Cherished

Sometimes the hardest person to forgive is ourselves. Kelli and Heather are shackled with guilt for past mistakes. Kelli’s past keeps her from fulfilling her dream of writing and singing songs for God’s glory. Heather’s sins are on display for the church to see and to judge her. Both feel as though they are undeserving of a future because of their past mistakes. Will they allow God’s mercy and grace to capture them and to guide them to the plan He has for their lives?

There were several things I enjoyed in this book.

*The different ethnicity of characters. Just at my church, we have white, black, and Hispanic members. It’s a good mix, and I love that.  The body of Christ is all races, and Christian fiction books should reflect our diversity of race but unity in the brotherhood of Christ. The author pointed out race a little too much for my liking at the beginning as she introduced characters. (One character looks at another and just wonders about his race…didn’t seem to fit the moment. A brief description of the character would have given the same information.)

*The development of characters. I felt I knew them by the end of the book.

*The theme of being cherished by God. I needed to hear that today as I read the book.

*The openness of topics the church usually tries to ignore. In the Christian church world, we often try to hide sin. We don’t want to think that people in the church struggle with addiction, sex outside of marriage, pornography, abortion, and the other sins Christians have deemed “the bad sins.” This book shares two women’s struggle with sin that others judge as far worse than their sins. It’s an open look at the weight of guilt when it’s carried around and the forgiveness that comes through not only accepting Jesus’ forgiveness but also forgiving ourselves. It’s an important story that needs to be read. I felt convicted for holding someone’s sin against them, but I also felt convicted to forgive myself for sins in my past that I still beat myself up over. When a fiction books makes you think spiritually while still enjoying a story, it’s a good book.

This is the first book I’ve read by Tate, but I plan to check out her other books.

I received this book from Booksneeze for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Smitten!

When the mill in the small town of Smitten closes, the townspeople are nervous that they will lose their beloved city. Four friends, Natalie, Julia, Shelby, and Reese, decide to save their town by making Smitten the go-to spot for honeymooners and couples in love. Now, they just need to convince the men in the town that their idea will work. Will they be able to convince the men in their lives to take a chance on love and on Smitten?

For years, I have been reading the blog that Kristin, Colleen, Denise, and Diann have together. Their friendship and love for one another is evident in each post. The four women in Smitten are based on the authors themselves, and I think that’s one reason this book flows smoothly. Many times when you read a book that has two or three novellas that contain the same characters, the characters are different in each book, which is annoying for a reader. Because these authors know each other so well, the characters remain true to themselves throughout all four stories, creating one continuous novel. The characters are as vibrant and as real as the women who created the tale, and their friendship is authentic and comfortable. The element of faith in Jesus is presented as each woman struggles in her spiritual walk, but the book is never preachy, which is a plus in my book.

After reading this, I want to visit Smitten. Fans of these four authors will love this book and feel like they know the authors a little more after reading it.

Check out the authors at their blog: http://www.girlswriteout.blogspot.com/

Book Giveaway!

Congrats to Cherry  for winning Water's Edge. I'll email you to get your address. :)

Today, I'm giving away Here Burns my Candle. To enter, just leave a comment. I had a long day and can't think of a fun topic. Sorry. I guess you could tell me how you relax after a long day. I can only ship to the U.S. I'll pick a winner next Tuesday, and you'll have a week to reply.


Just a tease--next week, I'm giving away Smitten, written by four of my favorite authors, which doesn't come out until December. :) I just have to finish it first.

Here Burns my Candle by Liz Curtis Higgs

Secrets can destroy a person, a reputation, and a family. The members of the Kerr family all have secrets that can destroy the ones they love. Lady Elisabeth Kerr hides her beliefs. Her husband hides his affairs. Her mother-in-law hides her money and her guilt. When their secrets begin to come out, will they be able to find the forgiveness and redemption they all desperately need? Set in eighteenth-century Scotland at the height of a revolution, this novel explores the transformation that comes when the light of the world comes into a dark heart.

I enjoyed this book. I’m not usually a huge fan of books set in Scotland (I think I have to focus too much on the dialect to truly enjoy the story, which I know would be easy if I read more stories set here.) But, this story intrigued me. This book contains everything from romance to family loyalty, including standing up for one’s beliefs, forgiveness, and even the ills of a society that focuses on titles and appearances. Fans of Christian historical fiction will enjoy this book and will see parallels to the Biblical story of Ruth, who is one of my favorite Bible characters.

The end of the book is merely a beginning for the second one, and I look forward to reading it.

I received this book from the publisher for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Find the book on Amazon: Here Burns my Candle

Visit the author's website: http://www.lizcurtishiggs.com/

I get books to review based on my ratings. If you have a minute, please take the time to rate my review.

Lucid Books

This summer, I started editing for Lucid Books, a small but growing publishing company. I've edited two books now, and I love it.
Lucid Books is an amazing publisher.It's not a self-publisher, but instead a partner-publisher. It's small enough for the author to get a lot of attention, but they've published enough books to know what they are doing. :)

If you are writing a book that you would like to see in print for others to read, check them out! You may even get me as an editor.

Link to Lucid Books

Book Giveaway!

Congrats to Cheryl who won Over the Edge. I think I still have your address, so I'll check and let you know.

This week I'm giving away Water's Edge by Robert Whitlow, which I really enjoyed.

I think it's the Cajun blood in me, but I love the water.....but not beach water. I like rivers, lakes, and swamps. I like to go out on the boat and ride, which is something I haven't done in a long time. I drive over a river each day, and it brings me peace. Sadly, with the drought, it's showing more sand bars than water.

What do you love about the water? Can you go swimming in water you can't see the bottom of? Do you enjoy surfing, sailing, or just lying on a floatie with a book?

Water's Edge by Robert Whitlow

I've read all of Robert Whitlow's books and have enjoyed them all, including this one. Tom is a young lawyer with dreams of becoming a partner in a prestigious firm. In one day, he loses his job, his girlfriend, and his cat. Without direction, he moves back to the small town where his father worked as a lawyer before his recent death. Determined to tie up his father's loose ends and then get back to the big city, Tom overlooks some details in his father's cases, details that could jeopardize his career and his father’s reputation.

While the book focuses mainly on the case that surrounds his father's death, the story is much more than a mystery. It's a tale of self-discovery and the transformation that occurs as a person comes to know the truth of Jesus Christ. It's a book about friendships, lost love, and new friends. It's a story of a small town with big secrets. The character development and side stories add depth to the story without taking away from the overall mystery.

Fans of Robert Whitlow will be satisfied with his latest book; I know I was. I was given this book by Booksneeze for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book Giveaway!

Congratulations to Dawn, who won Inside Threat. I'll mail it to you soon.

Today, I'm giving away Over the Edge by Brandilyn Collins. I reviewed it this week, so you can check out that blog post for more details.
To enter, just leave a comment about what sends you "over the edge" in life. For me, it's people who can't drive the speed limit! LOL!
Make sure you leave your email address.
I can only ship to the US.
I'll pick a winner next Tuesday. You'll have a week to respond before I give the book to another person.
Good luck.

Over the Edge by Brandilyn Collins

Janessa's life seems perfect. Her husband is a well-known researcher and professor. His work affords her and her daughter a perfect life--wealth, beautiful home, the best school. When Janessa gets sick, she and her husband assume it's a bad case of the flu. Instead, it is her worse nightmare. A man calls and informs Janessa that he has infected with her with Lyme disease. To save her daughter from becoming infected, Janessa must convince her husband, who believes chronic Lyme disease doesn't exist, to retract his research findings. Can Janessa save her daughter when her own husband doesn't believe her?

My sister read this book before me and didn't enjoy it, so to be honest, I wasn't expecting much. While the book is not as fast-paced as most of Brandilyn Collins' books (I've read all of them), it is interesting and a good read. Most of Collins' books focus on the action and the suspense. This book spends more time on character development. At the beginning of the book, Janessa is a Stepford wife, making sure the dinner is prepared at a certain time, having the home spotless, making sure she was not a minute late to pick up her daughter. When her illness leaves her so sick she cannot get out of bed, she has to become a fighter just to move. When no one believes she has Lyme, she has to fight to get answers. When her husband questions her ability to care for her daughter, she has to fight to provide for her child. By the end of the book, Janessa is a force to be reckoned with. This development of character is the best I've seen in a Collins' book.

The second thing I enjoyed about the book was the realistic portrayal of the disease and the medical field. While most doctors care about their patients, the patient must be his or her own advocate, pushing to receive the best care possible, insisting the doctors find out the answers. I knew very little about Lyme disease when I picked up this book, but I now feel for those who suffer from this disease. I hope this book will help educate people. I felt the information was presented in a straight-forward manner and was not too preachy. There were a few parts where the "information" slowed down the drama, but it wasn't enough for me to stop reading.

Overall, good book.

9 down, 74 to go!

Last time I posted about my weight-loss quest, I was on a plateau. I realized I hadn't updated with my progress! Even though I was on the plateau of four pounds lost forever, I kept with the program of working out and eating right. It paid off.
I'm down nine pounds now! :) I'm starting to feel and to see a difference.
At lunch Sunday, my nephew looked at me, cocked his head, and said, "You look different. Skinnier." Then he turned back to his food. He made my day!