Winning Readings

The Ultimate Life Organizer

2012-01-31T00:01:00.001-08:00

Title: The Ultimate Life Organizer
Author: Lisa Montanaro
Blog: The Simple Home
Link to Giveaway: The Ultimate Life Organizer Giveaway
Genre: Organization/self-help
How to enter: Comment on the giveaway post, with additional entries available
Entry deadline: Tuesday, Feb 7
Restrictions: US and Canadian residents

Happy Reading!

The Swiss Cheese Theory of Life

2012-01-31T00:01:00.000-08:00

Title: The Swiss Cheese Theory of Life: How To Get Through Life's Holes Without Getting Stuck In Them!
Author: Judith Belmont, MS and Lora Shor, MSW
Link to Giveaway: http://www.facebook.com/emotionalwellnessforpositiveliving?sk=app_28134323652
Genre: Self-help/Psychology/ Self-improvement
How to enter: Facebook entry
Entry deadline: February 7, 2012 at 12 PM
Restrictions: Open worldwide

Happy Reading!

I Can Do All Things Bundle Package

2012-01-30T20:38:00.000-08:00

Title: I Can Do All Things Bundle Package
Blog: Homeschool Giveaways and Freebies
Link to Giveaway: New Giveaway ~ How Great Thou Art Bundle Package $99.95 Value!
Genre: Christian educational (Art)
How to enter: Comment on the giveaway post
Entry deadline: Winners drawn 2/3/12
Restrictions: ?

Happy Reading!

A Walk in Heaven

2012-01-30T20:26:00.000-08:00

Title: A Walk in Heaven
Author: Marie Higgins
Blog: Linda Weaver Clarke’s A Family Friendly Blog
Link to Giveaway: Interview with Sweet Romance Author Marie Higgins Sweet Romance
Genre:
How to enter: Comment on the giveaway post
Entry deadline: Feb 6, 2012
Restrictions: Open internationally

Happy Reading!

Alienation

2012-01-30T20:02:00.000-08:00

Title: Alienation

Author: Jon S. Lewis

Blog: Free Book Friday

Link to Giveaway: Alienation by Jon S. Lewis

Genre: Christian teen fiction

How to enter: Fill out giveaway form

Entry deadline: Friday, February 3, 2012

Restrictions: ?

Happy Reading!

What Kind of a Name is That?

2012-01-29T22:56:00.000-08:00

Title: What Kind of a Name is That?
Author: Shawnna D. Poor
Blog: The Children's Book Review
Link to Giveaway: Giveaway: What Kind of a Name is That? Children's book
Genre:
How to enter: Fill out giveaway form
Entry deadline: February 1, 2012
Restrictions: Open to all

Happy Reading!

Love Potion eBook

2012-01-29T22:37:00.000-08:00

Title: Love Potion: Creating Wild Customer Attraction + Loyalty
Blog: Heart Handmade
Link to Giveaway: A Jolly January Giveaway
Genre: Nonfiction ebook
How to enter: Comment on the giveaway post
Entry deadline: January 31, 2012
Restrictions: ?

Happy Reading!

Trigger Memory System

2012-01-25T00:05:00.000-08:00

Title: Clean 'n' Flip chore system and Times Tales DVD
Blog: Home Educating Family Publishing
Link to Giveaway: Trigger Memory System
Genre: Educational
How to enter: Fill out giveaway form and like on Facebook
Entry deadline: January 28, 2012
Restrictions: ?

Happy Reading!

Chasing Mona Lisa

2012-01-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

Title: Chasing Mona Lisa (and more...)
Author: Tricia Goyer & Mike Yorkey
Blog: Details at DianeEstrella
Link to Giveaway: Chasing Mona Lisa by Tricia Goyer & Mike Yorkey and GIVEAWAY!
Genre: Christian fiction
How to enter: Various social media entries available
Entry deadline: Winner announced 1/31
Restrictions: ?

Happy Reading!

The Christmas Singing

2012-01-22T00:01:00.000-08:00

Title: The Christmas Singing
Author: Cindy Woodsmall
Blog: The Knowlton Nest
Link to Giveaway: The Christmas Singing by Cindy Woodsmall Book Review/Giveaway Amish fiction
Genre:
How to enter: Fill out entry form
Entry deadline: Sunday 1/29
Restrictions: Open to US

Happy Reading!

A Mile in His Shoes DVD

2012-01-21T18:01:00.000-08:00

Title: A Miles in His Shoes DVD
Blog: A Glimpse of Our Life
Link to Giveaway: A Mile in His Shoes Movie Family DVD
Genre:
How to enter: Comment on the giveaway post
Entry deadline: Winner announced Jan 23rd
Restrictions: ?

Happy Reading!

H2O

2012-01-21T16:56:00.000-08:00

Title: H2O
Author: Austin Boyd and Brannon Hollingsworth
Blog: Christian Bookshelf Reviews
Link to Giveaway: Interview & Book Giveaway: Austin Boyd and Brannon Hollingsworth ~ Authors of H2O the Novel! Christian fiction
Genre:
How to enter: Fill out giveaway form
Entry deadline: 1/24
Restrictions: US residents

Happy Reading!

Fern Valley Birthday Pack

2012-01-21T16:06:00.000-08:00

Title: Fern Valley - A Collection of Short Stories: Birthday Pack (includes an autographed copy of Fern Valley, a Fern Valley notebook, and a sheet of Fern Valley stickers)
Author: Aileen Stewart
Link to Giveaway: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fern-Valley/109736815756550?sk=app_197602066931325
Genre: Children's fiction ages 8-12
How to enter: Facebook entry
Entry deadline: ?
Restrictions: US entries only please

Happy Reading!

Eye on the Iditarod

2012-01-21T15:59:00.000-08:00

Title: Eye on the Iditarod: Aisling's Quest
Author: Hope Irvin Marston
Blog: DianeEstrella
Link to Giveaway: BOOK GIVEAWAY Eye on the Iditarod: Aisling’s Quest by Hope Irvin Marston
Genre: Children's book
How to enter: Comment on the giveaway post
Entry deadline: Winner announced January 23, 2012
Restrictions: ?

Happy Reading!

A Mile in His Shoes DVD

2012-01-21T15:45:00.000-08:00

Title: A Mile in His Shoes DVD
Blog: The Knowlton Nest
Link to Giveaway: A Mile In His Shoes DVD Review and Giveaway!!
Genre: Family DVD
How to enter: Fill out entry form
Entry deadline: Wednesday, January 25
Restrictions: Open to US

Happy Reading!

Winning Blog: Memorable Children's Books & Gifts

2012-01-20T06:16:00.000-08:00

We are restarting our blog feature this year, and we're starting with more of a website than a blogbe spotlighted is...

Ella Johnson from Mymcbook's Blog: Keepsakes that Educate

Tell us a little about yourself, Ella...

I was born in England in 1967. Studied in Nigeria and London and majored in Fine Arts and Education. In London, I worked for Her Majesty the Queen as a Civil Servant in different departments of the Home Office for 10 years, from Administrative Assistant to Executive Officer. I then moved to the United States in 2006. I live with my husband in Florida and have my own business Memorable Children Books & Gifts.http://www.mcbooksandgifts.com

Tell us about your blog...

Mymcbooks Blog is a blog about books and promoting reading. I also interview old/new and upcoming authors/illustrators. The best part of my blog is giving. I love to give and giving away books to children is a great feeling.

When/how did you start blogging?

I started my blog Mymcbooks in 2009 to help promote my website Memorable Children Books & Gifts. I was new to blogging then and didn’t know what I was doing or how blogging worked, until I met Tina Peterson - The Book Lady of Ubourne Books http://www.myusbornebooks.com/she is a great help.

What is your favorite book/author?

I don’t have a favorite book or author. But I love reading “The Boy Who Wouldn’t Sit Still! By Sharon Lester.”

What about some other favorites:

Movie: Rush Hour 1-3 and Matrix 1-3.

Song: Second Chance by EL DeBarge

Food: Rice and Hot Wings

Drink: Sobe Green Tea

Season: Summer

Place: I have traveled a lot but really don’t have a favorite place.

Person: My uncle Scott

Do you have a favorite/feature product on your blog?

Yes, the Mymcbooks Birthday Library. This program provides books free (no random selection) to children between the ages of 2 to 5 years old who are register. They will receive a book once every year on their birthday till they turn 5. I now have over 25 names on my Birthday list and since we started in July we have given away 16 books to 16 children for their birthday, a gift from Mymcbooks Birthday Library and the authors who provided copies of their books for this program. I pray more parents sign up to the program. http://www.mcbooksandgifts.com/mymcbookslibrary.html

What advice do you have for parents to increase their joy and interest in learning/education?

Parents should make sure their child is reading the books they have. Old books should be donated and new ones brought. Education is not only important but critical to our children’s development as individuals. Development leads to a successful future and we must ensure that our children must have a quality education. If the child doesn’t have the basic comprehension in reading, it can slow down or hinder his or hers’ learning in all subjects.

What advice do you have for other bloggers?

Keep on blogging…LOL!

Thanks Ella! Be sure to visit her blog here, or check out her business website here!

A Mile in His Shoes DVD

2012-01-17T17:32:00.000-08:00

Title: A Mile in His Shoes DVD
Blog: Trinity Rose's Garden
Link to Giveaway: DVD GIVEAWAY and Review A Mile In His Shoes
Genre: Family/sports DVD
How to enter: Comment on the giveaway post including email address
Entry deadline: January 24
Restrictions: USA only

Happy Reading!

Ellie's Haven

2012-01-16T17:30:00.000-08:00

Title: Ellie's Haven
Author: Sharlene MacLaren
Blog: Trinity Rose's Garden
Link to Giveaway: Author Interview/Book Giveaway-Sharlene MacLaren
Genre: Christian fiction
How to enter: Comment on the giveaway post including email address
Entry deadline: January 22
Restrictions: USA

Happy Reading!

The Attic in My Yard

2012-01-15T17:28:00.000-08:00

Title: The Attic in My Yard (ebook)
Author: Birgit Horvath-Muck
Blog: Trinity Rose's Garden
Link to Giveaway: FREE EBOOK-The Attic in My Yard by Birgit Horvath-Muck How to enter: Comment on the giveaway post

Entry deadline: January 20
Restrictions: Open to everyone

Happy Reading!

The Rose of Winslow Street

2012-01-15T13:04:00.000-08:00

Title: The Rose of Winslow Street
Author: Elizabeth Camden
Blog: Sunnybank Meanderings
Link to Giveaway: A Warm Welcome to New Author Elizabeth Camden
Genre: Inspirational historical romance
How to enter: Comment on the giveaway post including your email address
Entry deadline: Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Restrictions: ?

Happy Reading!

All About Spelling

2012-01-07T07:46:00.000-08:00

Title: All About Spelling Level 1 + Deluxe Interactive Kit
Site: All About Learning forum
Link to Giveaway: Giveaway: All About Spelling Level 1 + Deluxe Interactive Kit
Genre: Educational
How to enter: Participate on forum and then comment on giveaway thread.
Entry deadline: midnight CT Monday, January 10, 2012
Restrictions: ?

Happy Reading!

Early Readers

2012-01-05T00:01:00.000-08:00

Title: 5 paperback early readers
Blog: Vintage Kids' Books My Kid Loves
Link to Giveaway: Great Monday Give: Early Readers Children's books
Genre:
How to enter: Comment on the giveaway post
Entry deadline: 1/8/12
Restrictions: ?

Happy Reading!

$25 iTunes Gift Card

2012-01-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

Title: $25 iTunes Gift Card
Blog: Apps for Homeschooling
Link to Giveaway: $25 iTunes GC Giveaway – New Year, New Apps!
How to enter: Comment on the giveaway post
Entry deadline: January 11th
Restrictions: US only

Happy Reading!

Wounded Spirits

2012-01-03T00:05:00.000-08:00

Title: Wounded Spirits
Author: April Gardner
Blog: Linda Weaver Clarke
Link to Giveaway: Interview with Historical Fiction Author April Gardner Historical Fiction
Genre:
How to enter: Comment on the giveaway post
Entry deadline: Jan 9
Restrictions: US and Canada

Happy Reading!

Where Wildflowers Bloom

2012-01-03T00:01:00.001-08:00

Title: Where Wildflowers Bloom
Author: Ann Shorey
Blog: A Christian Writer's World
Link to Giveaway: WHERE WILDFLOWERS BLOOM - Ann Shorey - Free Book
Genre: Christian fiction
How to enter: Comment on the giveaway post
Entry deadline: Winner announced Saturday
Restrictions: ?

Happy Reading!

Stalker in the Shadows

2012-01-03T00:01:00.000-08:00

Title: Stalker in the Shadows
Author: Camy Tang
Blog: Christian Bookshelf Reviews
Link to Giveaway: Book Review & Giveaway: Stalker in the Shadows by Camy Tang
Genre: Christian fiction
How to enter: Fill out Rafflecopter form
Entry deadline: 1/6/12
Restrictions: Open internationally

Happy Reading!

Image of God CD

2012-01-02T15:58:00.000-08:00

Title: Image of God CD
Artists: Christa Wells & Nicole Witt
Blog: Inspired to Action
Link to Giveaway: My Twin Wrote A Song with Ann Voskamp
Genre: Worship CD
How to enter: Comment on the giveaway post
Entry deadline: ?
Restrictions: ?

Happy Reading!

Thyme for Love

2012-01-02T00:55:00.000-08:00

Title: Thyme for Love
Author: Pamela S Meyers
Blog: A Christian Writer's World
Link to Giveaway: THYME FOR LOVE - Pamela S Meyers - Free Book Christian fiction
Genre:
How to enter: Comment on the giveaway post
Entry deadline: Winner announced Saturday
Restrictions: ?

Happy Reading!

Mr. Popper's Penguins

2012-01-02T00:47:00.000-08:00

Title: Mr. Popper's Penguins (ebook)
Author: Richard and Florence Atwater
Blog: 5 Minutes for Mom
Link to Giveaway: Did you Get an Ereader for Christmas? Mr. Popper’s Penguins ebook giveaway Children's book (ebook)
Genre:
How to enter: Comment on the giveaway post
Entry deadline: Winner announced Monday, January 9
Restrictions: ?

Happy Reading!

The Unlikely Wife

2012-01-02T00:40:00.000-08:00

Title: The Unlikely Wife
Author: Debra Ullrick
Blog: A Christian Writer's World
Link to Giveaway: THE UNLIKELY WIFE - Debra Ullrick - Free Book Christian fiction
Genre:
How to enter: Comment on the giveaway post
Entry deadline: Winner announced Saturday
Restrictions: ?

Happy Reading!

Small-town Sweethearts

2012-01-02T00:36:00.000-08:00

Title: Small-town Sweethearts
Author: Jean C Gordon
Blog: A Christian Writer's World
Link to Giveaway: SMALL-TOWN SWEETHEARTS - Jean C Gordon - Free Book Christian fiction
Genre:
How to enter: Comment on the giveaway post
Entry deadline: Winner announced Saturday
Restrictions: ?

Happy Reading!

Firethorn

2012-01-02T00:26:00.000-08:00

Title: Firethorn
Author: Ronie Kendig
Blog: A Christian Writer's World
Link to Giveaway: FIRETHORN - Ronie Kendig - Free Book Christian fiction
Genre:
How to enter: Comment on the giveaway post, including where you live
Entry deadline: Winner announced a week from Saturday
Restrictions: US only

Happy Reading!

Christmas Haven

2011-12-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

Title: Christmas Haven
Author: Hope White
Blog: Christian Bookshelf Reviews
Link to Giveaway: Review & Giveaway: Christmas Haven by Hope White Christian fiction
Genre:
How to enter: Fill out Rafflecopter form
Entry deadline: 12/30
Restrictions: US only

Happy Reading!

The White Gorilla and the Three Chimpanzees

2011-12-24T00:15:00.000-08:00

Title: The White Gorilla and the Three Chimpanzees
Author: Saragine Francois
Blog: The Children's Book Review
Link to Giveaway: Giveaway: The White Gorilla and the Three Chimpanzees
Genre: Ages 9-12
How to enter: Fill out giveaway form
Entry deadline: 12/31/11 at 11:59 pm PST
Restrictions: US mailing addresses

Happy Reading!

The Taste of Snow

2011-12-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

Title: The Taste of Snow
Author: Stephen V. Masse
Blog: The Children's Book Review
Link to Giveaway: Giveaway: The Taste of Snow
Genre: Ages 8-14
How to enter: Fill out giveaway form
Entry deadline: December 26, 2011
Restrictions: Open to all

Happy Reading!

Love Finds You in Annapolis, Maryland

2011-12-17T11:42:00.000-08:00

Title: Love Finds You in Annapolis, Maryland
Author: Roseanna White
Blog: Live, Learn, Love
Link to Giveaway: Giveaway!
Genre: Christian fiction
How to enter: Comment on the giveaway post
Entry deadline: Wednesday, December 21st
Restrictions: ?

Happy Reading!

Simon Flash (Game)

2011-12-16T08:41:00.000-08:00

Title: Simon Flash (game)
Blog: Reading to Know
Link to Giveaway: Simon Flash (Game Giveaway)
Genre: Children's game
How to enter: Comment on the giveaway post
Entry deadline: Wednesday, Dec 21st
Restrictions: US only

Happy Reading!

Help Me Remember

2011-12-12T00:44:00.000-08:00

Title: Help Me Remember
Blog: A Word from Lifesong Publishers
Link to Giveaway: Home Educating Family Reader Contest Children's picture book
Genre:
How to enter: Comment on the giveaway post
Entry deadline: December 19, 2011
Restrictions: ?

Happy Reading!

CanYou See What I See?

2011-12-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

Title: Can You See What I See? Toyland Express
Author: Walter Wick
Blog: The Children's Book Review
Link to Giveaway: Giveaway: Can You See What I See? Toyland Express! Children's book for all ages
Genre:
How to enter: Fill out giveaway form
Entry deadline: 12/19/11 at 11:59 pm PST
Restrictions: US mailing address

Happy Reading!

Winning Fiction: Love Rekindled

2011-12-08T10:14:00.001-08:00

Interview with Candi Adermatt
Author of Love Rekindled

You're such a prolific writer. What gave you the itch to write?

Candi: Stories have filtered through my brain as far back as my memory can take me. I imagined myself as each character as they appeared in my head and became part of the story. That's pretty much the way things continued through the years. Several years ago the company that I worked for went into bankruptcy and layoffs were imminent. My boss asked me what career path I might choose if money wasn't an issue. Without hesitation I said, "I'd write a book." When I went home that night and told my husband of our conversation, he said, "Well, why don't you just do that? You don't have to be unemployed to write a book." With those words of wisdom, I began to write.

How did the idea of LOVE REKINDLED come to you?

Candi: I like tackling topics that aren't generally read about in Christian fiction. I wanted readers to be able to feel the wife's pain, the child's struggle with abandonment issues, and the stark reality for the husband because of his infidelity. I also wanted it to be an encouragement to anyone who had ever had to live through this heartbreaking situation.

Is there something you typically do while writing - like drink coffee or listen to music?

Candi: Yes, I always listen to music while I write, usually my favorite Christian radio station. That and a good cup of coffee are good writing buddies. In the absence of coffee and an internet connection for the radio station, my iPod and laptop are just as supportive.

Tell us about an activity you enjoy in your day-to-day life.

Candi: My husband and I are avid explorers and rock hounds. We love to go off-roading in search of all kinds of treasure (his license plate is GLDIGGR). He researches old books, maps, and archives that tell where gold was found or loot might be buried, and off we go with our metal detector in pursuit. We have never found anything of real value, other than the thrill of the hunt and the joy of being together. Love it!

What kind of a reader are you? Avid? Sporadic? What do you read most?

Candi: I love to read, usually contemporary Christian romance novels. The difficulty with that, though, is that it keeps me from writing. When I am in a serious writing mode (once I get started on a story, I don't want to stop writing until the story is finished), I don't read at all, as it interrupts my thought process. I almost never read a newspaper or magazine, unless it contains some story that someone has recommended to me. I much prefer to create my own reality!

What other novels are you writing?

Candi: I wrote several novels before and after LOVE REKINDLED. Most of these are Christian romances. The earlier ones still need a lot of polish. The most recent ones are ready for the eyes of a publisher.

Where on the Internet can people find you?

Candi: You can find me on my author page at www.cladach.com/Adermatt.html or contact me by email: cadermatt "at" gmail.com
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Love Rekindled:

When a wayward husband comes back into the lives of his wife and sons after years of separation, will they believe he has changed ... and can they forgive him? As a medical crisis forces the family members to face their fears, hurts and true desires, and the conflict develops toward a surprise resolution, the reader will feel the ebb and flow of subtle emotional tensions. Here's a relationship story with a twist - told from the man's point of view.
"Candy Adermatt's style of writing is captivating." ~ Charlene West, The Quiet Hour

"A wonderful story of redemption, forgiveness, and reconciliation... Beautifully addresses issues such as suffering, meaning, spiritual commitment, and the truth that people can change. Adermatt's ability to develop characters and express the complexity of their relationships is evident." ~ Dr. Holli Eaton

"The style of writing that keeps me interested and wanting more -- flowing and not excessively wordy. Not only is the story in itself riveting, but through it Candi also conveys the values of hope, forgiveness, and family relationships. I plan to give everyone I know a copy of this book!" ~ Stephanie Miyake

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BULLETIN BOARD

Do you have any recent clean fiction book reviews or other clean fiction-related post? Here's your place to link up! (Christian fiction especially welcome.) Check the rules if you've got questions.

And be sure to check out some of the other great reviews linked up here!

Winning Stuff: Close Encounters of the Moose Kind

2011-12-07T00:05:00.000-08:00

Close Encounters of the Moose Kind

~Linda Rondeau

I gasped as the gigantic mound stepped from the woods into our path, heads taller than our compact car. My husband swerved and we missed the animal by inches. “Was that a moose?” my husband asked.

I laughed.

“What’s so funny?”

“My heroine’s life is changed when she runs into a moose.”

We both giggled over God’s sense of humor.

That we found ourselves on the back roads of Franklin County at four in the morning was in and of itself God’s doing. I hadn’t planned on attending the ACFW Writers Conference in Minneapolis. “If I final in the contest then I’ll go,” I told my husband.

I did final, and my words haunted me. And so once again God changed my plans to fit into His. In rural upstate New York, flight connections often require a pre-dawn departure, and we had taken the country road to save time.

I shared my moose tale with a writer friend who laughed her prophecy. “That moose was a smile from God. He has plans for this manuscript.”

As time went on, God continued to smile affirmation after affirmation even through a dramatic relocation to Florida. Then, eleven years from the day that I felt God’s call to write professionally, my agent called with the news—a publisher had offered a contract. “It’s for Dawn’s Hope, but the editor wants to change the title to The Other Side of Darkness,” she said.

I did agree the alternate title sounded better and trusted the editor’s choice.

Yet, it wasn’t until later that God revealed His hand had been in the making of the book long before the first words were typed, long before I imagined my character’s accident, long before He sent a moose to confirm He would soon fulfill a promise made to me over a decade ago.

During a speaking engagement at a local women’s meeting, I shared my journey from call to call, reading a poem I wrote that very day God pulled me from one life to set me on another, one undefined and uncertain. I had obeyed His leading and He immediately gave me a poem, “The Song of Peace.” As I shared the poem with the women’s group, my eyes misted when I read the line, “Praise the Lord when Hope seems foolish…There is light on the other side of darkness.”

Could it be that even then, God was smiling on a book not yet imagined? I believe He did.

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Award-winning author, LINDA RONDEAU, writes for the reader who enjoys a little bit of everything. Her stories of redemption and God’s mercies include romance, suspense, the ethereal, and a little bit of history into the mix, always served with a slice of humor. Walk with her unforgettable characters as they journey paths not unlike our own. After a long career in human services, mother of three and wife of one very patient man, Linda now resides in Florida where she is active in her church and community. Readers may visit her web site at www.lindarondeau.com.

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BULLETIN BOARD

It's anything goes today! Here's your place to link up any "clean" book-related post of your choice! Check the rules if you've got questions.

And take a moment to check out some other great book posts linked up here!

Visual Latin

2011-12-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

Title: Visual Latin
Blog: Home Educating Family Publishing
Link to Giveaway: http://www.wellplannedday.com/contest01.php
Genre: Curriculum - Latin
How to enter: Fill out giveaway form
Entry deadline: December 10, 2011
Restrictions: ?

Happy Reading!

Shadows From the Past

2011-12-06T00:15:00.000-08:00

Title: Shadows From the Past
Author: Ashley Dawn
Blog: Hardcover Feedback
Link to Giveaway: Blog Tour: Shadows From the Past by Ashley Dawn Review & Giveaway! Christian fiction
Genre:
How to enter: Rafflecopter form
Entry deadline: 12/13
Restrictions: ?

Happy Reading!

Janet Halfmann 5-Book Bundle

2011-12-06T00:05:00.000-08:00

Title: 5-Book Bundle Holiday Giveaway: Star of the Sea; Fur and Feathers; Little Skink's Tail; Good Night, Little Sea Otter; Seven Miles to Freedom
Author: Janet Halfmann
Link to Giveaway: http://www.janethalfmann.com/news-a-events
Genre: Signed picture books, ages 3-9
How to enter: Comment on the author's website
Entry deadline: midnight CST Dec 13
Restrictions: US only

Happy Reading!

Kusikiy

2011-12-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

Title: Kusikiy: A Child from Taquile, Peru
Author: Mercedes Cecilia
Blog: The Children's Book Review
Link to Giveaway: Giveaway: Kusikiy: A Child from Taquile, Peru Children's book ages 6-8
Genre:
How to enter: Fill out giveaway form
Entry deadline: 12/13/11 at 11:59 pm PST
Restrictions: US mailing address

Happy Reading!

The Family Storybook Treasury

2011-12-05T00:01:00.000-08:00

Title: The Family Storybook Treasury
Blog: The Children's Book Review
Link to Giveaway: Giveaway: The Family Storybook Treasury
Genre: Ages 3-7
How to enter: Fill out giveaway form
Entry deadline: 12/12/11 at 11:59 pm PST
Restrictions: US mailing address

Happy Reading!

Speechless

2011-12-04T18:46:00.000-08:00

Title: Speechless: Finding God's Grace in My Son's Autism
Author: Sandra Peoples
Blog: Jennifer A. Janes
Link to Giveaway: Review and Giveaway
Genre: Memoir/ digital copy
How to enter: Comment with why you would like to win the book
Entry deadline: Friday, December 9, 9:00pm CST
Restrictions: none listed

Happy Reading!

The Crochet Answer Book

2011-12-04T17:32:00.001-08:00

Title: The Crochet Answer Book
Author: Edie Eckman
Blog: Crochet Craft Gossip
Link to Giveaway: First December Giveaway – The Crochet Answer Book – 12/1/2011 through 12/6/2011 ONLY
Genre: Craft
How to enter: Comment on the giveaway post with the name of your favorite crochet book
Entry deadline: 12/6/11
Restrictions: ?

Happy Reading!

Pacha's Pajamas

2011-12-04T11:24:00.001-08:00

Title: Pacha's Pajamas: A Story Written by Nature
Blog: The Children's Book Review
Link to Giveaway: Giveaway: Pacha’s Pajamas, A Story Written by Nature Ages 6-9
Genre:
How to enter: Fill out giveaway form
Entry deadline: December 9, 2011 at 11:59pm PST
Restrictions: Open to all

Happy Reading!

The Thing I Say I Saw Last Night

2011-12-04T11:20:00.001-08:00

Title: The Thing I Say I Saw Last Night
Author: Wndy McKernan
Blog: The Children's Book Review
Link to Giveaway: Giveaway: TheThing I Say I Saw Last Night
Genre: Ages 3-8
How to enter: Fill out giveaway form
Entry deadline: December 11, 2011 at 11:59pm PST
Restrictions: US and Canadian mailing addresses

Happy Reading!

Review/Giveaway: Hope Underground

2011-12-03T17:23:00.001-08:00

A WINNING READINGS GIVEAWAY!

Title: Hope Underground: The 34 Chilean Miners: A Story of Faith and Miracles
Author: Carlos Parra Diaz, as told to Mario Veloso and Jeanette Windle
Genre: Christian nonfiction
How to enter: Leave a comment on THIS post right here! If you're a subscriber or a follower, leave a second comment for a second entry.

Entry deadline: December 25, 2011

Restrictions: Open internationally!

That's right, enter right here for this giveaway. This is my review copy, so it has been gently read.

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It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Carlos Parra Diaz

and the book:

Hope Underground

Africa Publishing Company (September 28, 2011)

***Special thanks to Audra Jennings, Senior Media Specialist, The B&B Media Group for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

After serving as chaplain at Camp Hope during the 2010 mine collapse that trapped 33 miners a half-mile underground for 69 days, minister Carlos Parra Diaz believes he is now living the answer to a prayer. Today he finds himself exactly where he asked to be placed several months before the collapse when he climbed atop a hill near his home and prayed God would use him to bring awareness of Jesus to all nations.

Believing it was God’s hand that placed him in Camp Hope and gratified to be given the privilege of participating, Parra admits his life will never be the same because of the experience. He further acknowledges that what happened at the San José Mine “offers unequivocal testimony that, in this 21st century, faith still does move mountains.”

Today, Pastor Parra, his wife Gloria and their two children live in Asunción, Paraguay, where he serves as regional pastor and missionary. In addition, he continues to share his experience with others throughout the world, diligently seeking every opportunity to spread the message of the San José Mine: that our God is a God of Love.

Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

For several suspenseful hours on October 13, 2010, the attention of the entire world lay centered on a solitary spot in the Chilean desert. It was there that 33 trapped miners emerged to fresh air and freedom and the eager embrace of jubilant family and friends, after having spent ten weeks entombed one-half mile underground. Their emergence brought an end to the greatest mine rescue of all time.

As told to writers Mario Veloso and Jeanette Windle, Hope Underground: The 34 Chilean Miners—A Story of Faith and Miracles (Imago Dei Books) records the personal journey and spiritual involvement of a local, unassuming minister with the miners and their families. In a series of circumstances that would change his life forever, Pastor Carlos Parra Diaz rose to prominence as he became the influential chaplain of Camp Hope—a makeshift tent community established not far from the site of the mine collapse.

Yet Hope Underground is clearly more than just Pastor Parra’s story. Rather, it is the story of all who came together at Camp Hope focused on asking God to do a mighty work on behalf of the miners and the overwhelming evidence of His response that followed. Told simply and from the heart, Pastor Parra describes not only his own involvement with the families at Camp Hope but also introduces the reader to those miners, family members and officials who extracted nuggets of hope from the situation and then used them to instill faith in others.

For most people, this spectacular rescue is already yesterday’s news. However, for the millions who prayed for a miracle, this event has become a spiritual heritage for the whole world, a stirring reminder that God listens to the pleas of His children.

Readers are introduced to women like Maria Segovia, the “mayor” of Camp Hope, whose quiet strength and steadfast faith daily encouraged others. We meet the miner whose wife gave birth to their first child during the ten-week ordeal—a daughter they named Esperanza (which means Hope). And no reader will soon forget the youngest miner who boldly insisted there were 34 in the mine instead of 33 because, as he explained, “God never abandoned us.”

Though on its own, the story of his involvement would provide fascinating reading, what Pastor Parra gives us in Hope Underground is so much more. With humility and reverence, he leads us through the story of Camp Hope to a new realization that God remains a never failing presence to everyone willing to call upon His name.

Product Details:

List Price: $14.99

Paperback: 208 pages

Publisher: Africa Publishing Company (September 28, 2011)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0986979953

ISBN-13: 978-0986979958

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

The Journey Begins

My own journey of faith did not begin August 5, 2010, on the dusty slopes of San José Mine, but almost forty-three years earlier and far to the south. I was born Carlos Roberto Parra Díaz on September 15, 1967, in the small, rural community of Coelemu, located 500 kilometers south of Chile’s capital city, Santiago. In complete contrast to the Atacama Desert where I would one day find myself, Coelemu is a richly fertile region of rolling hills, eucalyptus forests, green pastures and cultivated fields, fruit orchards, and grape vineyards. Nearby winds the placid waterway of the Itata River.

The family into which I was born was of modest means. My father, Luis Parra, worked at many types of manual labor within the lumber industry, the region’s primary export. My mother, Ester, stayed busy running our household and rearing nine children, of whom I was one of the youngest. We lived in a small house built of wood that faced onto an unpaved dirt lane. If cramped for such a large family, we could always retreat outside to a sizable patio filled with fruit trees and a grape arbor. There my siblings and I played, climbing trees, running among the grapevines, driving tiny model cars in the dirt.

My parents were devout Christians, and from my earliest childhood I attended a local evangelical church where I grew up hearing Bible stories and singing hymns and choruses. Our small town was privileged to have both a primary and a secondary school, where my siblings and I attended. The flow of life in Coelemu was unhurried and serene.

Yet I was not always happy. As one of the youngest in a large family, I constantly battled low self-esteem. I had been taught the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. I believed in the existence and power of a Creator God. But I had never placed my own faith in Jesus Christ or made any personal commitment to follow my Creator.

When I graduated from secondary school at age seventeen, there were no funds available for further education. In fact, no one in my family had ever gone on to university. I had done well in school and dreamed of a higher education. But without the necessary funds, I headed instead to the nearest city to look for work.

Seventy kilometers south of Coelemu, Concepción is Chile’s second largest metropolitan center with a population of almost a million people. One of my older brothers, Claudio, had already moved there. Boarding in his home, I quickly found a job. I worked hard, sending part of my earnings home to help my parents, saving what I could in hopes I might be able to study again someday. I made friends.

But I soon also turned my back on the Christian upbringing my parents had provided for me. The big city was filled with temptations for a young man out on his own for the first time. When I was not working, my days soon became a round of parties, dances, and other entertainments of which my parents would certainly not have approved. Church attendance was something of the past.

Once a month or so, I would travel home. My parents had no idea how my life had changed. They were simply happy their son had found work and was building a future for himself. In contrast, despite all the excitement of city life, I was not happy at all. By age nineteen, I had fallen into a deep depression. While I could point to nothing specifically wrong, my life seemed to be spiraling out of my control. I began to question whether God even existed. My self-esteem had hit rock bottom. I had a job, friends, and all my needs supplied. But there seemed no purpose to my existence, no reason to keep living.

By a certain evening when I was nineteen years old, I had come to a drastic decision: I would take my own life. I’d gone out that evening to party with one of my friends. But I could not make myself enjoy the festivities. Offering an excuse to leave my friend, I headed toward the railroad tracks cutting through that part of the city, thinking to throw myself in front of a passing train.

That particular night was clear of clouds, the stars bright against a black sky. It had been a long time since I’d thought of the God in whom my parents had raised me to believe, the Almighty Creator of the Universe. But as I lifted my eyes to that star-strewn sky, it was as though I glimpsed in the soft glitter of the constellations far above me a peace that I had not been able to find anywhere below on earth—a peace so vast and breathtaking, it brought sharply to my mind the presence of the God I’d learned of as a child, His pardon, His peace.

In desperation, I cried out in the direction of those stars, “God, if you are really there, please forgive my sins, and give me another chance to live.”
The answer that came was not thunder from heaven, but I heard its words as audibly as though spoken aloud. “Carlos, I will give you another opportunity to live. But you must live that life for me.”

I dropped my gaze from the glittering expanse of the night sky. But the moment I started looking at the darkness all around, despair once again overwhelmed me. I now know that this was a direct attack from Satan. You are worthless, he was murmuring in my mind. You would be better off taking your own life.
But the God who had created those constellations and spoken to me from heaven did not abandon me now. Before I could make any rash move, the friend I’d walked out on came rushing up. Somehow he’d sensed my earlier desperation. Worried, he’d been looking for me in all the places we usually hung out. He insisted on escorting me home to my brother’s house.
By now it was late at night. My brother Claudio let me in and told me to go to bed. We’d talk in the morning. Still battling despair, I went to my room. There I spotted a New Testament lying on a shelf. I couldn’t sleep, so I picked up the New Testament and began leafing through its pages. I don’t even remember what passages I read. But in those pages, I caught a glimpse of the same supernatural peace that I’d sensed in the stars. It was as though God was speaking to me again, giving me a direct confirmation that the earlier conversation we’d had was real and that He had forgiven all the wrong things I’d done over those last two years.
Going to bed at last, I slept like a small child, without stirring. When I awoke the next morning, I knew I was a new person, born again. From that day, I committed myself to follow God with all my heart.

“Almighty God, as I asked, You have given me a new chance to live,” I prayed. “Now I surrender my life to do Your will. Guide me wherever it is that You want me to serve. Let me live to exalt Your name among all nations.”
My next step was to find a local church where I could once again hear and study God’s Word. Locating one some distance away within the city of Concepción, I attended there for the next year or so. Then new neighbors moved next door to my brother Claudio’s house where I was still living. They were Seventh-day Adventist missionaries, a denomination I had never heard of at that time. They were friendly and kind. Within a short time, they’d volunteered to teach a Bible study in our neighborhood, which I began attending with my sister-in-law, Claudio’s wife. After three months of intensive Bible study, both of us made the decision to be baptized as a witness of our faith. On June 24, 1989, I surrendered my life in baptism. I was twenty-one years old.

From the moment I’d placed my faith in God, I’d committed my life to serve God. But I had no thoughts at that time of ever becoming a pastor or missionary. By then I’d found a good job as an administrative aide in a bank. But I still dreamed of one day getting a higher education. Then our neighbors told me about the Adventist University in nearby Chillán, a city about a hundred kilometers east of Coelemu.
“But I have no funds for university study,” I immediately responded.
That didn’t matter, the missionaries informed me. Then they explained to me the Adventist University’s unique system of self financing. Students could work one year for the university and then attend free the next year, alternating work and study years until they’d achieved their chosen degree. With great excitement, I enrolled, planning to study accounting, a career that would allow me not only to provide for myself, but to help my family. But by the end of my first year working for the university, God had made it clear that He was calling me into full-time ministry. When I finally started my university studies in 1991, it was in the field of theology rather than accounting.

For the next seven years, I alternated between working and studying. My employment for the university was as a colporteur, distributing and selling Christian literature door to door all over the city as well as in surrounding towns and villages. God had now made clear His calling on my life. But I did not want to follow that calling alone. I began to pray that God would bring into my life the marriage partner He had for me. For five years I prayed, not only that God would prepare the right wife for me, but that He would prepare me as a godly husband for that wife.

Then in my third year of studies, I found myself in Santiago, the capital city of Chile. Part of the course requirements for third year theology students was to conduct an evangelistic campaign. Among the volunteers helping at the church where I’d been assigned to preach was an attractive young woman named Gloria Angélica Montoya. From a third-generation Christian home, Gloria was a committed Christian herself, deeply involved in children’s and youth ministry within her church. She also worked full-time as a nursing assistant at a local psychiatric clinic.

The following year was one of those in which I was not studying. I stayed on in Santiago, working in the literature ministry and also getting to know Gloria better. It was not long before we both recognized how much we’d come to love each other. Both of us had complete peace that God was calling us together as life partners.

Gloria and I were married in the summer of 1996. We returned from Santiago to Chillán for my last year of theological studies. I graduated in 1998 and spent the next year doing a ministry apprenticeship in Concepción. Then Gloria and I returned to Santiago, where for the next five years I served as pastor and missionary overseeing a group of churches in the Santiago metropolitan area. By this time God had given Gloria and me two beautiful children: my son Carlos Malaquías (Malachi), who at the time of this book’s writing is thirteen years old, and my daughter Belén, who is now ten.

In 2003, we moved again as a family to Chile’s beautiful Viña del Mar region, famous for its vineyards and beaches. Once again, I served as pastor and missionary to a group of churches scattered around the area. Traveling from one to another, I would preach God’s Word, teach and counsel church members, and spearhead evangelistic outreach into each community.
It was 2009 when I was asked if I would move from the Viña del Mar region to serve as an area coordinator in the northern city of Copiapó. Moving from the lush vegetation that I’d known all my life in southern Chile to the barren wastelands of the Atacama Desert would be a shock, I knew. But I also knew God was calling me to accept this new ministry challenge. In Copiapó I would have under my supervision nine churches, including a Gypsy kangiri, as this Romany people group called their church assemblies, in the small community of Paipote eight kilometers from Copiapó.
The regional capital of Copiapó is a community of about 130,000 inhabitants just beyond where Chile’s southern “green zone” gives way to the Atacama Desert. Its main industrial base is the copper, silver, and gold ore dug out of numerous mines in the surrounding area. A large copper smelter in nearby Paipote employs many local residents. Unexpectedly in such an arid zone, the second main source of employment is agricultural production. From my first visit to Copiapó, I was pleasantly surprised to find the town a green oasis, with irrigation for citrus and olive trees, vineyards, and vegetable crops coming from subterranean water sources deep beneath the thirsty surface.

Beyond the irrigated zones, the barrenness of a region that does not receive a single drop of rain is immediately evident. Since my childhood in Coelemu, surrounded by forest-cloaked hills, climbing has been one of my favorite pastimes. Once I’d begun my ministry, I’d made a practice in each new place to which God moved us of finding a nearby hill to climb where I be alone with God and pray. I was encouraged in doing so by the recognition that I was following Jesus’s own example of retreating in solitude to the mountains to spend time with His heavenly Father.
Shortly after arriving in Copiapó, I climbed to the top of a high hill overlooking the city, a peak dubbed by local residents Cerro de la Cruz, or Mountaintop of the Cross. The reason for its name was clear as I climbed. At the very summit of the hill, a large white cross rose against the cloudless blue backdrop of the sky.

As I reached the foot of the cross, a Bible verse rose to my thoughts that God had placed in my heart and mind since the very beginning of my ministry. The words were Jesus’s own as He foretold how He would soon die upon a cross: “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32).

Ever since God had called me to serve Him in full-time ministry, my greatest desire had been to see the eyes of everyone drawn to Jesus Christ, to see my Savior exalted among all nations. As I stood there praying over the city of Copiapó and the new ministry to which God had called me, I added a very specific and bold prayer request. I prayed that God would open the door for me to preach His good news of redemption through Jesus Christ, not just in the city of Copiapó, but across the entire region of Atacama, throughout all Chile, and—if in God’s sovereign will I was given opportunity—one day even to the rest of the world beyond Chile’s borders.
Over the next months I was very busy in my new ministry responsibilities, visiting each of the nine churches assigned to my administration, working and praying with both adults and youth for revival in the church. Together as a united body of believers, we prayed that God would show us how we could make a difference in this city and region for Christ.
Meanwhile, my family had settled in well, my children quickly making new friends at a local Adventist school they attended. When we had free time, we enjoyed hiking the hills around Copiapó as a family. But whenever I could find time, I would climb alone to the white cross on the top of Cerro de la Cruz. Each time I would pray again the prayer I’d offered up on that first day.
Never did I dream that within eighteen months of the first time I climbed that hillside, God would provide a wonderful answer to that bold prayer I’d made, opening the doors for me to speak His gospel, not just throughout the Atacama region and all of Chile, but across the entire world.

What I Liked:

Sometimes nonfiction books can be a little dry - simply a retelling of facts. And in a way, this book is just that - a retelling of facts. However, the actual events that transpired, though simply told, left me in awe of an amazing God, compelling me to keep reading page after page.

This isn't the story of Seventh-day Adventist pastor Carols Parra Diaz, chaplain of the miner family camp, though it says a lot about him. It is the story of the 34th Miner - who, like the 4th man in the furnace (one of my daughter's favorite stories), walked through the blaze with not just the miners, but also their families on the outside. His presence was evident, time and again.

The book ends with thoughts on why God would allow an event like this to happen. The parallels to the fiery furnace story are evident - God intervened in a way that spoke loudly to the leaders of the country, and ultimately to the world, about His presence and power.

The first-person account and the pictures make it a personable read.

If you're looking for a simply-written book that allows God Himself to shine through the pages, this is it.

Winning Fiction: Face to Face

2011-12-01T00:05:00.000-08:00

Interview with Catherine Lawton
Author of Face to Face

Hello, Catherine. Your bio mentions that you became a published writer (in a national periodical) at the ripe old age of 12! Did that experience boost your desire to write more?

Catherine: It certainly was affirming and satisfying to think someone would want to print and read something I wrote (It was a little poem about Jesus being my Friend, and a Sunday school teacher encouraged me to send it in). But the desire to write was there already and it grew into a sense of a calling.

In your biblical novel, "Face to Face," you fictionalize a story about a woman who is miraculously healed by Jesus. She is mentioned in the Bible only once, in Luke 13:10-17. With so little known about her, how did you develop her character and make her so believable?

Catherine: That woman, who was healed by Jesus on the Sabbath, gripped my heart and imagination. She was unnamed in the story, so I named her Joakima, which means "One whom God has lifted up spiritually." She was bent over double for 18 years and "could in no way lift herself," which indicates that she had tried. I began to imagine what "cures" she might have used. Each has a parallel today, whether it's conventional wisdom and "old wives' tales," self-righteous religion, new-age spiritualism, or humanistic self-improvement methods. I considered the context of the scriptures and researched the historical period and life in those days. A good story needs conflict, and there's plenty in this account – between the woman and the spirit that crippled her, between Jesus and the leaders of the synagogue, between the people and the burdensome Sabbath laws, and between walking by faith versus walking by sight. I began to imagine Joakima in a colorful setting interacting with other vibrant characters until the story took on a life of its own. I was interested to see how my character would survive and finally thrive in the challenges of that setting.

One gets the sense that there may be experiences in your own life that parallel those of your character, Joakima. Is this perception accurate?

Catherine: The story formed in my mind while I was going through a period of inner healing. I read the book of Luke, and this woman who was so wretched and yet so tenaciously persevering, triggered my imagination as well as my faith. Jesus told the woman she was released and he said that Satan had kept her bound. This part is very personal. I have known people who are bound by various things 51; memories, addictions, sins, wrong thinking, bitterness, and even evil spirits. And I've seen people set free. I wondered what sort of spirit had taken hold of this woman, how Satan could keep a religious person of faith bound, and what might have caused that spirit to enter into her body and life. Luke also tells us that Jesus called her a "daughter of Abraham" which means she had faith. I wondered, how does such a person have such faith?

Now a question to help readers know you better. If you had three free tickets to go to any three places in the world, where would you go, and why?

Catherine: First I'd go to Israel to research my next novel! Next I'd go to Scotland and the Hebrides, where a mighty revival happened the year I was born. Third I'd go to Rome again, where there is a strong sense of the biblical world and the modern world intersecting.

Since music has played such an important role in your life: What music CDs happen to be in your player right now?

Catherine: I just put in a CD of Loreena McKennitt singing Christmas songs, and a Russian pianist playing Rachmaninoff concertos.

If you could spend a week with any historical person of the past ten centuries, who would that be?

Catherine: I might like to spend a week with Joan of Arc, though it might be dangerous. A simple peasant girl believed so strongly that God had spoken to her that she was able to convince leaders of her country and army to let her lead them to victory, out of a dark and troubled period. And talk about conflicts! Her faith and obedience led to her martyrdom. Amazing.

What writing projects are you working on now?

Catherine: Besides writing occasional poetry and other short pieces, I have started two other novels. As I was writing Face to Face, the character of Benjamin grew so strong and appealing, he almost took over the story. I would like to give him a chance to shine. I'd like to take Joakima and Ben to Jerusalem again, perhaps to be present during Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was outpoured, to be part of the early believers who were persecuted and dispersed. I'd like to see Joakima return to her childhood home of Dura-Europas. And like every good story, it would include lots of conflict and a little romance.

Where on the Internet can we find you?

Catherine: At my Cladach author page: http://cladach.com/Lawton.html ,
at my Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Catherine-Lawton/e/B001K8YLA6 ,
and Cladach Publishing's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cladach-Publishing-wwwcladachcom/10150101184295035

Anything else you'd like readers to know about you?

Catherine: Here are some things about me: I've played the piano for years. Currently, I accompany a gospel quartet. My husband and I enjoy beekeeping in our backyard. I own Cladach Publishing, a small royalty press; and I spend lots of time editing and promoting other authors and their books. Writing and publishing is quite an adventure. And hearing from readers is like frosting on the cake!
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Face to Face:

Set in the tumultuous world during Jesus' earthly life, here is a timeless story of suffering, longing, and healing. Conflicts arise between a young woman's devotion to God and the demon that holds her captive; between her attempts to free herself and the judgment and condemnation of others; between the rabbi named Jesus and the legalistic religious leaders; between the daily reality of Roman oppression and the Jewish hopes of a Deliverer-Messiah.

A vivid imagining of the account in Luke 13:10-17, where Jesus calls the bent-over woman to himself.

"I was fascinated." ~ Eva Marie Everson for CrossWalk.com

"I thoroughly enjoyed Face to Face." ~ Richard Wendley, screen writer/actor

"WOW! What a great book. I absolutely loved it... I know the next time I read about this miracle in the Gospels, I will think of this woman through the eyes of Lawton's novel... Thanks to Cladach Publishing for publishing such outstanding Christian literature!" ~ Shirley Silver

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BULLETIN BOARD

Contingency

2011-11-29T20:07:00.000-08:00

Title: Contingency
Author: Paula Wiseman
Blog: Hardcover Feedback
Link to Giveaway: Interview and Giveaway
Genre: Christian fiction
How to enter: Be a follower and leave a comment
Entry deadline: December 16
Restrictions: none listed

Happy Reading!

Marian's Christmas Wish

2011-11-29T20:02:00.000-08:00

Title: Marian's Christmas Wish
Author: Carla Kelly
Blog: Hardcover Feedback
Link to Giveaway: Review, Author Interview and Giveawy
Genre: holiday romance
How to enter: Be a follower and complete rafflecopter
Entry deadline: December 9
Restrictions: none listed

Happy Reading!

Winning Kids: When Your Child is the Bully

2011-11-28T00:42:00.000-08:00

When Your Child is the Bully

~Barbara Greenberg PhD

We not only must teach our children to navigate their lives safely but also help them balance school, recreation, family, and friends. Yet even with all the new electronic distractions, many parenting principles -- such as teaching your kids how to behave towards others -- not only have not changed, but actually transcend the newest gadgets or fads. If you find your child has a personality characteristic that needs tweaking then, yep, it is your responsibility to do so.

Bullying is a particularly vexing characteristic to correct because we often don't see it -- or, we don't want to see it. No one wants to believe their own child can be mean. It's almost easier to believe someone else is being mean to them. But no matter how painful, we need to acknowledge if our child's behavior is hurting others. Intervening early is easier for you both, and your child's behavior change will provide lifelong benefits. We all know that being socially appropriate opens up many doors.

Three lists to help your child leave bullying behind:

How to Determine if Your Child is a Bully

A child who bullies at school may be a bully at home. Is your child aggressive or belligerent towards you?
Has your child stopped being invited out with friends? If being alone is new, you need to find the root cause.
Does your child consistently receive negative feedback from teachers, coaches or other parents?
Are other parents uncomfortable around you? Parents will mirror their children. If they are avoiding you, their children are probably avoiding your child.

Reasons Your Child Might Bully

Are you a bully? They might be modeling your inappropriate behavior.
Does your child read misread social cues and therefore behave incorrectly?
Does your child lack empathy or dismiss the feelings of others?
Does bullying camouflage or hide other feelings?

Steps to Help Your Child Stop Being a Bully

Sensitive topics are best discussed without an audience. Be sure you and your child have enough alone time to calmly discuss and review next steps.
Observe other children interacting with peers and family. Point out what behavior constitutes bullying. If your child is misreading these situations, gently but clearly explain the true dynamic.
Talk to your child about empathy. You may want to do some role-playing to see how it feels to be bullied.
Most importantly, catch your child "being good." When you see them making changes praise them. We all love praise and attention.

Finally, remember that your children of all ages are less likely to be bullies if they feel good about themselves and have good values. Good self-esteem is built in many ways. Some crucial ingredients are having them involved in activities that they feel good about and reminding them how important they are in your life and to others. Good values are often developed by family example, being a member of a team where kids benefit from working together in a cooperative manner, and getting involved in some charitable work. Your children need to know that it feels much better to be kind then to be a bully.

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Dr. Barbara R. Greenberg is a clinical psychologist who specializes in the treatment of teens and their families. She was the program director of an adolescent inpatient unit at a private northeastern psychiatric hospital for 21 years before dedicating herself to private outpatient practice. She is a respected writer, speaker and consultant on teen issues. Her new book, Teenage as a Second Language, serves as a culmination of her years of research and direct work with hundreds of adolescents and she is proud to say, she really understands what they are saying! For more information go to www.TalkingTeenage.com.

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BULLETIN BOARD

Do you have a kid-related post on books or reading? Here's your place to link up! Check the rules if you've got questions.

The Littlest Angel DVD

2011-11-27T00:30:00.000-08:00

Title: The Littlest Angel DVD
Blog: Hey Lorri
Link to Giveaway: The Littlest Angel On DVD & Giveaway
Genre: Children's DVD
How to enter: Fill out giveaway form
Entry deadline: November 30
Restrictions: US only

Happy Reading!

Balance

2011-11-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

Title: Balance

Author: Jean Stringam
Blog: The Children's Book Review
Link to Giveaway: Giveaway: Balance by Jean Stringam Children's book ages 10-14
Genre:
How to enter: Fill out giveaway form
Entry deadline: November 30, 2011 at 11:59 pm PST
Restrictions: US or Canadian mailing addresses

Happy Reading!

A Sound Among the Trees

2011-11-26T00:05:00.000-08:00

Title: A Sound Among the Trees
Author: Susan Meissner
Blog: All Things Are Possible
Link to Giveaway: A Sound Among the Trees by Susan Meissner - Review & Giveaway Christian fiction
Genre:
How to enter: Follow the giveaway blog and comment on the giveaway post
Entry deadline: December 3rd
Restrictions: US and Canada; no PO Boxes

Happy Reading!

The Hoarders

2011-11-26T00:01:00.000-08:00

Title: The Hoarders
Author: Jean Stringam
Blog: The Children's Book Review
Link to Giveaway: Giveaway: The Hoarders by Jean Stringam Children's book ages 9-12
Genre:
How to enter: Fill out giveaway form
Entry deadline: November 30, 2011 at 11:59 pm PST
Restrictions: US or Canadian mailing address

Happy Reading!

The Donkey's First Christmas

2011-11-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

Title: The Donkey's First Christmas
Author: S T Schroder
Blog: The Children's Book Review
Link to Giveaway: Giveaway: The Donkey’s First Christmas Children's book ages 2 and up
Genre:
How to enter: Fill out giveaway form
Entry deadline: November 29, 2011 at 11:59 pm PST
Restrictions: Open to all

Happy Reading!

Winning Fiction: Kathryn's Fountain

2011-11-24T00:05:00.000-08:00

Interview with Dave Claassen

Author of Kathryn's Fountain

Dave writes part-time because his full-time calling is to give spiritual leadership and pastoral care to people of the Mayfair-Plymouth Congregational Church in Toledo, Ohio. Dave and his wife, Diann, make their home across the border in southeastern Michigan. They have two grown children and a growing number of grandchildren. Dave's other published books include Object Lessons for a Year (Baker Books) and Silent Words Loudly Spoken (CSS Publishing). For this blog tour we asked him a few questions:

1. Dave, what made you decide to become a writer as well as a pastor? Why do you write?

Dave: I've wanted to write since I was a teenager. I remember using an old Underwood portable typewriter (old already in the 1960s), to write short devotional/essay pieces, on the picnic table out under a tree on our Iowa farm. I write because I feel I can't keep from writing! I write to change the world more than to entertain.

2. What was your process of creating Kathryn's Fountain?

Dave: The basic storyline was there in my mind one morning when I woke up. At the time I was writing a science fiction novel (which I've just completed) and I interrupted that work to write Kathryn's Fountain.

3. In Kathryn's Fountain you use the symbol of a puzzle piece. What does that represent?

Dave: The puzzle imagery is meant to communicate that each of us is a part of the picture of God's grand scheme. Like a puzzle piece, each of us - at any age or place in life - has a shape and purpose to fit into God's big picture.

4. What is your writing routine? Is there something you typically do while writing a story - like drink coffee or listen to music?

Dave: I try to write Tuesday-Saturday for about 45 minutes each morning from 6:00-6:45am. I usually am sipping coffee at that time of the morning!

5. What would be a good present to give to a writer friend?

Dave: The recent issue of The Writer's Market.

6. Do you know a good joke you could share with us?

Dave: Yes. This farmer was working out in his field when a guy descended in a hot air balloon to get directions, because he was lost. When the balloonist was within shouting distance he leaned over the basket and shouted down to the farmer below. "Hey, mister, where am I?" The farmer looked around, then up, pointed his finger at the guy in the balloon, and said, "You can't fool me. You're up there!"

7. What other writing are you doing these days?

Dave: I'm tweaking my science fiction novel, writing a weekly inspirational newspaper column, a mid-week inspirational e-mail (e-mail me to get put on the list), and I write regularly for my blog.

8. Where on the Internet can we find you?

Dave: At my website/blog: http://www.daveclaassen.com/

9. Anything else you want people to know about you?

Dave: I am a serious amateur photographer and sell images on iStockphoto.com . I also do some ventriloquism for the kids at my church. Oh, yes, I have a backyard chicken coop with a few chickens.

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Kathryn is resigned to living out her last days at Victorian Manor, a beautiful old home for senior citizens. Then one day something strangely wonderful happens to Kathryn at the garden fountain, and she begins living an adventure beyond her wildest dreams. Love and sacrifice take on new meaning as she involves a social worker and a police detective in carrying out what she believes to be her calling ~ to rescue a street child named Jasmine. The miracle at the fountain brings adventure that bridges the generations with hope and love.

Kathryn's Fountain celebrates the gifts that the generations can bring to each other. The conclusion is a resounding affirmation that it's never too late to make a difference!

" A poignant story with surprising twists and turns that will keep you reading and touch your heart. You won't view life in quite the same way after reading Kathryn's Fountain." ~ Marlene Bagnull

"A story of miracles and self-sacrifice." ~ Kathi Macias

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BULLETIN BOARD

12 Days of Christmas Homeschool Giveaways

2011-11-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

Title: Parenting books, educational manipulatives, curricula, much more
Blog: Homeschool Enrichment
Link to Giveaway: 12 Days of Christmas Homeschool Giveaways! Various - for homeschooling family
Genre:
How to enter: Check items you wish to win on giveaway form
Entry deadline: Random drawings from Dec 1st through Dec 12th
Restrictions: US mailing addresses

Happy Reading!

Seamless Crochet

2011-11-23T00:05:00.000-08:00

Title: Seamless Crochet
Author: Kristin Omdahl
Blog: Crochet Craft Gossip
Link to Giveaway: November Giveaway – Seamless Crochet Craft book
Genre:
How to enter: Comment on the giveaway post with a link to the prettiest motif you can find on the internet
Entry deadline: November 30, 2011
Restrictions: ?

Happy Reading!

Sydney Becomes a Big Sister

2011-11-23T00:01:00.001-08:00

Title: Sydney Becomes a Big Sister
Author: Dianne Branch
Blog: The Children's Book Review
Link to Giveaway: Giveaway: Sydney Becomes a Big Sister Children's Book ages 3-6
Genre:
How to enter: Fill out giveaway form
Entry deadline: November 26, 2011 at 11:59 pm PST
Restrictions: Open to all

Happy Reading!

Be Water, My Friend

2011-11-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

Title: Be Water, My Friend: The Early Years of Bruce Lee
Author: Ken Mochizuki
Site: Lee & Low Books
Link to Giveaway: http://www.leeandlow.com/p/book_giveaway.mhtml
Genre: Children's book
How to enter: Fill out giveaway form
Entry deadline: November 30
Restrictions: ?

Happy Reading!

Curious Critters

2011-11-22T14:58:00.000-08:00

Title: Curious Critters
Author: Dan FitzSimmons
Blog: Akron Ohio Moms
Link to Giveaway: Review and Giveaway
Genre: Children 4-8, Educational
How to enter: Rafflecopter
Entry deadline: Thursday, December 1, 11:59pm EST
Restrictions: none listed

Happy Reading!

Secret Agent Jack Stalwart

2011-11-22T14:11:00.000-08:00

Title: Secret Agent Jack Stalwart; Books 13 & 14
Author: Elizabeth Singer Hunt
Blog: So Many Books...So Little Time
Link to Giveaway: Review and Giveaway
Genre: young readers 6-9 or older
How to enter: comment with country that Jack should visit
Entry deadline: winner chosen Friday, December 2
Restrictions: USA mailing addresses only

Happy Reading!

Review/Giveaway: One Silent Night album

2011-11-22T01:07:00.001-08:00

A WINNING READINGS GIVEAWAY!

Title: One Silent Night album download

Artists: FFH

Genre: Christmas music

How to enter: Leave a comment on THIS post right here! If you're a subscriber or a follower, leave a second comment for a second entry.

Entry deadline: December 10, 2011

Restrictions: Open internationally!

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For More Info or to Purchase:

FFH online: http://ffh.net/

FFH on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FFHmusic

FFH on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/FFHMusic
CD Price: $12.99
Album Price on iTunes: $9.90

Synopsis:

The New Christmas album from FFH featuring classics and originals. Songs include:

Baby It's Cold Outside
Jingle Bell Rock
One Silent Night
I'll Be Home for Christmas
The Birthday of the King
O Come O Come Emmanuel
Winter Wonderland
Glorious Impossible
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Heaven and Nature Sing

About the Artists:

FFH was originally formed by Jeromy Deibler and Brian Smith in 1991, soon settling into its final configuration when Michael Boggs and Jennifer Deibler, Jeromy’s new bride, joined the band. The band played a final show in September 2006, and after a paradigm shift of sorts, was resurrected with a renewed passion and a new story to tell. Read a more comprehensive story here: http://ffh.net/bio/

What I Liked:

I am absolutely loving that the music of Christmas is back in season again! And this new album is a great way to start it off! FFH delivers a mix of classic and original carols.

The jazzy sounds of "Baby It's Cold Outside" took a little getting used to, but showcased FFH's ability to deliver unique sound.

The realistic sound effects on "Winter Wonderland" are way cool - and I love the mix with Drummer Boy.

The sacred numbers are always my favorite, and FFH delivers a nice selection: original, less familiar, and oft-heard classics in pieces such as "One Silent Night", "Glorious Impossible", and "O Little Town of Bethlehem." It's neat how they tie familiar lines into their original work.

My ABSOLUTE favorite is "The Birthday Of The King." This is one I could put on continuous play and listen to forever... Just a lovely way to sit back and peacefully relax in the midst of a chaotic season, reflecting on the real reason: "And for a moment in time, all of creation joins to sing... our humble hearts the gifts we bring to celebrate the birthday of our King."

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Beyond All Measure

2011-11-22T00:58:00.001-08:00

Title: Beyond All Measure
Author: Dorothy Love
Blog: Christian Bookshelf Reviews
Link to Giveaway: TLC Book Tour: Beyond All Measure (A Hickory Ridge Romance) by Dorothy Love (plus book giveaway!!)
Genre: Christian fiction
How to enter: Rafflecopter form
Entry deadline: November 23
Restrictions: US and Canada

Happy Reading!

Review/Giveaway: The House of Hope

2011-11-21T07:22:00.001-08:00

A WINNING READINGS GIVEAWAY!

Title: The House of Hope: God's Love for the Abandoned Orphans of China
Author: Elizabeth Gifford
Genre: Nonfiction - humanitarian biography
How to enter: Leave a comment on THIS post right here! If you're a subscriber or a follower, leave a second comment for a second entry.

Entry deadline: December 10, 2011

Restrictions: Open internationally!

That's right, enter right here for this giveaway. This is my review copy, so it has been gently read.

EXTRA! EXTRA! The publisher is sponsoring a $50 "GET / GIVE" GIVEAWAY: One winner will receive a $50 Amazon.com gift certificate for themselves AND $50 will be given in the winner's name to Hope Foster Home. Just tweet or facebook! See Litfuse Blog Tour for more details.

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Publisher: Monarch Books
Physical Description: 224-page paperback
List Price: $13.99
ISBN: 978-0857210593

Synopsis:

One couple's powerful ministry to some of China 's most vulnerable children

Robin and Joyce Hill lived in a gated community in Beijing . Their family's life was marked by luxury and the security of Robin's job as an engineer. Then one day, as members of their church, they had a chance to tour a state-run orphanage. Haunted by the needs of the children they saw there, for the next four years they tried to help the institute in meaningful ways.

In 1998 the Hills planned to leave China , but instead felt a sudden call from God on their lives. They left their gated community--reserved for only non-Chinese residents--moved their family into a small apartment miles outside of Beijing and immediately began to take in foster children.

They took in any child, but especially those that needed extra care-terminally ill children that couldn't receive care elsewhere, and those that needed complicated and expensive surgeries that the Hills soon began to coordinate and sometimes pay for out of their own savings.

What began as Hope Foster Home is now New Hope Foundation. As they continue their work, the Hills enjoy support from major corporations and high-profile philanthropists as well as the trust of the Chinese authorities. The Hills' story is an inspiring example of God's care and provision for those whom society does not value.

"I strongly support Robin and Joyce Hill's New Hope Foundation which is saving so many orphan lives in China . Read this amazing story of God's grace and accept the challenge to make a difference!"
--Steven Curtis Chapman

About the Author:

Elisabeth Gifford lives in Kingston and teaches children with dyslexia. She has written articles on literacy for the Times Educational and Independent newspapers. She holds an MA in Creative Writing from the course run by Sir Andrew Motion at Royal Holloway University, London.

What I Liked:

You cannot fail to be inspired by story after story of a child's life touched forever through the ministry of the Hills. The stories all start to blend in my mind after awhile, yet it is obvious that to their foster parents, each child is a unique, precious individual, infinitely loved by the God of the universe Himself.

Here's what Rob has to say about Nico, a baby unable to see, hear, move or respond, yet who was loved and cherished by the Hills and their staff during his short life. "It was one of the things that really hit me; how God was willing to put all of the very best resources around a child that was never going to amount to anything in this lifetime. It always spoke to me; if God was willing to do that for Nico, then how much more is God willing to do that for all of us - to just wastefully expend His grace for each of us, throughout eternity?"

Robin and Joyce are not perfect - the book doesn't paint them as such - but they are called. This book shows how answering God's call and aligning your life to it doesn't take away the blemishes and problems, but makes them insignificant in the light of all God is doing through you. I thank them for sharing their story, and the author for conveying it well.

What I Didn't Like:

While the author does provide some detail about the Hill's emotions and reactions to their circumstances, I finished this book just wishing I could sit and chat to them for awhile. What really makes them click? I am thankful for the promise of eternity to get to know them better!

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Thanks to Litfuse Publicity Group for coordinating a review copy of this book. We are not being paid for this review, and all opinions are our own.

100% of the proceeds of the book go to support the work of Hope Foster Homes (please visit their site to learn more) - buy a book for yourself and everyone you know. This book is a gift that gives a gift.

Melinda and the Wild West

2011-11-20T22:39:00.001-08:00

Title: Melinda and the Wild West: A Family Saga in Bear Lake, Idaho
Author: Linda Weaver Clarke
Blog: Linda Weaver Clarke
Link to Giveaway: Historical “Sweet” Romance Book Giveaway!
Genre: Sweet historical romance
How to enter: Comment on the giveaway post
Entry deadline: Nov 27
Restrictions: US and Canada

Happy Reading!

The Froggy Hop CD

2011-11-20T22:34:00.001-08:00

Title: The Froggy Hop CD (2 winners!)
Artist: The Chickadees
Blog: Milk N' Honey Learn and Grow
Link to Giveaway: Music Notes: The Chickadees "The Froggy Hop" CD Review and Giveaway!!
Genre: Children's music
How to enter: Fill out the giveaway form
Entry deadline: Sunday, Nov 27
Restrictions: US and Canada

Happy Reading!

Review/Giveaway: Christmas in Sugarcreek

2011-11-20T21:21:00.001-08:00

A WINNING READINGS GIVEAWAY!

Title: Christmas in Sugarcreek

Author: Shelley Shepard Gray

Genre: Amish Christmas fiction

How to enter: Leave a comment on THIS post right here! If you're a subscriber or a follower, leave a second comment for a second entry.

Entry deadline: December 10, 2011

Restrictions: Open internationally!

That's right, enter right here for this giveaway. This is my review copy, so it has been gently read.

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This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingChristmas In SugarcreekAvon Inspire (October 25, 2011)byShelley Shepard Gray

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Since 2000, Shelley Sabga has sold over thirty novels to numerous publishers, including HarperCollins, Harlequin, and Abingdon Press. She has been interviewed by NPR, and her books have been highlighted in numerous publications, including USA Today and The Wall Street Journal.

Under the name Shelley Shepard Gray, Shelley writes Amish romances for HarperCollins’ inspirational line, Avon Inspire. Her recent novel, The Protector, the final book in her “Families of Honor” series, hit the New York Times List, and her previous novel in the same series, The Survivor, appeared on the USA Today bestseller list. Shelley has won the prestigious Holt Medallion for her books, Forgiven and Grace, and her novels have been chosen as Alternate Selections for the Doubleday/Literary Guild Book Club. Her first novel with Avon Inspire, Hidden, was an Inspirational Reader’s Choice finalist.

Before writing romances, Shelley lived in Texas and Colorado, where she taught school and earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education. She now lives in southern Ohio and writes full time. Shelley is married, the mother of two children in college, and is an active member of her church. She serves on committees, volunteers in the church office, and currently leads a Bible study group, and she looks forward to the opportunity to continue to write novels that showcase her Christian ideals.

When she’s not writing, Shelley often attends conferences and reader retreats in order to give workshops and publicize her work. She’s attended RWA’s national conference six times, the ACFW conference and Romantic Times Magazine’s annual conference as well as traveled to New Jersey, Birmingham, and Tennessee to attend local conferences.

Check out Shelley's Facebook Fan page

ABOUT THE BOOK

Judith Graber has always been the obedient daughter. When her older brother Josh struggled with his love life, she offered wise counsel. When her younger brother Caleb flirted with the idea of leaving their order, she firmly told him he was wrong. Over the years, she’s watched her younger siblings, helped around the house, and worked in her family’s store during her spare time. Judith feels overworked, overlooked, and underappreciated this holiday season.

But everything changes when her father hires Ben Knox.

Ben Knox is the “bad boy” of Sugarcreek. Though he’s never considered jumping the fence, he’s certainly never tried to be anything close to dutiful. Two years ago he left Sugarcreek under a cloud of shame. Rumors circulated that his rumspringa had been filled with more than the usual harmless explorations.

Now he’s back and working side by side with Judith.

As the chaos of the holiday season threatens to sap all joy, sparks fly between Ben and Judith. But Judith steels herself to ignore her infatuation. The last thing she wants to be is just one more girl who falls under Ben’s spell. Ben, on the other hand, wants Judith to realize there’s more to him than his bad reputation. When he fled Sugarcreek, he was running from a disruptive home life. Now that he’s back, he wants a fresh beginning.

Could this Christmas season bring love and a new life for the unlikeliest pair in Sugarcreek?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Christmas In Sugarcreek, go HERE.

What I Liked:

It's been a while since I've read Amish fiction, and this was a sweet segue back into the genre as it incorporates the meeting of English and Amish worlds. Romance is the heart of the story, though it also emphasizes family values, Christ as the meaning of Christmas, and God as the bestower of blessings.

There are several storylines woven throughout the book, each having its own feel-good, lesson-learned finale. Though not the main romance, my favorite storyline had to be a variation on the Gift of the Magi story, a classic that never fails to move me.

What I Didn't Like:

This book is part of a series, and while I was able to follow the storyline easily enough, I did find myself wishing I had read the previous books of the series to better understand the backgrounds.

There is Hope CD

2011-11-20T00:30:00.000-08:00

Title: There is Hope CD (2 winners)
Artist: Trudi Compton
Blog: The Knowlton Nest
Link to Giveaway: There is Hope by Trudi Compton CD Review and Giveaway!! Christian worship music
Genre:
How to enter: Fill out giveaway entry form
Entry deadline: Sunday, Nov 27
Restrictions: US

Happy Reading!

Review/Giveaway: Remembering Christmas

2011-11-19T23:11:00.001-08:00

A WINNING READINGS GIVEAWAY!

Title: Remembering Christmas
Author: Dan Walsh
Genre: Contemporary Christmas fiction
How to enter: Leave a comment on THIS post right here! If you're a subscriber or a follower, leave a second comment for a second entry.

Entry deadline: December 10, 2011

Restrictions: Open internationally!

That's right, enter right here for this giveaway. This is my review copy, so it has been gently read.

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Publisher: Revell
Physical Description: 272-page hardcover
List Price: $15.99
ISBN: 978-0-8007-1979-1
Synopsis:

Can one Christmas change a life forever?

Rick Denton lives his life on his terms. He works hard, plays hard, and answers to no one. So when his mother calls begging him to come home after his stepfather has an aneurysm, Rick is more than a little reluctant. What was supposed to be just a couple days helping out at the family bookstore turns into weeks of cashing out old ladies and dealing with the homeless guy who keeps hanging around the store. The one bright spot is the lovely and intriguing young woman who works at his side each day.

As Christmas nears, Rick's old life beckons, the hurts from his past loom large, and the decisions he makes will determine more than just where he spends Christmas Eve.

With skillful storytelling, Dan Walsh creates a Christmas story that will have you remembering every good and perfect gift of Christmas.

About the Author:

Dan Walsh is the award-winning author of The Unfinished Gift, The Homecoming, The Deepest Waters, and Remembering Christmas. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Dan served as a pastor for 25 years. He lives with his family in the Daytona Beach area, where he's busy researching and writing his next novel.

What I Liked:

Dan Walsh delivers all the ingredients of a classic Christmas story. Tragedy, romance, a sweet little girl who isn't expecting much for Christmas, a cozy little bookstore with a great assortment of customers, and a realization of what's important - family and caring and love.

And the author adds in a nice little twist that I wasn't expecting - taking home the point that each person has value and deserves kindness, no matter their obvious outward deficiency.

I loved the message, the page-turning quality of the writing, and the setting. The "memory" of the story is set in 1980 - when I was right about the age of little Amy in the book (and daughter of a Christian bookstore manager), so it was a definite walk down memory lane in terms of the music and toys and current events of the day that the author liberally sprinkles references to throughout.

Definitely a book I'd recommend adding to your Christmas list.

What I Didn't Like:

There was one spot in the story where I thought, "Come on... Really?" It's where Rick, the main character, shows up with Barbie and Hollie Hobbie and Miss Piggy and Boby Softina and everything on the little girl's wish list. Perhaps it's the equivalent of the old Christmas classics where a poor little girl ends up with the most beautiful porcelain doll she's been dreaming of but not dared to ask for. But as the mom of a 4yo who's not shy at all about asking for Barbie and Disney and Strawberry Shortcake and all the other fad toys of the day, it made me a little concerned about the values we're passing to our kids when we give it ALL to them...

Available September 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Thanks to Baker Publishing Group for the review copy of this book.

Sabrina

2011-11-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

Title: Sabrina: The Girl with a Hole in Her Heart
Author: Wendy Lewis
Blog: The Children's Book Review
Link to Giveaway: Giveaway: Sabrina, The Girl with A Hole in her Heart Children's book ages 7-11
Genre:
How to enter: Fill out giveaway form
Entry deadline: November 20, 2011 at 11:59 pm PST
Restrictions: US, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand

Happy Reading!

Win a Kindle: Moonlit Dreams

2011-11-16T00:01:00.000-08:00

By: Author Christine M. Butler & Author Patria Dunn Rowe
Blog: Moonlit Dreams
Link to Giveaway: http://www.moonlitdreams.org/win-a-kindle.html
Genre: Fantasy Fiction Young Adult/Adult
How to enter:

Buy *any of the books listed on the Win a Kindle page between Aug. 12 and Nov. 30
E-mail your proof of purchase to contest@moonlitdreams.org
If you buy more than one title you may enter again for each title purchased, increasing your chances to win!*If the book is currently listed for free it does not count as a purchased book for the contest. Some titles will be offered for free periodically for the duration of the contest.

Entry deadline: November 30, 2011. The winner will be announced Dec. 1, 2011. The Kindle will be shipped the same day.
Restrictions: Open worldwide!

Happy Reading!

FreedomProject Education pack

2011-11-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

Title: FreedomProject Education Pack
Blog: Home Educating Family Publishing
Link to Giveaway: FreedomProject Education Giveaway Media package
Genre:
How to enter: Fill out giveawa form
Entry deadline: November 19, 2011
Restrictions: ?

Happy Reading!

Winning Families: Thanksgiving in Early America

2011-11-15T00:05:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving in Early America

by Elaine Marie Cooper

When we sit down at our Thanksgiving meal this month, we’ll be recreating a celebration that is as old as our country: sharing food with loved ones while thanking the God Who has provided the abundance.

While we understand that the First Thanksgiving was celebrated here by the Mayflower survivors along with the Indians that had helped them, the first official proclamation that was decreed to celebrate such a holiday was in 1777. It was a recommendation to the thirteen states by the Continental Congress to set aside December 18^th that year as a “solemn thanksgiving” to celebrate the first major victory for the Continental troops in the American Revolution: the Battle of Saratoga.

The Battle of Saratoga has significant interest for my own family since one of my ancestors was a soldier there. But he was not on the American side—he was a British Redcoat. After surrendering to the Americans, he escaped the line of prisoners and somehow made his way to Massachusetts and into the life and heart of my fourth great-grandmother. *SIGH* L’amour!

This family story was the inspiration for my Deer Run Saga that begins in 1777 with The Road to Deer Run. There is an elaborate Thanksgiving meal scene in this novel as well as in the sequel, The Promise of Deer Run.

Some may wonder why such detail was afforded this holiday in my novels set in Massachusetts, while Christmas is barely mentioned. The reason is simple: Thanksgiving was the major holiday in the northern colonies, with Christmas considered nothing more special than a workday. According to Jack Larkin in his book, The Reshaping of Everyday Life, “The Puritan founders of New England and the Quaker settlers of Pennsylvania had deliberately abolished (holidays) as unscriptural.”

But Thanksgiving was begun as a way to give thanks to God for His provision. It usually began with attending church services in the morning, followed by an elaborate feast in the afternoon. The food for this meal was prepared for weeks in advance.

Since the individual state governors chose their own date to celebrate the holiday, it was theoretically possible for some family members—if they lived in close proximity—to celebrate multiple Thanksgiving meals with family and friends across state borders. The dates chosen could be anywhere from October to December, according to Dennis Picard, Director of the Storrowton Village Museum in West Springfield, Massachusetts.

Chicken was most commonly served, said Picard, as it was readily available in the barnyard. And the oldest woman in the home had the honor of slicing the fowl for dinner.

Pies were made well in advance of the holiday and stored and became frozen in dresser drawers in unheated rooms.

“I like the idea of pulling out a dresser drawer for, say, a clean pair of socks, and finding mince pies,” said Picard, tongue in cheek.

Indeed!

Have a BLESSED Thanksgiving!

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Elaine Marie Cooper grew up in Massachusetts but now lives in the Midwest with her husband, her three dogs and one huge cat. She has two married sons and triplet grandchildren who are now one years old. The Promise of Deer Run is dedicated to the triplets and to veterans who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.Elaine has been a magazine freelance writer for many years, and is a regular contributor to a blog on the Midwest called The Barn Door (www.thebarndoor.net) and a blog on Christian living called Reflections In Hindsight (ReflectionsInHindsight.wordpress.com). She is the author of The Road to Deer Run and the sequel, The Promise of Deer Run. Prior to becoming an author, Elaine worked as a registered nurse.
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BULLETIN BOARD

Do you have a family-related book post - marriage, parenting, relationships, etc.? Here's your place to link up! Check the rules if you've got questions.

Weston and the Case of the Sneaky Stealer

2011-11-14T17:58:00.000-08:00

Title: Weston and the Case of the Sneaky Stealer (Story Buddy and Bood)
Author: Hallmark
Blog: Sweeps 4 Bloggers
Link to Giveaway: Hallmark Giveaway
Genre: Children's book and plush
How to enter: comment at giveaway
Entry deadline: Friday, November 25, 8pm Pacific
Restrictions: US mailing address only

Happy Reading!

Quilting Book Bundle

2011-11-14T07:32:00.000-08:00

Title: Twelve by Twelve; Pretty in Patchwork: Doll Quilts; and Masters: Art Quilts, Vol. 2
Author: Various
Blog: Lark Crafts
Link to Giveaway: http://www.larkcrafts.com/needlearts/giveaway-quilt-books/
Genre: crafts/ quilting
How to enter: comment at giveaway post
Entry deadline: Friday, November 18, 9pm EST
Restrictions: US mailing addresses only

Happy Reading!

Reclaiming Lily

2011-11-14T05:43:00.000-08:00

Title: Reclaiming Lily
Author: Patti Lacy
Blog: Wall-to-Wall Books
Link to Giveaway: Review and Giveaway
Genre: Christian Fiction
How to enter: comment at giveaway post
Entry deadline: Winner chosen and announces on November 18
Restrictions: US or Canadian address

Happy Reading!

The Spooky Scavenger Hunt

2011-11-14T05:37:00.000-08:00

Title: The Spooky Scavenger Hung
Author: Jim Henson's Dinosaur Train
Blog: Free Sample Freak
Link to Giveaway: Book Giveaway
Genre: kids picture book
How to enter: subscribe and leave a comment
Entry deadline: November 17,
Restrictions: none listed

Happy Reading!

Satchi and Little Star

2011-11-14T05:32:00.000-08:00

Title: Satchi and Little Star
Author: Donna Marie Seim
Blog: Just Between Friends
Link to Giveaway: Book Giveaway
Genre: kids picture book
How to enter: comment on giveaway post
Entry deadline: Friday, November 18, 10:00 CST
Restrictions: none listed

Happy Reading!

The Promise of Deer Run

2011-11-14T04:28:00.000-08:00

Title: The Promise of Deer Run
Author: Elaine Marie Cooper
Blog: 4 The Love of Books
Link to Giveaway: http://myheartbelongs2books.blogspot.com/2011/11/promise-of-deer-run-by-elaine-marie.html
Genre: Historical fiction
How to enter: Rafflecopter--Comment and be a follower
Entry deadline: November 18
Restrictions: none listed

Happy Reading!

Montana Dawn

2011-11-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

Title: Montana Dawn
Author: Caroline Fyffe
Blog: Linda Weaver Clarke
Link to Giveaway: Interview with “Sweet” Romance Author Caroline Fyffe
Genre: Sweet romance
How to enter: Comment on the giveaway post
Entry deadline: Nov 21
Restrictions: Open internationally

Happy Reading!

The Fix-It Shop

2011-11-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

Title: The Fix-It Shop
Author: Frederick Alimonti
Blog: The Children's Book Review
Link to Giveaway: Giveaway: The Fix-It Shop
Genre: Children's book ages 9-12
How to enter: Fill out giveaway form
Entry deadline: November 16, 2011 at 11:59pm PST
Restrictions: US address

Happy Reading!

The Rancher's Courtship

2011-11-12T23:53:00.001-08:00

Title: The Rancher's Courtship
Author: Laurie Kingery
Blog: Sunnybank Meanderings
Link to Giveaway: Laurie Kingery is Back!
Genre: Historical Love Inspired
How to enter: Comment on the giveaway post including your email address
Entry deadline: Nov 15, 2011
Restrictions: ?

Happy Reading!

Deck the Halls & Jingle Bells

2011-11-12T23:33:00.001-08:00

Title: Deck the Halls & Jingle Bells
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Blog: Reading to Know
Link to Giveaway: Christmas Picture Books (giveaway) Children's Christmas book
Genre:
How to enter: Comment on the giveaway post
Entry deadline: Tuesday, Nov 15th
Restrictions: US only

Happy Reading!

Review/Giveaway: The Christmas Shoppe

2011-11-12T19:51:00.001-08:00

A WINNING READINGS GIVEAWAY!

Title: The Christmas Shoppe
Author: Melody Carlson
Genre: Contemporary Christmas fiction
How to enter: Leave a comment on THIS post right here! If you're a subscriber or a follower, leave a second comment for a second entry.

Entry deadline: November 25, 2011

Restrictions: Open internationally!

That's right, enter right here for this giveaway. This is my review copy, so it has been gently read.

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Publisher: Revell
Physical Description: 176-page hardcover
List Price: $15.99
ISBN: 978-0-8007-1926-5

Synopsis:

The small town of Parrish Springs is not quite ready for Matilda Honeycutt.

A strange older woman with scraggly gray hair and jewelry that jangles as she walks, Matilda is certainly not the most likely person to buy the old Barton Building on the town's quaint main street. When it becomes apparent that her new shop doesn't fit the expectations of Parrish Springs residents, a brouhaha erupts. After all, Christmas is approaching, and the last thing the town needs is a junky shop run by someone who looks and acts like a gypsy. But as townsfolk venture into the strange store, they discover that old memories can bring new life and healing.

Once again, Melody Carlson delivers a Christmas story that will touch hearts and delight the senses. Sure to be a classic, The Christmas Shoppe is filled with the special magic the best Christmas stories share—that intangible mixture of nostalgia, joy, and a little bit of magic.

About the Author:

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books with sales of more than five million. She is the author of several Christmas books from Revell, including the bestselling The Christmas Bus, The Christmas Dog, and Christmas at Harrington's, which is being considered for a TV movie. She is also the author of many teen books, including Just Another Girl, Anything but Normal, Double Take, The Jerk Magnet, and the Diary of a Teenage Girl series. Melody was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her books in 2010 and 2011. She and her husband live in central Oregon. For more information about Melody visit her website at http://www.melodycarlson.com/.

What I Liked:

This was a sweet Christmas story with a touch of romance, but more about goodwill toward ALL mankind. I think that's what I appreciated most: the prompt to not just forgive past hurts and set grudges aside, but to build and cherish relationships with those currently in my life.

The author did a great job developing imperfect characters that are easy to relate to. Most of them have good intentions, but are missing meaning or purpose in their lives until Matilda comes along. Others experience about-face changes as Matilda's shoppe changes them completely. Matilda has an effect on just about everyone - the "heroes" and the "villains," the ones who are trying to make a difference for good and the ones who want to take others down as they rise.

And you realize we all have much in common - only by opening our eyes to God's gifts (not very pretty by human standards) can we truly be happy.

I work for a non-profit that owns and operates five thrift stores, and I suspect I will never look at used items the same way again. I'll be wondering if they have a story to tell...

What I Didn't Like:

The story was a bit slow-moving at times, but overall there was nothing I didn't like. A sweet Christmas read.

Available September 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Thanks to Baker Publishing Group for the review copy of this book.

The Golden Sky

2011-11-12T18:30:00.001-08:00

Title: The Golden Sky (advance copies)

Author: E C Stilson

Blog: Cookie's Book Club

Link to Giveaway: BOOK GIVEAWAY! Two advance copies of The Golden Skyby EC Stilson

Genre: Adult Memoir

How to enter: Five ways to enter - see giveaway post

Entry deadline: November 16, 2011

Restrictions: Open to anyone

Happy Reading!

Amish Country Holiday giveaway!

2011-11-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

Title: Falling to Pieces by Vanetta Chapman; Winter's Awakening by Shelley SHepard Gray; or Naomi's Gift by Amy Clipston
Blog: Maureen's Musings
Link to Giveaway: Celebrating The Amish Country Holiday Book Tour 2011 Three Winner Giveaway Amish fiction
Genre:
How to enter: Be a member of giveaway blog's GFC and comment on the giveaway blog
Entry deadline: 11/19
Restrictions: US only

Happy Reading!

Dinner is Ready

2011-11-11T00:01:00.002-08:00

Title: Dinner is Ready cookbook
Author: 30 Meals in One Day
Blog: Living Sola Gratia
Link to Giveaway: 30 Meals in One Day Review & GIVEAWAY!
Genre: Cookbook
How to enter: Comment on the giveaway post
Comment on the giveaway post
Entry deadline: November 14, 2011
Restrictions: ?

Happy Reading!

Razzle-Dazzle Ruby

2011-11-11T00:01:00.001-08:00

Title: Razzle-Dazzle Ruby
Author: Masha D'yan
Blog: The Children's Book Review
Link to Giveaway: Giveaway: Razzle-Dazzle Ruby Children's book ages 4-8
Genre:
How to enter: Fill out giveaway form
Entry deadline: November 14, 2011 at 11:59 pm PST
Restrictions: US address

Happy Reading!

Little Sports book

2011-11-11T00:01:00.000-08:00

Title: Choice of Little Sports series book
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Blog: Brimful Curiosities
Link to Giveaway: Giveaway & Review: Little Sports Series from Sleeping Bear Press
Genre: Children's book
How to enter: Comment on the giveaway post
Entry deadline: Monday, Nov 14th, 2011 at 11:59 pm CST
Restrictions: US only

Happy Reading!

Assorted Christian Fiction titles

2011-11-10T12:20:00.000-08:00

Title: Assorted
Author: Karen Kingsbury, Jamie Carie, Nancy Mehl, Brandilyn Collins, and Chevy Stevens
Blog: Loves 2 Read
Link to Giveaway: http://lovez2read.blogspot.com/2011/11/enter-giveaway-then-hop-on-over-to.html
Genre: Fiction (mostly Christian)
How to enter: fill out form (be a follower)
Entry deadline: Friday, November 11
Restrictions: none listed

Happy Reading!
Posted by Megan from Inspired by Fiction

Razzle-Dazzle Ruby

2011-11-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

Title: Razzle-Dazzle Ruby
Author: Masha D'yans
Blog: Brimful Curiosities
Link to Giveaway: Razzle-Dazzle Ruby by Masha D'yans - Giveaway and Book Review
Genre: Children's book
How to enter: Comment on the giveaway post
Entry deadline: Monday, Nov 14th, 2011 at 11:59pm CST
Restrictions: US only

Happy Reading!

One Silent Night CD

2011-11-09T21:07:00.000-08:00

Title: One Silent Night CD (download)
Artist: FFH
Blog: The Knowlton Nest
Link to Giveaway: FFH "One Silent Night" CD download Review and Giveaway Christmas music
Genre:
How to enter: Fill out giveaway form
Entry deadline: Wednesday, Nov 16
Restrictions: Open to anyone

Happy Reading!

Winning Stuff: Lovely Blog Award

2011-11-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to thank Chris over at TheWriteChris for the One Lovely Blog Award! Writers, you'll find lots of tidbits and tips on writing over at her blog...

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BULLETIN BOARD

It's anything goes today! Here's your place to link up any "clean" book-related post of your choice! Check the rules if you've got questions.

And take a moment to check out some other great book posts linked up here!

Lonestar Angel

2011-11-07T19:38:00.000-08:00

Title: Lonestar Angel
Author: Colleen Coble
Blog: Free Book Friday Romance
Link to Giveaway: 5 chances to win
Genre: Christian fiction
How to enter: fill out form at giveaway blog
Entry deadline: Friday, November 11
Restrictions: none listed

Happy Reading!