Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire - Review

Twenty five years ago Brooklyn Tabernacle was just beginning a new ministry.  Today they have thousands that attend their services and many more all over the world that keep up with them online. I am one of them.

What did they do to draw this big of a following?  Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala is filled with stories that show how this small church not only believed in the prayer of praying, but put it into action.   Its a story of hope.

There is so much more I could say about this book and this special church but for this review I have spoken on the book.  I read this book before going to The Brooklyn Tabernacle and it was such a blessing to be able to attend services there.

More about Jim Cymbala

 

 

Jim Cymbala has served as pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle for more than twenty-five years. He is the author of many bestselling titles, including Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire; Fresh Faith and Fresh Power; and curricula, including When God's People Pray and When God's Spirit Moves, which is linked to Spirit Rising. He lives in New York City with his wife, Carol Cymbala, who directs the Grammy Award--winning Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.    

A Revelation in Autumn - Review

A Revelation in Autumn starts with Levi entering the world.  Meredith sees his father in him every day and longs for the relationship that has been put on hold.  Jonah has asked her to marry him and she decides to so they can become a family and raise Levi together.  But there is something that seems to leave Meredith with doubts.  She loves Jonah but it just isn't the same as her first love.

While in Philadelphia Eddie begins to regain his memory.  Susan has asked her grandparents if he could come stay with them in hopes that he would get his total memory back.  Will he remember that he is Luke in time to stop a wedding?

This was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

More about Wanda Brunstetter

A nationally recognized authority on the Amish community, Wanda E. Brunstetter has seen her book sales over the two million mark. Wanda enjoys an uncommon kinship with the Amish and continues to visit their communities throughout the country. Her books have won numerous awards and topped several bestselling charts."

The Pieces of Summer - Review

The Pieces of Summer is book 4 in Wanda Brunstetter's The-Discovery-Lancaster County Saga series.

In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania a young man is lying in a hospital bed not knowing who he is.  He is finally conscious so now maybe he will tell his nurses who he is.  Susan one of his nurses has started to fall in love with him but is leery because no one knows what his past is.  While Eddie, the name that Susan calls him, is fighting for his life, in Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania Merideth is beginning to show her pregnancy.  She has now been without her husband, whom she is believed to have been in an accident, for four months and has found it hard but she is adjusting.  Jonah is a friend from the past and begins to help her get her life back together.  With Merideth and Jonah spending so much time together will love be the end result?

There is another cliffhanger in this latest book of Wanda's.  She really shows the character of each person that she writes about.  All of Wanda's novels are based on personal research intended to accurately portray the Amish way of life. Many of her books are well-read and trusted by the Amish, who credit her for giving readers a deeper understanding of the people and their customs.  If you have not read the other books in this saga here are the names of each of them:  Goodbye to Yesterday-Book 1, The Silence of Winter-Book 2, and The Hope of Spring-Book 3.  This is a series that you don't want to miss.

More about Wanda Brunstetter

All of Wanda's novels are based on personal research intended to accurately portray the Amish way of life. Many of her books are well-read and trusted by the Amish, who credit her for giving readers a deeper understanding of the people and their customs.

The Hope of Spring - Review

The Hope of Spring is the third book in Wanda Brunstetter's new Discovery series.  It begins with Meredith in the hospital after nearly losing her baby. Jonah, an old friend is helping around the house now that she is alone. 

Another part of this story finds a young man fighting for his life in a hospital far away. His nurse visits Lancaster County and, and by chance meets Meredith. Will this chance meeting be a reunion or headache?  Will it lead to an insight to the future?

The Silence of Winter - Review

I enjoyed the second book of this six book series, The Silence of Winter (The Discovery-A Lancaster County Saga). 

Meredith finds out that she has just lost her husband, Luke in an accident.  She is sad that she never was able to tell him that he was going to be a father.  Now she realizes that she must get on with her life for her baby's sake, even though she feels so lost without her husband.  

An old friend shows up offering support.  Will she take the help he is offering? 

Once again Wanda gives us another suspensful ending. I enjoy books that are part of a series.  They seem to focus on each character and you can connect with the.  At least it does for me.  The only problem with series books is its hard to wait until the next one comes out.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read these as a group.  I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Weekend

Accidentally Amish - Review

Escape the helter-skelter of the modern culture and join software creator Annie Friesen, hiding at the home of an Amishman. With her high-tech career in jeopardy, Annie runs from fast-paced Colorado Springs—and straight into the hospitality of San Luis Valley’s Amish community.

There she meets cabinetmaker Rufus Beiler, and the more time she spends with him, the more attracted she becomes.

When Annie finds she shares a common ancestor with Rufus, she feels both cultures colliding within her. But is her love for Rufus strong enough for her to give up the only life she’s ever known?

Money doesn't always bring happiness. Annie has everything she ever needs but she find that friends can stab you in the back. 

I loved the way that Olivia Newport had two different stories going and both of them came together so beautiful.

Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to read such sn enjoyable book.

More about Olivia Newport

She's been married for over thirty years and have two twenty-something kids. They live in stunning Colorado at the foot of the Rockies, where the day lilies in her back yard grow as tall as she does.  Check her website for more about this truly amazing author.

Loving - Review

Loving is the last book of Karen's "Bailey Flannigan" series

Bailey is making some decisions that will shape her future and trying to plan her wedding.  Her childhood friend Cody is faithfully coaching his team on and off the field.  Brandon is off in Los Angeles being a hollywood star.

Whom will she choose?  Will she spend her life with Brandon Paul in Los Angeles, or will her heart draw her back to Bloomington, Indiana and Cody Coleman, her first love? Bailey has learned much and grown over the years, but the greatest challenges, the richest joys, and the deepest heartaches are still to come. 

I will say that the ending was not what I expected.  It wasn't the way I wanted it to end, but Karen Kinsbury wrote a wonderful ending to a wonderful series of books. From the very first book I have love this family and even prayed as if they were a real family, and in a way they are:). The groom grew on me as Loving evolved. Beautiful picture of how in God's timing all is good. God bless the author and her wonderful family. Hey, now let's hear the other couple's story. Just a thought :).

If you have not read this series you must.  There are 5 different series of books that lead up to this book but they are well worth the read.

More about Karen Kingsbury

New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury is America's favorite inspirational novelist, with over 20 million books in print. Her Life-Changing Fiction has produced multiple bestsellers, including Unlocked, Leaving, Take One, Between Sundays, Even Now, One Tuesday Morning, Beyond Tuesday Morning, and Ever After, which was named the 2007 Christian Book of the Year. An award-winning author and newly published songwriter, Karen has several movies optioned for production, and her novel Like Dandelion Dust was made into a major motion picture and is now available on DVD. Karen is also a nationally known speaker with several women's groups including Women of Faith. She lives in Tennessee with her husband, Don, and their five sons, three of whom are adopted from Haiti.  For more go to her website.

Trouble In Store - Review

Trouble In Store starts with Melanie Ross being fired from her latest employment, as a governess.  She is determined to find her cousin, George in Arizona, but things do not go as well as planned for her.  She finds Caleb Nelson running the shop instead of her cousin. When she finally gets an answer as to why he is running the place she is informed that his uncle and her cousin were partners and they were both deceased.   She finds George’s will and is now half owner of the store.

Caleb devises a plan to get rid of Melanie by trying to get her married off so she would leave and let him be sole owner.  But as time go on Caleb soon realizes he doesn't want her to marry any of them. He's drawn to Melanie more every day, and he even admits that she has a head for bringing customers into the store.

Just as soon as they are beginning to make the business work they begin finding threatening letters and odd things happening in their store.  The even find a dead body outside the door of the shop.  They have to find out what is going on before they lose the store.  Can the closeness that they are finding with each other survive?

Trouble in Store has romance, humor, mystery and suspense all rolled up into one fantastic book. I guess you can say there is trouble in store at the store that Melanie worked in.  I loved the picture on the front of the book of Melanie looking over her shoulder at the trouble.  Carol’s characters have depth to them that makes them seem real and connects with the reader.

Trouble in Store was given to me by NetGalley and Bethany House for a honest review

More about Carol Cox

Native Arizonan Carol Cox has an abiding love for history, mystery, and romance. The author of more than 25 books, she believes in the power of story to convey spiritual truths. A pastor's wife and homeschooling mom, she makes her home with her husband and daughter in a remote spot in northern Arizona, where the deer and the antelope really do play--within view of the family's front porch.

When sparrows fall - Review

 
When I first started reading this book, I didn't really want to finish it.  Once I did there was something about it and I just couldn't put down until I was finished.

Miranda is a widow with six children to raise and her church family has been a big help. The pastor has told her that he has had a "message from God" to move her and her family to another location, Miranda is not sure if she can follow or not.  She has a secret and needs to find someone  to take care of her children should anything happen to her.

Jack is the brother-in-law that feels as if he needs to show her kids the "real world".  He is fast becoming Miranda's hero. Will she entrust her secret with him so he can protect her and his nieces and nephews?

After getting into this book I can see how Christianity can be a cult, if you are brainwashed in not thinking on your own. God made us to follow him, but he also gave us freedom to choose how we conduct our lives. Spiritual abuse can be like any other abuse very devastating. With love from family and friends it can become overtaken.

Ms. Mosley did a wonderful job in showing me a very real crisis that can happen if we do not keep our eyes on Christ, not man.

More about Meg Mosley

 

Although I've lived more than half my life in other states, I'm still a Californian at heart. I love vintage bungalows, twisted oaks on rolling hills, and the rocky beaches of the Central Coast. A few blocks away from my childhood home stood a Lutheran church where I came to faith, first through Sunday School teachers whose kindness drew me to the kindness of God, and then through confirmation classes. The Bible verses that had been drilled into my head came to life in my heart.

After moving away from home as a teenager, I worked at a variety of jobs, from candle-maker in a tourist town to administrative assistant at a Christian college. I married a wonderful man from Michigan, and we lived north of Detroit for seventeen years. That's where we started homeschooling our three children, an endeavor that we finished in Georgia when our youngest
graduated from high school in 2009.

My husband and I live near Atlanta, close to the foothills of the Southern Appalachians. His motorcycle often carries us to the mountains of Georgia, Tennessee, or the Carolinas. Sitting on the back of the bike, I can pray, enjoy the beautiful views, and plot new stories. Fiction makes my world go 'round, whether I'm writing it or reading it.

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Markus Zusak

The Moses Conspiracy-Review

What will the world by like in 2025? Ellie Zimmerman has taken her son, Peter to Washington, D.C. for a field trip. There are solders everywhere trying to protect the capital from another terriost attack. Is that really why they are there? Ellie has many uneasy feelings because there are so many changes taking place. They spend the night but in a very different way than they were expecting.

While back at home a mystery seems to be unraveling. Just one of the mysteries is when Zeb Butler's wheel on his buggy came off as he was turning a corner in town. John Zimmerman, Ellie's husband takes it upon himself to do some investigating work after several instances take place.

The past and future are interwinded in this book. The suspense kept me turning pages. This book can become the future of our world if we do not take a stand for what we believe. I hope there will be a sequel to this compelling story by a new author, Susan Reinhardt. I can't wait to read more of her works.

This book was sent to me in exchange for a fair review.

                                           More about Susan Reinhardt

Susan J. Reinhardt's journey to publication began as a non-fiction writer. She's been published in The RevWriter Resource, Devotions Magazine, A Secret Place, Vista, Live, and numerous other compilations and periodicals. Her appreciation for using fiction techniques inspired her to use fiction as a vehicle for truth. She is a widow, stepmom, and active church member, Susan enjoys reading, couponing, gardening, and searching for small treasures in antique shops. For more about Susan visit her blog.

Dandelions on the Wind - Review

Dandelions on the Wind is the first book of "The Quilted Heart" Series by Mona Hodgson.

Maren Jensen was a mail-order bride without the groom. She was taken in by Elsa Brantenberg and her granddaughter, Gabi, to help with their farm.  Just as she was falling in love with her new found family, Gabi's father returnes from the war and Maren life is turned upside down.

Rutherford “Wooly” Wainwright has seen so much sorrow and hurt. He finds it hard to learn to accept the friendship of Maren.

Will they find a love that will encompass their combined strengths to find peace within their lives.

Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers has provided me a complimentary copy of this book.  The review is my own.

                                                  More about Mona Hodgson

Married forty-one years to her leading man, Mona from Arizona lives in the Southwest where trees have arms instead of branches and salsa is a staple. When Mona Hodgson isn't writing or speaking, she's playing Wii games with her Arizona grandson, spending time with her mom, picnicking, texting her sisters, or chatting on Skype with her grandchildren in Africa.  For more information about Mona visit her website.

Appleseed Creek Mystery Series - Review

 

 

 

 

Chloe Hunphry is new to Appleseed Creek where she becomes the director of technology services at the local university.  She soom gets involved with Becky and Timothy, a brother and sister who are ex-Amish.  Becky is accused of murder and Chloe and Timothy investigates on their own to help solve this mystery.  As the mystery deepens what will they discover about the people they know and their small community?

Amanda Flowers is a new author for me and I'm going to keep my eye on her.  Her writing has intrique, twists and turns just what a good mystery is made of.

Thank you to B&H and NetGalley for allowing me to review and give my own comments to this book.



 



What happens when Amish women's hair show up being cut and men's beards are whacked off? Sounds like another mystery for Chloe Humphrey. If you want a book that is filled with mystery and suspense then Amanda Flower's second book in her Appleseed Creek Mystery series is the book that you should read.

This was given to me as an ebook by NetGalley to read in exchange for a a true review in my own words.

 

 

I think these say it all!

 

 

Reminds me of Nancy Pearl? 

 Maybe she'll show up here someday:)

 

 

The Quarryman's Bride by Tracie Peterson

Emmalyne Knox and Tavin MacLachlan 's wedding was just a few weeks away when a tornado devastates her family by killing her two youger sisters. Because of a long standing tradition of their heritage, Emmalyne is forced to take care of of her parents, thus calling off the wedding.

Tavin leaves home and takes many different jobs trying to rid his memories of the wonman that he loved. No matter what he did he was not to get Emmalyne out of his mind. Eleven years later he returns home to work with his father, Robert MacLeachlan who owns and operates a quarry.

Can love survive?  Check out this wonderful story and find many twists and turns to this story.  This is the first book that I have read by Tracie Peterson and I must say that I will be reading others  She grabs you from the first page and doesn't let up until you close the book at the last page.

The Quarryman's Bride is the second book in Tracie Peterson's series called The Land of Shinning Water.  It can be read as a stand alone book.

Thank you Net Galley and Bethany House for this ebook in exchange for a review.  This is my honest opinion of this book.

More about Tracie Peterson

Tracie Peterson is a bestselling author who writes in both historical and contemporary genres. Her novels reveal her love for research as well as her strong desire to develop emotionally meaningful characters and stories for her readers. Tracie and her family live in Montana.

Sent by Hilary Alan-Review

Sent by Hilary Alan is the story of a middle class suburban family who has everything that is important, in today’s world and gives it up to find so much more.  

Curt and Hilary Alan along with their two children, Jordan and Molly are living the American dream in North Carolina when Curt attends a seminar and their lives are drastically changed.  In 2005, they begin to sell everything they have and began the long journey that will take them to Southeast Asia where the devastating tsunami hit in 2004.  This is a third world country where the Muslim religion is taught and everything that Hilary and her family knew and believed was being questioned by them once they became emerged with a culture that doesn’t favor the things that Westerners do.

Hilary Alan provides a story that is easy to follow and shares with us the feelings that she and her family went through as their lives were intertwined with people like Lee, Natalie, and Adele, among others that were put in their lives to help them and be a witness to them.  Americans are not the only ones that can be an influence to others.  I strongly believe that there are people that can be a big witness to us.  Remember a witness is someone who shows us daily what life is all about.  

It is good to hear about the struggles that Hilary and her family had, and I’m sure still are having, in coming back to the USA and the changes that are taking place within their selves .   I’m not glad they had major issues but I have a friend that has been in a third world country and I’m still seeing struggles that she is having to be with the friends and the country that is her second home. 

I found this book to be very moving and inspiring. I laughed, smiled and cried while reading it.  God calls us each to be the light in the darkness in many different ways.  I have been on many mission trips that when I come home I long for the people that I had the privilege to get to know but I don’t think that I’m called to go and live among them, at least not right now.  God put them in my path for a reason.  I’m just glad for many avenues in this modern world that we can stay in touch.

I have already bought several books to give to people that I know and also for our church library.

Watherbrook Multnomah Publishers has provided me a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.  

To get a copy of this wonderful you may go to DeepShopping and order this book today.
 

More about Hilary Alan

Hilary is a former public relations professional, is a wife and mother of two children. Hilary and her family moved to Southeast Asia in the aftermath of a tsunami that destroyed villages, homes, businesses, and hundreds of thousands of lives. Today, the Alans continue to advance the work of Christ internationally in their involvement with a church in North Carolina as they prepare for another overseas assignment.