Journey to Love by Janeen Michael-Lanier - REVEIWED

About the Book:
Abused! The Preacher's Wife! Divorced! 

These were not my character traits or career choice, yet these associations and marks on my life gave me my public identity. This identity's influence was so strong it broke my personal courage. Could I break the silence and confess my pain to God? Would He hear my prayers and heal me if I walked away from ministry? Would He discard me, if I got a divorce? After taking an honest look at my life I truly wondered if He even loved me at all! For years I lived with the disconnection between the truth of God's Word, which proclaimed His Love for me, and my ability to dwell daily in the confident security that truth inspires. 

The distress in my heart was so great, and securing God's love seemed so elusive that I made attempts to cure myself. Unfortunately, I wound up causing myself greater injury as I sought out alternatives that I could intellectually grasp and measure up to. Each substitute for His love that I gathered failed me miserably...'til finally I answered God's question to me. "Janeen, will you let me love you?" 

After many hills, valleys, scrapes and falls, I placed my hand in His and made the discovery of a lifetime. He created me to Love me! I didn't have to beg, barter, or steal for love. The Love that I so desperately longed for was inside of me. All I had to do was "accept" and "receive" the awesome gift. But the twists and turns of the pathways travelled, to arrive at the place of clarity and wholeness, was an absolutely incredible...Journey to Love! I am so glad that God is Love. He miraculously loves me and you, in the midst of and through each of our life's pathways! 

My Thoughts:

“A Souledy – A Melodious ode born out of a sacrificial, thankful, meditative, worshipful, reflective, or contemplative utterance of a soul (immortal component of a human) that is focused or centered on the character, attributes, or traits of one or more Persons of the triune God of Christianity.” (p. 146)

This definition is supplied by Janeen Michael-Lanier as she explains the way she worships God through the creation of a “melody that flows from my soul.  It is a conscious act of my will that I employ through song to meditate on God.”  Her book, Journey to Love, is the most poignant, sometimes painful, Souledy she has ever created.  Her words were bled from her soul as she shares her testimony of how God brought her into a precious and intimate relationship with Christ.

Her experience mirrors that of many women, even mirrors my own life experience to some extent, yet God faithfully caries her through until she rests safe in the faithful arms of her Savior.  This is not an easy book to read, but it is filled with the precious promises and direction of God’s Word that buoy believers up in our earthly walk through this fallen word.  This is an important book that will minister to many that are desperate to find the unfailing, complete, unconditional love that is only found in God through Jesus Christ.

Janeen shares her Souledy through music as well, and has recently released a CD entitled Press On. So please, explore her book and her music!  You will find healing, promise and strength for your journey!

About the Author: (from The Adams Group)
Today, Janeen serves as the Worship Arts Director at Emmanuel Community Church in Conyers, Georgia, where she hones her craft of songwriting, singing and leading worship on a daily basis.   She realizes the task before her is to help other people understand what she has learned -- that transparency before the Lord will lead to a deeper worship experience.

“Worship is our God-given gift and opportunity to revere and show respect to our holy God and it can’t be achieved when we aren’t honest before Him, by living lives that are contrary to His Word.  The more obedient we are before Him, the deeper the worship experience will be.  Additionally, it is difficult to receive and enjoy His presence in the worship experience when we’re all covered up.  It is really heartbreaking to see brothers and sisters during a worship service, singing songs and going through the motions yet seemingly leave “empty” though deeply longing to feel “full” from the experience. We are so dependent on Him for everything, including our need for His help to render acceptable worship, but until we come honest and disrobed, it will always lack in depth.”

A Grand Design by Amber Stockton - REVIEWED

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing

About the Book:
A getaway on a charming island may be just what Alyssa needs—if only she can let go of her past.
When Alyssa Denham, a single career woman, wins a fun getaway for two on Mackinac Island where her grandmother lives, she gives her carefree best friend a call. Together, they tour the old shops and hidden treasures of the quaint island while helping Alyssa’s grandmother piece together an heirloom quilt. Their quest gains them entrance into the homes of many longtime residents of the island, parts of the city that are otherwise off limits to tourists.

As the quilt’s story takes shape, Alyssa gains amazing insight into her grandmother’s life . . . and attracts the attention of the handsome Scott Whitman, an island resident in charge of hotel transportation. Will memories of her past keep Alyssa from letting go? Or will the quest to piece together the heirloom quilt restore Alyssa’s fractured heart—and bring healing to her entire family?
My Thoughts:

“Life’s a grand adventure, and we’re all just along for the ride.”  (p. 176)

Alyssa Denham’s  life is anything but an adventure when you first meet her in the opening scenes of Amber Stockton’s novel  A Grand Design.  Hard-working and alone, she watches as, one by one, her friends marry and begin their lives with their beloved.  Then, there is a sudden change – a gift of a trip for two to Makinac island – and island she hasn’t visited since she was a young girl.  The island home of her grandmother.

Alyssa does something a bit out of character and makes a sudden decisive move toward this two-week island adventure, and she invites her best friend Libby along.  Libby is a bit of a guy magnet, but that doesn’t deter Alyssa.  She just wants to explore her misplaced relationship with her grandmother and get away from her very unadventuresome,  single life.

Alyssa’s grandmother creates a very unusual challenge for the two best friends, and she sends them around the island collecting pieces of her own past – never dreaming of all the things that would be healed and restored in her life and the life of her granddaughter.  Alyssa’s  life takes a transformational path during her two-week island stay that sets her upon the adventure of a life time!  Family, friends and a solid plot are tools Amber Stockton uses to create a touching and memorable tale that will leave your heart sighing in contentment! 

Another stellar addition to the Quilts of Love series!

About the Author:

Amber Stockton is an award-winning author, a national speaker, and a direct-sales brand partner with Nerium International. She lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, in Colorado. They have a daughter and a son, and an Aussie/retriever mix named Roxie. Three of her novels have won annual reader’s choice awards. Find out why readers love her by visiting her website AmberStockton.com.

HIS KIDS UNITED, VOLUME 1, CD EARNS DOVE AWARD NOMINATION

Debut Release from Series Featuring Kids Singing Today's Top Christian Hits Tapped in Children's Music Album of the Year Category

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (August 15, 2014) - His Kids United, Volume 1, has been nominated for a Dove award in the category of Children's Music Album of the Year. Producers Jimmy Swan, Levi Bradford, David Castell, Brad Nyght, Jordan Bledsoe, Zachary Kuykendall and Mai Swan were included in the nomination. The 18-song project, the first in the His Kids United CD series, is for kids ages 5-14 and featuring kid-sung versions of today's top Christian hits, including "Overcomer" by Mandisa, "Shake" by MercyMe, and "Speak Life" by TobyMac, was released April 29 through INgrooves/Capitol Christian Distribution.  "Everyone I have played this music for has absolutely loved it! I'm so proud to be working with His Kids United series," says Jay Schield, owner/president of Over The Line, which handles marketing for the CD series. "For the very first CD in the His Kids United series to be nominated for a Dove Award among the best of the best in the Christian music business is truly amazing!" says His Kids United creator Jimmy Swan. "We are excited to see so many people catching the vision forHis Kids United! Our prayer is that this nomination will lead to more people finding our album so that their kids can be engaged and encouraged by the message." His Kids United series founder and producer Jimmy Swan was nominated for a Dove Award along with the other producers, Levi Bradford, David Castell, Brad Nyght, Jordan Bledsoe, Zachary Kuykendall and Mai Swan.  His Kids United, Volume 1, was nominated alongside 25 Favorite Bible Songs (Veggie Tales), Grow Serve Proclaim (Cokesbury Kids), Nothing Is Impossible (Planetshakers Kids), and We Belong To Jesus (New Life Worship Kids With Jared Anderson). The Dove Awards will be held October 7 at Lipscomb University's Allen Arena in Nashville. Parents of four themselves, His Kids Unitedfounders Jimmy and Mai Swan recognized a gap in the supply of uplifting Christian music kids can truly appreciate. A labor of love transformed the best of CCM into an album with which their own children would quickly fall in love.    "Up until now, there have been no other products like His Kids United CDs," says Jimmy Swan, executive producer of the project. "Why wouldn't parents want to invest in positive Christian music for their children? And while the music is focusing on kids ages 5 to 14, we're finding that young adults and even parents enjoy listening to the music, too!" A Christmas version of the CD series, His Kids United Christmas, will be released this Fall. For more information, visit HisKidsUnited.com or like on Facebook atfacebook.com/HisKidsUnited.

About His Kids United: His Kids United is a music brand for kids ages 5-14, featuring today's most popular Christian songs, performed by youth and targeting a youth audience. His Kids United is a division of Jimmy Swan Productions, LLC, an integrated entertainment company involved with music, film and TV distribution, publishing, artist management and marketing. Swan also manages Swaggernautz, the writing team behind Troye Sivan's "Happy Little Pill" single that is on the Tryxe CD, which has charted at No. 1 on iTunes in 55 countries this week.  Teens, tweens and children alike can now enjoy the best of Contemporary Christian Music-tailor-made just for them. His Kids United exclusively features young voices belting out fresh, new mixes of today's most popular Christian hits. From well-loved tunes such as the vibrant celebration chorus, "Shake," to the worshipful tones of "10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)," or the driving declaration of "I Am" and the tight harmonies of "O Praise Him," His Kids United marries the dynamic energy of youth with the popular trends of proven hits.  For more information about His Kids United visit HisKidsUnited.com.

Murder at the Mikado by Julianna Deering - REVIEWED

About the Book:  (from Bethany House Publishers)
When a celebrated ACTOR IS FOUND MURDERED IN HIS DRESSING ROOM, all signs point to Drew's old flame. But behind the curtains nothing is what it seems and this quickly becomes hisMOST puzzling case YET.
Just as Drew Farthering thinks his life has calmed down some, Fleur Landis, a former girlfriend, reappears, in dire need of his help. She's married now, no longer an actress--but the lead actor in her former troupe's production of The Mikado has been murdered, and Fleur is the police's number one suspect.

Drew would rather focus on his fiancée, Madeline Parker, and their upcoming wedding, but he can't leave Fleur and her family in the lurch--even if she did break his heart once. As Drew, Nick, and Madeline begin investigating, they discover more going on behind the scenes of the theater troupe than could ever have been imagined. It seems nearly everyone had a motive, and alibis are few and far between.

Both the murder case and the presence of the beautiful, exotic Fleur put a heavy strain on Drew and Madeline's relationship. Will their still-young romance survive the pressure?
My Thoughts:

“A rather odd sort of calling to have, isn’t it...Detecting?  (p. 59)

“I haven’t kept a happy wife by putting myself in harm’s way.”  (p. 71)

“Maybe that’s the point of this whole thing, Drew, helping anyone who needs us.  Not just the ones we particularly like.”  (p. 77)

I simply could not decide upon a quote that encapsulated this wonderful story!  Julianna Deering is an author that creates such a multi-layered, complex story line that your heart and mind remain completely engaged from the first page to the last!  Yes,  the plot line revolves around a murder…and then another…and then suspecting one character then another….and everything is built upon the very fragile, fickle human heart.  Sigh…..nothing is clear cut and easily explained.  Just when you think you know what is taking place, you discover there is more to the story.  This really is an excellent and very engaging novel!

Drew Farthering and Madeline Parker find themselves in the midst of a personal and professional maelstrom.  They are forced to closely examine every detail surrounding the murders to protect the innocent, and they are forced to examine their own hearts to be able to make some commitments that seem overwhelming.  There is a level of danger that builds throughout the story, and it is a very human heart-cry the eventually reveals the culprit!

Trust me!  This is a read worth investing time to enjoy!  You won’t be disappointed!

About the Author:

Julianna Deering has always loved British history and literature and is particularly a fan of the classic mysteries written by Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie. She graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas and now works for an attorney specializing in wills and estate planning. She lives outside Dallas, Texas, where she loves to quilt, cross-stitch, and watch hockey. Learn more at www.juliannadeering.com.

A View from Bonnie Calhoun's Window! Tremors and Thunder

Of all the interviews I've ever completed, I have to be honest and tell you that this one is very dear to me!!  Bonnie is a gifted writer, a savvy business owner, a magazine editor and, most importantly, my dear friend!   She loves the Lord and serves Him with passion and purpose!  Tremors and Thunder recently released, and I am thrilled to discuss this dystopian series with Bonnie!

Please give Bonnie a warm and hearty welcome to my window!

Young adult fiction is a genre in desperate need of lots of action, adventure and just good reading in general!!  Where and when was the concept of The Stone Braide Chronicles conceived?

The idea  for this series came to me about two years ago while I was looking at the internet. I’m an author with at least a dozen people in my head jabbering all at the same time, so I’m not sure what image online triggered the “thread thought” but it just grew from there. I find as I come up with complementary story threads, it tends to massage the story...LOL...until it’s grown to what it is today. So literally a story concept is an ongoing, growing, alive thing...until the series is done.

You create some pretty wild and futuristic medical concepts in Thunder.  Did you have to dive into research to make these concepts believable to your readers?  What did that entail?

Actually those are all REAL medical concepts. I just stuck a couple “what if’s” in there to bend them to my maniacal will...Mwhahahaha!

Why did you choose to switch from writing for adults to young adults?  How did the process differ from your previously published work?

Because young adults are more willing to read all kinds of situations and fancies whether futuristic or sci-fi, whether mystery or suspense and they love dystopian worlds and overcoming them...and they’re not much interested in bonnet books :-)

Young adults see the hope of overcoming grueling, life-changing landscapes, where adults today...and I mean mostly women readers...see enough grueling, life-changing landscapes just by reading the news and they want something sweeter.

Thunder contains some age-old concepts hearkening back to attempts at control – arranged marriages, medical deception and masking, relationship that are favored one over another, racial discrimination– and the rebellion that seems to always answer those attempts at control.  Selah feels those results keenly on many levels.  What do you hope readers will take away from the lessons Selah learns throughout her journey?

That there is always hope. That there is something better. That we’ve all been created for a purpose and if we’re receptive that purpose will manifest.

Does the mark of the Landers indicate anything spiritual, or is that my imagination?

Well...I could tell ya...but then I’d have to kill ya *snort-giggle*

Where on earth did you conceive the tornado concept toward the end of the novel?  Why was that group not able to be redeemed?  What is the significance of that?

Ha, ha...did you ever see the Helen Hunt movie Twister where they called the tornado, “the finger of God?” No one said they couldn’t be redeemed. It depends on what you mean by that. :-) Seriously...I’m not messing with you, but if I explained their situation it would give away the plot to the second book... and there’d be no reason for people to buy the second book. It’s another case of, “If I told you, I’d have to kill you.” Because a secret between two people is only a secret if one of them is dead. :-)

How does marketing for this series differ from the marketing you’ve done for your adult novels?  This is a totally different genre!

Marketing is basically the same with some minor tweaks. We’re also looking for the adult market because just like with The Hunger Games or Divergent series, plenty of adults read them too, mostly women though. The tweaks included more YA and teen book and reader sites and media interactions.

Can your give us a sneak peek into the next book of the series?  Where is that novel in the process of development?

The series was already done in my mind when I submitted the proposal. I needed to give a short synopsis for each book. I basically had three thread points...one for each book, and what the “middle point” or point of no return would be for the character. The thing that was driving her actions throughout the book...and then how I wanted that book to end. Now...as for everything else in between...well that’s a work in progress and literally sometimes surprises me. But then again...it’s all those people in my head vying to be heard on their ideas of where I’m supposed to go. I can tell you literally that where this series ends up is no where near where I was headed when I started. Those crazy people in my head took me on a wonderfully cool detour that you will never see coming!

What have you learned about yourself as you've written this series?  How has this series challenged you as a writer?

LOL..I wrote a chapter last night. Got done and read it over...B-O-R-I-N-G! Rewriting today, and tonight (since I had to stop to do this interview before you sent drones to blow up my house.) The challenges are the fun part of being an author. If we all stayed where we were when we started then people would get tired of us sooner or later *snort-giggle* I’d get tired of me sooner or later! But we always need to be stretching our writer muscles and thought process (and getting more residents for the funny farm in our heads). So always being on the lookout for a “what-if” or deviation from what people would expect next is the challenge that all writers accept...if they are to survive in this ever-changing industry.

What words of encouragement would you like to leave with your readers?

I would say don’t be too discouraged that I couldn’t give a lot of the direct answers that Kim wanted, but if I had...you know the drill...I’d have had to kill you all. LOL...she has a great knack for going for the best of the details and I just can’t give away those things or you wouldn’t need to read the book, and you’d know all the secrets and it just wouldn’t be as much fun, or as many head-slaps when you got to the answers.

So...be blessed and keep reading!

You can read my review of Thunder Here!!

Surviving Henry by Erin Taylor Young

Sky Zone by Creston Mapes - REVIEWED

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Sky Zone David C. Cook (June 1, 2014) by Creston Mapes

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Creston has fond memories of his boyhood in Bath, Ohio, where he became enchanted with his future wife, way back in the fourth grade. His father, Bernie, owned and operated The Weathervane Furniture Shop in town. The whole family lived right upstairs in the century-old house known as "The Shop."

Creston studied journalism at Bowling Green State University, then began his writing career. During the past 30 years, he has worked as a reporter, corporate copywriter, creative director, freelance writer, and author.


ABOUT THE BOOK

A rally for a controversial presidential candidate.
A terrorist threat.
A nightmare of cataclysmic proportions. 

Jack and Pamela Crittendon have hit the breaking point. After months out of work as a reporter, Jack is playing Mr. Mom and working part-time at Festival Arena with his survivalist friend Brian Shakespeare. Meanwhile, Pamela has gone back to work full-time while eight months pregnant. Having her recently widowed mother on hand isn't making matters any easier. With financial pressures boiling, Jack reports for duty at a rally for controversial presidential candidate Martin Sterling where he expects a mindless night on the job. But when Homeland Security picks up intel about a potential terrorist threat, Jack and Shakespeare are thrust into a life-or-death battle to save their own lives--and the lives of thousands of innocent people.

My Thoughts:

“Yet another trial by fire.”  (p.133)

Jack and Pam Crittendon have faced fierce trials in Creston Mapes’ in each of the Crittendon Files novels.  When Sky Zone begins, the reader is almost relieved to discover that Jack and Pam are facing some of the more usual trials like unemployment, debt and some overly zealous prepper friends.  However, it doesn’t take long before it becomes very apparent that they are facing much more serious obstacles!

Each of Mapes’ books seem to be ripped from the headlines in some way.  Yet he takes it a step beyond the headlines and looks behind the unspoken fears that lie within the hearts of people around the world.  We are living in an age where terrorism seems to pop up in random places and in unexpected ways.  Mapes lifts the veil and allows the reader to experience a public kind of terror that will make even the staunchest readers squirm.  Just when you think things are beginning to settle down for a bit, the ultimate reveal explodes right in your face, and you are left to wonder about the truth of every aspect of life.

The characters in this novel, those who are believers, and some who are not, come to realize that the only thing that holds lasting value is faith in God alone.  Not the created god of terrorism, but the Creator God of the Universe who sent His Son to redeem mankind.  The gospel message is skillfully woven into the story line in a way that will draw unbelievers to consider that there is, indeed, a better way than our world leads us to believe. The reader is able to witness the transformational change that comes through the fiery trials faced by the characters in this novel.

Creston Mapes writes a fast-paced believable plot-line that will keep the pages flying past well past bedtime!  So, settle in for a great ride, and know that God does indeed bring light out of the darkest of circumstances!  These characters are flawed and genuine, and you will enjoy every minute you spend together!  Bravo!! 

If you would like to read the first chapter of Sky Zone, go HERE.