-earned retirement, Harry Bentley goes back to work as a detective. Receiving a bizarre undercover assignment that sends him across the country by train. Things suddenly go awry when it appears one of his new neighbors may be part of a smuggling ring and suspicion rises about his own son’s involvement in a major drug cartel.
The second in the Windy City Neighbors series, Derailed is a contemporary, and often humorous, tale in an urban setting, featuring ordinary people wrestling with the spiritual and practical issues of real life. Intersecting with Grounded (book one), the Jacksons employ their innovative storytelling technique of “parallel novels.” Though each book follows its own drama and story arc, the characters’ lives become intertwined and affect one another. Derailed transports you to Beecham Street—a typical, isolated American neighborhood . . . until hope moves in.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Derailed, go HERE.

My thoughts and giveaway:

It’s always fun to read series where you get to see the other parts of stories and this is what happens in the Windy City Series.

The first book in the series, Grounded, shares the story of Grace and in her story you meet Harry Bentley and his wife.

In Derailed you find out exactly what was going in their lives while Grace was going through her stuff.

Harry is a very likeable character and will be familiar to Neta and Dave Jackson fans, along with his wife, Estelle.

Harry is in  a strange place in his life, a place I believe many older adults can find themselves in. Taking care of a grandchild, a wayward child comes to live with him, a mother who they have to place in assisted living. Just a lot to deal with. I believe we often think when we get older life gets easier, but that isn’t always the case.

Some valuable lessons can be learned through this book. I am sure Neta Jackson fans will be very pleased with this new edition.

Grab your copy at your local bookstore, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Christianbook.com, Deeper Shopping or Books-A-Million.

Leave a comment by November 19th at 5:00 pm to be entered in a drawing to win your won copy. (U.S. residents only)

A copy of this book was given to me by the publisher through the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance in exchange for an honest review.

Peril by Jordyn Redwood November 11, 2013

Peril by Jordyn Redwood

Description:

Dr. Thomas Reeves is at the pinnacle of his career. The Department of Defense has awarded him a lucrative contract for his new research into superior autobiographical memory, which promises the ability to create combat troops able to quickly learn complex battle plans and enact them perfectly under the most demanding battlefield scenarios.

An elite unit has received neural grafts from fetal cadavers of genetically altered brain cells with enhanced NMDA receptors. The results are remarkable . . . until the recipients begin suffering hallucinations, nightmares, paralysis, . . . and death. Dr. Reeves searches for answers, but DOD insiders want him to stop the search.

The situation becomes public when pediatric ICU nurse Morgan Adams, Dr. Reeves’s daughter, is taken hostage by three research subjects in an attempt to force Dr. Reeves into disclosing why they are sick. If answers aren’t revealed within twenty-four hours, patients in the pediatric ICU will be killed.

This spine-tingling conclusion to the Bloodline Trilogy raises spiritual and ethical dilemmas torn directly out of today’s headlines. When does life begin? How far does commitment to family go? And can the sins of the father ever be forgiven?

My thoughts:

Jordyn opens this book with a gripping scene and doesn’t let you go until the end.

She has written a wonderful novel that is not for the faint of heart. But if you like to stay up at night captivated by a good book then this is one you will want to grab.

I have never went through the death of a child but if you have you will relate well with Morgan Adams. She is very hard towards her husband. I found myself wanting to tell her to love him and allow him to love her. Her grief is deep and you will hurt with her as you read.

Peril is very well written, Jordyn definitely has a talent that I can’t wait to see more of. I highly recommend this book.

Grab your copy at your local bookstore, Amazon, Barnes and Noble or Christianbook.com.

Visit Jordyn’s website here.

A copy of this book was given to my by the Kregel Publications in exchange for an honest review.

Jump November 8, 2013

My son and I have this nightly ritual we do when I put him to bed. He takes a flying leap off his bed right into my arms. He loves to see how far he can jump and how far I can stand away from the bed and still catch him (this makes me a little nervous).

One night he said he wanted to jump without me there to catch him. So I moved to the side and he jumped.

He stood back up, looked at me and said, “I jump further with you.”

Those five words stopped me.

I jump further with you.

Wow. It hit me.

I jump further with Jesus.

If we tell Jesus we can handle something He will step aside and allow us to jump. But the thing is when we jump without Him we can’t go as far. We can only go as far and do as much, as our natural selves can do in the flesh.

But with Jesus…..

I jump further.

I can do more for Him when I jump with Him.

And the cool thing is, even if it looks scary we can do it afraid (as Joyce Meyer says) because we know Jesus will be there to catch us.

Are you ready to jump into the arms of your Savior?

What is He asking you to do that you have been afraid to do, or what have  you been trying to do on  your own?

Whatever it is, you’ll jump further with Jesus.

The Governess of Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky November 6, 2013

The Governess of Highland Hall

By

Carrie Turansky

From the back cover:

Worlds lie between the marketplaces of India and the halls of a magnificent country estate like Highland Hall. Will Julia be able to find her place when a governess is neither upstairs family nor downstairs help?
 
Missionary Julia Foster loves working alongside her parents, ministering and caring for young girls in India. But when the family must return to England due to illness, she readily accepts the burden for her parents’ financial support. Taking on a job at Highland Hall as governess, she quickly finds that teaching her four privileged, ill-mannered charges at a grand estate is more challenging than expected, and she isn’t sure what to make of the estate’s preoccupied master, Sir William Ramsey.

Widowed and left to care for his two young children and his deceased cousin Randolph’s two teenage girls, William is consumed with saving the estate from the financial ruin. The last thing he needs is any distraction coming from the kindhearted-yet-determined governess who seems to be quietly transforming his household with her persuasive personality, vibrant prayer life, and strong faith.

While both are tending past wounds and guarding fragile secrets, Julia and William are determined to do what it takes to save their families—common ground that proves fertile for unexpected feelings. But will William choose Julia’s steadfast heart and faith over the wealth and power he needs to secure Highland Hall’s future?

My thoughts:

Upstairs meets downstairs. If you like this type of romance then you are in for a treat.

Carrie will hook you from the first chapter. I don’t even want to say too much about those first few pages because there is a fun little twist right from the beginning.

You can see Julia walking toward this huge house and feel her smallness. If you are a Downtown Abbey fan you will love this house and the cast of characters that work their.

William is a kind and wounded man, although you are left to speculate what exactly happened with his first wife but you know it wasn’t good, this will keep you turning pages.

I think you will find yourself waiting for things to heat up between William and Julie. You’ll just have to read the book to see if or when it does.

Visit Carrie’s website here.

Listen to a podcast about the book here.

Visit Carrie’s Facebook page here.

Visit Carrie on Pinterest here.

Grab your copy at your local bookstore, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Christianbook.com, Deeper Shopping or Books-A-Million.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.