Trust My Heart

Fairy tales are just that. Not real. Never coming true. Fabricated stories to charm their way into a woman's heart and never let go. Perhaps that is why all of Jami Carlisle's relationships haven't worked out well. Maybe she had been looking for a happily ever after with someone who simply didn't exist. It seems like most of the men in her life weren't meant to stay. Her own father walked out on her and her mother when given the ultimatum to sober up or get lost. Guess she knew what matter most to him, and it wasn't what remained of their family.

After losing her mother to cancer, Jami vowed to do something worthy of her life. She loved writing and even though most of her half-hearted novels lay unfinished in binders in her home, the prospect of getting a job as a reporter for the Scout, their local paper might just be the answer. Her first story would determine just how much gumption she possessed when she is tasked with interviewing Grant McAllister who has returned home from New York to settle his family's old home that has sat vacant for far too long. Seems the town has more rumors than truth on what really happened to them and their only answer might be Grant himself.

Jami will have to use all her charms to outwit all of Grant's straight-out refusals for an interview before he leaves town in a few weeks taking all the answers and mystery with him. But Grant has had all he can stand with reporters who make promises and fail to keep them, choosing instead to print what will sell the most papers. Even though it seems that Jami isn't like the ones he has dealt with in the past, he knows that his story would be the one that would be just the edge someone like Jami could use to further her career into something much more more. Nope, just get in and get out while he can. If only he could take his own advice and not that of his own heart. Things are about to get interesting in Murphy, North Carolina!

I received Trust My Heart by Carol J. Post compliments of Waterfall Press and Litfuse Publicity. This novel has within it all the elements to make a Hallmark Channel movie. You got to love all the quirky secondary characters like the over the top fashion statement charm of Bernie as well as her on and off again rivalry with farmer Hank who is set in his ways at the Feed store. Combine that with all the small town charm of a simple town like Murphy, you are bound to see some sparks fly and romance bloom. 5 out of 5 stars for my and can't wait to see more from Carol J. Post in the future. For now, this one has a cozy home in my personal library!

For more information about Trust My Heart, Carol J. Post or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Trust My Heart by Carol J. Post

You can find Carol J. Post on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Trust My Heart, please visit Litfuse Publicity's Book Tour Page.

Will an unplanned detour finally guide Grant home and find love with an honest, funny, and undeniably appealing reporter named Jami? Find out in a heartwarming romance by Carol J. Post, Trust My Heart. Grant McAllister arrives in Murphy, North Carolina, with one aim: to sell his inherited property and leave as quickly as possible. After breaking up with her safe-but-smothering boyfriend, Jami is determined to ace her first big assignment. A story about the McAllister estate is too intriguing to ignore—but as the two draw closer as they share their dreams, misread signals and misunderstandings begin to test their trust.

Join Carol in celebrating the release of Trust My Heart by entering to win her $75 Cozy Cash Giveaway.

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of Trust My Heart
• A $75 Visa cash card
• A basket full of goodies made in North Carolina to keep you cozy in the cooler fall weather

 

Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on November 23. The winner will be announced November 28 on Carol's blog.

Restoring Love

Sometimes the best renovation projects aren't the ones you watch on your Home Improvement channels. They are the ones you get to see in person involving life changing moments for those who need it the most. In the novel Restoring Love by Jennifer Slattery, there are 3 different sets of circumstances in which we get to see the power of God's restoration at work in the lives of the people we meet all in one neighborhood.

Angela is trying to find a way to start over again after living with her daughter Ainsley and her husband. Seems like family serves a useful purpose when you need help the most. Now it is time to begin as a new creation in Christ. She moves into a rental home owned by a missionary family away on a trip and with a handful of items of her own, Angela tries to resolve her past so she can find her future. Now all she needs to do is keep her job as a Teacher's Assistant and hope for a full-time teaching position to open up. But with her wardrobe, it is not likely. She is a 50-year-old divorcee dressing like an 18-year-old and soon rumors begin to fly from other teachers about her appearance. When Angela consults with her daughter, she has to kindly tell her that she might want to dress more modestly in hopes of not attracting the wrong kind of attention like she has in the past.

Bianca is struggling to keep her head above water while raising 3 kids while she deals with her husband who refuses to give up his criminal lifestyle. If she can't figure something out, she may lose everything she has including her kids if the police show up. While trying to work as a nursing care assistant, she relies on her teenage daughter C.J. to care for her younger brothers both who are failing at school. C.J. spends all her free time with a boyfriend who is only using her and clearly doesn't care what her mother thinks. For C.J. it is an possible escape route out of the family she doesn't want to be with, especially her mother's husband Reid who runs around with gangs and thugs.

Mitch is a partner in a renovation business with Dennis and they have flipped a couple of houses including the one Bianca is currently living in. Now with their new project to work on, a home right next door to Angela, he finds himself drawn in ways he can't explain to try to help her out on any projects she needs done around the house, but Angela has been burned in the past and is trying to keep any relationships with men at bay. Dennis and Mitch seems at odds in running their business when Bianca winds up more than 2 months behind in her rent and Mitch refuses to evict her. If things don't change, they might have to go their own separate ways. It seems Mitch is at a crossroads on what to do and what God has called him to do.

I received Restoring Love by Jennifer Slattery compliments of New Hope Publishers and Net Galley. I really love the interactions these three have in one another's lives as they attempt to reconcile their own past failings under the grace and mercy of God's restoring love. It shows how far they have to work at letting go of their pasts in order to find the future that awaits them if they are willing. This is such a great Christmas story because it conveys the very reason that Jesus was born to offer new hope, new beginnings and a new life to those who are willing to take it. I easily give this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about Restoring Love, Jennifer Slattery or where you can preorder a copy of this book which is due out in January 2017, please click on the links below:

Restoring Love by Jennifer Slattery

You can find Jennifer Slattery on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Restoring Love, please visit New Hope Publisher's website.

One of the Few

The one thing I am always impressed with whenever I come across our service men and women is discipline, honor, integrity and duty. During their military training, they seem to come across things that go beyond a human beings natural desires and override them to perform as they have been trained and not what they "feel" like doing. They do what they are called to do and often times have to make the hard decisions many of us would never consider doing.

Jason B. Ladd has done double duty in his book, One of the Few combining a bit of his own personal memoirs as a Marine alongside learning what it is to become a Christian. He started at the beginning with no training whatsoever in either area, knowing of God but not truly knowing who He is. Along the way Jason shares how each aspect of his training, from basic training to flight school have taught him more than simple military protocal and training as he advanced in the Marines but how each aspect of that training and often mistakes can be applied to a Christian walk of faith.

In the chapter Read, Fly, Repeat, he shares how much faith is evident in every aspect of a fighter pilots life. While he doesn't build the plane or maintain it, still each time he steps inside the cockpit, he has to have faith that someone who does that job, has done it to the best of their ability, therefore giving him faith that it will perform as it should.

"I have faith in the Marines who work on the jets; they have faith in my ability to fly them - together, we complete the mission. Marines are expected to maintain the highest standards of discipline, professionalism, and integrity. Every lance corporal turning a wrench knows he is part of a team. Without his help, jets will not fly, and without his attention to detail, pilots will not succeed. He does his best because that's what Marines do. They do not settle for average. Marine's work day, night and t hrough the weekend to make sure the job is done right. That's why I have faith in the Marines who maintain the fleet. "

"This was a revelation. I never thought of myself as a man of faith, yet I was beginning to see how much faith I had in everyday things. I need faith to drive to work every day. I have fiath I will receive a paycheck for my work because legal checks and balances ensure compensation and deter unfair business practices. And I must trust architects because I don't worry about roofs collapsing on my head. In order to remain sane, I must trust these even will not occur despite a lack of proof." (95).

I received One of the Few by Jason B. Ladd by Boone Shepherd Publishing and applaud this writers use of military memoirs to also illustrate his growing Christian faith. For some who read this book, especially service men and women, this life lessons will resound more to them because it applies to the brotherhood shared among those in our military service. I love the way his faith grew in the different aspects of his learning to become a Marine pilot and even how mistakes teach us valuable lessons of growing in our own walk of faith. We don't quit, we simply get up, shake off the dust and soldier on. For me, this one really earned a 4 out of 5 stars in my opinion because I really LOVED his duality in this novel, one from growing up in the military and becoming a Marine and the life lessons he gained from that, but secondly, how his walk of faith grew out of those very same lessons in a remarkable way.

For more information about One of the Few, Jason B. Ladd or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

One of the Few by Jason B. Ladd

You can find Jason B. Ladd on Facebook to stay up to date on all his latest books.

Deadly Decision

"Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divinations or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritualist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord..." Deuteronomy 18:10-12a

The Bible pretty much spells out that most of the stuff we are seeing in the world today whether on TV, movies or even played out in real life, has eternal consequences when we walk blindly about into them, allow them to permeate our thoughts and actions and often times, associate with someone who does, under the premise that that are wearing a "Christian" label. But like lambs to the slaughter we can all be misled.

"Let me tell you right off, I don't believe in ghosts. I never have and never will. Not good ones, anyway. But some things are  hard to explain. If you have ever considered getting involved in the occult, you need to hear my story. It may change your mind. ~ Bill Iver."

Deadly Decision by Regina Smeltzer is a novel dealing with the supernatural and what happens when one man's faith in what he sees and what he knows will be called into question. Both the believer and non believer struggle to overcome things they don't understand but seem to be happening where only Bill Iver can see them and no one else can explain. When Bill arrives to help his daughter Trina and her husband Ted out in renovating a dilapidated old home into a future bed and breakfast, he knew there was more to the home than what he could see. He just never imagined that upon visiting the homes attic, he would see two young boys, one of whom is wearing a chain around his neck and fastened to a beam in the attic. Believing these are real children, when he approaches them his hand passes right through them and they vanish. Not imagine trying to tell your daughter and her husband what you just witnessed.

Bill knows as a Christian, there are no such thing as ghosts only demons masquerading as ghosts, but then learns that one of the boys has been reported missing by the owner of the home. Has Bill just been given insight into the unseen world and has Jimmy crossed over to the other side and is now dead? Bill begins to wonder just how he can process what is happening in the house and of course, Trina and Ted are a bit apprehensive to Bill's visions of ghosts but then when strange things begin to happen inside the home, it might be possible there is more in the home than what one can see.

I received Deadly Decision by Regina Smeltzer compliments of Pelican Book Groups and Net Galley. This is definitely a suspense thriller and found myself wondering why I chose to read this the one night I was home alone. Yet it is so nice knowing that this genre is still available to educate and also entertain those of us that like a little bit of spookiness this time of the year without all the evil and gore that go along with it. I love how Regina orchestrated the story line and loved how she used situations that almost everyone might utilize to figure out what is going on in the home. To uncover what it is, you will have to pick this one up to read, but trust me, this one worked out brilliantly. Just the right amount of suspense to keep me engaged and wanting to know how it would all turn out. For me, this one rated a 4 out of 5 in my opinion.

For more information about Deadly Decision, Regina Smeltzer or where you can pick up a copy of this novel, please click on the links below:

Deadly Decision by Regina Smeltzer

You can find Regina Smeltzer on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

You can read more reviews on Deadly Decision, by visiting Pelican Book Group's website. 

Bible Journaling Kit - Review and Giveaway

Seems like coloring and Bible Journaling are the new craze this year and everyone is joining in the fun! From Facebook and Pinterest pages dedicated to showcase talented artists and even 'how-to' pages, there is something fun about creating works of art that highlight something about a particular Bible verse or passage. It goes from highlighting your verses to creating something eye catching when you open that page in your Bible. However some people may not be as talented in their art work and need a place to begin like me.

The Bible Journaling Kit by Ellie Claire is the perfect place to begin. In this kit, you get (1) ruled page protector mat with tracing lines, (1) journaling pen, (8) colored pencil twists, (24) tab stickers, (4) sheets of word stickers, (4) sheets of Alphabet stickers, and (1) pouch with an adjustable strap designed to fit all Bibles.

Now you can begin the process of learning how to create different font styles, lettering choices, and using colored pencils instead of markers which will prevent bleed-through on subsequent pages. You can now use the tabs to pick those favorite places in the Bible that speak to you like your life verse, or 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter, or even Luke 2 to remind you of the Christmas story of Jesus' birth. The journaling pen is perfect to add to the Word stickers or to write in the margins the date or referencing other books in the Bible. This is such a perfect way to begin the art of Bible Journaling and get you started on your way to making your Bible more colorful and personalized.

I received the Bible Journaling Kit by Ellie Claire compliments of Worthy Inspired and Propeller LLC. I really love this kit and in fact, my daughter has gravitated to using this for her study Bible for her high school youth group. It enables her to use this when she is in her Bible Study classes to highlight scriptures she doesn't want to forget or perhaps has touched a place in her heart. She is the more crafty and artistic of the two of us and this makes for the perfect place to begin to personalize her Bible in her own way. This would make a great Christmas gift for anyone who loves to highlight or color in their Bible and perhaps wanted a way to begin to learn Bible Journaling and thus the reason for my 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

Now for the great part, Worthy Inspired is giving away 5 of these kits and you can enter online by clicking on this link. Winners will be notified by December 15th and the kits will ship in time for Christmas. While you're there, you can also download 5 Coloring pages for you to personalize and color anyway you want. Some include a free journaling page when you download and others contain a devotional as well.

For readers of my blog Reviews of the Heart, you have your own chance to win a Bible Journaling Kit by Ellie Claire. Here's all you need to do to enter to win:

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

2. "Like" my Facebook page, Reviews From The Heart. 

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

4. Leave a comment below telling me why you'd love to win this Bible Journaling Kit by Ellie Claire. Don't forget to include your email address. You can use the words (at) and (dot) instead of the symbols if you want.

Since the winner will be notified by email, don't forget to include it with your comment. I will notify the winner when the giveaway ends on November 17th. Enter as many times as you want.

For more information about the Bible Journaling Kit or where to order one, please click on the links below:

Barnes and Noble:
Amazon:
Books-A-Million: 
Christian Book Distributors: 

"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the
Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

Love Bears All Things

"Everything will be well in the end. If it's not well, it's not the end."

Such is Charlotte's motto for her life, however it seems like she doesn't take the advice to heart much. Trust seems to be something of a challenge for her, after suspecting that her boyfriend Ryan was seeing someone at work. When she got caught checking his text messages, he suggested that she see a counselor to work through her issues of trust. Not only that, but she still had memories of a girl in a purple dress and a woman in a green dress, that she couldn't remember much more than that. When she did see anyone resembling those two, she was left with anxiety that threatened to overwhelm her and convinced her that she needed to continue her treatments with her counselor.

However, she just isn't bouncing back as quickly as she had hoped. Her checks from the newspapers she edited for seemed to be delayed in coming when she needed the money the most and after three papers appeared taped to her front door, it was Ryan who told her she was being evicted. If only she can find a way to get her life back on track. After leaving Lancaster, Pennsylvania tracking down the reason her brother Ethan committed suicide and convincing the Amish living there that she was Mary Troyer, she didn't feel like she knew who she was anymore. Now with only less than 2 weeks left before she would be evicted she didn't know what she would do. Worse yet, Ryan dumped her.

Jacob shows up on her doorstep after running away from his Amish home, believing an English life is in his future. Unfortunately for Charlotte, he can't stand for long as she needs to move out. She does manage to convince him to call home and let his family know he is fine and where he is staying. Charlotte has made a friend with his sister, Hannah when she was in Lancaster before, and has promised she will do all she can to convince Jacob to return home. He left Annie Byler in the dark as to why he left and even worse, not knowing if they were to be married after all. She has a secret that only her older brother Daniel knows and it will be the one thing that will bring Jacob back home to marry her, but does she want to tell him the truth if he isn't ready to marry her on his own terms?

I received Love Bears All Things by Beth Wiseman compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers. This is the second novel in the Amish Secrets novel, with My Brother's Keeper being the first. I can't wait to see how this will all play out and once again found some interesting Amish story lines you don't often see in most Amish novels. In this case, the desire for Jacob to stay in the English world and give up his Amish roots leaving everything he loves behind, while believing a well-meaning, wealthy man in Pittsburgh has his best interests at heart when he gives him a fresh start at life. I love that Daniel and Charlotte, both whom have dealt with love that has left them broken, finally see something more in the relationship they have been developing while working through their own family issues and I have hope, that somehow they can make an Amish/English relationship work. For me, this one rates a 4.5 out of 5 stars and there is even discussion questions included at the conclusion of this novel that makes this a perfect fit for book clubs.

For more information about Love Bears All Things, Beth Wiseman or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Love Bears All Things 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 Love Bears All Things, please visit Thomas Nelson Publisher's website.

Without Regrets

Who doesn't have a love in the past, that they haven't often wondered what would have happened if things had been different. Perhaps it was your first love or that special someone in your life that always saw the best in you, but the timing wasn't right so you went your separate ways. Long, but not forgotten.

Such is the premise of Without Regrets by Ruth Kyser, who takes a college love between Rachel King and David Costella and conveys a very special love that goes beyond what two people could share. Even though they confessed their undying love to one another while in college, David told Rachel after proposing to her, he wanted to wait until he finished school for them to marry. He had many hopes and dreams of a bright future for them he wanted to put in place. But as most college romances do, time became the enemy as well as distance. Phone calls got fewer, emails less frequent and even though Rachel believed she loved David, she knew in her heart it wasn't the kind of love that a husband and wife should share, so she wrote a Dear John letter and called things off between them.

Many years later, Rachel married but never had children. She found the love she had always dreamed of, but then again fate dealt her an ugly hand and she lost him to cancer too early. It was only after his death, that she learned he was keeping secrets from her, that their finances were worse than she could imagine and she lost everything while trying to settle their debts. A year later, she received a letter in the mail telling her that David had passed away and she was wanted in Charlotte to sign some legal papers regarding David's estate. She just never dreamed that the man she loved in college would make something of himself and leave her with everything, even after she broke his heart. But why her?

I received Without Regrets by Ruth Kyser compliments of Create Space Independent Publishing Platform. This is such a beautiful story about forgiveness, redemption, second chances and finding God's will for your life. Rachel's story is moving because all of us have loved and lost at some point in our life, and makes you wonder what you would do if you found yourself in the very same situation as Rachel did. Do you accept this inheritance or do you find a way to settle things from your past and move forward with the life you have made of your own choosing? I love how Rachel consults God even if it means leaving everyone behind for a few days to hear God speak to her heart. What a wise woman who waits upon God for her future. For that reason, I give this novel a 4.5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about Without Regrets, Ruth Kyser or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Without Regrets by Ruth Kyser

You can find Ruth Kyser on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.