Thursday, February 24, 2022

HUES OF YOU BY LUCRETIA CARTER BERRY, PHD

Help children celebrate the incredible range of hues all around them with this activity book that provides an interactive, engaging, and age-appropriate way to navigate conversations around skin tone, race, and racism.

Every person’s skin has a particular shade—or hue—that we can appreciate. Children naturally wonder: Why are there so many skin colors? Why do I look a lot like some people and different from others? Which words best describe my skin color?

But sometimes we feel uncomfortable talking about skin tone, ethnicity, and race. That’s about to change! Inside these pages, kids will get to explore the ways each of us is uniquely designed and discover positive, creative ways to think and talk about the wonderful diversity of hues found in humanity.

Crafted by an experienced educator and advocate for antiracism, Hues of You is divided into four main sections: Hues of You, Hues of Your Family, Hues of Your Ancestors, and Hues of Your Friends. This activity book offers a smart and honest starting point to spark natural, effective, and meaningful conversations in our families, schools, and communities.

MY REVIEW

We are all uniquely made and even though we may look different we all are to be treated the same. I do think the book may be a little hard for younger children to understand because the author uses words that are not easily recognized. I would have liked to see the author simplify the book more to reach all ages.

There are many activities throughout to engage children in the different types of color of a person’s skin. I did like how some of the activities looked fun and are interactive to encourage children to be part of the story. The book does do a good job of talking about family and ancestors which helps the children to learn about their heritage. The illustrations in the book are attractive and eye catching. The book is well made and will be easy to use as children do the activities.

I’m not sure that I would recommend this book because the author writes the book more as a textbook with explanations that are hard to understand. Children probably haven’t heard the word hue used in reference to skin color and it may confuse them. We have seen in the last several years how the color of one’s skin can cause some to not accept others. I think the author missed the mark in addressing this issue and made the book more complicated than it should have.

I received a copy of this book from WaterBrook Kids Launch Team. The review is my own opinion.

Wednesday, February 23, 2022

The Inn on Hanging Hill

About the Book

Book: The Inn on Hanging Hill

Author: Christy Barritt

Genre: Romantic Mystery

Release date: October, 2021

ChristyBarritt_TheInnOnHangingHill_1400px Each house has a history. Each person has a secret. Each turn of events leads to danger.

Lindsey Waters never wanted to return to the seaside inn where she grew up. Too many traumatic memories haunt the place, both from her childhood and from days gone by. But with guilt relentlessly chasing her after a tragic choice, she’s desperate for a fresh start.

Mysterious incidents begin plaguing the inn—dangerous incidents—that make it clear someone wants to scare Lindsey away. But why? Does it have anything to do with the two weeks missing from her memory when she was abducted at age twelve?

Childhood friend Benjamin Newsom seems like an answer to prayer when he shows up to work as a handyman. But something is different about him, something Lindsey can’t put her finger on. She’s certain Benjamin harbors secrets.

As peril continues to close in, Lindsey must decide if she wants to face her past or run. She doesn’t know whom she can trust, and whatever choices she makes will determine if she lives or if she becomes part of the inn’s tragic legacy.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Barritt Family_041 USA Today has called Christy Barritt‘s books “scary, funny, passionate, and quirky.”

A USA Today and Publishers Weekly best-seller, Christy writes both mystery and romantic suspense novels that are clean with underlying messages of faith. Her books have sold more than three million copies, one has been made into a TV movie, and another is being developed for a TV series.

Christy’s books have won the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Suspense and Mystery, have been twice nominated for the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award, and have finaled for both a Carol Award and Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year.

She’s married to her prince charming, a man who thinks she’s hilarious–but only when she’s not trying to be. Christy’s a self-proclaimed klutz, an avid music lover who’s known for spontaneously bursting into song, and a road trip aficionado.

Christy currently splits her time between the Virginia suburbs and Hatteras Island, North Carolina. She loves spending time with her husband, her two sons, and her four dogs.

For more information, visit her website: www.christybarritt.com.

More from Christy

I’ve always loved old houses—ones you can look at and see that they were once full of life and love. But, through the years something happened, and these places now stand in neglect. Based off that idea, I developed the Beach House Mystery Series. Each book is a standalone—the series is connected only by theme—and features a different beach house on a different beach.

The Inn on Hanging Hill was inspired by my time on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. The area was once thriving and one of the wealthiest in the country. But the railroad changed, and that left the area isolated and without enough work to support the population. It also left it with tons of history—and stories that go along with that history.

I hope you enjoy Lindsey’s story!

MY REVIEW

For those who are fans of mystery and intrigue I encourage you to grab a copy of this book. I love that it is filled with just enough suspense to keep readers guessing. I certainly didn’t figure out who was behind everything. In fact I was shocked at the ending. The author has cleverly written a story that spans over fifteen years where secrets, revenge and power can be deadly.

Lindsey coming back to the inn was suppose to be a time of healing and restoration. Instead it turns into a nightmare as accidents happen around her, and strange notes appear out of nowhere. If you have experienced a traumatic event you can understand what Lindsey is going through. Her abduction has never been solved and she has just little flashbacks at times of those two weeks she was held captive. Will she ever get the answers she is seeking to overcome her past?

I did figure out the secret Benjamin was keeping with subtle hints from the author. It didn’t take anything away from the story for me at all. I kept wondering how long he could continue to deceive Lindsey and knew when she found out her trust would be gone. There is a definite theme of a small town filled with secrets and people who are manipulated by an evil person. The author delivers an intense look at the cost of hiding the truth and the price of keeping secrets.

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

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, February 14

Blossoms and Blessings, February 14

deb’s Book Review, February 15

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 16

Spoken from the Heart, February 16

Inklings and notions, February 17

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, February 18 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, February 18

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 19

Lighthouse-Academy, February 20

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, February 21

April Hayman, Author, February 21

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, February 22

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, February 23 (Spotlight)

Rebecca Tews, February 24

Texas Book-aholic, February 24

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 25

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, February 26

Blogging With Carol, February 26

Simple Harvest Reads, February 27 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Christy is giving away the grand prize package of a $100 Amazon gift card and eBook copy of the book!!

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/1a45e/the-inn-on-hanging-hill-celebration-tour-giveaway

Everything

About the Book

Book: Everything

Author: L.M. Karen

Genre: Contemporary Christian Fiction

Release date: November 5, 2021

Everything Cover A sweet second chance romance of healing as two childhood friends find their way back to each other.

Alison and Grady met in kindergarten and quickly became inseparable. They grew up together as best friends until a series of misunderstandings drove them apart just as they graduated high school. Ten years later, a chance meeting throws Alison and Grady together again. It might take him a minute, but Grady discovers he still knows Alison like the back of his hand.

As Grady and Alison reconnect they find the second chance at love they always wanted and the healing they never knew they needed.

This is the third and last book in the Oak Street Series Trilogy. Each book can be read separately as standalone books but are better when read together.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

LM Karen writes contemporary Christian fiction romance. As a longtime lover of words, she can generally be found behind her laptop or with a book in her hand. A graduate of Toccoa Falls College, her heart is in the mountains. She eventually made use of the voices in her head by putting them on the page.

Read an Excerpt from the Book

I take a deep breath before venturing back out to the popular establishment from the restroom, then begin to edge past the crowd back to the front where my date agreed to meet me before proceeding to a table for dinner. I haven’t gotten many steps before I hear a high-pitched squeal calling my name.

“Alison! Alison McKay!”

My shoulders tense. I would recognize that voice anywhere. I turn and find a beautiful brunette with glowing green eyes bouncing toward me.

“I just knew that was you!” she cries, scooping me into a huge hug.

Although at least eight years younger than me, Lily Knight towers over me. The last time I saw her was my high school graduation day. She was only around ten at that time but already my height. It’s been ten years since then, and she’s grown into a beautiful young woman. My heart aches unexpectedly, and I am shocked to find myself glad to see her.

“Lily, it is good to see you,” I say sincerely when she lets me go.

She squeals exuberantly, “Gosh, Alison, you haven’t changed a bit. Still so beautiful. How are you? Why did you stop coming around? We all miss you so much.” Lily hugs me again and, without allowing me to answer any of her questions, keeps talking. “Ohmigosh!” She pulls away from me and takes my arm excitedly. “Grady is going to die when he sees you!” she exclaims, pulling me toward the opposite corner of the bar from where I had previously been sitting.

My feet and my heart concurrently and instantaneously stop, and I pull my hand away from Lily’s. Of all possible scenarios, likely and unlikely, I would have placed seeing Grady Knight tonight as the single most unlikely thing to happen, only short of actually enjoying my date tonight. I am not prepared. The thought of facing Grady Knight, the only man I’ve ever loved, and therefore the only one to have shattered my heart, tonight? On monthly date night? When I have likely been spontaneously canceled on and left alone in a pretentious fusion restaurant? I shake my head in horror and back away. I feel conclusive in stating there is nothing more abhorrent that could happen.

Lily turns and blinks at me in surprise at my abrupt stop. “He’s this way, Alison. He’ll definitely want to see you,” she says with a worried frown “Are you okay? You look pale…well, even more pale than you usually are. Not that you’re normally pale, you just have a naturally alabaster complexion.” She adds the last with an envious smile.

“I…I am sorry, I have to go,” I stutter and turn quickly toward the door, making a run for it before Grady sees me, or I see him.

“Alison McKay,” a friendly voice calls appreciatively through the crowd. My actions freeze. I inhale a panicked breath as my heartbeat thunders at what I’m sure is an unhealthy speed due to the adrenaline and norepinephrine flooding my system. I force myself to turn around.

The crowd easily parts for Grady as he makes his way to me. He is below average height for a Caucasian American male yet he has a presence people notice. The last time I saw him was our high school graduation day. His light brown hair is the same, but instead of it being shaggy and long, it’s neatly cut and combed. The freckles on his face have lightened but his eyes are the same warm brown. His face is more chiseled, I notice. In truth, all of him appears to be more sculpted than the last time I saw him.

Deep breath. I can do this. “Hello, Grady.” I’m pleased my voice is even despite my insides quaking violently.

MY REVIEW

The author delivers a story that had me anticipating where she would take the main characters in this sweet look at second chances. What really intrigued me the most was why Alison and Grady stopped talking. They were best friends in school when suddenly Alison just stopped communicating with Grady after high school. I can only imagine that someone got their feelings hurt by a misunderstanding. In high school we start to take relationships seriously and are easily upset by some misspoke action or word.

Alison is very disciplined in her words and mannerisms. It’s no wonder she was bullied in school. Poor thing was so smart that others didn’t know how to take her. Even now with a prestigious position in a lab, her demeanor is straightforward. I think she needs to enjoy life more and not be so serious. This agreement she has about dating and reporting her progress to someone was odd. Even though Alison may be different I absolutely adored her. She is a character I don’t see very often in books but oh my is she someone I would want to be friends with. She has this uncanny ability to look at things in a logical way that others overlook. Bravo to the author for writing a character that is different in a way that impresses me with her intelligence and straightforward approach to life.

Grady is this down to earth character who has never forgotten about Alison. When they run into each other years later it was not by accident. See I don’t believe in coincidences. What I believe is they have unfinished business that God has ordained to see it to completion. Grady is funny because he wants to reconnect with Alison but can’t figure out what stopped them from keeping in touch. When the author gives us flashbacks from their childhood and into high school it is evident that they were close. Now Grady has to figure out how to get Alison to go out with him.

There are fractured relationships that are hard to repair and in this story the relationship between Alison and her father is in dire need of help. How hard it must have been for Alison to feel like a guest more than a daughter in the home she grew up in. There is no emotional attachment from her father who is cold and distant to Alison. It is no wonder why she gravitated to Grady and his family while growing up. Who wouldn’t want to be around a family filled with laughter and love? The more I read the story the more I connected with Alison. Reading how Alison and Grady reconnect is both charming and funny. It’s like getting to know someone for the first time but with a vague feeling you have met before.

The book reflects both hope and forgiveness. I love the way the author brought Alison and Grady back together without rushing the story. Each step they took was a step toward healing and finding their way to a second chance for happiness. The ending is sweet and delivers a message of never giving up.

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

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 22

Texas Book-aholic, February 23

Wishful Endings, February 23

Genesis 5020, February 24

Inklings and notions, February 25

For Him and My Family, February 26

Reflections From My Bookshelves, February 27

deb’s Book Review, February 27

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 28

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, March 1

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, March 2

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, March 3 (Spotlight)

Living’ Lit, March 3

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, March 4

She Lives to Read, March 5

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 6

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 7

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, L.M. is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a signed copy of the book!!

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/1ab34/everything-celebration-tour-giveaway

Monday, February 21, 2022

Glimpses of God

About the Book

Book: Glimpses of God: A Spring Devotional for Women

Authors: Harriet E. Michael & Shirley Crowder

Genre: Non-fiction, Christian Living, Devotional

Release date: March 10, 2021

0 spring front Creator God made the world in which we live. He placed the moon and stars in the sky, the rivers and ocean on the earth. He also created seasons throughout the year. Each season is defined by specific features and attributes that are common, although the degree varies depending on where one lives. In winter we think of cold weather. In spring, blooming flowers take center stage. In the summer, we enjoy warm weather, and in the autumn, beautifully colored leaves.

As Christ-followers we also experience spiritual seasons. In the same way that nature’s seasons serve a purpose on earth, so do the seasons in our spiritual lives. God provides, cares for, and sustains the earth, and in His faithfulness, He does the same for us.

This devotional is focused on spring—both calendar and spiritual. During our spiritual springs, we catch a glimpse of the new life we have in Jesus Christ and the renewed life that He gives us.

Enjoy a season of rebirth, thirteen weeks of inspiration, full of God’s great love for us.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Authors

SCrowder 19 Shirley Crowder was born in a mission guest house under the shade of a mango tree in Nigeria, West Africa, where her parents served as missionaries. She and co-author Harriet E. Michael grew up together on the mission field and have been life-long friends. Shirley is passionate about disciple-making, which is manifested in and through a myriad of ministry opportunities: biblical counseling, teaching Bible studies, writing, and music.

She is a biblical counselor and is commissioned by and serves on the national Advisory Team for The Addiction Connection. Several of her articles have appeared in “Paper Pulpit” in the Faith section of The Gadsden Times, and in a David C. Cook publication. She also writes articles for Life Bible Study, Woman’s Missionary Union, and TheAddictionConnection.org. She has authored, co-authored, or contributed to ten books.

Shirley has spiritual children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren serving the Lord in various ministry and secular positions throughout the world.

HMichael20 Harriet E. Michael was born in Joinkrama, Nigeria, deep in the African jungle in the Niger River Delta, where her father served as the only missionary doctor at that station. A few years later, the mission moved the family to a larger hospital in Ogbomoso. Co-author Shirley Crowder and her family lived right across the dirt road. The two children became constant playmates. Today they continue to enjoy their lifelong friendship.

Harriet is a multi-published, award-winning writer, and speaker. She has authored or co-authored eight books (seven nonfiction and one novel), with more under contract for future release. She is also a prolific freelance writer, having penned over 200 articles, devotions, and stories. Her work has appeared in publications by Focus on the Family, David C. Cook, Lifeway, Standard Publishing, Chicken Soup for the Soul, The Upper Room, Judson Press, Bethany House, and more. When not writing, she loves speaking to women’s groups and teaching writing workshops on freelance, devotional, and memoir writing.

She and her husband of over 40 years have four children and three grandchildren. When not writing, she enjoys substituting at a Christian school near her home, gardening, cooking, and traveling.

More from the Shirley and Harriet

From time-to-time someone will comment on how difficult it must be to co-write with someone.

Guess what? It isn’t!

Including the books Harriet and Shirley have written together, both have collaborated with others to write books..

The most important thing in co-writing, after both of you being Christ-followers, is to share very similar theological beliefs and understanding. If these are too dissimilar, the final manuscript will be choppy and inconsistent in presentation of biblical truth throughout the book.

Practically speaking, there are a few things that help make the co-writing process work well.

Pray for each other.
Agree in advance who will write what portions.
Leave your pride behind.
Have the person with the most expertise in Word compile, make changes in, and maintain the combined document.
Be sure to turn on “tracking” so it is easy to see what edits the other person made.
Defend/explain why you think something you wrote should not be changed.
Explain why you think something the other person wrote should be changed.
Flexibility—be prepared for rewrites, edits, and delays.

As you work together, you read and edit each other’s work. The changes you each make in the other person’s writing will help give the book a more consistent writing style and presentation.

Finally, while there are portions of this process that can be tedious, like galley corrections, it is fun to work with another person. And, when you get stuck, they can help make suggestions that jump start your thought processes and make completing the piece easier.

MY REVIEW

I love reading devotionals and enjoy the different topics they offer. This collection is one of my favorites. The cover is breathtaking and very inviting. As I began reading I felt a sense of peace and comfort. Each chapter is filled with stories that encourage us as we study the scriptures provided. My favorite season is Spring because it is a new beginning for me. Beautiful flowers start to bloom, the sun brings warmth and longer days give us time to enjoy the outdoors.

In this season we can shake off winter and get ready for the renewing of our minds. I enjoyed reading the scriptures and prayer that follow each chapter. What I really liked about the book was the emphasis on our spiritual lives. Maybe we have gotten behind in our Bible reading or became a little relaxed in our relationship with God. We all know the saying “spring forward, fall back.” In one of the chapters it talks about needing to deal with “hurts, disappointments, anger, fears and other things that are holding us hostage.” We can’t move forward until we address the issues that have made us stagnant in our walk with God.

I would highly recommend this book to those who want to refresh and renew their relationship with God. What a wonderful gift this would make for someone who needs encouragement, or wanting to be renewed by absorbing His Word. I have enjoyed this book and look forward to more from these very gifted authors’.

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