Sunday, December 15, 2019

The NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible for Girls Tour

Created especially for girls ages 8 to 12, this beautiful Bible provides ample space for young artists to express themselves through coloring and journaling.

Girls can get creative with the detailed, ready-to-color line art surrounding the hundreds of inspiring verses in the NIV Beautiful Word™ Coloring Bible for Girls. This Bible is a perfect gift for a special young girl in your life and will become a cherished keepsake full of personalized creative expressions of faith.
Features include:

Hundreds of verses illustrated in ready-to-color line art
Thicker white paper for enduring note-taking
Lined, wide margins for notes, reflections and art
Complete text of the accurate, readable and clear New International Version (NIV)
Easy-to-read black letter text in single-column format
Lays flat in your hand or on your desk
Ribbon marker
Beautifully designed Leathersoft-over-board cover featuring screen-printing and other cover embellishments
8-point type size

Using the accurate, readable, and clear New International Version (NIV) text makes the Bible accessible and easy-to-read for kids. The NIV is the result of over 50 years of work by the Committee on Bible Translation, who oversee the efforts of many contributing scholars. Representing the spectrum of evangelicalism, the translators come from a wide range of denominations and various countries and continually review new research to ensure the NIV remains at the forefront of accessibility, relevance, and authority. Every NIV Bible that is purchased helps Biblica translate and give Bibles to people in need around the world.

If you have been looking for a bible for a girl your search is over. This bible has everything that will encourage a child to read and enjoy the bible. The beautifully designed bible is sturdy and will last for generations to come. I think this would be the perfect gift to give a girl and have them pass it on to their daughter or niece. I love the pictures on the side of the pages where they can be colored with vividness and imagination.

I love the bookmark that is attached to the bible that can be used to mark a page to come back to. Can you see the smile on a girls face as she discovers the bible in a new way that is easy for her to understand and interact with? There is also places on some of the pages where notes can be placed as they study their bible. The bible is NIV which is easy to understand. I really enjoy the thought put into the illustrations and how they enhance scriptures. I highly recommend this bible for girls 8-12 years old.

“I received a copy of the NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible for Girls from Zondervan (HarperCollins Christian Publishing) for this review. This post is sponsored by Zondervan.”

TOUR SCHEDULE

ColleenRichman.com	12/2/2019
Life is Story	12/2/2019
Finding Peace in God's Word	12/3/2019
My Reading Journeys	12/4/2019
A Mom's Quest to Teach	12/5/2019
amandainpa	12/5/2019
A Beautiful Inheritance	12/6/2019
Bergers Book Reviews	12/6/2019
Carpool Conversations	12/6/2019
Christian Chick's Thoughts	12/6/2019
Poems for Warriors	12/6/2019
Radiant Light	12/6/2019
Tangled Up In Writing	12/6/2019
More Than Just Coffee	12/7/2019
Reviews by Kris	12/7/2019
Savings in Seconds	12/7/2019
The Christian Fiction Girl	12/8/2019
Entrusted By God	12/9/2019
A Modern Day Fairy Tale	12/10/2019
A Peace of Mind	12/10/2019
Day to Day Life	12/10/2019
For Him and My Family	12/10/2019
Inklings and Notions	12/10/2019
Lighthouse Academy	12/10/2019
My Table of Three	12/10/2019
Natalie Walters Writer	12/10/2019
Older & Smarter?	12/10/2019
The Forgiven Former Feminist	12/10/2019
Among the Reads	12/11/2019
Genesis 5020	12/11/2019
Theallpurposewoman	12/11/2019
At Home: where life happens	12/12/2019
Beauty in the Binding	12/12/2019
Bringing Jesus Home (from Church)	12/12/2019
Christen Krumm	12/12/2019
Moments	12/12/2019
Peaceful Pastime	12/12/2019
She Lives to Read	12/12/2019
Vicky Slutier	12/12/2019
Wall-to-wall books	12/12/2019
Aryn the Libraryan	12/13/2019
Buzz4Mommies	12/13/2019
Cara Putman	12/13/2019
Heck Of A Bunch	12/13/2019
It's Story Time With Van Daniker	12/13/2019
Roads to Everywhere	12/13/2019
The Ginger Librarian	12/13/2019
The Livy Updater	12/13/2019
This Is Me	12/13/2019
Chat With Vera	12/14/2019
SK Bell	12/14/2019
Edits and Reviews by Leslie	12/15/2019
Texas Book-aholic	12/15/2019
Book Referees	12/16/2019
I am believing God	12/16/2019
Little Homeschool on the Prairie	12/16/2019
Locks, Hooks and Books	12/16/2019
Mustard Seed Mommy	12/16/2019
Sunday Gatherings	12/16/2019
The Scarlet Rope	12/16/2019

About the Book

Book: The Camera Never Lies

Author: David Rawlings

Genre: General fiction/allegory/magical realism

Release Date: December 3, 2019

David Rawlings, author of The Baggage Handler, returns with another probing story: what would you do if your secrets were revealed to those around you?

Daniel Whiteley is a successful couples counselor who regularly puts families back together, helping them face up to the things in life they hide. But his own marriage is falling apart.

His wife, Kelly, knows Daniel is hiding something from her, but she doesn’t dare probe for fear her own secrets will be revealed.

When his grandfather dies, Daniel inherits an old SLR camera from a time when cameras pointed away from the person taking the photograph. On the camera is an inscription: “Use this camera wisely and remember, regardless of the picture you think you took, the camera never lies.”
When Daniel first uses his new camera he finds someone has already filled the roll of film. Annoyed, he processes the film and finds photos of a secret that he’s been hiding from his wife and daughter.
He has no idea who took them.

Now every time he uses the camera, the photographs reveal another secret about himself the he is desperate to keep-as well as those of his wife, which he is desperate to uncover.

Click here to get your copy.

About the Author

David Rawlings is an Australian author, and a sports-mad father of three who loves humor and a clever turn of phrase. Over a 25-year career he has put words on the page to put food on the table, developing from sports journalism and copywriting to corporate communication. Now in fiction, he entices readers to look deeper into life with stories that combine the everyday with a sense of the speculative, addressing the fundamental questions we all face.

Read an Excerpt

Read an excerpt of The Camera Never Lies here.

All throughout the book I kept having this pop into my head; "A picture is worth a thousand words." In this story I was hoping for words to set people free from shame, lies, deceit and temptations. The author missed the mark in getting his message across with too many characters with problems and a twist on seeing someone's inner thoughts.

The main character is a marriage counselor and a bestselling author. He is finding success in his life, but what if it was based on lies? Daniel wasn't easy to like because he just felt like a person who goes through the motions but his heart isn't really there. Over and over he continues to help couples while his own marriage is in shambles. It is funny that there were signs that his life was turning upside down, but he pushed it aside until pictures he takes with a special camera makes him face reality.

There is a lot going on in the book and at times I felt it was too busy. We have a man on the brink of disaster, a wife who has to choose between integrity or hiding the truth about her company and a troubled daughter who screams for help but no one hears her. I understand where the author was going with the book, but I wanted more meat and less whining. I may be one of the few but I was't as blown away about the book as others. I didn't see any faith elements in the book but perhaps the author had that thought while letting us glimpse inside characters thoughts. Secrets are huge in this book and as we all know they always find a way to come out.

I liked the book to a point but I guess I could already figure out what was going to happen. I wanted the author to give examples of what happens if a character chooses the wrong path or even giving readers a reason to sympathize with characters. I didn't really like Simon and couldn't quite connect with him. He didn't seem to fully have compassion for others and almost couldn't wait for the pictures to expose the truth of someone's thoughts. Although I didn't like the book as much as others, I hope readers will give the book a try and come to their own conclusions.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, December 5

amandainpa, December 5

Older & Smarter?, December 6

Through the Fire Blogs, December 6

Blogging With Carol, December 6

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 7

For Him and My Family, December 7

Christian Bookaholic, December 8

Emily Yager, December 8

Splashes of Joy, December 8

As He Leads is Joy, December 9

Mamma Loves Books, December 9

Vicky Sluiter, December 10

mypreciousbitsandmusings, December 10

Robin’s Nest, December 10

Locks, Hooks and Books, December 11

Bigreadersite, December 11

Genesis 5020, December 12

Remembrancy, December 12

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, December 12

Pause for Tales, December 13

A Reader’s Brain, December 13

For the Love of Literature, December 14

Seasons of Opportunities, December 14

Inklings and notions, December 14

Artistic Nobody, December 15

To Everything There Is A Season, December 15

Texas Book-aholic, December 15

Just the Write Escape, December 16

janicesbookreviews, December 16

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 16

Hallie Reads, December 17

My Devotional Thoughts, December 17

Quiet Quilter, December 18

Literary Reflections Book Blog, December 18

Godly Book Reviews, December 18

*No Giveaway for this Celebration Tour

Saturday, December 14, 2019

About the Book

Book: Breath of Joy! Winter Whispers

Author: Kathy Joy

Genre: Non-fiction, Gift Book, Picture Book

Release Date: October 1, 2019

The final book in the series, Breath of Joy, Winter Whispers speaks of the deep quiet earth movements that echo human proving grounds and transitions during rest. Photo Art and Prose. Three everyday celebrations on every page spread are not commercially Christmas but rather interrelational and spiritually poised. This is simply, because in Winter when the earth’s axis is the farthest away from the sun, people warm themselves and grow in the wonder of darkness, where God still sees us, breathing life.

Click here to get your copy.

About the Author

Kathy Joy enjoyed being a popular Christian radio D.J. in Colorado for many years. When her husband wanted to move to Pennsylvania to take over the family farm, Kathy Joy accompanied him with their two young daughters. Four years later, Kathy Joy found herself a widow raising two teenagers. To stave off despair, she began writing three every day celebrations in a journal. Friends on Facebook began prompting her to write a book, and so the beginning of the Breath of Joy series began. Kathy Joy now works in human services, speaking wonder on the weekends to grief therapy groups, motivational corporate meetings, and women’s retreats. Some of her topics include Vision Board workshops, Being a Harbor Pilot, Mirroring the Savior, The Fifth Season, and A Christmas Tea.

More from Kathy

I’m so excited to join Celebrate Lit for this first real blog tour of my Breath of Joy series!

As a collector of celebrations, curating pithy delights and sharing them with my readers, I do hope you enjoy the visual experience and personal comfort offered in my Winter Whispers book.

Wintertime, especially Christmas and Valentine’s day, can be some of the toughest times of the year for people who have experienced trauma, or significant loss and grief. I’m one of those people. Collecting three everyday celebrations for me was a means of refocusing on common joys in my life. They were a means of turning my despair into faith. Now, by publishing four books in less than two years, I have encountered another ladder of faith and I continue to face fear in order to live the adventure that God has for me.

Don’t you know, the Lord gives us many different kinds of gifts, and some of those gifts we would rather return to Him? However, my seasonal “Breath of Joy!” books helped me not only to be thankful for the phase of life in which I found myself, but writing these books also built depth into my relationship with my real self, not my public persona, and specifically with the real God of the Bible.

It brings joy to my heart to collect snapshots of life and give my readers an opportunity to experience simple blessings in fresh, new ways. My books were borne out of sudden loss and grief when my husband of 23 years died of a massive heart attack. Gathering up my will to go forward, I remembered he always encouraged me to collect “beautiful moments” and write them down.

Now, when people connect with me, they say things like, “I couldn’t sleep, and so I picked up your book, and it gave me a new perspective that has helped me go on. If you can do it, so can I.” / “I went to one of Kathy Joy’s vision board making workshops. When I posted my board on the refrigerator, I had no idea how much I would rely on it to get me through the next year. I am writing this to thank you for helping me stay out of the hospital for a full year.” /

“Just downloaded your file/book. Absolutely beautiful. I thought you wrote prose/poetry. Forgive me for putting you off. I loved perusing the pages. I went through it too fast. I need to sip it. I will peruse it again tomorrow. Totally different from what I thought it’d be. Hmmm. It’s more than a coffee table book. Gift book. Calming book. Nice, very nice. Let me sit with it and ponder it. Lovely creation.

These kinds of receptions make my day. They let me know that God still has adventures for me to take and purposes for me to speak wonder into other people’s lives.

I am going to call this my get away from everything relaxation book. Just opening the first page I felt a calmness. It was as if someone with a soothing voice was reading the book to me. Each page is beautifully illustrated and the words are encouraging and hopeful. I loved going through the pages and seeing blankets to snuggle in as winter comes while reading thoughts about how we spend winter.

Each page is something new to explore and it sure did bring up memories of long forgotten times of fun and family. My favorite drink was nestled in the pages and I could almost taste the warm hot chocolate as it slid down my throat to bring happiness. My favorite though from the book says, " letting go when it's time and .....gratefully receiving what's next." I think this would be a great present to give to a special friend to cheer them up. encourage them and bring joy to their life.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

Blog Stops

The Power of Words, December 4

Lighthouse Academy, December 5

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 6

For the Love of Literature, December 7

Blossoms and Blessings, December 8

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, December 9

Stephanie’s Life of Determination, December 9

Older & Smarter?, December 10

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, December 11

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 12

She Lives to Read, December 13

Texas Book-aholic, December 14

janicesbookreviews, December 15

A Reader’s Brain, December 16

Mary Hake, December 16

Inklings and notions, December 17

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kathy is giving away the grand prize of a copy of the book in reader’s choice of format!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/f1fc/breath-of-joy-celebration-tour-giveaway

About the Book

Book: Building a Ridiculously Great Marriage

Author: Gil Stieglitz

Genre: Christian Non-fiction

Release Date: November 2019

Building a Ridiculously Great Marriage: Pre-Marital and Marital Habits

It’s no secret that couples in great marriages do different things than couples in bad ones.

But what are those things and how do ordinary folks start doing them? How can couples take a struggling marriage or even one that is “pretty good” to one that is, quite frankly, ridiculously great?

Based on thousands of counseling hours and personal practice, Gil Stieglitz spells out the 15 essential habits found in great marriages that aren’t found in difficult ones. Building a Ridiculously Great Marriage provides the short and dirty version of what it takes to have a marriage that is so great, other couples will stand up and notice—they might even call it “ridiculous.”

This book is a real game-changer for engaged couples just starting out, couples who are struggling, or couples who just want to take their marriage from good to ridiculously great. It is also a terrific resource for pastors, ministry leaders, and counselors who work with couples for pre-marriage and marriage counseling.

About the Author

Dr. Gil Stieglitz is a prolific author, engaging speaker, and insightful pastor who has spent thousands of hours helping, coaching, and strengthening marriages. Gil has written over twenty-five books on marriage, parenting, soul development, and spiritual warfare, including top-seller Becoming a Godly Husband, God’s Radical Plan for Wives, and Marital Intelligence. He speaks to thousands of people each year about the wonders of God’s principles. Gil now serves as Discipleship Pastor at Bayside Church, a dynamic multi-site church near Sacramento, CA. He is on faculty with Principles to Live By, a nonprofit organization that helps people connect to God’s principles in everyday life. He and his wife, Dana, enjoy a ridiculously delightful life in Northern California. For more information, visit ptlb.com.

More from Gil

After thousands of hours counseling couples for marriage and pre-marital issues, I had a few couples who just wanted to know the very basics of what they needed to do differently to have a much better marriage. These concepts, coupled with some pre-marital counseling I was doing at the time, allowed me to develop a quick and dirty list of the top ten habits couples should develop if they really wanted a terrific marriage. I asked them to trust me in what I was telling them, and they did what I requested. The results were amazing.

For the purposes of this book, I have added five more habits great couples do to make the material even more robust and effective, and I included the exercises I used in my counseling sessions for couples to practice and work out. Think of this book as the low down of what makes a marriage “ridiculously great.” This is the kind of marriage that will constantly surprise you with delight, love, growth, energy, longing, and connection. It is beyond the norm—where you feel like you lucked into this great relationship with this amazing person.

If you showed up in my office and asked me to give you the bottom line, these are the things I would tell you to do. Many people know what they are doing is not working, and they just want to know what to do. These fifteen things are what work…no joke.

There are numerous books written on the subject of marriage. They all have different perspectives of what works and what doesn't. I know the number one reason marriages fail is lack of communication. If you don't talk to your spouse and share your feelings, you are living in an empty shell called "faking it til something better comes along." It may be harsh words, but I know from personal experience what a lack of sharing will do to a marriage.

I opened this book ready to see what the author had to offer on the subject of marriages. To my delight the first subject is called "Debrief Daily." I was intrigued and had a dash of hope that this book would speak to couples in a way that was compassionate but truthful. Our spouses come home and usually the wife is cooking dinner, taking care of kids and gives her husband a nod or short greeting and keeps on going. Lets learn from this first chapter to take time to share your day with each other. Ask questions and listen with an open heart so you will know what to pray over your spouse if they are struggling in an area.

The author shares fifteen habits to Building a Ridiculously Great Marriage." Each chapter also includes examples that help you apply the topic to your marriage. One of the chapters I really liked was about praying. I'm sure many of us have our alone prayer time, but do we also have a time where we pray as a couple? This hit hard with me. My husband and I have been really good about praying together until this last year. It hasn't been a good year for us with family deaths, health issues, family problems and other struggles. We seemed to have forgotten God in our daily time as a couple. The enemy came roaring in our lives and we allowed him to take over. We didn't have our covering and we have had attacks after attacks. I loved when the author said, " Another reason why it is great to pray together daily is to hear your spouse's heart." "It is not enough to know why we should pray; we have to actually do it."

I have always said that my best friend is my husband. It is true, but now I realize that I have left him out of prayer time and forgotten to share things that are stressing me out. I will be holding on to this book and begin to apply the chapters to our marriage as a couple. This would be an excellent tool to use in churches for small groups for married couples and engaged couples.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion