Robin

It is interesting to note that for readers of novels, the characters we fall in love with are not those we see with our eyes. We fall in love with them because the author has breathed life into them through the words that are carefully written to evoke a sense of believability in the imagination of the reader. We have no pictures to go off of and it is a movie created in our minds based on what the authors decides to use in their novels.

For Julane Hiebert, she has introduced us to Robin Wenghold, in her debut novel, Robin in the Brides of a Feather Series. Fans of western, romance, and historical genres' will absolutely LOVE this novel, tempered with a bit of Christian principles, namely forgiveness and unconditional love as well as honesty and commitment. Robin finds herself headed west from Chicago to Kansas to settle in with her Uncle John in hopes of earning enough money to send for her sisters to join her since the death of her father leaving them in a financial mountain of debt. What she gets is more than she ever bargained for. She believes she is there to help manage his cattle ranch with helping with the womanly chores, cleaning, cooking and laundry. Yet Uncle John can manage those perfectly. He was hoping to find an extra pair of hands to help manage the ranching duties like his previous wife used to do.

Robin is left in a quandary about what to do. Her physical limitations of walking with a limp prevents her from doing most anything requiring walking, or using her legs. She had hoped for a much different outcome. Her Uncle expected the same and feels that by advertising for a potential husband for Robin might be the solution for them both. She would be married and solve her financial issues and with them living on the ranch, he gets two birds with one stone. Only thing is, Robin isn't in agreement with that. She left one man in Chicago who wanted to do just that, but she is only willing to marry for love, not for convenience. On the arrival to the ranch she is caught in a storm that leaves her with more problems, a young boy who watched his mother die and the man, Ty Morgan who rescues them both. Could he be the answer to all their problems?

I received Robin by Julane Hiebert compliments of Wings of Hope Publishing and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review aside from a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest and personal evaluation. Since this is the first book in the series, not all of the questions are answered by the time you finish. I believe those will continue with each subsequent novel. However, I did love the relationships that develop first with Robin and Uncle John and then with Robin and Jacob, the young orphan. I love that despite the challenges facing her physically, Robin is undaunted in her ability to succeed. That makes this a winner in my opinion and thus worthy of 4.5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about Robin, Julane Hiebert or where she can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Robin by Julane Hiebert

You can find Julane Hiebert on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Robin, please visit Christian Fiction Blog Alliance's book tour page. 

On The Edge

Sometimes we don't think our lives have an impact at all, much like George Bailey of It's A Wonderful Life, because we don't have to perspective that God has to see the ripples of those we come into contact with every single day. We all know as believers in Christ, the impacts we have on those close to us like family and friends and being a husband and father in this world holds the key to some much it is hard to wrap our heads around it. There are those like Richard Sullivan, the main character in F. Parker Hudson's novel, On the Edge who believe like most non-believers that we are here simply to do the best with what we have with the time we have. There are no supreme consequences for any life decisions we make, because there is no God after all. So is the life he lives and as readers, we get to see those ripples as they reach out to his wife and children and even friends and work associates.

Richard's life is probably like most middle age men of this world. He works hard to provide for his family of two growing teens Susan and Tommy, but as a corporate attorney, he is very much in demand and believes that providing a sound financial future for them all, is the extent of his main responsibility to his family. His marriage to Janet is in the standard rut after many of years of being together, and with her job at the news station, they are simply roommates at this stage of their life trying to get by. Perhaps that is why Richard is so pleased with Kristen, a much younger real estate agent who he has been having an affair with every Tuesday and Thursday when everyone in his life believes he goes to the gym to work out. Richard truly justifies every decision in his life with any regard to the consequences his actions are having on his family.

We get to see first hand from a physical sense and also a look in the spiritual realm of how these things are being puppeted and manipulated by demons because Richard's life and that of those around him have no desire to know about God and offers no protection to what is happening and how it will all play out. Since his parents weren't believers, he has no foundation to stand on, no seed has been planted in his life, even though he does have some interaction with believers of Christ, he doesn't buy into any of it. When his family ask him for help, he has no guidance to offer them other than his own opinion or experience in the matter and it simply drives a greater rift between him and his family with eternal consequences that will impact all of them.

I received On the Edge by F. Parker Hudson compliments of the author himself for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review aside from a free copy of this novel and the opinions contained here are my personal and honest ones. This is an exceptional look into the invisible spiritual realm and we get to see two very different versions of Richard's life being played out before the reader. In Book One, we see what Richard's life is like without his acceptance of God into his life and its eternal impacts. In Book Two, the author gives us a George Bailey moment in which we get to see an alternative version of his life in which seeds are planted and later harvested when Richard becomes a believer. It provides for the reader a way to look at their own lives and see first hand how these "ripples" in our life can touch so many others without us even knowing it. I love the disclaimer the author also provides at the beginning of this novel because the Bible does offer us some idea of angelic interaction, it does leave the actual appearance a bit of mystery since they are not truly described in detail. For me, this is my all time favorite genre and the first I've ever read like it offering two very different versions of the same story within the cover which is why I believe this one deserves a 5 out of 5 stars. I caution you however, that some of the subjects discussed may be upsetting to some, but defines the implications on how sin develops in the lives of those without Christ.

For more information on On the Edge, F Parker Hudson, or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on any of the links below:

On The Edge by F. Parker Hudson 

You can find Parker Hudson on Facebook to stay up to date on all his latest novels.

To order a copy of this book in print or eBook format from Amazon, click here. 

The Changing Season

For any dog lovers looking for an exceptional novel about the love and loyalty of a dog and his owner, you will definitely want to pick up The Changing Season, from Steven Manchester. This is his latest novel that details the coming of age of a young man named Billy who is finishing up his final days in high school. He is your typical run of the mill high school young man. His friends are all planning on heading off to college with big plans of what they have always dreamed about doing in life, and Billy can't make up his mind what he should do or even what he should take in school. All he knows is his best friend and confidant is a lab mix who goes by the name of Jimmy, named after his Uncle Jimmy.

As Billy struggles to figure out what to do, he spends the first weeks of that transition period with his friends Charlie and Mark whose all night video game sessions will soon become a thing of the past. They all have to grow up sometime. Charlie who has been dating Bianca for as long as any of them can remember will undoubtedly marry her at some point, at least that is what Mark and Billy believe. However during one of those final graduation parties when things get out of hand and the drinks begin to flow, Charlie has suspicions that Bianca is cheating on him. No matter how he confronts her, she claims they are simply friends, but Charlie won't let it go. He believes what he wants and storms off from the party drunker than ever.

In one split decision, life will change forever for all of them. An unthinkable tragedy will rock them all to their core and all those college plans will go up in smoke as secrets are held back because they have all agreed to keep the loyalty they always have had. When Billy meets a young girl named Vicki, it truly seems like a match made in heaven. Billy begins to spend more time with Vicki when he is not working as his dog Jimmy faces growing older and the effects that come with that. He can no longer do quite a few of the things he used to but the one thing that remains is his undying loyalty to Billy, no matter how little time he seems to have for him lately. Life is about to change for them all and there will be no going back.

I received The Changing Season by Steven Manchester compliments of The Story Plant for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation aside from a free copy of this novel in exchange for my fair and honest evaluation. I've read all of Steven Manchester's novel and each one simply gets better and better. Like all the rest, this will has found a permanent home in my library. His characters are believable because they contain flaws that we all have. In this situation for each person involved, you keep asking yourself, what would you do? It's a hard line to make the right decision if there is a right decision to be made. As a huge animal lover, this one really hit home for me, showcasing the unconditional love our pets always have for us and we can learn a lot from them no matter what we are going through. For me, this one hits it out of the part and earns a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about The Changing Season, Steven Manchester or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on any of the links below:

The Changing Season by Steven Manchester

You can find Steven Manchester on Facebook to stay up to date with all his latest novels.

For more reviews on The Changing Season, please visit The Story Plant's website.

An Amish Year

Most of the time, we simply don't have the time to read a full length novel but wish we had the time. The perfect solution for those situations is to get a hold of a collection of your favorite genres all combined in one book in the form of novellas or simply short novels. For me, Beth Wiseman is definite a favorite author and whenever I see her name, I know I am in for a great novel or in this case a great collection of novellas in particular to the Amish Romance genre in An Amish Year.

This is a collection of four novellas that bring about the changing seasons in the life of the Amish people we read about in each of the short novellas to bring us full circle in a calendar year. You'll find Rooted in Love, about Rosemary Lantz who like most Amish excels in everything, except gardening and it will take the hard work of Saul Petersheim to try and win her heart but helping her out with learning to garden. In A Love for Irma Rose, this one takes us back to 1957 when Irma Rose needs to decide which man is the right choice for her. Does she take a chance on the one who she believes is right for her or the one who seems a bit on the wild side? Patchwork Perfect chances places from the previous story and puts Eli Byler at the heart of picking which woman would be best suited for him as a widower, Miriam Fisher who is unconventional when it comes to an Amish woman who makes him second guess all his choices for what he believes he wants in a wife. Finally in When Christmas Comes Again, Katherine has to learn how to navigate recent waters of being a single parent when she faces the loss of her husband and must find a way to bring joy back into Christmas for her children, but will it be an English man that turns her head and heart?

I received An Amish Year by Beth Wiseman compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers 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 personal evaluation. For me, what I loved the most is at the conclusion of these novellas, there is a note from Beth telling you where you can find more of the full-length novels dealing with the families you meet in these novellas. This makes that need to finish learning more about what happens next easier to navigate and gives the reader a true sample of the stories you are likely to find. For me, it simply means I need to work on updating my 'must read' list with the ones I found and fell in love with in this collection. Well worth all 5 out of 5 stars in this book lover's heart.

For more information about An Amish Year, Beth Wiseman or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

An Amish Year by Beth Wiseman

You can find Beth Wiseman on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on An Amish Year, please visit Thomas Nelson Publisher's website. 

Overload

I don't believe that there is one person alive who has never dealt with or felt the effects of stress in their life. For a teen it might be a project or homework assignment that feels like more than they can handle especially when a deadline is looming and perhaps they have put it off thinking they'd have more time. For adults, the list is ever longer from work related stress issues, financial, health, marriage, parenting, you name it and at times it can seem like we simply have too much on our plate. We know it is something we must deal with, but how? Why can't we simply pull the plug when our lives feel like we have hit the "overload" level?

Joyce Meyers brilliantly tackles this subject with humor, grace, some motherly advice and of course, tempered with biblical scripture to guide us on this journey in her book, Overload: How to Unplug, Unwind, and Unleash Yourself from the Pressure of Stress. Most of us understand how stress can manifest in physically harmful ways from putting added pressure on our body and its vital organs. She offers some great advice in each section from understanding what stress is, how it impacts us, what we can do, what does the Bible offer and so much more. Some great take away's I found in this book are the Things to Remember that sums up each chapter like, "one of the biggest cause of stress is focusing on the negative things that are happening around us. What you think about - what you focus on - is going to affect how you see life. When we look at the positive things that God has placed in our lives, it gives us a sense of perspective, stability, thankfulness and balance. Psalm 103 instructs us to "forget not" God's benefits and then gives us an entire list of benefits that are ours as children of God." (pg 87).

Joyce uses her own stories of how she dealt with stress along with some great examples you are not likely to forget to change how we view what we choose to "stress about." We all understand that stress like worry is like a rocking chair, it moves us but we go nowhere. We simply need to remember that God is not going to let you sink. He is in control and He is going to see you safely to the other side. I forget how much like the apostles we are, when things in our life seem to spin out of control, we think God has somehow forgotten about us, like when they found themselves adrift in the sea and a storm came up unexpectedly, they panicked even though they had Jesus aboard and who was simply sleeping through it all. Ever wonder how He could sleep through a storm? Because He trusted in God, the Father, who would see Him safely to the other side. We simply fail to place all our trust in God to get us to the other side and often give up before we are almost there.

I received Overload: How to Unplug, Unwind, and Unleash Yourself from the Pressure of Stress by Joyce Meyer compliments of Faith Words, a division of Hachette Book Groups for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation, aside from a free copy of this book, in exchange for my personal and honest evaluation. This book arrived just when I was dealing with my own multi-level stresses of my own with my husband and I both enduring heart and health issues as well as trying to keep our family going and acting as a buffer through all of that. I only wish I picked it up and read through it before I had a complete meltdown because I would have realized how little we really do think we can control and the rest we simply have to trust God to get us the rest of the way through things. I believe my favorite quote from the entire book, and believe me, there are tons of them is, "If you'll do what you can do, God will do what you cannot." This one is truly a keeper for me and one I will be referring to quite a bit more but with more confidence in God when stress happens. I need to keep my eye off the storm and on God instead. Well worth all 5 out of 5 stars!

For more information about Overload: How to Unplug, Unwind, and Unleash Yourself from the Pressure of Stress, Joyce Meyer or where to pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Overload: How to Unplug, Unwind, and Unleash Yourself from the Pressure of Stress by Joyce Meyer

You can find Joyce Meyer on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

To read more reviews on Overload, please visit Faith Word's website. 

The Duck Commander Devotional for Couples

I don't know of anyone who hasn't heard of Duck Dynasty or the Robertson Family. The one thing that may be surprising is that you may not be aware of just how strong faith is in their family and how it is the central core and foundation in all of their lives. For most of the family, it didn't always start out that way and faith became something that they found later in life that truly changed their lives for the better such as Al and Lisa Robertson, the authors of The Duck Commander Devotional for Couples.

Since 2016 had just begun, I was looking for something that my husband and I could incorporate into our devotional time to supplement our Bible Study time and hopefully strengthen both our marriage and our faith and thus, was offered this to review which sounded just like what I had been looking for. Most devotionals are devoted to either a man's point of view or woman's depending on who was writing it and it guides the devotion at times to be one sided at times. This is the first devotional that both my husband and I absolutely loved. While it is written to be done weekly, we wanted to begin to use it daily and it is designed for however you and your spouse want to incorporate your devotional time. Yet it is so much more than a simple devotional coupled with a scripture verse.

Since it is co-written by Al and Lisa Robertson, you get both of their view points on the topic they are discussing, such as what makes you unique as a couple, what are your fears, issues of trust, what love is and isn't, forgiveness, faithfulness, leaving a lasting legacy, dealing with in-laws, being content, working on building intimacy, having a positive attitude, unity, appreciation, anger issues, parenting, humility, submission and respect and so much more all divided into 52 devotional sections. The main point is to work together through it as a couple and I can tell you it has truly made our marriage more stronger, built our faith in ways we could never imagine and our communication with one another has improved as well as our prayer life as a couple. No devotional has ever done that for me before in such a profound and remarkable way, I would never want to go back or stop.

Included in each devotional section is a little bit about each topic as if you were sitting down with Al and Lisa having a heart to heart talk along with a scripture reference from the Bible on the topic at hand which is called God's Blueprint. In the next section called Home Improvement, there are between 3-5 questions to provoke a conversation between the two of you about the topic at hand. These were so eye opening to both of us and the part we loved the most. It even comes with space for you both to record your thoughts or things you plan on working on to follow up with later to see how God has worked in your life. The section concludes with Team Building where you both spend time praying for your relationship and asking for God to help you both improve on it. Sample prayers are included by both Al and Lisa as a guide to what you might want to include. All of this is included in a hardcover book that I truly believe you both will enjoy.

I received The Duck Commander Devotional for Couples by Al and Lisa Robertson compliments of Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation aside from a free copy of this book in exchange for my personal and honest evaluation. For me, this is a must have for every married couple or couples who are engaged to incorporate into your relationship early on. It is by far, the best couples devotional that my husband and I have read and we both encourage you to pick this up and give it a try. It might seem awkward at first, but like I stated before, the Home Improvement part of us, gave us such insight into the communication portion of our marriage that we found ourselves really talking about more than simply our kids, jobs or life in general. This is what makes it truly something unique and strengthened our own marriage and thus worthy of all 5 out of 5 stars in our opinion.

For more information about The Duck Commander Devotional for Couples, Al and Lisa Robertson or where you can pick up a copy of this devotional today, please click on the links below:

The Duck Commander Devotional for Couples by Al and Lisa Robertson 

You can find Al and Lisa Robertson of Facebook to stay up to date with their latest projects.

To read more reviews on The Duck Commander Devotional for Couples, please visit Howard Book's website. 

The Pharaoh's Daughter

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Pharaoh's Daughter WaterBrook Press (March 17, 2015) by Mesu Andrews

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mesu Andrews’ deep understanding of and love for God’s Word brings the biblical world alive for her readers. She and her husband, Roy, enjoyed fourteen years of pastoral ministry before moving to the Pacific Northwest, where Roy now serves as Academic Dean at Multnomah Biblical Seminary. Mesu writes full-time, snuggled in her recliner beside a cozy fire on rainy Northwest days. The Andrews’ enjoy visiting their two married daughters and a growing tribe of grandkids. Mesu loves movies, football, waterfalls, and travel.

Biblical fiction is her favorite genre to read and write. Her first novel, Love Amid the Ashes (Revell, 2011), tells the story of Job and won the 2012 ECPA Book of the Year for a Debut Author.

ABOUT THE BOOK

“Fear is the most fertile ground for faith.” “You will be called Anippe, daughter of the Nile. Do you like it?” Without waiting for a reply, she pulls me into her squishy, round tummy for a hug.
I’m trying not to cry. Pharaoh’s daughters don’t cry.
When we make our way down the tiled hall, I try to stop at ummi Kiya’s chamber. I know her spirit has flown yet I long for one more moment. Amenia pushes me past so I keep walking and don’t look back.
Like the waters of the Nile, I will flow.

Anippe has grown up in the shadows of Egypt’s good god Pharaoh, aware that Anubis, god of the afterlife, may take her or her siblings at any moment. She watched him snatch her mother and infant brother during childbirth, a moment which awakens in her a terrible dread of ever bearing a child. Now she is to be become the bride of Sebak, a kind but quick-tempered Captain of Pharaoh Tut’s army. In order to provide Sebak the heir he deserves and yet protect herself from the underworld gods, Anippe must launch a series of deceptions, even involving the Hebrew midwives—women ordered by Tut to drown the sons of their own people in the Nile.

When she finds a baby floating in a basket on the great river, Anippe believes Egypt’s gods have answered her pleas, entrenching her more deeply in deception and placing her and her son Mehy, whom handmaiden Miriam calls Moses, in mortal danger.

As bloodshed and savage politics shift the balance of power in Egypt, the gods reveal their fickle natures and Anippe wonders if her son, a boy of Hebrew blood, could one day become king. Or does the god of her Hebrew servants, the one they call El Shaddai, have a different plan—for them all?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Pharaoh's Daughter, go HERE.