Saturday, July 25, 2020

About the Book

Book: Inspired Artistry

Author: Pamela Poole

Genre: Non-fiction, Devotional

Release Date: March 30, 2020

Inspired Artistry - Embracing the Creative Calling Ebook Cover

Spirit-filled creative expression is an outreach for Christians to be ambassadors of the Kingdom.

This insightful devotional explores how the imprint of our Creator on all mankind makes it natural for Christians to embrace their unique gifts. Through Scripture, true stories, prayer, and study questions, readers will explore how every person born has a meaningful gift to contribute joy and beauty in the world. Led by the Holy Spirit, believers can live higher than the corrupting influences that distort Christ’s intent for our personal Inspired Artistry.

The pages of Inspired Artistry contain delightful illustrations and pages for readers who journal to write their own “Inspired Musings.”

Click here to get your copy!

MY REVIEW

This book will inspire you to discover your gifts and use them to honor God. I know I can raise my hand and say I have no artistic talent. My husband is very gifted in airbrushing and painting. He has used his talent to do murals for churches and homes. I’m in awe of his ability and how he gracefully sees a blank canvas come to life. Now what is my artistic talent? Do I even have any?

While reading this book, I found that I have artistic talents but never thought of them as that. I am very creative and can take a song and do a dramatic interpretation of it. Many of the Children’s Christmas plays I directed was from a script that I enhanced and expanded on. Wait a minute? I do have abilities and never realized that I was using my gifts to share His Word.

The book is very well planned out and gives readers not only examples but scriptures to help us discover what God has given us to use for His glory. What about the person who said words of encouragement to you and brought a smile to your face. Their gift is a way of expressing feelings that bring comfort and joy. I began to look at artistic abilities in a new light. We all have a gift that can be used to be His hands and feet.

I love to do reviews for authors to bless them for their hard work. I never thought of it as a gift until now. It is easy for me to put into words how I feel about something, but verbally expressing is difficult for me. This book is very encouraging and I appreciate how transparent the author is as she shares her struggles with being an artist. I hope everyone will grab a copy of this book to find encouragement, your artistic talent and joy in everything you do to honor God

“Our creativity is valuable as we are shaped by Him and as we live wisely to make time for it. Creative initiative comes when we understand the power and dominion in creativity.”

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

About the Author

Pamela Poole’s love for the South inspires all her books and paintings. She and her husband Mark currently live in Raleigh, NC, but she’s hoping to get back home to the Lowcountry of SC someday.

If making her fictional stories public was a step of faith, writing her first devotional was a leap! Believing all Christians have a sphere of influence, she wanted to be certain that sharing her views was a process grounded in Scripture. Pamela believes nothing is wasted for a child of God. Using examples learned through challenging experiences, she reveals accounts of true events that only her family knew about before. Years of teaching art, teaching Bible Studies, leadership roles, membership in guilds and associations, mentoring, painting, exhibiting, and writing books has provided her with a wealth of hard-won lessons to share.

Pamela lives life loving Jesus and her family as a wife, mother, and Gigi, and she is blessed with true friends. She is a member of the National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society and PaintNC. Readers and art enthusiasts alike can enjoy her Youtube channel for painting demos, art history lessons and projects, and peeks into an author’s life. Her blog can be found on her art and publishing websites. Her illustrations for FREE coloring pages are her contribution to a cause she cares about, the healing that happens through art, and they can be downloaded on her websites. To enjoy the latest content, sign up for her newsletters and follow Pamela Poole, Artist and Author and Southern Sky Publishing on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

More from Pamela

“I don’t have a talented bone in my body.”
“I can’t even make stick people.”

“I’ve never taken art classes.”
As an artist, teacher, author, and craft lover, I’ve heard statements like these all my life. My favorite is when my art students came to the first class saying, “I can’t even draw a straight line!” Flashing them my most engaging smile, I would respond brightly, “Me, either! I always use a ruler.”
Every person on the planet has a special gift of creativity. It is the stamp of our Maker, in whose image we are made. From the opening verses of the Bible, creativity is the first attribute that God reveals about Himself to mankind.

Christians have talents, but they do not think of them as creativity or as having any value in their faith or outreach to the world. Inspired Creativity—Embracing the Creative Calling is my first devotional, written to encourage my sisters and brothers in Christ to discover and develop their unique gifts. I base the book on the authority of Scripture, and I use personal stories to apply the biblical principles to real situations.

Many people shy away from their talents because of the rejection and ridicule they could face from those whose tastes run differently. I understand this well and have the scars to prove it after decades of participating in professional organizations, art exhibitions, classes, art galleries, and the online book market. Readers can look at any author’s reviews and see they will range from mean and scathing to helpful and glowing. By publishing this devotional, I have set myself up for criticism by sharing what I’ve learned and how it all fits into a biblical Christian worldview. Knowing how vulnerable creative Christians feel, I point out in this book that if we are abiding in Christ and following His lead, our work is inspired as both a healing, spiritual growth activity for our souls and something He may call us to share. We must get past our dread and remember we work to please Jesus, not mankind. Since when did Christ’s enemy not attack those who talk about Him or reach out in His name?

When writing Inspired Artistry, I faced a few scary moments when relating experiences in my creative life that only my husband and son knew had happened. But nothing is wasted when believers walk with Christ, and I obeyed the tug on my heart and the spiritual certainty that I traveled those roads for such a time as this. It is my prayer that readers will discover and embrace their creative gifts for their role as ambassadors of the Kingdom to come!

Note to readers who color and journal: the print version of this devotional has coloring and journaling pages.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, July 22

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 23

For Him and My Family, July 24

Texas Book-aholic, July 25

Bizwings Blog, July 26

Holly Jo Morris, July 26

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, July 27

Inklings and notions, July 28

Emily Yager, July 29

Godly Book Reviews, July 30

deb’s Book Review, July 31

Splashes of Joy, August 1

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 2

Captive Dreams Window, August 3

Mary Hake, August 3

Artistic Nobody, August 4 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Pamela is giving away the grand prize package of Inspired Proverbs Coloring Journal, Tin of Colored Pencils, and a print copy of Inspired Artistry – Embracing the Creative Calling!!

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/fe30/inspired-artistry-celebration-tour-giveaway

Friday, July 24, 2020

About the Book

Book: Sincerely Yours

Author: Kari Trumbo

Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance

Release Date: July 26, 2019

What if you fell in love with a man you’d never met?

When marketing coordinator Liberty Dryden tries to help radio station owner and DJ Tom Higgs attract new listeners and advertisers, she hits a roadblock.
He refuses to meet with her, and she has no idea why.

Tom has an affliction that’s plagued him his whole life—a painfully crippling stutter. On air, he can speak to thousands, but in person, he stumbles to find every word.

After a woman stalked him, he’s convinced his fame and fortune are all women want. He’s unable to tell Liberty why he won’t meet in person. How could he explain his unfounded doubts and his own issues?

Without her, disaster looms for his station. But, meeting her might prove he’s right about women.

Liberty takes matters into her own hands and calls into his radio show… using an assumed name.
She never expects to hit it off with him. If she reveals her secret, it will put her new relationship and her job at risk.

Click here to get your copy!

MY REVIEW

There are so many wonderful nuggets of goodness in this book that I don’t know where to begin. I was intrigued by the title and wondered how it would fit into the story. Liberty is such a relatable character that I wanted to be her friend. Well at least while reading the story, I was her friend. She has gone through several difficult situations in her life recently and it has caused her to be a bit lonely and isolated. Oh my dear friend Liberty I know all about loneliness. Changes are hard for some people and as Liberty adjusts to her best friend being married, she feels a little left out.

Tom is someone that could easily be a great friend. He has a heart for God but he also is feeling lonely. When Liberty becomes a business associate for Tom, it is hard for them to communicate. They usually email each other and slowly get to feel comfortable sharing things. Now Liberty is still guarded but the way she reaches out to Tom was brilliant. Before I go any farther I have to say something about emails. I have found several wonderful friends that started by emails. These women have become great friends to me and are always there to lift me up and encourage me.

Now back to my review. Through a series of misunderstandings a relationship is damaged. I know Liberty’s heart was in the right place because she has such a caring heart for others. Her mistake was not trusting her friendship with others and found herself alone once again. That’s all I can say about the story because I don’t want to give anything away.

I will say that this story was exactly what I needed to read. I needed to be reminded that people do care, and want to be part of your life. Forgiveness frees us from depression, anger, and allows joy back into our lives. The author has written a story that has inspired me when I needed it most. Thank you for reminding me that I am important.

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

About the Author

Kari Trumbo is a bestselling author of Christian historical and contemporary romance novels. Her books are known for characters who feel real, settings you could move to, and faith woven between the pages. She makes her home in central Minnesota with her husband of over twenty years, two daughters, two sons, and never enough time.

More from Kari

Thank you all so much for joining me on my blog tour! I’m happy to be here. I write an eclectic mix of historical (western) and contemporary (western and not) romance, sometimes with a hint of suspense woven in. I can’t help it; my education is a degree in psychology with a sociology minor focusing on criminality and deviance… the suspense just happens whether I plan it or not.

I am one of those writers who usually gets a story idea and then writes it. I usually don’t write a book just because I “should”. That being said, this is one of those books where readers asked for it and I delivered. The first story in the series is in a popular book bundle Betwixt Two Hearts. In my story, the secondary character Liberty Dryden (named after one of my readers) is a really fun character, even though she’s only in a few scenes. Readers liked her so much, they wanted her to have her own happily ever after.

Then the hard part began.

I liked Liberty and I spent a while in her head, trying to figure her out. She was a tough one because Liberty has some hurts. She feels alone and a little used. Don’t we all? But how to write that in a way where the reader wasn’t bored by her self-doubt. Because, let’s face it, it’s cool when a story touches us in a way that is familiar, but if it’s overdone…snooze. I liked the idea that because of their hurts, both characters were shy. So, I gave myself a challenge. These two couldn’t meet until later in the story, but it still had to feel like a romance.

It’s a little like the movie You’ve Got Mail, but different too.

This series was my first big step outside of the western genre (which is funny, because I’m not at all western) and that forced me to think in new ways, which helped with the characters and bringing this story to life.

My favorite poignant quote from Sincerely Yours is, “If I can’t forgive those who ask for it, it ruins my witness. I literally can’t be the love of Jesus if I’m not willing to forgive those who wronged me. Especially if they earnestly ask.”

Thank you for joining me and happy reading!

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, July 24

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 24

Inklings and notions, July 25

For Him and My Family, July 26

deb’s Book Review, July 26

Older & Smarter?, July 27

Through the Fire Blogs, July 28

reviewingbooksplusmore, July 28

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 29

Wishful Endings, July 30

Rebecca Tews, July 30

Britt Reads Fiction, July 31

Life, Love, Writing, July 31

Christian Chick’s Thoughts, August 1

Read Review Rejoice, August 1

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 2

Captive Dreams Window, August 2

Book of Ruth Ann, August 3

Pause for Tales, August 3

Godly Book Reviews, August 4

Livin’ Lit, August 4

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, August 5

Batya’s Bits, August 5

Artistic Nobody, August 6 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, August 6

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kari is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and signed copies of Sincerely Yours and Winter in Wonderland!!

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/fe33/sincerely-yours-celebration-tour-giveaway

Thursday, July 23, 2020

About the Book

Book: Still Small Voice

Author: Allen Brokken

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Release Date: July 24, 2020

The Still Small Voice Leads the Way Still Small Voice - ebook (1)

Because of their faith, twelve-year-old Lauren and her younger brothers, Aiden and Ethan, prevailed in the battle for the Tower of Light. But their victory did not stop the Dark One. Darkness continues to spread across Zoura’s frontier.

Now, in a vision, Mother tells them to light a second tower in Blooming Glen. Before they can set out on their journey with the Knight Protector, their Uncle arrives with a different set of instructions. He doesn’t trust the Knight Protector or the Mighty Mercenaries and believes the children should go to grandma’s house instead.

Unyielding in his belief, Uncle unknowingly leads the children off their path. And a misguided acolyte follows them. Lurking in the shadows, he strikes at every opportunity as the dark forces prepare to descend.

Lauren, Aiden, and Ethan are Zoura’s last defense. Can they convince their Uncle of the truth—that he must listen to the still small voice—and make it to Blooming Glen before the Dark One’s forces overtake them?

Click here to get your copy!

MY REVIEW

I have been waiting for this book to come out since reading the first in the series. The author immediately captured my attention with his epic details and fantasy like creatures. How many times have you heard a voice tell you to do something and you ignored it? In this story we find three children trying to understand who they should listen to. The darkness is out there and they must defeat it and rescue their parents.

I was uncertain if I trusted their uncle. He comes to take them somewhere but they have been told to go elsewhere. Oh that small voice is loud as they try to be obedient, but they are battling against their uncle who is an unbeliever. When we don’t listen to God and His warnings, we find ourselves taking a path that could be harmful. The children are very gifted and I didn’t sense any swaying of their beliefs at all. They so wanted their uncle to trust them, but he is determined to take them where the unknown waits for them.

It is a race against darkness to reach their destination in this adventure filled with creatures that are ready to attack and darkness that wants to destroy them. The author gives great illustrations in the story that reference biblical times. Darkness is around us and we need to always listen to that still small voice that warns us against evil. The ending is good and I will be waiting for the next book to see if the children can find their way to let their light shine.

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

About the Author

Allen Brokken is a teacher at heart, a husband and father most of all. He’s a joyful writer by the abundant grace of God. Follow his endeavors @towersoflight, @twodadsandajoke, and http://www.brokken.net. Your children can grow their own faith and love of God by following the adventures of Lauren, Aiden, and Ethan (plus their pets!) at instagram.com/towersoflight.

More from Allen

Still Small Voice is the much anticipated 2nd book in the Towers of Light series. We will be launching the book with a Celebrate Lit tour on July 24th. Come on the tour to learn about some of the places author Allen Brokken visited to research the unique frontier setting for the series. Five of the tour stops are interviews where he shares what he learned at different historical locations as well as his inspiration for the second book which focuses in listing for the Holy Spirit’s still small voice.

As defenders of the light, three children embark on a journey to stop the dark forces invading their land.

Louder than ever before, the message of listening to the holy spirit’s still small voice resonates with an urgency that demands action.

“Still Small Voice by Allen Brokken is an adventure of a lifetime! Filled with mystery, action, family bonds, and a healthy dose of animal friends this second book in the Tower of Light Series is a fantastic continuation of the journey of siblings Lauren, Aiden, and Ethan. Their quest to spread the Light as Darkness creeps across the land is a faith-filled adventure worth joining. ~Katie Clark, author of the Enslaved Series”

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, July 23

For the Love of Literature, July 24

Artistic Nobody, July 25 (Author Interview)

Inklings and notions, July 26

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, July 27

Vicky Sluiter, July 28 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 29

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 30

A Baker’s Perspective, July 31 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, July 31

deb’s Book Review, August 1

A Reader’s Brain, August 2

Through the Fire Blogs, August 3 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, August 4

My Devotional Thoughts, August 5 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Allen is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

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/fe32/still-small-voice-celebration-tour-giveaway

Wednesday, July 22, 2020

About the Book

Book: Second Helpings

Author: Linda Wood Rondeau

Genre: Short, humorous contemporary women’s fiction

Release Date: April 19, 2020

Today is Jocelyn Johnson’s 45th birthday. Unhappy with her marriage of 22 years, the parenting talk show host has planned a noonday tryst with her cohost. A phone call from her college daughter, a peek into her teenaged son’s journal, a sick preschooler, a Goth daughter’s identity crisis, a middle-school son’s prank, and her husband’s inflamed suspicions, not only interfere with her hopeful birthday plans but throw her family into more chaos than a circus on steroids.

In desperate need of counsel, Jocelyn invites a Christian to dinner, her guest from her morning talk show segment. However, the evening holds little promise of calm. In the midst of bedlam, a forgotten faith rekindles causing Jocelyn to rethink her life and her marriage.

You will laugh and you will cry from the first page to the last as you journey through the day’s events and Jocelyn’s search for Second Helpings.

Click here to get your copy!

MY REVIEW

After reading this story I feel like I have run a marathon. The author takes us on a whirlwind look inside a family that is in chaos. Jocelyn is the type that wants her children to still need her even though some are becoming adults. I was exhausted reading everything she tried to accomplish in a day. What I realized is that Jocelyn is unhappy with her stagnant marriage and tries to find other ways to make herself still feel needed.

Larsen is busy with his practice as a psychiatrist. He sees clients everyday with problems, yet he doesn’t seem to grasp the dysfunction his family is in. Each child seems to have some conflict going on but for me I thought it was Jocelyn overreacting to everything. Larsen does his best as a father but lacking in the husband department. The author demonstrates how we get complacent in our marriage and start to have wandering thoughts. Not everyone will fall for that trap but the enemy knows our weakness.

I found it very interesting that Jocelyn worked at a radio station and had a talk show. It was no accident the day she has a special guest who happens to be just what Jocelyn needs. Naomi is endearing, patient and is gifted with words that speak directly to your heart. I was a little upset when Jocelyn invited her over for dinner and then ignored her most of the evening. While Jocelyn bounced between kids and their problems, Naomi has divine appointments with members of the family. The story is fast paced but it has a great message.

I loved how the author shows us what happens when we leave God out of our lives. A marriage can be in danger of dissolving, a child could feel unloved or a rumor could destroy trust. The book mentions that there is humor in the book, but I didn’t find any humor at all. What I did find was a story that shows us to accept each other, never give up and above everything else invite God to be part of your life.

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

About the Author

A veteran social worker, Linda Wood Rondeau is also a wife, mother, and grandmother. She is no stranger to family bedlam. Her stories of encouragement and hope come from the heart. She resides in Hagerstown, Maryland with her husband of over forty-years. When not writing, the author enjoys the occasional round of golf. She also enjoys theater and is actively involved with her local church. Find more encouraging words in her blog, Snark and Sensibility, found on her website, www.lindarondeau.com. Visit her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

More from Linda

When I first set out to write Second Helpings, I envisioned writing a story about a harried housewife with a passel of kids. I thought of my mother who went around the house with her hands outstretched toward heaven saying, “Lord, give me strength.” Words she uttered each time we kids did something wrong, which was quite often.

And so I envisioned my own version of, Please Don’t Eat the Daises.

The movie came out in 1960 and starred Doris Day and David Niven, a comedy about a university professor who leaves his job to become a theater critic, creating problems with his family and friends. There’s an iconic scene where the harried housewife rescues her toddler who tries to climb out of the barred NYC windows. One wonders, can this marriage be saved?

As the story developed in my own addled brain, I saw a larger picture than a madcap comedy. I asked myself, what would happen if a woman who ran a radio show about parenting found herself in a marriage about to fall apart and anticipates an affair? Since the woman, at the outset of the story is not a Christian, what might cause the affair not to happen? What driving force might be greater than her unhappiness? And why was she so unhappy in her marriage in the first place?

The answer came. However unhappy she might be, she was first and foremost a mother. Though married to a psychiatrist, she was the fixer in the family. What problems might her children face to make Jocelyn think twice about an affair? Which of her children’s crises would be the first signal to abort her affair? The answer came.

When Jocelyn receives a phone call from her college-aged daughter, plans for a tryst suddenly change. Lisette announces she is coming home tonight. Jocelyn’s worst fears for her daughter are confirmed. Not only is Lisette pregnant, she wants to get married next month. History seems to be repeating itself. And Jocelyn does not want her daughter to make the same mistake she thought she made by marrying her baby’s father. Jocelyn sets out on an immediate campaign to convince her daughter she has other options than a hurried marriage. Jocelyn’s tryst will have to wait.

Lisette’s pregnancy revelation has set the stage for twelve hours of bedlam … all on Jocelyn’s 45th birthday. These serious situations create a comedy of misunderstanding against the backdrop of a failing marriage and begs the question, “Can her marriage be saved?”