Devotion by Marianne Evans - REVIEWED

About the Book:
From This Day Forward

Christian Music agent Kellen Rossiter has everything he ever wanted: A-list clients from coast to coast, a loving wife who honors and respects him, and a faith life that’s never wavered—until now.

Juliet Rossiter has the perfect life: a rewarding schedule serving the underprivileged, a husband who loves her as Christ loved the church, and a blessed future as a mother—at least that's what she thinks.

For Better or Worse

But what happens when their rock-solid marriage begins to crumble under the weight of an unexpected and powerful temptation?  How does love survive when its foundation is shaken?

'Til Death Do Us Part

When human frailty and the allure of sin deal a harsh blow to their relationship, it will take more than love to mend the shattered trust and heartbreak. It will take a lifetime of devotion.

My Thoughts:

“So much love trying to burst its way through so much pain.”  (p.231)

Kellen and Juliet’s journey, sadly, isn’t so rare as you’d like to think among Christian marriages.  Infidelity comes with a very high price, and the journey back to trust – if two people are willing to work toward reconciling the marriage – is almost more painful than the infidelity that caused the break in the marriage to begin with.

Their story is what the journey should look like between two committed Christians, and it is a beautifully painful story to read.  I hope it brings healing to many.

Sadly, I’ll say no more.  My marriage ended after almost 23 years, and I was never offered a chance to reconcile.  That too, is a sad reality.  I will testify to this fact…God is ever near the broken-hearted.  He binds up their wounds and draws them close to His heart. I rest close to the heart of my Savior, and my prayer is that NO ONE will ever suffer the hurt of infidelity ever again.  It is, without a doubt, one of the enemies most painful weapons.  I am so grateful Devotion gives the reader hope that is seated on the promises of God.  I am very grateful!!

About the Author:

Marianne Evans is a multi-award-winning author of over twenty Christian romance and fiction novels. Her hope is to spread the faith-affirming message of God's love through the stories He prompts her to create. Readers laud her work as: 'Riveting.' 'Realistic and true to heart.' 'Compelling.' 

Devotion, earned the prestigious Bookseller's Best Award from Greater Detroit RWA as well the Heart of Excellence Award from Ancient City Romance Authors. She also earned wins for Best Romance of 2012 from the Christian Small Publisher's Association and the Selah award for best Novella of 2013. 

Happily married and the mother of two, Marianne is a lifelong resident of Michigan who is active in a number of a number of Romance Writers of America chapters, most notably the Greater Detroit Chapter where she served two terms as President.

Beyond All Dreams by Elizabeth Camden - REVIEWED

About the Book:
Anna O'Brien leads a predictable and quiet life as a map librarian at the illustrious Library of Congress until she stumbles across the baffling mystery of a ship disappeared at sea. Thwarted in her attempts to uncover information, her determination outweighs her shyness and she turns to a dashing congressman for help.

Luke Callahan was one of the nation's most powerful congressmen before his promising career was shadowed in scandal. Eager to share in a new cause and intrigued by the winsome librarian, he joins forces with Anna to solve the mystery of the lost ship. Opposites in every way, Anna and Luke are unexpectedly drawn to each other despite the strict rules forbidding Anna from any romantic entanglements with members of Congress. 

From the gilded halls of the Capitol where powerful men shape the future of the nation, to the scholarly archives of the nation's finest library, Anna and Luke are soon embroiled in secrets much bigger and more perilous than they ever imagined. Is bringing the truth to light worth risking all they've ever dreamed for their futures?

My Thoughts:

“Pieces of paper with words and lines on them that have the ability to change the world.”  (p. 167)

Luke’s love for the written word rivaled Anna’s love of cartography and her work at the Library of Congress.  Luke was a politician who made Anna’s acquaintance when he came to the library for a reprieve from politics.  Their unlikely pairing to work together on a report on oyster taxation opens the door to a relationship that is tumultuous at best.  Luke and Anna are more similar than they dare realize, and as they begin to learn about each other, it becomes apparent that between the two of them they have quite a few skeletons that haunt their past.

Anna hates secrets, and above everything, she want to dispel the mystery surrounding the death of her father.  What she could never imagine, was that there would come a time when all of the secrets she worked so hard to bring to light would spill out on the eve of war.  What Luke never dreamed was that Anna’s secrets held the key to his political success.  A more unlikely duo you’ve never met!

Elizabeth Camden has a unique ability to combine significant historical events with well-developed characters and complex relationships in a way that draws the reader in and then surprises you with unexpected twists and turns that leave you really thrilled at the way it all comes together.  This is a very well-written, captivating story that was so much more than I dared to expect.  I highly recommend  Beyond All Dreams!

About the Author:

Elizabeth Camden is the award-winning author of four books, including Against the Tide (2012), winner of a RITA Award, Christy Award, and Daphne du Maurier Award. With a master's in history and a master's in library science, she is a research librarian by day and scribbles away on her next novel by night. Elizabeth lives with her husband in Florida. Visit her website at www.elizabethcamden.com.

COMING AUGUST 28th!!! WAR ROOM!!

About War Room:
 Tony and Elizabeth Jordan seemingly have it all—great jobs, a beautiful daughter, their dream home. But appearances can be deceiving. In reality, their marriage has become a war zone and their daughter is collateral damage. With guidance from Miss Clara, an older, wiser woman, Elizabeth discovers she can start fighting for her family instead of against them. As the power of prayer and Elizabeth’s newly energized faith transform her life, will Tony join the fight and become the man he knows he needs to be? Together, their real enemy doesn’t have a prayer. With a cast featuring director Alex Kendrick, Priscilla Shirer, T.C. Stallings, Beth Moore, and Michael Jr., along with Karen Abercrombie as the unforgettable Miss Clara, WAR ROOM will inspire moviegoers to start fighting their own battles the right way—through prayer. WAR ROOM: Prayer is a powerful weapon

Q&A with Carol Cymbala, Director of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir

Why did you make "PRAY" the title of the new CD?
“Pray” is a ballad sung by Timiney Figueroa and it inspires people to look away from their problems and give them to God at the throne of grace. We chose the song as the title of the CD because the bible says God’s house shall be called a house of prayer.  Teaching, music, and worship are all important, but I truly believe we need more prayer in our lives and in our churches. Through prayer, anything is possible and we want to encourage everyone, everywhere to pray.  

Talk about some of the new songs.
“At The Cross” is a new praise and worship chorus we have been singing with our congregation. It lifts up the greatness of what Jesus did when He came and died for our sins.  I believe this song will inspire a deeper love and spirit of worship in churches which will help us all overcome the anxieties and fear that are so prevalent in the world today. One of my favorite songs is “Come to Jesus” by Brandon Camphor. It's a song that invites people to come to Him just as they are.  It doesn't matter what pit they found themselves in, what they've done, or where they come from, Jesus is always there with open arms to receive them and to love them. Time and time again, I see people in our church that come to Him and I see their lives changed dramatically. It is just a beautiful thing to see.  Another one of my favorites is “He Loved Me.”  I can't think of any greater love than what Christ did for us. His love is for all of us. It is unconditional, and I am so thankful that we were able to record a song that can speak of the great love of our Savior. “Christ the King” is sung by Onaje Jefferson. It is an upbeat, uplifting song about surrender and trusting in Jesus. Generally, songs of surrender are written as ballads, but this song communicates just how exciting it is when Jesus becomes our everything. 

Church choir worship is becoming less prevalent in many churches today.  What is the key to sustaining and maintaining a vibrant choir ministry?
I've been directing the Brooklyn Tabernacle choir for many years, and week after week, I look up at about three hundred people singing with all of their hearts to the Lord, and every time I am moved and the congregation is touched. I see them lift their hearts and their hands and their voices to God in worship and praise, and I see how their hearts are stirred by music.  I really believe that it's very important that in the church today, if we are going to have a choir, that the people in the choir need to be committed members, who have a heart for God and a heart for ministry. I also believe that the choir directors need to focus on seeing lives changed through the power of the Gospel in song.  There's just something really beautiful and powerful about seeing so many people lifting their voices to the Lord in praise in one accord.  I pray that there would be more choirs that would be raised up in the day that we are living in so that we can sing a song of praise and victory to our God because He is worthy of all our praise. 

 Why is corporate worship so important to a church service and how do you motive the congregation to participate?
Corporate worship not only lifts up God and glorifies Christ Jesus, but it invites the Holy Spirit to come into our lives.  Jesus said the Spirit would glorify Him.  When we truly worship, we open ourselves to the power of the spirit, which helps us open our hearts to hear from God. The praise teams should never perform praise and worship.  If we simply perform, our congregations become spectators instead of worshipers, and it is vital that we worship from our hearts in spirit and in truth.  Worship is contagious, and when we worship as a choir and praise team, the congregation, in turn, begins to lift their hearts and worship God. I also believe our song selections should be simple enough that young and old, the diverse body of Christ, can lift their hearts in praise and worship together as one. 

 What events are coming up for the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir this year?
We are very excited about premiering the new CD in February.  We are already planning a very special Easter production that we put on every year. We have many outreaches during the year, and one of our most anticipated outreaches is when we can bring in the homeless of our city and are able to minister to them. We have a lot on our schedule and we're really excited to see what God is going do. 

 What keeps you motivated as a choir director to find new songs?
I love the old hymns.  I love so many songs that were written the past, but I'm so grateful to the Lord that he can give people new and fresh music that can minister to those that do not know Him, and those that know him can be blessed and renewed. Thankfully, God has used many of these songs to be an incredible blessing here in our congregation and around the world.

 What excites you most about the new CD?
One thing that is so special to me about the Pray project is that it focuses on the Gospel. The bible says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” There is an eclectic mix of songs on this album-- from contemporary Christian to praise and worship to gospel-- but the one thing we’re really excited about is that on this project, there are songs reminiscent of the traditional Brooklyn Tabernacle choir sound. As I look at the condition of the world today, I see so many people who are hurting and looking for answers, and we know that Jesus Christ is the answer. Our prayer is that this new CD will point people to Him.

The Abbot's Agreement by Mel Starr - REVIEWED

About the Book:
"My life would have been more tranquil had I not seen the birds. Whatever it was they had found lay in the shadow of the oak, so I was nearly upon the thing before I recognized what they were feasting upon. The corpse wore black." 

Master Hugh is making his way towards Oxford when he discovers the young Benedictine - a fresh body, barefoot. The nearby abbey's novice master confirms the boy's identity: John, one of three novices. He had gone missing four days previously, and his corpse is fresh. There has been plague in the area, but this was not the cause of death: the lad has been stabbed. To Hugh's sinking heart, the abbot commissions him to investigate.

My Thoughts:

“Knowing a thing that other men do not know seldom leads to failure.”  (p.64)

Ahhh!  Hugh de Singleton is in rare form in Mel Starr’s latest novel, The Abbot’s Agreement.  As always, he is a thirteenth century CSI agent and delights the reader with all of his ancient deductive skills as he searches for the murderer of a novice from the Eynsham Abbey.  He was traveling to Oxford in pursuit of purchasing a Bible.  Only Mel Starr could combine a murder mystery with the dawning of individual Bible ownership in a way that seamlessly works together to capture both the felon and the heart of the gospel!  Truly, brilliant!

And Master Hugh’s sense of humor is in rare form as well! He comments wryly on everything from his partner (really a groom) Author’s spectacular snoring to the reeve’s wife’s appearance that had me laughing out loud! I love it when that happens!  I would read even more carefully just so I wouldn’t miss one of his backhanded comments!  I think his sense of humor is even sharper than ever now that his wife Kate is expecting their second child!

Master Hugh is able to notice the most out of the way details that eventually, tucked away in his memory, leads him to solve the crime.  In this novel, it is the most unusual and obscure piece of evidence yet!  Again, every detail is seamlessly woven together to keep the reader guessing until the final pages.  Of course, along the way, Master Hugh doesn’t miss any opportunity to practice his skills as a surgeon!  That fascinates me as much or more that his expert sleuthing skills!  Simply fascinating!  I daresay a broken hip was far more dire in centuries past!

I haven’t missed a single story in The Chronicles of Hugh de Singleton, and I hope there are many more yet to be enjoyed!  I am a huge fan of Mel Starr’s writing and am more than excited to recommend The Abbot’s Agreement to everyone!

About the Author:

Mel Starr was born and grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He graduated from Spring Arbor High School in 1960, and Greenville College (Illinois) in 1964. He received an MA in history from Western Michigan University in 1970. He taught history in Michigan public schools for thirty-nine years, thirty-five of those in Portage, MI, where he retired in 2003 as chairman of the social studies department of Portage Northern High School.

Mel married Susan Brock in 1965, and they have two daughters; Amy (Kevin) Kwilinski, of Naperville, IL, and Jennifer (Jeremy) Reivitt, of Portage, MI. Mel and Susan have seven grandchildren. 

ANTINAS ENTERTAINMENT, LLC ACQUIRES MISSION PICTURES TO CREATE CANTINAS DISTRIBUTION

          New Company to Distribute Positive, Life-Affirming Films for Theatrical Release

(Los Angeles, Calif.) January 28, 2015 –Cantinas Entertainment, LLC has acquired Mission Pictures, co-founded by Cindy Bond. This deal combined with an established P&A fund creates the newly formed Cantinas Distribution, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cantinas Entertainment, LLC. 

Effective immediately, Bond will assume oversight of Cantinas Distribution which seeks to acquire positive, life-affirming films for North American theatrical release. Bond and her team plan to have a major presence in major film markets including the upcoming Sundance Film Festival. 

Greg Campbell, Cantinas Entertainment Co-Founder and CEO, said of the acquisition, “We are thrilled to announce the formation of Cantinas Distribution. This fulfills one of the core components for Cantinas Entertainment to become one of the next-gen content providers of quality entertainment. We are equally excited to be partnering with Cindy who is a respected industry leader and her vision that is in lock-step with our long-term strategic goals for the company.” 

“This is an incredibly exciting opportunity for Mission Pictures and me personally,” Bond said. “I look forward to putting my passion and experience into action alongside Greg and his team to make Cantinas the global destination for high-quality, inspirational entertainment.” 

Cantinas already has multiple projects in the pipeline including the live-action feature HEAVEN SENT, directed by Michael Landon,Jr., currently in post-production. Also in the works is the Francine Rivers best-seller REDEEMING LOVE as well as a co- production and financing deal for BRIDGE TO JABEZ with Mike Medavoy of Phoenix Pictures and his new company, Producers Doug McKay and Robert Kaplan of Rubicon Entertainment, and Producer Christopher Trunkey. In addition, both McKay and Kaplan are currently set to produce the upcoming Cantinas feature based on Brenda Spahn’s book “Miss Brenda and the Loveladies: A Heartwarming TrueStory of Grace, God and Gumption.” 

Cantinas Entertainment is a fully-funded new business venture dedicated to releasing multi-platform entertainment that inspires and informs through positive, life affirming stories. Cantinas believes entertainment should reinforce messages of selfless giving, elevating stories of compassion heroism and optimism. Cantinas aims to spark a sense of hope in audiences around the globe.

PASS THE LIGHT - Coming to Theatres Friday!! - REVIEWED

Pass the Light bears a message of love that is desperately needed today.  Sadly, may folks will find this offensive in the depiction of the “Christian” political candidate.  But to a lost and dying world, the portrayal of that character is, sadly, all that the lost seem to hear.  Condemnation and hate have become earmarks of many churches today.  Steve Bellafiore is a teen who has heard enough and chooses to take action.  Steve knows he is too young to be elected as a state representative, but he an d his very eclectic group of friends determine to make a difference in the community by offering an alternative to the condemnation their candidate seems intent to offer as his battle cry.

I think many people hear affirmation of sin if they hear anything other than vitriolic condemnation.  That is not the example Christ showed his disciples while he was here on earth.  As a matter of fact, the religious folks of his day condemned him for eating with publicans and sinners.  He has told us to love others as Christ loved us.  Somehow, we can’t separate love of people from love of sin.  We are never supposed to condone sin in any form, but, again, we tend to be unable to separate one from the other.

Steve discovers this truth in many life circumstances in this movie, and he learns to love as Jesus loved.  He leaves the life change in God’s hands and sets about becoming the hands and feet of Jesus to his community.

This is a family-friendly, thought-provoking movie.  I think people will have a love/hate relationship with the movie dependent upon the maturity of their individual walk with Christ.  There are some unexpected twists in the plot that viewers will find satisfying.  Overall, I think this is a good movie and one I am happy to recommend!