The Guardian Angel Diary

When you look at Nicole Bealert, she looks like your average 16 year-old teenage girl. She attends school, hates homework, and loves to write. It's what you don't see that makes her truly unique!

Nicole has been diagnosed with brain cancer. It was lucky that they found it when they did. Her mother died of cancer which has left her father a workaholic who barely finds time for her. Perhaps after dealing with the loss of his wife and now finding out about Nicole's tumor, this is his escape.

Nicole has found a unique way to cope. She has begun to write in a journal as a means of therapy. Believing that she has her own guardian angel, she begins a written conversation with him. She believes that any thought that comes to her head while she is waiting for a reply, is the answer from her guardian angel.

It's in her written conversations between her angel and Nicole, that we learn how she is coping with not only the physical loss of her mom, but also with the emotional connection with her father and her brother Luke, who has immersed himself in the virtual world of computer games. She struggles with keeping her friends because she feels her life is doomed so why let anyone close to her, only to get hurt when she dies.

She looks for answers from her angel to let her know if she is going to die, to which he replies everyone will eventually, and encourages her to live her life today, one day at a time. He offers ways to look on the bright side and provides insight into why her father and brother are coping with her cancer the way they are. He comforts her at night when she has difficulty sleeping and they share a close connection quite out of this world.



I received The Guardian Angel Diary by Grant Schnarr compliments of Kelly and Hall Book Publicity for my honest review and LOVED this unique way of seeing how someone deals with so many issues as a young teenage girl with cancer. This is a book, you won't want to miss and it comes highly recommended with a perfect 5 out of 5 star rating. You feel as though you have stumbled upon a beautiful conversation between Nicole and her guardian angel as they begin this unknown walk through Nicole's diagnosis. What it will end will truly leave you wanting more!

For more information about the book, the author and where to purchase a copy, please click on the link below:

The Guardian Angel Diary by Grant Schnarr

You can also find Grant Schnarr on Facebook, by clicking here.

Unconventional

The greatest and most inspiring achievements are not produced by those who conform to society’s idea of normal, but by those who courageously adopt the unconventional.

That is exactly what James Frost believes. He will strive to not be like the normal but will go for his dreams no matter what anyone else believes he should do instead. James feels his life’s calling is to write, starting with poetry and then on to fantasy novels where he can use his imagination through writing to give people a break from their otherwise mundane lives.

Will James have what it takes to see his dream come fulfilled or will the constant comments from family and friends around him wear him down to the point where he finally accepts their comments and falls into a conventional lifestyle?

In the novel Unconventional by J.J. Hebert, we meet James Frost, an aspiring hopeful writer who currently spends his days writing and working as a janitor. Despite what people say at times, James struggles to maintain a positive attitude and work hard at making his dream come true. Along the way, people judge him not only by his appearance, his current employment position, and even where his future is headed. Instead of not judging a book by it’s cover, it seems apparent at times that’s all most people will do. Will he have the drive to stay on his path towards his dream or will the voices of reason call him back to reality? Will his faith be enough to sustain him in the storms he will weather or will he simply give up and fall in line?

I received Unconventional compliments of J. J. Hebert and Pump Up Your Book for my honest review and believe that anyone who is looking to grab the proverbial brass ring, should read this book and go for it. This book will inspire us all to reach for our dreams once more and who knows what the future holds if we are only willing to try, no matter what. This book rates a full 5 out of 5 stars! This debut book is available in paperback and eReader formats.

For more information about this book, the author and even where to purchase a copy of this book, click on the link below:

Unconventional by J. J. Hebert

You can also find J. J. Herbert on Facebook by clicking here.

Paperback: 332 pages
Publisher: Mindstir Media (July 10, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 098196480X
ISBN-13: 978-0981964805
Price: $14.99 paperback / $2.99 for eBook

Contingency

Chuck,

I'm meeting Chad and Michelle for drinks at Baker Street Pub at 6. Can you join us? My whole evening is free again. "wink"

--Tracy

Bobbi Molinsky stared at the email. Yes, it was addressed to her husband. Yes, it was automatically forwarded from his account at the law firm since he was out of town again. But it didn't make any sense.

Her fingers hovered over the mouse as she grasped for the "logical explanation". Chuck never mentioned a Tracy. Who was this woman, and why was she inviting Chuck to a pub, when he didn't drink? Why would Tracy say 'again'? Unless... (pg 1).

Bobbi can't believe what she has found after being married for the last twenty years. Worse yet, she begins to question all the events in her and Chuck's life for the last few months to see if there was a sign at all to point to where this was leading. She believes there is a reasonable explanation for this and yet the fear inside is making her sick.

In confronting her husband, Chuck, she learns that he has been having an affair for the last few weeks with a co-worker at the law firm. Being a Christian, she knows for certain she doesn't want a divorce, but how can she be sure her husband still wants to be married to her? How will this affect their two sons? What will this do their relationships with friends and family once they find out? How could God allow this to happen?

In the Book One of the Covenant of Trust Series, Contingency by Paula Wiseman, takes us on the most difficult battle in marriages, an affair of the heart. Not knowing if her marriage will survive, Bobbi calls her pastor to ask for advice. What Phil and his wife offer Donna is a workable plan for the next month to see if the marriage can be healed. This is the story of challenge that not only Bobbi and Chuck face, but also their children, their employers, friends and family who will not only ally themselves with the couple but in some cases turn away from them as well. This book showcases just how an affair affects everyone besides just the husband and wife. This book provides hope that despite this problem, God can heal a broken marriage!

This book is about as real as it gets in dealing with the loss of trust, betrayal, anger, hurt and sadness that threatens marriages today. This book teaches us the warning signs that are often overlooked and just how often we ourselves fail to safe guard our own marriages from falling victim. I would highly recommend this book to any Christian couple either dealing with issues in their marriage or even as a tool to guard against the probability to dealing with these issues at some point. This book rates a 5 out of 5 stars and can't wait to re-read this over again. It now has a permanent place in my personal library!

I received this book compliments of Pump Up Your Book for my honest review and would highly recommend this one! I look forward to future books in this series by Paula Wiseman! This book is available in paperback and eReader formats.

For more information about the book, the author, and where to purchase a copy of this book, please click on the link below:

Contingency by Paula Wiseman

You can also find Paula Wiseman on Facebook by clicking here.

My Foolish Heart

What are you afraid of? Is it that you will never find the perfect love in your life? That you'll end up less than a person? Perhaps it's that you afraid of something in your past, you don't want anyone else to know and would be devastated if anyone knew about it? Or perhaps even more, perhaps you are afraid of the person you've become after having such high hopes for yourself?

But doesn't perfect love cast out all fear?

Meet Isadora Presley or Issy as her close friends and family call her. She's the mystery voice behind the radio program, My Foolish Heart. Created to assist callers with their love life and to avoid making those heart breaking decisions that leave us crushed in the end. Only no one in her small down of Deep Haven knows she is the voice of Ms. Foolish Heart except her close friend Lucy Maguire.

Lucy's been Issy's only link to the world outside her home. Issy had witnessed her own mother's death in her arms during a traffic collision with her father and her, leaving her dealing with panic attacks. Her father now resides in a care facility that Issy is terrified to visit because it would mean leaving her home. Now she finds solace in working from home dispensing love advice to radio callers.

Caleb Knight, is the upcoming coach to the football team, if only he can prove himself worthy of bringing the team back from a losing streak. If only the war in Iraq hadn't left him with an artificial leg, he might be able to show the teams players just how to be great again. So to avoid pity from the school board and his own players, he decides to keep it to himself. What he doesn't expect is to fall for the girl next door quite literally.

In the latest novel by Susan May Warren, My Foolish Heart, takes readers intimately into the lives of four struggle residents of Deep Haven who have let fear take control of their lives. We get to see how each of them lets it take root and keep them from the greatness that lies just within their reach. We also see how God will weave His way through their lives and restore and heal them while teaching us all, that despite our fears of what has happened to us, God will use it for His Glory and His good in the end.

I received this wonderful novel compliments of Litfuse Publicity for my honest review. This book is just perfect for anyone looking for a great summer escape romance book with a unique twist of a Christian lesson in it. Never reading any books by Susan May Warren, I've been missing out. Her unique way of capturing the characters in her books, makes them believable and makes you want to become their own personal cheerleaders along the way. This one scored a 5 out of 5 stars for me and it won't be the last book I read of hers.

For more information about this book, the author and where to purchase a copy of this amazing summer romance, please click on the link below:

My Foolish Heart by Susan May Warren

AfterImage

Probably one of the most difficult challenges to weather in this life is the loss of someone very close to you and even worse watching them battle for a win in their life against a disease that will ultimately claim them.

In the novel After Image by Carla Malden, we get to share in her personal memoir of dealing with the loss of her husband Laurence to cancer at such an early age in their marriage. The story is so touching and real for me because I couldn't imagine a life without my husband in it and it was difficult for me to read Carla's words as she takes us through her journey of dealing with finding out her husband is diagnosed with cancer and the subsequent battle she faced in trying to beat it.

Nothing can prepare the reader for Carla's words come through as though you are sitting with a close friend who is walking through her grief. We get to see "snapshots" of Laurence's life so we are getting to know both of them in the process. Carla's memoir is about as real as it comes for anyone who has ever dealt with grief or even facing the unknown turmoils and challenges that cancer can bring. From dealing with all the unknown's going through your mind as you try to search for an answer that may defeat cancer, to walking through the minutes and weeks of chemotherapy hoping against hope that no matter how positive you remain, in the back of your mind doubt and fear still peers it's ugly head.

I received this book compliments of Pump Up Your Book for my honest review. This book rates a 5 out of 5 stars for me. It offers a different perspective of dealing with a loss of a loved one so great that you wonder if life will ever be the same again. The only thing that grieves me is one statement in the beginning of the book where the author quotes, "But cancer was the villain in our story, and while I emerged from this year with no glimpse of God, I began to wonder toward the end, if, in fact, the devil does indeed exist, and if we were not battling him mano a mano." (pg 3). I personally believe that God is present in everything we go through even though it appears that at that time, God was silent as this happened. You will definitely need a box of tissues to go along with this one. It grabs your heart and makes you really appreciate the time we have with the ones we love!

For more information about the book, the author and where you can purchase a copy of the book, please click on the link below:

AfterImage by Carla Malden

After Image

Probably one of the most difficult challenges to weather in this life is the loss of someone very close to you and even worse watching them battle for a win in their life against a disease that will ultimately claim them and take them from us, thus two lives will be lost.

In the novel After Image by Carla Malden, we get to share in her personal memoir of dealing with the loss of her husband, Laurence, to cancer at such an early age in their marriage. The story is so touching and real for me because I couldn't imagine a life without my husband in it and it was difficult for me to read Carla's words as she takes us through her journey of dealing with finding out her husband is diagnosed with cancer and the subsequent battle she faced in trying to beat it.

Nothing can prepare the reader for Carla's words come through as though you are sitting with a close friend who is walking through her grief. We get to see "snapshots" of Laurence's life so we are getting to know both of them in the process. Carla's memoir is about as real as it comes for anyone who has ever dealt with grief or even facing the unknown turmoils and challenges that cancer can bring. From dealing with all the unknown's going through your mind as you try to search for an answer that may defeat cancer, to walking through the minutes and weeks of chemotherapy hoping against hope that no matter how positive you remain, in the back of your mind doubt and fear still peers it's ugly head.

I received this book compliments of Pump Up Your Book for my honest review. This book rates a 5 out of 5 stars for me. It offers a different perspective of dealing with a loss of a loved one so great that you wonder if life will ever be the same again. The only thing that grieves me is one statement in the beginning of the book where the author quotes, "But cancer was the villain in our story, and while I emerged from this year with no glimpse of God, I began to wonder toward the end, if, in fact, the devil does indeed exist, and if we were not battling him mano a mano." (pg 3). I personally believe that God is present in everything we go through even though it appears that at that time, God was silent as this happened. You will definitely need a box of tissues to go along with this one. It grabs your heart and makes you really appreciate the time we have with the ones we love!

For even more information about this book, the author and where to purchase a copy of this book, please click on the links below:

After Image By Carla Malden

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: skirt!; First edition (May 3, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762763825
• ISBN-13: 978-0762763825
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Price: $ 16.47
  

Ten Beach Road - Giveaway and Review

What would you do if one day you were looking forward to your empty nest and finally starting a life for yourself after kids. Yet on that day, you get a phone call from the hospital notifying you that your mother-in-law has been taken to the hospital due to a fire in her kitchen. She's OK, but needs to have someone come pick her up. In the process of calling your husband of twenty-five years, you reach his office and find out he no longer works there. In fact, he hasn't worked there in six months. When you confront him, he tells you as an investment banker he has lost all your money due to some bad investments and now you are flat broke. Oh and by the way, can his mom move in forever?

What if you found yourself a successful matchmaker for millionaires and one day you find out when you call your office that your number has been disconnected and your offices have been cleared out. That all your accounts have been liquidated and the only money you have left is the check you have in your hand from your latest client who is asking you to set him up on a date. What would you do?

How about being a successful partner in a home improvement series that was inspired by your idea to create a video showcasing your home remodel from start to finish, only to find out that your husband is divorcing you and the show isn't interested in having you be a part of the show any longer?

Meet the women who are about to be drawn together in an extraordinary way through their linked circumstances that leave them all virtually penniless, yet neither of them are quite willing to admit to one another that they are broke. Keeping their facade up, they all find out they are joint owners of a property on Ten Beach Road. Each is hoping for a quick sale will get them out of their financial jam, until they learn the property is protected as a historical landmark and they can't level it. They also can't sell it in the condition it's in. If they are all willing to put in some sweat equity, they may make more than they dreamed possible and along the way may find more than they ever hoped for.

I received Ten Beach Road by Wendy Wax compliments of TLC book Tours for my honest review and LOVED it! Couldn't put it down til I knew how it would all turn out. This in my opinion is another great summer read and as my hubby calls it a Chick Lit book!! This one rates a true 5 out of 5 stars and can't wait to share it with you. This is available in paperback and eBook formats.

For even more information about this book, the author and where to get a copy, click on the link below:

Ten Beach Road by Wendy Wax

You can also find Wendy on Facebook by clicking here!

Thanks to the wonderful folks at TLC Book Tours, they are giving a copy of this book away to one lucky follower of my blog. Here are your guidelines:

1. Be a follower of Reviews From The Heart.

2. Be a resident of the US or Canada. No P.O. Boxes please.

3. I need a way to contact you if you are the lucky winner of this giveaway, so please include your email address with your comment. You can use the words (at) or (dot) instead of the symbols.

4. Leave a comment and tell me what you best way to spend a summer day would be. The giveaway ends on May 19th. I will notify the winner by email.