SADA K. Music Video, Directed by Actor Tyler James Williams, Premieres Today at NewReleaseToday.com

 (LOS ANGELES, California) -- SADA K. has partnered with NewReleaseToday.com for today's exclusive World Premiere of her new music video, “Live Love Laugh.” The video was directed by newcomer Jahmel A. Holden and actor Tyler James Williams, whom fans will recognize from shows like Everybody Hates Chris, The Walking Dead, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, Disney's Let It Shine and more.

 "Life is all about choices,” says SADA K. “It was our goal to create a visual to display just how beautiful life can truly be when we make the decision to live life to the fullest, walk in love and take time to find joy in everyday life because laughter is healing in so many ways."

 Four years after a devastating knee injury nearly ended her career, the former Press Play vocalist has re-emerged with her debut solo album, Long Story Short, available now at iTunes, Amazon and everywhere digital music is sold. For more information, visit the official website at www.SadaKMusic.com.

To Capture Her Heart by Rebecca DeMarino - REVIEWED

About The Book:
In an uncertain time, she faces a choice that will change her life forever
It is 1653 and Heather Flower, a princess of the Montaukett tribe, is celebrating her wedding feast when a rival tribe attacks, killing the groom and kidnapping her. Though her ransom is paid by an Englishman, she is bound by her captors and left to die--until she finds herself rescued by handsome Dutch Lieutenant Dirk Van Buren.

Still tender from her loss, Heather Flower begins to heal in the home of the Hortons, English friends of her people. Torn between her affection for Dirk and her longtime friendship with Ben Horton, Heather Flower must make a difficult choice--stay true to her friend or follow her heart. 

Exploring a unique slice of history, Rebecca DeMarino transports you to the wild land that would eventually become Long Island, New York. 

My Thoughts:

“The one thing he’d learned growing up from his parents was to bring your troubles to the Lord first, and He would answer you in His time.”  (p.53)

Benjamin’s thoughts early on in Rebecca DeMarino’s novel, To Capture Her Heart, is a glimpse into the heart of a very fascinating story!  Set in the mid-1600’s, this book captures both enchanting and dangerous dynamics between the European settlers and Native American Indians.  DeMarino has done meticulous research and captured the many nuances of this early American culture.  Well, it wasn’t American then, was it? 

The warring factions between tribes presented many dangers to the Europeans fleeing England in search of religious freedom.  DeMarino captures the spiritual differences accurately throughout the story, and some of the tension in the story-line occurs between those who are believers and those still doubtful of anything that might replace tradition.  Another facet that DeMarino captures beautifully is the strife that is created when the Indians and Europeans fall in love! J  She weaves many complex relationships within her novel, and, honestly, creates a tension that captures the reader early in the story and keeps them entranced throughout!  That, fellow-fiction buffs is good writing!

I somehow missed the first of this series, but I can say with confidence that you are still able to follow the story.  Based on the first chapter preview of the third novel, I know I probably missed some of the depth of her characters, but that only makes me want to go back and read the novel I missed!  Again, more evidence of great writing!

I am very happy to recommend The Southold Chronicles  (in particular, To Capture Her Heart) to everyone!

Please go HERE to win fabulous prizes!!

About the Author:

Rebecca DeMarino is the author of A Place in His Heart and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, and The Southold Long Island Historical Society. She was a 2011 Genesis Award semi-finalist. Rebecca is retired from a major airline and lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Tom. Learn more at www.rebeccademarino.com.

SHAE SHOC RECORDS PREPARES TO UNVEIL FIRST CHILDREN’S ALBUM, Fun Size, Vol. 1 BY SCRIPTURE SNACK KIDS TO DEBUT JULY 31, 2015

Daughters to Critically Acclaimed Artist Beckah Shae, Grace & Joy Put Bible Verses in the Form of Song To Help Kids Memorize Scripture

Nashville, Tenn. (July 14, 2015) --This summer, Shae Shoc Records will release its first children’s album by Scripture Snack Kids titled Fun Size, Vol. 1 on July 31, 2015. Aimed to help kids memorize Bible scripture, the 20-track album features the vocal talents of Grace (6) & Joy (8), daughters to Dove Award Nominee Beckah Shae and famed producer Jack Shocklee.

Stemming from Shae Shoc Records’ previous Scripture Snack albums, which featured Beckah, the proud parents wanted to ignite their daughters’ gifts, while helping other kids their age grow in their relationship with God. 

Scripture Snacks fills the gap by memorizing scriptures in the form of a song. Fun Size, Vol. 1 by Scripture Snacks Kids is an a cappella album, consisting of kids vocals along with critically acclaimed singer Beckah Shae and producer Jack Shocklee’s (tobyMac, Group 1 Crew, Montell Jordan) spin on pop driven melodies and low bass vocal percussion.  With 10 tracks breaking down various scriptures from “The Ten Commandments” to “Fruits of the Spirit”, the project also includes instrumental karaoke tracks to each song to put listeners memorization skills to the test.

“Our great privilege as parents is to encourage them to walk in truth and to leave a legacy of faith,” shares Beckah. “We wanted to teach our children that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and we know that it is necessary in the growing of their faith to hear the Word of God, to not just hide it in their hearts but to share it with the world!”

Fun Size, Vol. 1 will be available on iTunes ®, Amazon and other digital platforms and in select Christian retailers throughout the nation.

For additional information on Scripture Snacks Kids, please visit scripturesnack.com.

Jack Staples and the Ring of Time by Mark Batterson and Joel N. Clark - REVIEWED

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Jack Staples and the Ring of Time by Mark Batterson and Joel N. Clark

About the Book:

An eleven-year-old Irish boy awakens to a fantastical world and is unwittingly drawn into a war that's been raging since time before time. Encountering creatures beyond imagination, Jack must face his fears if he is to fulfill his destiny-to save the world and destroy it. Young readers will cheer Jack on as he discovers new and extraordinary abilities in this epic battle between good and evil. Filled with unexpected twists and action-packed turns, the first book in this fantastical trilogy will introduce readers to both lovable characters and unimaginable beings. Readers will experience Jack's unforgettable adventure as he learns to stop running from his fears and stand up for what's right in the face of great evil.



My Thoughts:

“It wasn’t the normal Jack was used to, but even insanity, if experience long enough, can start to feel like a certain kind of normal.”

The second installment of Jack Staples’ adventures, Jack Staples and the Ring of Time, seems to be a series of twists and turns that both the main character and the reader find both abnormal and mind-bending!   This particular book develops the back story that drives the action and the discovery for this entire series.  Many questions are answered for both the reader and the main characters within the story, and we are all left at the edge of a very precipitous fall! 

Once again, the reader experiences a very swash-buckling adventure as Jack and his co-horts tumble from one clash to another in an effort to stay one step ahead of the evil that pursues them.  This is a very allegorical tale that will introduce pre-teens to the gospel message.  My personal opinion is very strong that the children already have a basic understanding of the Biblical story of creation and redemption before plunging headlong into this series.   If a parent or teacher is willing, to read this aloud with the young adult would provide a rich environment to discuss many aspects of Bible truth.  A parent can lay a solid foundation for redemption with this story!  How wonderful is that?

Hang on for the ride!  Be prepared to have reality challenged!  Be prepared to enter an allegorical tale of spiritual warfare at its best and most exciting!  I am happy to recommend this series!!

About the Authors:

Mark Batterson serves as lead pastor of National Community Church (www.theaterchurch.com) in Washington, DC.  One church with seven locations.  NCC is focused on reaching emerging generations and meets in theaters throughout the DC metro area.  NCC also owns and operates the largest coffeehouse on Capitol Hill.  Mark holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Regent University and is the New York Times bestselling author of 11 books, including The Circle Maker, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, Wild Goose Chase and the two most recent, The Grave Robber and Jack Staples and the Ring of Time.  Mark is married to Lora and they live on Capitol Hill with their three children: Parker, Summer, and Josiah.   

 Joel N. Clark is the co-founder and Creative Director of Atlas District Pictures (http://www.atlasdistrictpictures.com), a production and ideas house co-located in Washington, DC and Johannesburg, South Africa. As a writer-filmmaker, Clark's love for story and adventure shine through in the diversity of products he and his team create ranging from short films and features to sitcoms, commercials and justice-oriented documentaries filmed all over the world. He lives with his wife, Megan in Washington D.C.

Letters from My Father's Murderer by Laurie A. Coombs - REVIEWED

About the Book:

Letters from My Father's Murderer: A Journey of Forgiveness(Kregel, June 2015)

When her father was murdered, Laurie Coombs sought justice and found it.

His murderer now serves two life sentences with no possibility of parole. Yet, despite the swift punishment of the killer, Laurie found herself increasingly full of pain, bitterness, and anger she couldn't control. After coming to faith, she realized she was being called to seek something infinitely more difficult than justice: forgiveness.

This is an extraordinary true story of grace, mercy, and the redemptive power of God to change lives. The reader is swept along with Laurie as she undergoes the life-changing transformation of becoming a Christian. As she studies Scripture, seeing God redeeming losses and healing deep wounds time and time again, she starts to understand that her own healing would require her to love her enemy in a real, practical way.

Using her incredible correspondence with the man who killed her father, Laurie reveals a compelling journey of transformation, not only in her life, but in the lives of those whom many would call irredeemable.

Letters from My Father's Murderer is for any audience Christian or secular who

-Craves freedom from the inability to forgive those who've caused them harm 

-Wants to hear testimony of God's power in our obedience 

-Has experienced pain through other's sin against them 

-Needs to know healing is always possible

The real story here is not primarily about murder and its fallout, but rather about redemption and how far it can reach.

Purchase your copy HERE!

My Thoughts:

“Tomorrow is most certainly a good day.”  (p. 199)

This one statement represents the essence of God’s redemptive work in the lives of Laurie Coombs and Anthony Echols.  When I began Letters from My Father’s Murderer  I didn’t have any idea what a God appointment this would be in my own life.  I’m living in the wake of a situation that desperately needs to reflect the forgiveness and grace that Laurie and Anthony pursued throughout this book!  Their experience has fueled a hope in my heart that I, too, will one day walk in this same freedom found only in the transformation of God’s forgiveness and grace.

The words of Jesus in Matthew 5:44, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” are the words that sparked a flame of obedience in Laurie’s heart.  She is very transparent about her own feelings throughout the book, and in spite of the pain, both she and Anthony persevered to reach out to receive all that God had for them within His mercy and grace!  As you read, you can “see” the transformation taking place in each of their lives.  You can see the struggle and how they submit to God time and time again.  It is through their obedience and waiting on God’s timing and leadership that every step toward forgiveness is taken.

It’s a process.  But the rewards will only be fully realized when we all stand together at the feet of Jesus.  This has got to be, without a doubt, the most profound and impactful book I have ever read!  I am so excited to see what God has for each of us that has our lives touched by this book!  There are great things ahead for all of us!!  PRAISE GOD!!!

About the Author:

Laurie A. Coombs is a passionate writer and speaker on the issues of forgiveness, redemption, and the hope that is found in Jesus. Her story was featured in Billy Graham's new film,Heaven. She is a featured writer and blogger for iBelieve and Crosswalk. Laurie and her husband, Travis, make their home in Nevada along with their two daughters.

Fine Laurie online:  website, Twitter, Facebook

Gone Without A Trace by Patricia Bradley - REVIEWED

About the Book:
The past is repeating itself--and time is running out
It's been more than two years since homicide detective Livy Reynolds's cousin disappeared from Logan Point. Unlike most people in her hometown, Livy has never believed that Robyn left voluntarily. When Dallas private investigator Alex Jennings contacts her concerning a senator's missing granddaughter who was last seen in Logan Point, Livy notices eerie similarities between the two disappearances. With self-doubt plaguing her and an almost instant dislike of the self-assured PI, she's finding this investigation an uphill battle. But with the prospect of finding her cousin on the horizon, she'll have to find a way to work with Alex--before it's too late.

Award-winning author Patricia Bradley keeps you on the edge of your seat with a case--and a relationship--that is anything but certain.

My Thoughts:

“Bring her home.”  (p. 297)

Kate’s plea is echoed throughout Patricia Bradley’s latest novel, Gone Without A Trace.  Over the years women have been disappearing from Logan Point.  When another young lady disappears, Alex Jennings is hired to find her, a challenge in and of itself, but then his dad challenges him with a bet of sorts, that if he doesn’t find the missing young lady, he has to take the bar exam and complete his law school training.  This is one of many difficult family relationship that appears in this novel.  Bradley blends both suspense and relational struggle and creates a fast-paced very suspenseful read that will leave you very satisfied!

Livy Reynolds is a homicide detective in Logan Point when her cousin disappears.  The last thing she ever expected in all of the loss and heartbreak is that the situation would introduce a man into her heart and life that would cause her to rethink some of her past choices.  Bradley doesn’t exclude a romantic element in her tale!  Actually, it is this element of the story that she uses to tie things together in a very unlikely way!

I’ve read Bradley’s work before, and I can honestly say, that her name on the title is a guarantee that you will be well-entertained and lose some sleep along the way!  Gone Without A Trace is no exception! The villain is a rather tragic character when all is said and done, and Bradley uses even that to cause the main characters to reconsider some of their own broken relationships!  It is a rather brilliant twist!  So, enjoy the ride, folks! It is a wild one!

About the Author:

Patricia Bradley is the author of Shadows of the Past, A Promise to Protect, and Gone without a Trace. Bradley has been a finalist for the Genesis Award, winner of a Daphne du Maurier Award, and winner of a Touched by Love Award. Bradley is a published short story writer and cofounder of Aiming for Healthy Families, Inc. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America, and makes her home in Mississippi. Learn more at www.ptbradley.com.

A Noteworthy Re-Release !! Splitting Harriet by Tamara Leigh - REVIEWED

About the Book:

ONCE UPON A TIME, I WAS A REBEL. AND I HAVE THE TATTOOS TO PROVE IT.

Did I mention I’m also a preacher’s kid? That’s right. And like the prodigal son after whom I modeled myself, I finally saw the error of my ways and returned to the fold. Today my life is all about lead me not into temptation. When I’m not serving as Women’s Ministry Director at my father’s church, I’m working at Gloria’s Morning Café. I even have worthy goals, like saving enough money to buy the café, keeping my Jelly Belly habit under control, and never again hurting the people I love. No more parties. No more unsavory activities. And no more motorcycles.

You’d think I was finally on the right track. But since my dad’s replacement hired a hotshot consultant to revive our dying church, things aren’t working out as planned. And now this consultant says I’m in need of a little reviving myself. Just who does this Maddox McCray think he is? With curly hair that could use a good clipping, a tattoo he makes no attempt to hide, and black leather pants, the man is downright dangerous. In fact, all that’s missing is a motorcycle. Or so I thought. But if he thinks he’s going to take me for a ride on that 1298cc machine of his, he can think again. Harriet Bisset is a reformed woman, and she’s going to stay that way. Even if it kills me!

My Thoughts:

I read this book when it was originally released in 2007.  An amazing book!!  I was also new to blogging at the time, so I only shared brief thoughts about what I was reading.  Here are my thoughts:

Splitting Harriet shows the reality of conflict within the Christian body and its too-often, jump-to-conclusions outcome. You will see first-hand the amazing change that accepting the forgiveness of our salvation will make in our lives! This may be "chick-lit" in appearance, but it contains a lot about human nature and our daily relationship with our heavenly Father.

Check it out!!