MEV Bible - Review and Giveaway

Growing up as a child, my first experience with reading the Bible was the King James Version. In a nutshell, it's like having Shakespeare translate the Word of God. You would find all the "thees" and "thous" throughout and often times, I struggled with understanding what I had just read. Now with the many different translations of the Bible available, I came across one I wish I had so many years ago. It is the MEV or Modern English Version of the Bible. To put it simply, it's just what it claims. It translates the King James Version with a more modern flair for what thee's and thou's really mean without giving up the quality most come to expect with the KJV.

It's perfect for those Bible Studies where a larger Bible would be a bit cumbersome. This one is less than an inch thick, and you can even get it in a variety of colors and styles to fit your own personality. There are some incredible full color maps at the end which make referencing, places and times in the Bible so easy to reference along with your reading. What I love is a Concordance is included to help make finding those favorite Bible passages easy to manage without having a separate book to tote along with you to church or studies. I know for me, this would be the perfect gift for my grandmother or parents who appreciate the tradition of the KJV without sacrificing the understanding of the language in the process.

I received The Holy Bible Modern English Version compliments of Media Connect, Inc for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and was provided with a free copy of the Bible. This version took well over nine years to publish as well as 47 scholars to ensure that the translation was accurate. I reviewed the Thinline Reference MEV Bible and can't wait to pass this one along to my parents. I know it will be something that they will treasure and use because of how much they value those time honored traditions that come from the King James Version and I absolutely love the size of this Bible. It would fit in a purse or briefcase with ease and without the addition of the weight of much larger Bibles. I would easily rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about The Holy Bible Modern English Version or where you can get a copy today,  please visit the links below:

The Holy Bible Modern English Version

You can find the MEV Holy Bible on Facebook through Passio Arts and Entertainment page.  

Thanks to the generous folks at Passio and Media Connect, they have offered a giveaway copy of the MEV Bible to one lucky follower of my blog, Reviews From The Heart. Here's all you need to do to enter: 

1. Be a follower of my blog, Reviews From The Heart. 

2. "Like" the Passio Facebook page. 

3. Be a resident of the US or have a US shipping address. Please No P.O. Boxes. 

4. Leave a comment below telling me why you'd love to win a copy of the MEV Bible. Don't forget to include your email address so I have a way to notify you if you're the lucky winner. You can use the words (at) and (dot) instead of the symbols. 

I will notify the winner of the giveaway via email on October 31st when the giveaway ends. You can enter as many times as you want and please feel free to share this with your friends and family to enter. 

 

Alone, Yet Not Alone - Review and Giveaway

What does it really mean to have faith even when you fear God has turned His back on you? Is it possible to hold onto the thing you were taught as a child in order to endure a future you never thought possible? Such are the questions author Tracy Leininger Craven hopes to stir in the reader's soul in her novel Alone, Yet Not Alone based on the true story accounts from Tracy's family.

Just as the Leininger family had begun a new start in life in Pennsylvania during 1755 after leaving behind the persecution in Germany, all they knew is that faith had gotten them through the worst of times. What they now had was their faith in God, freedom and a chance to begin to establish new traditions and raising their family in belief of God's promises. As Barbara and Regina, 12 and 9, were watching over lunch preparations on their family farm, two Indians showed up unannounced in their small cabin. Believing that no violence would be necessary, Barbara's father sends the two girls to the stream for fresh water, while hoping the Indians will just take the tobacco offered and leave.

Little did Barbara and Regina know but their father and older brother would be killed, the cabin burned to the ground, and they would be carted off to join countless other white woman and young children as Indian captives during the French-Indian War. Believing their father's promised to never lose sight of God in any situation, they encourage one another through the words of Barbara's favorite song, Alone, Yet Not Alone. She inspires this kind of courage and faith in her younger sister that no matter what God will never leave them alone and that one day, they would be reunited with their mother and brother who had gone to town that day and escaped the family's brutal murder.

The one thing Barbara could never imagine is having her sister Regina, taken from her and being carted off to another Indian tribe. Now all she could do was pray for their safety and for a way to escape when the time came. Her only ally was a childhood friend, Marie, whom she grew up with as a neighbor and between the two found solace in encouraging one another in their prayers and faith. Barbara was fortunate that her Indian captor seemed to have a kindness and gentleness about him that provided her with a safety net of sorts as she was taught the warriors ways of living, including dyeing their faces, wearing warrior clothes and adopting the Allegheny ways of worship. But could she give up the belief her family raised her to know about the one true God?

I received Alone, Yet Not Alone by Tracy Leininger Craven compliments of Zonderkidz, a division of Zondervan Publishers and Media Connect for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed are strictly my own. This novel is coming to  movie theater soon based on the events captured in this novel based on true events. Tracy Leininger Craven emphasizes that it was that faith in God that kept Barbara and Regina together when they were miles apart, and that some hope that stayed within their hearts long after they finally escaped to freedom. This is the story that will strike a cord in those that feel deserted and through this story you will find living proof that the power of God's love withstands the test of time in any situation. I easily give this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars and am looking forward to seeing this in the movies.

Now for the best part, thanks to the generosity of Media Connect and ZonderKidz, they are providing a giveaway copy to one lucky follower of my blog Reviews From The Heart. Here are the details to enter:

1. Be a follower of my blog Reviews From The Heart. 

2. Be a resident of the US or have a US mailing address. Please No P.O. Boxes.

3. Leave a comment below telling me why you'd love to win a copy of this book along with your email address. You can use the words (at) and (dot) instead of the symbols.

I will notify the winner of the giveaway by email when it ends on May 2nd. 

For more information about Alone Yet Not Alone, Tracy Leininger Craven or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Alone Yet Not Alone by Tracy Leininger Craven

You can also find out more about the movie adaption of the book on Facebook. 

You can also find out more about the upcoming movie by visiting Alone Yet Not Alone's website. 

Than

Sandustee

If you're a fan of movies like National Treasure and the DaVinci Code then you will LOVE, Sandustee by author Bob Aramov. It centers around solving a major puzzle which the world has been seeking to solve, the location of the Nazarene's Code. It is purported to be a document in existence that has been rumored for centuries. Jesus allegedly authored the Nazarene's Code for a short time before his arrest and crucifixion. It reportedly contains the key to using the powerful forces of heaven and earth to change lives - and it reveals hidden secrets to controlling the world.

It seems that the Legend of 13 began with Jesus and the twelve disciples and the number 13 has had a significant impact on world events and for some strange reason that number holds the key to this puzzle. Look at the groups or individuals who had thirteen affiliated with them. There were the European Union, United Kingdom, and most recently, Osama Bin Laden. All have thirteen letters in their names. Play with it and you'll be amazed with key historical links to the number thirteen.

Now Emerson Moore, an investigative reporter for the Washington Post begins hunting for clues to find the elusive Nazarene's Code before it falls into the wrong hands. That is if in fact the scroll actually exists. It seems like the trail of bodies soon begin to add up as more and more people gain closer to finding it. Could it be possible that something like this really exists and if so, think of the implications for the country that is able to harness its powers.

This action-packed novel is filled with murder, cross and double-cross, scuba action, a touch of Knights Templar, Masonic symbolism, and political intrigue in D.C. and the world intelligence community.It pits country against country as some of the most intelligent minds work together to see who can find it first. I received Sandustee by Bob Adamov compliments of Media Connect, a division of Finn-Partners and Packard Island Publishing for my honest review and received no monetary compensation for a favorable review. This is the seventh novel in the Emerson Moore series and his writing style has been compared to that of Tom Clancy. I rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars and for those that love solving mysteries like Indiana Jones, than you will definitely LOVE this one.

For more information about Sandustee, Bob Adamov, or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the link below:

Sandustee by Bob Adamov

The Seers

Debut Novel Reveals a Whole New World of Good & Evil

Welcome to a new world where science and spirituality are not separate, but rather opposite ends of a spectrum. Creator M.D. Kackowski attempts to shed light on the unseen laws of the universe for the betterment of society, by launching a fantastical, page-turning thriller.

The Seers illustrates a world where good battles evil for the world’s soul. The fate of humanity rests in the hands of the seers, a handful of humans with therare ability to see the unseen and who call into action their angels to do battle with demons. It is a fast-paced story that blends two classic genres:  part apocalypse and part detective story. The book climaxes with a surprising and shocking chain of events that readers are bound to applaud.

Readers are provided with a multi-medium experience that leaves them with an exciting and captive narrative that continues on with an interactive digital component. It introduces and submerges the user (reader) into a whole new world, providing a boundless fictional platform that is ripe for full exploration. With QR codes, illustrations and video links sprinkled throughout the book, the reader truly gets to engage and interact with the creative content.

“The Seers is the culmination of more than a decade of writing, researching, and experimenting,” says Kackowski. “My book explores a whole new dimension that unifies the physical and spiritual worlds while a war is waged that could alter the destiny of not only humankind but the universe.”

His debut novel explores a number of interesting themes, including:

• Are there unseen worlds, where activities in such worlds can influence or impact our world?
• Is the war of good vs. evil or angel vs. demon is being waged now?
• What does one do – and what should one do – with a powerful ability?
• What do you do once confronted with your past and discover who you really are?

It also raises many questions, including:

• Are there really such things as diseased souls, and if so, how does one heal his or her soul?
• Is there really a set of cosmic laws that can be harnessed to serve one’s desires?
• How do you know what is real, what is a dream, what is a memory – or a vision from another dimension?
• What would you do if the devil tempted you with unimaginable powers, longevity, and riches?
• Are biblical references to demons and angels true?
• Can you have faith during a time of darkness, anger and frustration?
• What would you do if you are pulled into different worlds without warning or full knowledge?

Woven into the story are bits of philosophical commentary on how humans lead their lives and the emotions and activities that deeply challenge our ability to live a long, healthy, and happy life. The book also shares insights on the soul’s detractors – jealousy, greed, anger, hatred, arrogance, sloth, gluttony, impatience, narcissism, fear, lust, and indifference.

My Review: 

The Seers by M.D. Kaczkowski is a remarkable book unlike any other I have had the opportunity to read in my 4 years of reviewing books and I can definitely see this is where future books may be headed. This takes the story of spiritual warfare and solving the crime of who is killing homeless people in New York to an incredible climax. The QR codes appear at the end of almost every single chapter. At the beginning it was a bit frustrating to understand what they were intended to be used for and kind of took me away from the story. However, looking back, I found it provided visual references for readers who may not understand what references were being made in the chapter such as a video of what life was like for a child growing up in New York in the 1950's where the story begins.

It revolves around a detective John Scarcepho who growing up was able to see into the spiritual world and often awoke to seeing a large spiritual being in his room. Being too young to understand what he was dealing with, his father thought he would beat it out of him while his mother, cared for him and kept reading to him from the Bible. At one point when Johnny is 13, he fears that the beatings will continue until he informs his spiritual being to leave him alone and never come back.

Now as a he has gotten older he can't seem to understand what the significance is to waking up each morning at 4:10 AM and why there are so many murders of homeless men happening in New York. Each of the victims is left with their eyes removed and a page from Revelations 20 stuffed in the victims mouth. It's when the mayor insists that John take the lead in the latest victim, Father Mahoney, that John will be reminded that what he saw as a child will be necessary to save the world. He learns that he is a Seer, a person who has the ability to "see" into the spiritual world and has been assigned a guardian angel since he was born. If John dies than the future of the world will be turned completely upside down and the final chapter of the Bible may in fact not come true at all.

This is a compelling novel and one I completely enjoyed. The music links, video references, and handbook definitions made me feel a part of the story and I believe that is the writers purpose in including them as part of the book. It really made this feel like part book and part movie by the time I was finished and I hope that he will write more in this series and style of book.

I received The Seers by M.D. Kaczkowski compliments of Media Connect for my honest review and received no monetary compensation for a favorable review. I honestly LOVED this interactive novel and couldn't wait to pass this one along to a friend who I knew would love this virtual novel experience in spiritual warfare and really makes you consider the questions above in regards to the spirit world. I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars and hope this is the first of many novels to come that introduce science with technology to take book reading to a completely whole new experience for the reader.

For more information about The Seers, M.D. Kaczkowski, or where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

The Seers by M.D. Kaczkowski

You can follow M.D. Kaczkowski on Facebook to stay up to date with The Seers and his latest novels.

The Right Guard - Review and Giveaway

"Rip-offs From U.S. Arms Stockpiles: Will It Be An A-Bomb Next? - ... American military bases are being plundered of thousands of weapons and explosives, despite increasingly tough security measures. Losses from U.S. base worldwide include rifles, pistols, grenade launchers, and even surface-to-air missiles and antitank rockets...All told, more than 11,000 military weapons have been reported officially as stolen in the last six years. Thousands more have simply vanished, but theft cannot be proved. Conventional ammunition may be disappearing faster yet - at the rate of 1 million or more rounds a year. Defense security officials say they have no reliable estimate because of a lack of precise record keeping...The Defense Department has 6.2 million small arms spread around the world today, ranging from .22-caliber pistols to 81-mm mortars. The Army alone has more than 19.000 separate stockpiles of guns and ammunition...Congressman Herbert(Louisana) recently asked, "What can we think when the Pentagon tries to wipe out a loss of 450 machine guns as a bookkeeping mistake?" ...Who steals the weapons?... - U.S. News & World Report

Someone is stealing weapons and ammunition from America's military bases. Who is stealing them and for what reason? That is precisely what CIA operative Eric Brent is wondering as he is being used by the CIA to flush out a secretive, "phantom" group hostile to a U.S. administration that threatens to destroy the American economy and shrink individual freedoms under the code name, Project Warrior.

Now searching for a secret self-contained military movement in the making, involving large numbers of National Guardsmen and Reservists, they have access and mobility to one of the largest weapons arsenals in the world, the National Guard and Reserve components. They are believed to be frustrated and angered over what's happening not only socially but economically to this country, but also politically and in foreign policies. Right Guard as they are now known is becoming it's own military and stockpiling arms internally from now abandoned bases all over the United States.

Will they be able to stop them before they unleash their own brand of civil war within the United States or will this be the end of the government as we know now it?

In the latest novel by Alexandra Hamlet, The Right Guard, provides a chilling fictional storyline taken from newspaper headlines from all over the United States. The reader is immediately immersed in this rich, fast, action-packed high stakes military suspense thriller as both sides race against the clock to see their own motives move forward. What is the reasons behind the rise in these military thefts and what will be the outcome if the CIA isn't able to stop them in time? The answers and more lie inside this amazing novel.

I received The Right Guard compliments of Media Connect for my honest review and it's interesting as you immerse yourself in the storyline, just how plausible it is for something like this to become a reality in our own country. While set over three decades ago, The Right Guard delivers a gripping, fast-paced realism that mirrors the political and economic climate of the United States today. Hamlet presents a very conceivable scenario that takes readers deep within the secretive world of intelligence and military espionage in this 4 out of 5 star thriller! For those of you that love novels dealing with military espionage, then this is the perfect novel for you.

For more information about this novel, the author and where to pick up this book today, please click on the link below:

The Right Guard by Alexandra Hamlet

Thanks to the generous folks at Media Connect, they have offered a giveaway hardcopy of this book to one lucky reader of this blog. Here's all you need to do to enter:

1. Be a follower of my blog, Reviews From The Heart.

2. Be a resident of the US or have a US shipping address. Please No P.O. Boxes.

3. Leave a comment below telling me why you'd love to win a copy of this amazing book. Don't forget to include your email address since that is how I will be contacting the winner of this giveaway. You can use the words (at) and (dot) instead of the symbols.

I will be contacting the winner via email when this giveaway ends on May 28th.

The Tehran Triangle

Ripped from some of our current headlines, The Tehran Triangle by Tom Reed and Sandy Baker give us a "What if" scenario in this action packed adventure novel.

Tom Reed is a former Secretary of the Air Force, having served in that capacity during the Ford and Carter administrations. In the mid-seventies Reed was the youngest-ever Director of the National Reconnaissance Office, an organization whose very existence was held to be secret until the end of the Cold War. During the eighties, Reed was a Special Assistant to President Reagan for National Security Policy. His technical background include nuclear weapon design at Livermore and low-temperature physics.

So as you can see Tom Reed is writing from what he knows and he blends that into this fictional novel based on what has happened in the past and what may in fact happen in the near future with regards to Iran's nuclear situation.

Elizabeth Mallory is the main character who is working for various organizations within the United States and abroad to foil any attempts and to locate intelligence regarding what the plans on for Major Ashkan Gharabaghi, who is in the Islamic Republic of Iran. She has already foiled his first attempt at securing high grade bomb making material in Kazakhstan and now the two are at odds to see each other killed. Elizabeth's goal is to ensure that America remains safe from any threat from terrorists and Gharabaghi is trying to make sure that dream doesn't happen.

Along the way through the novel the reader is taken back from 1999 to a future period in 2012, which outlines using historical facts to move the story along from the 9/11 attacks to bombings around the world and America's involvement in each incident. It does show how the enemies of America are not done planning their attack against us in an effort to keep Iran as a new nuclear Super Power and in control of the Middle East.

A chilling observation into the possibilities of what could happen is what makes this an enjoyable read for those who love military suspense thrillers. I received The Tehran Triangle compliments of Media Connect for my honest review and think this one rates a 4 out of 5 stars. I think the story could have moved along at a quicker pace without going back into the nuclear history so far but overall it was an enjoyable novel to read.

For more information on this book, the authors and where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the link below:

The Tehran Triangle by Tom Reed and Sandy Baker