Curling Up With a Good Book

Hannah Grace

by Sharlene MacLaren

I wish I had the back cover copy, but I loaned the book to my oldest son's girlfriend was waiting to read it next. :)

This is the first of a new series called The Daughters of Jacob Kane. This one is about the oldest daughter. She works at the family mercantile and has her life all mapped out, including a impending proposal from her beau Dr. Ralston Van Huff (whom her youngest sister Abbie Ann calls Huffy).

Then Gabriel Devlin comes to town as the new sheriff. Only Hannah first met him in the mercantile with a shabby and bruised up kid (an orphan that had hidden in his wagon and stowed away from the last town he'd stopped in). She didn't know he was the sheriff and took him for an abusive father. When she went first thing the next morning to report this awful man to the new sheriff, was she ever surprised to see who the new sheriff was!

But then they joined forces to take care of the orphan whose name turned out to be Jesse.

The characters are wonderfully three dimensional, the whole town, I wonder how people can populate a town and a large cast and do it so well you feel like you know them when the book ends. The spritual journey was so real, it could have been any one of us. It wasn't overdone. The growth of both characters was woven into the plot seamlessly. The plot was fresh and unique and had some unexpected twists. The humor was great!

The only problem I had with this book was the fact that I couldn't get anything else done! All I wanted to do was read. (Okay, I carried the book around with me, reading in my spare moments, and inadvertantly lost it for a couple days! Panic ensued and I tore the house apart before I finally found it in my newly rearranged bedroom.)

Now I am more than ready to make another journey to Sandy Shores to see the Kane girls again. Now will the next story be about beautiful Maggie Rose or the irrepressible little sister Abbie Ann?

Foot on the Gas

The other night my husband and I were on our way back from his work.

On Wednesday nights I attend church close to his work (they have a large youth group that my younger son enjoys and a singing group that the older kids and myself enjoy). After church is over, my husband will take his lunch break (if he can) and have half priced hamburgers with a group from church. (We can't always afford ths but it's fun when we can.) After this, I ride home with Greg when he gets off work instead of the boys. It gives us a little extra time together and I get some quiet time (while he is working) to get some writing or critiquing done.

So I was driving the truck. I have a little trouble with my short legs and the gas pedal but usually do okay. My husband notices my struggle and reached over to set the cruise control.
ACK! I smacked at his hand. No, I hate cruise control.
He wanted to know why.

That was a good question. I think it's because I feel out of control. I have to trust the truck to d what I feel I should be in control of. If I control it, I can go faster or stop when I feel like it. When the cruise control is on I feel like I am careening down the street with absolutely no steering or . . .control.

I wonder if that is the reason I have trouble handing stuff to God? I feel out of control and actually have to trust something else to do what I feel I should be doing. (I am a doer. It's my nature.) What I need to do is learn to relax and realize that by not trusting God to run my cruise control, I'm actually limiting Him in the ways He can and wants to bless me AND I am not able to enjoy those blessings as much because my attention is split between control and enjoying. (Does that make any sense?) But if I let God set the cruise control and I busy myself with what He needs me to do, I will be able to experience life to its fullest the way He wants me to.

BTW, I do like cruise control now. The next hurdle? Learning to set it myself instead of hubby having to do it. :D

My Book Therapy

For you writerly types. Have you visited Susan May Warren, Sarah Sumpolec and Rachel Hauck's blog called My Book Therapy? You are missing out.

At the moment we are writing a book.

Here are a couple of links so you can see each "therapist".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGwA3Nwqkw8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5WAZJHCGl0

And that's not all!

1. From the Inside…Out: Discover, Create and Publish the Novel in You

Blurb: Have you always wanted to write a novel, but didn’t know where to start? This book is for you. With proven techniques, easy to understand explanations and practical steps, From The Inside...Out will teach you how a story is structured then take you through the process of creating and marketing your novel. Topics include: Character-driven plotting, How to HOOK your reader, The elements and flow of SCENES, How to build STORYWORLD, Secrets to Sizzling Dialogue, Proven Self-Editing techniques, Synopsis and Query letter writing, How to manage your writing career ...and everything in between!

Link to buy the book: http://stores.lulu.com/mybooktherapy

2. Blog-A-Book!

Blurb: Write a book with My Book Therapy Voices in 2009!

Remember those games you used to play where your friend started the story, and you finished it? Or the “Choose your own ending” books? Ever wanted to be a part of the story process, giving input on the character’s decisions, learning how to write a book as you go? Me too!

Here at My Book Therapy, we love to write, and we love to teach writers how to find their voice. So, in 2009 we’ll be writing a book together! Starting in January, we’ll create characters, a plot, develop conflict, the black moment, the epiphany and finally…the happy ending. Then, week by week, you’ll be a part of the creation process, voting on the next step of our hero’s journey, watching the book take life, and learning the nuances of crafting a story. You’ll Blog-A-Book with the My Book Therapy authors and get tools to help you how to write your own novel.

And, at the end of the year, we’ll have a book we’ve all created, something that we’ll publish! And, best of all, the proceeds will go to support IJM, an organization that fights human trafficking around the world.

I’m really excited about our new project, and can’t wait to see what the collective mind put together.
So, Come and Blog-A-Book. Learn. Fellowship. Bless.

My Book Therapy…Discover the writer in you.

3. My Book Therapy Therapists and Services:

The site is: My Book Therapy www.mybooktherapy.com
The Therapists are: Susan May Warren, Rachel Hauck and Sarah Sumpolec

March Releases

1. A Hundred Years of Happiness, 2nd in the Summer Meadows Mysteries by Nicole Seitz from Thomas Nelson. A generous story of family, war, loss and longing . . . of the ways we hide from those we love, and the ways that love finds us anyway.

2. A Silent Terror by Lynette Eason from Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense. Someone wants Marianna Santino dead. Ethan O'Hara is willing to risk everything, including his heart, to keep her alive.

3. A Test of Faith, Mystery and the Minister's Wife #3 by Carol Cox from Guideposts. When everything falls apart, can faith hold them together?

4. Breach of Trust Call of Duty #1 by DiAnn Mills from Tyndale. Paige Rogers, former CIA agent, must choose between protecting the lives of loved ones or bringing a ruthless killer to justice.

5. Candy-Coated Secrets, 2nd in the Summer Meadows Mysteries by Cynthia Hickey from Barbour. Who would have thought escorting an elephant down Highway 64 could lead to murder?

6. Daisy Chain, Defiance, TX series, book one by Mary DeMuth from Zondervan. The abrupt disappearance of young Daisy Chance haunts the small town of Defiance, Texas. Fourteen-year-old Jed Pepper searches for answers in this gritty and compelling story of love and sorrow, revealing God’s hand of redemption in impossible situations.

7. Daniel's Den by Brandt Dodson from Harvest House Publishers. Daniel and Laura become the objects in a game of cat and mouse where they learn just how big the cat can be - and that it's no game.

8. Fatal Illusions by Adam Blumer from Kregel Publications. An obsessive woman, a serial killer, and a sudden winter storm turn a sabbatical in the North Woods into a nightmare that the Thayer family may not escape alive.

9. If Tomorrow Never Comes by Marlo Schalesky from Waterbrook-Multnomah Publishers/Random House. Kinna and Jimmy Henley never planned on infertility stealing their dreams, crushing their love. But it did. Now, their last hope lies with a mysterious woman rescued from the sea.

10. Love Finds You in Humble Texas by Anita Higman from Summerside Press. Two sisters fall in love with the same man.

11. Michal: A Novel, The Wives of King David series Book 1 by Jill Eileen Smith from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. A princess falls in love with her father's worst enemy - will it cost her everything?

12. Poisoned Secrets by Margaret Daley from Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense. Maggie spent years searching for her birth mother, but when the past is revealed, the shocking disclosures could tear her life apart.

13.The Hand-Me-Down Family by Winnie Griggs from Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historicals. For the sake of three orphaned children, two scarred individuals - one physically, one emotionally - try to work together to forge a new family.

14. The List by Sherri Lewis from Urban Christian. Four women on a quest to find Godly men based on a list.

15. Wind of the Spirit, The American Patriot Series, Book 3 by J. M. Hochstetler from Sheaf House Publishers. As the patriot cause falters, can her love bridge the miles that separate them--and the savage bonds that threaten to tear him forever from her arms?

16. Yesterday's Embers, The Clayburn Novels by Deborah Raney from Howard Books/Simon & Schuster. Newlyweds Doug and Mickey must find a way to untangle their knot of hasty choices without breaking the hearts of five precious children or their own in the process.

Happy reading ~
~ Jill ~
Jill Eileen Smith

Sir Bentley

This second installment in Chuck Black’s Knights of Arrethtrae series tells the tale of Sir Bentley, an honorable knight who abandons all to seek the truth of the Prince. Eirwyn, a mysterious young woman who brings food to the poor, teaches Bentley the power of compassion to overcome evil. Together, they save the people of Holbrook from poverty and despair.
Sir Bentley’s quest for the truth of the Prince finds him battling Shadow Warriors, a powerful lord, and a terrifying creature. Will greed destroy Holbrook? Or can Bentley and the mysterious Eirwyn restore prosperity to the kingdom through the compassion of the Prince? Intended for family read-alouds and Christian teens, this fantastic story will entertain and edify parents and kids alike.

Pammer here: I let my nephew read this book and he loved it! I too was drawn into the action and adventures of the people in Holbrook. I'd recommend this book to any young readers and even older readers with a quest for fantasy worlds. I'm definately placing my copy in the church library so that others can enjoy the story.

About the author:
Chuck Black, a former F-16 fighter pilot and tactical communications engineer, is the author of eight novels, including the popular Kingdom series. He has received praise from parents across the country for his unique approach to telling biblical truths. His passion in life is to serve the Lord Jesus Christ and to love his wife, Andrea, and their six children. He lives with his family in North Dakota.

Book purchase link:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1601421257

and Holbrook Court Book 2


by Chuck Black

The Echo Within

by Robert Benson

The Echo Within is a profoundly affecting, honest look at the myriad ways we are drawn into our life’s best work.
Written out of his own lifelong search for and response to the calling voice of God, Robert Benson recounts his discovery of the meaning of vocation, work, and purpose through the ups and downs inherent in family life, professional choice, and spiritual experience. With clarity and insight, and in the elegant prose for which he is known, he gently invites and encourages readers to find such deep truths for their lives as well. In particular, he illuminates the way for readers to explore:

· ways to sense the Holy in our pursuits, both in the pursuits themselves and within ourselves.
· how to fall into our vocation and chart a course toward it at the same time.
· how to love the work we do, and the process of doing it.

For anyone beginning a new career or sensing a needed change in their life or wrestling with a transition suddenly thrust upon them, Robert Benson delivers wisdom, humor, and heart in what he’s learned about listening for The Echo Within—and how it can help us discover our calling.

Pammer here: I haven't finished this book completely yet, but so far it's really been helpful in how God calls us and the questions we tend to ask when we are uncertain of whether it is God's will or our desire that is calling.

You can purchase it at any of these links:

- www.Amazon.com
- www.ChristianBook.com
- www.FamilyChristian.com

What is Love?

I've been reviewing four books. And since my husband and I have watched Fireproof and are doing the Love Dare, these books were right on time. This year we have been focusing on making our marriage better. The books don't save marriages, God does. And as long as He's invited to the marriage, yours can be happy like ours. However, you both have to be willing to make some sacrifices and be willing to admit that your attitude may be wrong, and be willing to adjust it more in line with God's unconditional love.

Book: Love as a Way of Life Devotional
Author: Dr. Gary Chapman
Summary: In his book Love As a Way of Life, best-selling author Gary Chapman shows readers how to cultivate a new lifestyle built around the seven characteristics of authentic love. Now in a companion devotional, he provides ninety inspirational readings to help Christians consistently live out the characteristics of love in every relationship.
Each devotional entry showcases biblical truths that guide a life of love, offering fresh insight and practical guidance in how to make love a lasting habit. Over the course of three months, readers will learn to follow God’s lead as they practice the characteristics of a loving person: kindness, patience, forgiveness, courtesy, humility, generosity, and honesty.
The Love As a Way of Life Devotional makes an ideal gift for the holidays or for any special occasion. Couples, parents, new graduates, and anyone celebrating a milestone in life will welcome this inspiring daily guide to richer, more satisfying relationships.

Pammer here: I love this book. This takes you in little steps and opens your mind and heart to the truth of the unconditional and sacrificial nature of God's love. We are to love others as Christ did and this book breaks that command down into small manageable chunks. My kids are reading through it as well.

Book: I Do Again
Author: Cheryl and Jeff Scruggs
Summary: With their professional success and adorable twin daughters, Jeff and Cheryl Scruggs looked like the perfect couple. But their polished facade concealed a widening chasm between two people unable to connect on an intimate, soul-deep level.
After years of frustration, Cheryl’s desire for emotional fulfillment led to an affair and, finally, divorce. Yet, incredibly, seven years later, Jeff and Cheryl once again stood at the altar, promising to “love, honor, and cherish” one another. A new and vibrant love had risen out of the ashes of this family’s pain.
I Do Again details the fascinating real-life story of a couple whose relationship seemed shattered beyond all hope until a spiritual awakening led them to reconsider their definitions of “happily ever after.” A riveting account of the power of prayer and redemption, this remarkable book offers renewed hope for even the most troubled marriages—and reveals why the rewards of restoration are well worth the wait.

Pammer here: This was phenominal! This shows how the love of God can heal any wound that man can inflict. And how real love keeps loving even when it's rejected. I am still wowed by the power of their story and love their willingness to share to help other couples in trouble.

Book: For Couples Only Box Set
Author: Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn
Summary: Since their debut, these revolutionary guides have sold well over a million copies, been translated into fifteen languages, and sparked much fascinating water-cooler conversation around the country. Now together in the For Couples Only boxed set, these books provide the perfect resource to help you understand what you never knew about the woman or man in your life.
Each volume is based on input from more than a thousand members of the opposite sex—including an unprecedented nationwide survey and hundreds of personal interviews. This innovative approach yields candid and surprising answers about everything you don’t “get” about your significant other—even what that person deeply wishes you knew. It also produces simple but groundbreaking awareness of how you can best love and support the one who is most important to you. [Part of me wanted to make this paragraph past tense—yielded and produced—because of the first paragraph, but that took away some of the immediacy of what the books offer. I’ll leave that up to you.]
So whether you are newly dating or have been married fifty years, get ready to know each other in a whole new way. The adventure is just beginning!

Pammer here: Get these books! They are beyond awsome and wonderful. The insight I gleaned from this little book opened a whole new world. I never knew how my husband thought and why some thing made him so mad or hurt him. I didn't realize how badly I'd hurt him through the years of our marriage. And in return he's been telling me what an eye-opener the book about women is for him. We highlighted the books for each other so our mate would know what was most important to us, but I loved most the response from my husband when I started changing how I did things to work better with how he is internally wired.

I have a set for the kids and their girlfriends reading the woman's books. I would recommend this to any couple.

Here are the links to purchase:

I Do Again: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1400074452
Love As A Way Of Life Devo: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0307444694
For Couples Only: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1601422482