The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It is easy to lose the real meaning of Christmas, as you enter into the end of November and December, with all the focus on the busyness of the season. From buying gifts, traveling, cooking, and making preparations, it seems it is over before we know it. I found a great new book, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Ace Collins, that incorporates some historical facts about Christmas traditions, amazing recipes, homemade crafts, the stories behind our time honored favorite Christmas carols, and of course the Biblical Scriptures for 30 days so you can keep Christ in Christmas all month long.

This is by far, one of my most favorite books because there is so much tucked into a small but precise book to help you understand not only why we incorporate certain things like Christmas trees, candy canes, the Yule Log, and even Santa Claus himself. All of these traditions had their basis in Christian foundations and not based on worldly values so that you can pass the historical facts along with your family and friends this Christmas season.

There are so many great recipes to add to your holiday baking that it makes gift giving a snap and gives you some fresh ideas that are simple and easy to make such as Pecan Snowball cookies, Gingerbread Hot Chocolate Mix, Snickers Cookie Bars, Eggnog Snickerdoodles and so much more. Along with that is the ideas for some homemade gifts that keep expenses down but add an entirely different element to your gift giving this year. Some ideas are Lavender Bath Salts in a Jar, Lime Mint Foot Scrub, Garlic Infused Olive Oil, Cookie Butter, Personal Photo Coasters, Lemon Beeswax Candles and so many more ideas that you can use these ideas not just at Christmas, but all year long.

Perhaps my favorite are the stories behind our Christmas traditions and songs, along with the Bible Scriptures that keep the element of Jesus in each day. This is not simply a retelling of the Christmas story we are all use to in Luke 2, but takes into consideration the reason for the wisemen's gifts to Jesus, how Christmas is tied to Easter, what the significance is to using X-mas over Christmas, and so much more.

I received The Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Ace Collins compliments of Abingdon Press and Litfuse Publicity. This will now be part of my preparations of Christmas and in sharing all this historical facts with my family and friends through the month of December, all packed into a 30 day devotional or advent celebration. It gives you time to slow down some of the busyness of the Christmas season and reflect on what it really means to celebrate this time of the year but also the why's behind it all. I can't think of a better way to countdown this Christmas than with this book and it makes a great gift to give this year as well! I know I plan on picking up quite a few copies to tuck beneath our tree and to give to those who need some hope this Christmas. I would rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars because there is so much packed into this book but also there is something for everyone. It will be hard to think of Christmas the same way again!

For more information about The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Ace Collins, or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Ace Collins

You can find Ace Collins on Facebook to stay up to date with all his latest books.

To read more reviews on The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, please visit Litfuse Publicity's Book Tour Page.

Make this upcoming Christmas holiday a Christ-filled season of joy and wonder with the help of Ace Collins' new devotional, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. From December to New Year’s Eve, reawaken the Christmas season with daily scripture and inspirational readings of stories behind popular Christmas traditions, carols and movies. Enjoy a wealth of fun activities to help make the most of the season, including heartwarming holiday recipes and homemade gift ideas.

Join Ace's Christmas festivities by entering to win the Magic of Christmas Prize Pack. Create new traditions this holiday season with your family and friends with the goodies included in the giveaway.

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
• A button-wreath craft kit
• Pass the Ugly Christmas Sweater card game
• A gingerbread tree kit
• An advent calendar

Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on November 21. The winner will be announced November 22 on the Litfuse blog.

Service Tails

Nothing can be disputed when it comes to the unconditional love and loyalty found in the hearts of dog lovers, for they know it's true because of their four-legged companions live it out in front of them every single moment of their days. So it should come as no surprise that Service Tails by Ace Collins reveals to us some amazing and heart-warming stories of man's best hero. Tucked inside the cover with a Golden Retriever found on the front, you will find 12 true stories that showcase both loyalty, unconditional love all wrapped up in the service to their owners who do it without a fleeting thought. From the first person to take on using a guide dog, to other ways in which service dogs have been utilized to use their eyes to help those out who no longer have that sense of sight.

The best part of these stories is the relationships that are built upon the owner and their dog, as if in some way they become one, one team working together to make more enjoyable and restoring self confidence in those who have had their sight taken from them. These dogs stretch the potential in which they can be used not just in helping to guide their owners from the perils facing them without sight, but creating an everlasting bond that goes beyond words and connects them to the heart of the reader.

You get a chance to discover the back story of the very first guide dog who came to the United States with her own in the 1920's to create the first Guide Dog training school that was originally established in Switzerland. This came at a time when it was hard for society to accept having dogs allowed in public places like restaurants, trains and in public buildings where most had been refused entrance. It would go to show how this man and dog paved the way for more than just a school to teach dogs how to guide their owners but in establishing policies to allow others to utilize their own service dogs in the same manner.

I received Service Tails by Ace Collins compliments of Abingdon Press and Litfuse Publicity for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation aside from a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion. Truly any dog lover would LOVE this book and would make an exceptional gift. There is already an unseen bond between dogs and their owners that this book truly brings to life in a remarkable and life changing world. I would easily give this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars and there are even links within the book that take the readers to the websites of some of the service dog organizations featured in this book.

For more information about Service Tails, Ace Collins or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Service Tails by Ace Collins

You can find Ace Collins on Facebook to stay up to date on all his latest books.

To read more reviews on Service Tails, please visit Litfuse Publicity's Book Tour page. 


Fall in love with these remarkable service dogs and their stories of courage, faith, and loyalty in Ace Collins' new book, Service Tails. Their training was intense, their loyalty unquestioned and each step of the way they constantly adapt to better serve those they lead. These unforgettable dogs are more than heroes; they are models from which we can learn how to love and serve unconditionally.

Celebrate the release of Service Tails with Ace by entering to win the Take-Your-Dog-to-the-Park Pack!

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of Service Tails
• A copy of Man's Best Hero
• A dog blanket
• A dog leash
• A dog-cape towel
• A dog bandana
• A dog toy
• Dog treats

 

Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on August 30. The winner will be announced August 31 on the Litfuse blog.

The Cutting Edge

They say beauty is only skin deep, but is it really? Does anyone ever really bother to get beneath the skin and find the real person inside? Perfection was a look and that was it. So many "beautiful" girls look in the mirror and suddenly become dissatisfied with the way they looked. Many begin to dwell on one feature or another as the reason they hadn't become the latest cover girl. The end result is usually an appointment with a cosmetic surgeon and an attempt to improve on what most people would have thought of was perfection. Of course, rather did these fixes lead to bigger jobs, only bigger disappointments and lower self esteem. The fact was, a "look" couldn't be manufactured; it had to be a gift of birth.

That is just what Leslie Rhoads had, the looks that most would die to have. No cosmetic surgery was necessary and a true moment of opportunity sat literally right in front of her. The opportunity most models wait a lifetime to get and only rarely do few ever find. Now on the cusp of making a decision that might change her career, Leslie begins to count just what the cost is for great beauty and looks. Passion Nights, a perfume company wants her to be their spokesmodel but the photographs and ads leave very little left to the imagination. Raised as the proverbial girl next door, she wonders just what kind of message would she be sending taking on this project and signing a multi-million dollar contract. Her agent Carlee Middleton, reminds her that this doesn't come around too often and it is a guarantee to launch her career as a model to heights she had never dreamed before. No more struggling to make rent or live in less than desirable areas, this would literally be a life changing. But she can't accept without talking to her parents, the voice of reason in her life. What would God tell her to do?

When she arrives home from a late night flight from New York into Springfield, Illinois, the airport is mostly closed. Without wanting to wake her parents, she opts to call for a cab but since it's so late the cab will take awhile to get there since the driver is out on another call. When twenty minutes pass, Leslie sees an approaching unmarked car and believes that such a small town company has opted to send whatever they have left. Without thinking she opens the car door, only to be abducted from the airport by men she can't see. The only people who even know she is arriving home is her agent and it seems like that might be the last person who will ever know just where she went.

The men who have abducted Leslie have no idea who she is, and had hoped merely to gain whatever money and items of worth from her before abandoning her at the side of a dark road. But when a search of her baggage reveals her face on the cover of a magazine, the men realize Leslie might be worth a whole lot more. When she fails to give them what they want, they decide to take it out on her in a dark alley, cutting her beautiful face with a broken bottle and leaving her for dead. What will her beauty be worth now?

In the latest novel by best selling author Ace Collins, The Cutting Edge is one of those novels that once you pick up will embed its way into your soul. I literally inhaled this one and didn't realize that this novel is the sequel from Darkness Before Dawn. I remember reading a similar story that happened many years ago about a model who had her face viciously damaged and she was left for dead as well. I can't imagine the horrors she had to deal with much like Leslie's character whose whole life has been defined by her looks. Now she is left with nothing more but scars but it's the ones inside that may never heal. Can she find the beauty that lies within all of us before it's too late?

I received The Cutting Edge by Ace Collins compliments of Abingdon Press for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed in this review are mine. I easily rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars because I believe it delivers more than just a great suspense filled story. There is a great message behind this story that is revealed by the time you get to the end, the one of what the true definition of beauty really is. Once again I feel that Ace Collins is definitely a "one to watch" author because everything he seems to do, turns to gold. He is utilizing his true God given gift of writing to transport us inside the story. It's compelling, believable and one that will stay with you long after you turn the final page. I simply can't wait to see what masterpiece he will create next.

For more information about The Cutting Edge, Ace Collins or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Cutting Edge by Ace Collins

You can also find Ace Collins on Facebook to stay up to date on all his latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Cutting Edge, please visit Abingdon Press' website.

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Abingdon Press (October 15, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1426714661
• ISBN-13: 978-1426714665
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches

Music for Your Heart

It seems the more we love something the more we want to know more about their backgrounds. There are those that will be director's cut version of their favorite movies to dig into the details behind the making of the movie or even attend author signings of their favorite novels to know what motivated them to write that particular book that speaks to their soul. But even music has a history and a background to some of the songs we love but so few people really know their musical history behind the making of those songs that have become our personal favorites until now!

Best selling author Ace Collins, takes a journey into the history of some of our favorite songs of all time. There are those beloved church hymns like Amazing Grace, Jesus Loves Me, and How Great Thou Art that Ace breaks down not only the meaning behind the songs but also some insight into how those songs impact our heart and soul through our relationship through Christ. There are such unforgettable classics like Somewhere Over the Rainbow, I Write The Songs, Blue Skies, Yesterday and Stand by Me that show that even though we love them, most of the time we don't know what inspired the artists or songwriters to get them to the radio for us to love. For example, I Write the Songs, made famous by artist Barry Manilow, is a song that he didn't want to record because he thought people would think he was arrogant when you listen to the lyrics, but in fact the song is about God writing the songs that we see through His creations. In fact, after reading this book, I am convinced you will have a greater appreciation for the music you love.

There are some great stories into some of the beloved Christmas classics like Jingle Bells, written for a Thanksgiving production and Bing Crosby's rendition of White Christmas that really was written to inspire soldiers who were going to war to help remember those things about home during Christmas. There are 87 songs that are detailed in their historical significance and the artists who made them popular but by far my favorite thing about this book is the thoughts Ace Collins shares to enhance our own lives such as the inspiration behind the song Tie A Yellow Ribbon. While the history of the song dates back to the significance of the yellow ribbons and war, the meaning can also represent the significance we take when we celebrate communion and the sacrifice that Christ made for us. This is retold so many times in the Bible to remember all the things that Lord has done for us, so we will not forget. Ace reminds us of that fact through the illustration of the song and it's history.

I received Music for Your Heart: Reflections from Your Favorite Songs by Ace Collins, compliments of Abingdon Press for my honest review and did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review. This is simply a must have for music lovers and fans of music history. There is literally something for everyone in this wonderful collection of song history. Not only that but the messages about those songs through Ace's words will make you appreciate them so much more. It will definite change how you view those songs you find yourself singing over and over again in new ways! I easily rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars and can't wait to pick up his Christmas Collection, Stories Behind the Best-Loved Christmas Songs!

For more information about Music for Your Heart, Ace Collins, or where to preorder a copy of this book due out in September of 2013, please click on the links below:

Music for Your Heart: Reflections From Your Favorite Songs by Ace Collins

You can also find Ace Collins on Facebook to stay up to date with all his latest books and novels.

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Abingdon Press (September 17, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1426767277
• ISBN-13: 978-1426767272

Darkness Before Dawn

Ace Collins is rapidly moving his way up my list of favorite authors in a hurry! Everything I've read of his has been exceptional, life changing and worth talking about to anyone I can! The characters and situations he takes you to are places you hope you never have to visit but once there, you simply find yourself holding your breath waiting for the next page to be turned.

In his latest novel, Darkness Before Dawn, we meet Meg Richard's who receives the phone call we all had to get. Early in the morning, she is informed that her husband Steven, 28, was in a car accident and didn't make it. The van that hit him was filled with teenage boys that had been drinking and he was on his way home from working late when they hit him. Steven was trying to make it home so that they could spend their anniversary weekend together. They were just beginning a new life with one another, looking at buying their first home and now it was if God simply decided that Meg needed a different life than the one she had been planning on having.

She heads to the hospital to identify her husbands remains but is advised that she should avoid it. It seems the accident was pretty bad and his car caught fire. Her friends, at the hospital try to convince Meg that this isn't the way she wants to remember her husband, but somehow she feels until she can be absolutely sure it's him, there is a chance he might still be alive. The only thing she can manage to identify is his wedding ring. That's when Meg realizes that all her hopes and dreams have simply died. Her faith in God is over since she believes God is the one responsible for killing her husband. After all if God is so all powerful, He could have prevented the accident from happening. Coupled with all the prayers and condolences from well meaning family and friends, Meg has simply had enough.

She attempts to turn her grief into revenge and seeks out the person responsible for the accident. When most of her attempts to learn his identity, she finds out he is under age and is protected by law. The District Attorney is still going over the evidence to see if he can even prosecute the case since he has been turned over to his parents for the time being. Meg will stop at nothing to ensure that all the pain and grief she is having to deal with, will be poured out on the person responsible for Steven's death. On top of all this, she learns on the eve of his death, that all their efforts to have a child, means that Meg is now pregnant with their first child. Will she give up her faith or will she see how God can turn even this situation into something good in His own way?

I received Darkness Before Dawn by Ace Collins compliments of Abingdon Press and Litfuse Publicity  for my honest review and received no monetary compensation for a favorable one. This novel floored me with all the emotions and intensity of what a wife would have to endure. In fact, I had to remind myself at times I was only reading a novel and now actually dealing with the situation myself. That's how real Ace involves his readers into his storyline. It's phenomenal! I couldn't put it down until I knew how this would all play out. I honestly felt I would have reacted much the same way Meg did and wondered where my faith would have played out in all of it as well. Another masterpiece in my opinion and one I would highly recommend if you're looking for a novel you can become a part of! This one hits home for me with a 5 out of 5 stars! We'd all like to say we'd handle things better than Meg does at first, but until you deal with a loss that great in an unexpected and 100% preventable way, then you find yourself testing your own faith in new ways you could never imagine!

For more information about Darkness Before Dawn, Ace Collins or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Darkness Before Dawn by Ace Collins

You can follow Ace Collins on Facebook to stay up to date with all his latest novels.

To read more reviews on Darkness Before Dawn from the Pump Up Your Book Tours, please click here. 

In his latest novel, Darkness Before Dawn (Abingdon Press), Ace Collins leads readers on an emotionally charged ride from revenge to forgiveness.

Ace is celebrating the release of Darkness Before Dawn with a Retribution v. Redemption 12-Day Giveaway!

Go {HERE} or click the button for all the details. Follow along for a new giveaway each day. (Moleskin journal, books, Starbucks gift cards and so much more!)

Darkness Before Dawn

Ace Collins is rapidly moving his way up my list of favorite authors in a hurry! Everything I've read of his has been exceptional, life changing and worth talking about to anyone I can! The characters and situations he takes you to are places you hope you never have to visit but once there, you simply find yourself holding your breath waiting for the next page to be turned.

In his latest novel, Darkness Before Dawn, we meet Meg Richard's who receives the phone call we all had to get. Early in the morning, she is informed that her husband Steven, 28, was in a car accident and didn't make it. The van that hit him was filled with teenage boys that had been drinking and he was on his way home from working late when they hit him. Steven was trying to make it home so that they could spend their anniversary weekend together. They were just beginning a new life with one another, looking at buying their first home and now it was if God simply decided that Meg needed a different life than the one she had been planning on having.

She heads to the hospital to identify her husbands remains but is advised that she should avoid it. It seems the accident was pretty bad and his car caught fire. Her friends, at the hospital try to convince Meg that this isn't the way she wants to remember her husband, but somehow she feels until she can be absolutely sure it's him, there is a chance he might still be alive. The only thing she can manage to identify is his wedding ring. That's when Meg realizes that all her hopes and dreams have simply died. Her faith in God is over since she believes God is the one responsible for killing her husband. After all if God is so all powerful, He could have prevented the accident from happening. Coupled with all the prayers and condolences from well meaning family and friends, Meg has simply had enough.

She attempts to turn her grief into revenge and seeks out the person responsible for the accident. When most of her attempts to learn his identity, she finds out he is under age and is protected by law. The District Attorney is still going over the evidence to see if he can even prosecute the case since he has been turned over to his parents for the time being. Meg will stop at nothing to ensure that all the pain and grief she is having to deal with, will be poured out on the person responsible for Steven's death. On top of all this, she learns on the eve of his death, that all their efforts to have a child, means that Meg is now pregnant with their first child. Will she give up her faith or will she see how God can turn even this situation into something good in His own way?

I received Darkness Before Dawn by Ace Collins compliments of Abingdon Press and Pump Up Your Book Tours for my honest review and received no monetary compensation for a favorable one. This novel floored me with all the emotions and intensity of what a wife would have to endure. In fact, I had to remind myself at times I was only reading a novel and now actually dealing with the situation myself. That's how real Ace involves his readers into his storyline. It's phenomenal! I couldn't put it down until I knew how this would all play out. I honestly felt I would have reacted much the same way Meg did and wondered where my faith would have played out in all of it as well. Another masterpiece in my opinion and one I would highly recommend if you're looking for a novel you can become a part of! This one hits home for me with a 5 out of 5 stars! We'd all like to say we'd handle things better than Meg does at first, but until you deal with a loss that great in an unexpected and 100% preventable way, then you find yourself testing your own faith in new ways you could never imagine!

For more information about Darkness Before Dawn, Ace Collins or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Darkness Before Dawn by Ace Collins

You can follow Ace Collins on Facebook to stay up to date with all his latest novels.

To read more reviews on Darkness Before Dawn from the Pump Up Your Book Tours, please click here. 

The Christmas Star

The hardest thing to deal with during the holidays is the death of a family member. Yet despite the fact the war is over and people are finding reasons to celebrate with the depression in the back and soldiers returning home, it's not the same for Jimmy Reed. While it's been a couple years since him and  his mom received a telegram informing them that Robert Reed was killed while defending his country, he hasn't been able to deal with the loss of his father.

His mom, Marge works long hours at Miller's Store in hopes she might make enough money to get Jimmy something he needs for Christmas, but she knows the one thing he wants most in the world will be something that no amount of money can buy. She struggles with finding a way to help him deal with his grief and lately he's been getting into more trouble at school. She fears it's only a matter of time before he gets into trouble that will have a lasting effect and will only get worse.

Now that Christmas is almost here, Jimmy learns of a way to make some extra money but simply providing a couple of guys with the key to Miller's Store that his mom has. If he does that, they will offer to split the take once they rob the safe the weekend before Christmas. Jimmy wonders if being able to have enough money will be able to turn his life around, but once he commits to following through with this plan, he can not go back or they will threaten to kill his mom.

In the novel, A Christmas Star by Ace Collins, the reader is taken back to December 21, 1945 where the story begins. The country is beginning to celebrate once again except for Jimmy. Despite the people he encounters in town, he can't help but feel he will never live up the image of his dad who won the Congressional Medal of Honor, which has now replaced the traditional Christmas star on the top of their tree since they received it. To Jimmy, it's just another reminder that his dad is gone and will never come home. This is such a classic story of seeing different sides to a situation and how Jimmy deals with coming to terms with a solution is strictly brilliant by this author. I know this novel has found a permanent home in my library and will be one I read each year just before Christmas.

I received A Christmas Star compliments of Pump Up Your Book Tours and Abingdon Press for my honest review. I'm such a huge fan of any Christmas Fiction books and when Ace Collins coupled this one with a background of World War II, I was completely interested. It truly has a timeless message of hope and light in the darkest of places, especially during the Christmas season that will last long after you finish the book. Truly this is a book that can be read at any time during the year and I have to rate this one a 5 of of 5 Christmas Stars!!!

For more information about The Christmas Star, Ace Collins, or where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

The Christmas Star by Ace Collins

You can also find Ace Collins on Facebook to stay up to date with all his latest novels.

To read more reviews from the Pump Up Your Book Tour for The Christmas Star, click here. 

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Abingdon Press (October 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1426714688
• ISBN-13: 978-1426714689
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches