Saturday, November 2, 2019

THE ROLL OF THE DRUMS by
JAN DREXLER

What a wonderful story this is with characters that are easy to fall in love in. I loved how the author captured the time period and weaved a beautiful theme of forgiveness and hope.

Ruby has always thought of herself as unattractive and not marriage material. What I liked about her was how vulnerable she was. Her heart for others is a great reminder of how we should help others. When she sees  that a family  needs help, she welcomes them into her family’s home. Without hesitation she helps care for the children as well as the mother was is gravely ill.

It was interesting to read how close she became to Lavinia while  caring for her. There are some emotional parts in the book that may cause tears, so be warned. There is a promise made to Lavinia that Ruby is not sure she can keep. Have you ever broken a promise? Gideon has a lot to deal with and turns to Ruby for help. It was not surprising that people in the community disapproved of their arrangement.

The story is well written with historical facts that bring the past to life. I loved reading about the Civil War and the destruction it did to families. Sometimes we forget about the civilians in a war who pay a big price for their freedom. The author has written a beautiful example of following your heart and allowing God to lead you to forgiveness.

I received a copy of this book from Revell Reads Blog Program. The review is my own opinion.




Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Leaders nations and god FB banner

 About the Book:

Book: Leaders, Nations, & God
Author: Marta E. Greenman
Genre: Non-Fiction, Christian Bible Study
Release Date: September 19, 2013
Leaders, Nations, and God Book CoverLEADERS, NATIONS, AND GOD invites readers to a six-week journey to explore the Bible’s message for the nations of the world, their leaders, and for Christians who live as citizens of those nations. By focusing on the biblical history of Israel and the United States, the reader discovers the nature of true, faithful leadership and the consequences when a leader compromises, as well as the sorts of nations that God may bless. Marta E. Greenman helps readers understand how scriptural principles apply to nations and to individuals alike.
By asking and answering these questions, the paths of humble obedience for individuals and nations become clear.
Each day’s study begins by encouraging the reader to write their prayer before they begin to examine the biblical history of Israel and/or the United States. The reader gathers insights from scripture to bring understanding of God’s ideal for nations and leaders. Questions dig deeply into lessons from the Bible, history, and the influences on one’s own life. Each day’s study comes with highlighted “Questions to Ponder” and ends with prayer.
If you find yourself drawn to explore God’s will for nations and individuals, if you wonder what biblical obedience might look like in your daily life, then Leaders, Nations, and God will meet your need for a study grounded in the Bible and focused on God’s desires for His people.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author:

Marta HeadFor over twenty years, Marta has traveled extensively as a missionary, evangelist and Bible teacher sharing God’s message of truth and redemption. She is a teacher of teachers. She is host of Under God Radio Show and Co-host of Refining Friends. She is the author of three Bible studies, Bound to Be FreeLeaders, Nations, and God, andACTs420NOW. Marta founded Words of Grace & Truth in 2011 whose mission is to teach God’s Word to the nations and teach others to do the same. She has been married for over twenty-five years to Marshall and they reside in the Dallas, Texas area.

More from Marta

What a profound statement made by George Santayana, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” As Christians we need to learn those who have gone before us. In Leaders, Nations, and God we look at the history of the Children of Israel and America’s Founding Fathers to become men and women who understand the time and know how to navigate the troubled waters of today. We look at questions like “Who does God consider to be a leader?” What kind of nation does the Lord bless?” “Did America’s Founding Fathers really set up our country on Judeo-Christian values?”


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I found this study to be quite interesting and filled with lots of historical facts. I love history and learned many things I didn't know about figures that shaped our nation.  The biblical stories were nice to read and I liked how the author included scriptures that shows us what God's word says about leaders. From the beginning God planned for Adam and Eve to rule over the earth.  We know that plan didn't quite work out. When we don't listen to God, there are consequences which Adam and Eve found out about.

The study is designed for six weeks. There are scriptures to look up and questions to answer to help you retain what you have read. I enjoyed reading about Abraham and Moses to name a few. Their leadership was well defined in the study and I thought the author did a nice job of tying the study together.  I especially liked the week about Thomas Jefferson.

Overall I liked the study but will have to say I need to spend more time on it. I did read through all of it, but I want to go back and really do all the homework to get the benefits of the study. 

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

Blog Stops

Mary Hake, October 22
Pause for Tales, October 26
Godly Book reviews, October 27
Texas Book-aholic, October 30
janicesbookreviews, October 31
She Lives to Read, November 1
A Reader’s Brain, November 2

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Marta is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

STAMPED OUT by TONYA KAPPES

Welcome to a new series by a very talented author. I love how she uses small town settings which come to life with her descriptions. I absolutely loved that the author used delivering mail as the main character's job. Today we don’t see many mail carriers going house to house delivering mail. Most subdivisions have gone to a collection of mail boxes grouped together near the front of the community. I loved how Bernadette loved her job and was welcomed by everyone. What a nice treat to stop and visit with neighbors as you enjoy  a glass of iced tea.

Bernadette lost her husband to a tragic accident which left her raising a son on her own. She doesn’t lack for well meaning neighbors trying to set her up with dates. One of the things I liked about this story was that it centered around older mature people who loved their town.

The vivid tour the author takes us on around town was fun. I loved the little shops and the quirky names they chose like The Wildflower Diner. I would love to visit this town and sit with the ladies and listen to their opinions about the townspeople. There is a big uproar when rumors spread that the country club is being sold. Smack dab in the middle of the gossip is Mac. Mac is a wonderful character and has been Bernadette and her son’s guardian angel since the death of her husband. When Bernadette finds a body, the gossip grows to a thunder as Mac becomes the number one suspect. Who knew that wanting  to buy the country club would cause people to protest and have a dead body pop up? I bet this is the most excitement this town has ever seen.

I loved who Bernadette teamed up with to help clear Mac’s name. The mystery is sure to have readers trying to figure out who the killer is in this exciting new series. There are plenty of suspects but I was very surprised who the  guilty person was. I must mention the cameo appearance of Bernadette’s beloved cat. The author has a knack for putting pets in her stories and highlighting the need for foster homes for animals. The series is off to a great start in this small town filled with secrets, lies and a mystery that will surprise the town.

I received an arc copy of this book from the author. The review is my own opinion.

Monday, October 28, 2019

WELCOME TO THE REBEL'S SON REVIEW PROMO BLAST 
PRESENTED BY CELEBRATE LIT



A struggle to earn forgiveness and find redemption.

A spoiled, irreverent, prankster, Prince Shane waits for the day he’ll wear the crown. Days before receiving his spurs making him a knight, Shane learns he isn’t his parent’s child. He embarks on a journey to discover the truth and keep the crown. But his search digs up an evil that threatens his family, and his very soul. Shane struggles to put things right and earn redemption.

Marg runs her late husbands tavern hidden in a distant corner of the kingdom. She’s trying to forget her past and the blood on her hands. She keeps people at a distance until the night she finds a near naked man left beaten in her pigpen. Nursing him back to health will change everything as God works to restore them both.


Michelle Janene lives and works in Northern California, though most days she blissfully exists in the medieval creations of her mind. She is a devoted teacher, a dysfunctional housekeeper, and a dedicated writer. She released her first novella Mission: Mistaken Identity in the fall of 2015, followed by seven novels, and has been published in several anthologies. She leads two critique groups and is the founder of Strong Tower Press—Indie solutions for indie authors.


Authors Social Media
@MichelleJaneneM



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I can't believe how much I enjoyed this book. I didn't care too much for the first  one in the series. This book however has really been fun to read. It is filled  with knights, castles, evil vs good and adventure that never stops. I loved getting to know  Shane and how he took his responsibilities seriously. Deep inside Shane has always struggled with his faith and how he has done things he knows has been bad.

The part where he confronts someone who claims to have his best interest at heart is powerful. This person had evil written all over them. The lies they spread and the hurt they caused was so horrible, I wanted to scream at Shane to run. One of Shane's good qualities is his pure heart. He knows he must go away and find out who he truly is inside. This is where the story gets good and the author shows us what happens when evil tries to take over.

Beaten and left for dead, Shane is rescued by Margaret. She has had a hard life and does the best she can to support her and her daughter. Margaret has carried around guilt thinking she has committed a terrible sin. I loved her vulnerability and how she opened her home to Shane. She believes he is someone important and she will be rewarded for caring for him. Their relationship is strained because they each have things in their lives they condemn themselves for. The innocence of Margaret's child was refreshing and helped Shane to start caring for someone.

The story is an excellent example of forgiveness and the characters experience what it is like to feel God's love. The message is very clear throughout the story that we have to fight against the enemy everyday. He likes to whisper lies to us and isolate us. Some of the scenes are a bit graphic so be warned.  Overall I thought the story was good and I look forward to the next in the series.

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











Second chances FB Banner

 About the Book

Book: Second Chances
Author: Shirley Quiring Mozena
Genre: Family and relationships/Death, Grief, Bereavement
Release Date: September, 2012
Second ChancesWhen Shirley and Bill set out on a dream trip in the beautiful northwest wilderness to celebrate their 40th anniversary, what develops is a nightmare that has no end. Mysterious pangs turn into a vicious virus that makes its way into Bill’s body. Shirley finds comfort through her Savior during the six months of Bill’s illness—an illness which eventually takes his life.
After a time, Shirley’s heart aches for companionship. Little does she know that living a few miles from her home, a widower mourns the loss of his wife of 32 years. They meet and fall hopelessly in love, and their love takes them on a two-year journey of joy and adventure until once again overwhelming heartbreak rocks Shirley’s world. This is a story of faith and courage to strengthen your own soul.
Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Shirley mozenaShirley Quiring Mozena is an outdoors woman, musician, amateur chef, and former elementary music teacher and librarian. She has survived the hardest test of her faith and now works with others grieving the loss of loved ones.

More from Shirley

They told me there was no hope. How could that be? I’d already lost one husband. Would I have to lose another? We’d had so little time!
Four years earlier—nearly to the day—my high school sweetheart and father of my two children had died. We’d gone through so many struggles. Our marriage was nearly broken. Through courage in facing our faults and selfishness, our marriage was restored. And then, after a six month battle with a terrible virus, my husband died.
I’d never dreamed I’d love again, but it happened. Sx months after our first date, we were married.  It seemed like we were still on our honeymoon when the next tragedy happened. Just like that, he was gone.
And then I knew the story needed to be told. For myself. For my children. For anyone who wanted to know. It’s a story of second chances in a restored marriage. In love. In hope for the future and God’s sustaining love and comfort. A story to strengthen your own soul.


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What I liked most about this book was how much faith was shared throughout the story. The book  is emotional and I have to say I cried through some of it. Her first husband was a gem. They shared many years together and I enjoyed reading about their marriage. When he became ill, I was heartbroken. I know first hand how difficult it is to take care of someone who is ill. 

This book did bring back some memories of my mom and dad. After my mom passed away, my father threw away all the pictures of my brothers and I from baby through childhood. He sold the house and within six months had remarried. It was very difficult when he called to tell me he had remarried. I can understand how the author's son felt when his mom remarried.

The author was blessed with a new husband who was very grounded in faith. I think their relationship was very strong and it was nice to read how happy they were. Their travels were fun and adventurous and reminded me of how God gives us the desires of our heart.  The trip to South Africa was very interesting and intrigued me enough that I looked it up on Google. What a majestic place God has made. They were happy and enjoying their life together.  

The hardest part of the book for me was how the author suffered a devastating lose so close after losing her first husband. We don't know why God allows some things to happen, but we do know that he is there to comfort us. I appreciate the author sharing her story and how encouraging she is to others. 

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

Blog Stops

Avid Reader Nurse, October 21
For the Love of Literature, October 21 (Author Interview)
Quiet Quilter, October 27
Texas Book-aholic, October 28
janicesbookreviews, October 30
Andrea Christenson, October 31 (Author Interview)
A Reader’s Brain, November 1

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Shirley is giving away the grand prize package of a copy of Beyond Second Chances and a $25 Amazon gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Fatal Memories FB Banner

About the Book

Book: Fatal Memories
Author: Tanya Stowe
Genre: Inspirational Romantic Suspense
Release Date: September 1, 2019
Fatal Memories CoverShe was framed! Or was she?
If only she could remember…
Border patrol agent Jocelyn Walker has no memory of how she turned up unconscious with a cache of drugs—or why a gang is dead set on killing her. With evidence stacking up against her, Joss takes refuge with driven DEA agent Dylan Murphy, who guards—and suspects— her. But will finally trusting each other lead them into a trap they’ll never escape?


About the Author

Tanya StoweTanya Stowe is a Christian Fiction author with an unexpected edge. She is married to the love of her life, her high school sweetheart. They have four children and twenty-one grandchildren, a true adventure. She fills her books with the unusual…mysteries and exotic travel, even a murder or two. No matter where Tanya takes you…on a trip to foreign lands or a suspenseful journey packed with danger…be prepared for the extraordinary.

More from Tanya

It has long been my husband’s desire to travel the country in a motorhome. So when he retired three years ago, we sold our home and hit the road. We lived in the high desert region of Southern California for almost 37 years. I thought it was going to be a rough transition, but it wasn’t…especially since I came to love one of our new locations.
We spend the winter months in southern Arizona where Fatal Memories is set. I love everything about this unique place. We are surrounded by incredible ecosystems…the Sonoran and Chihuahua deserts collide there, so a different environment is around every corner. The beauty of the mountains, streams and lakes (yes, there’s water in southern Arizona—monsoons come up from Baja every summer) and the wildlife is amazing. I’ve been told black panthers have been known to cross the border from Mexico and roam the countryside. My husband and I bought a Jeep so we could go off-roading to see these sites up close and personal.
In addition to all these amazing natural wonders, history jumps out and grabs me. I’m just twenty minutes from Tombstone. Fort Huachuca and Fort Bowie are forty miles away in different directions. Every time I turn around, there’s a history making site or event to grab my interest. I hope you can see why I fell in love with my new home. I hope you will too when you read Fatal Memories.
By the way…if you interested, I write about our travels in my monthly newsletter. Be sure to check it out!

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It is easy to love a book like this when the action never stops. Joss is a wonderful character who has a very hard job. Being a border patrol agent is not easy. In fact it is extremely dangerous. What caught my attention in the book was how detailed the author is about the location and duties of a border patrol. The author does a great job of making the story intense right from the beginning. 

Joss has a lot going against her when she is found in a collapsed tunnel with drugs. How can she convince everyone she has no recollection of who she is or why she was found with drugs? Just as I thought she was going to be safe, someone tries to kill her as she leaves the hospital.  If I was her I would begin to wonder who I could trust.

Dylan has been assigned to protect her but he also doesn't quite believe her story. I was a bit upset that he immediately thought she was guilty.  I guess being a DEA agent you have to keep your guard up at all times. He is very smart and is willing to risk his life to get to the truth. Someone is after Joss and he is racing against time to find out who it is.

The danger keeps coming as Joss and Dylan dodge bullets while trying to keep one step ahead of the bad guys. There is drugs involved which bring out dangerous people that will do whatever they need to protect their property. Joss at times wants to give up but is reminded that God is there watching over her.

The race is on as the story hits high intensity with explosions, deceit and an ending that will take your breath away. The book is well written and could easily be turned into a movie of the week.  I loved the faith element of trusting God and knowing that he is always there .

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

Blog Stops

Bigreadersite , October 16
Genesis 5020, October 17
The Avid Reader, October 17
Emily Yager, October 18
Batya’s Bits, October 19
Andy Carmichael, October 20
EmpowerMoms, October 22
Betti Mace, October 23
Daysong Reflections, October 24
Mary Hake,October 24
Older & Smarter?, October 25
Blogging With Carol, October 25
Texas Book-aholic, October 27
janicesbookreviews, October 28
Gail Hollingsworth, October 29

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Tanya is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.