The Sword Series: Second Timothy ~ Review

The Sword Study is a unique way to involve all ages in the family in the study of the Bible.  The series that I was sent to review focused on II Timothy.  This is a 10 week study (FYI many of the activities in the Level 5 Leader's guide include activities that lend themselves to a summer type setting.  But these are merely suggestions and not you have to-do this.  Some of activities are also not something to do last minute so the parent/leader might want to go through the guide ahead of time to be sure that whatever activity they decide to go with they can have the materials on hand, such as suggested DVD's, games, books, etc.)

Level 1 is a one page activity per day while the other levels 2-5 are several pages that involve reading II Timothy in depth the first week.  Successive weeks focus on the individual chapters and verses and supporting Biblical references.

By the time the ten weeks have passed one will have an in depth understanding of II Timothy, Paul and the world at that time.  Between each week the reader is introduced to various persons who have upheld the Christian faith through their lives including Amy Carmichael, Eric Liddell, William Tyndale, and others.  There crossword puzzles, word searches, times lines and more to help get those in Levels 2-5 more involved.  Readers are also introduced to the advantages of using a concordance and Greek Lexicon when studying the Bible.  All in all it is a good study guide for a family setting.  I can also see that this would be an excellent study for a church or homeschool group as well.

I was provided a copy of this study series by Glass Road Media and Management in exchange for my honest review of these materials.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you have tried to study the Bible together as a family, you are painfully aware that it has been impossible to find a study that suits every age level in your family...until now.   The Sword Study series from the Shelby Kennedy Foundation is now available to help you and your family become students of the Word together. The Sword Study series includes materials for everyone from ages 4 to 104.

About the Study:
Organized into different levels according to age, each study provides in-depth material from the same book of the Bible. Each study book is synchronized to cover the same truths at the same time but with graphics and learning tools appropriate for the age group.

Level 1, for ages 4-7, is an activity book with coloring, drawing, matching and other fun learning tools.
Level 2, for ages 7-10, contains light reading, fill-in-the-blank, and application sections.
Level 3, for ages 11-14, involves more investigation and questions for the student to answer.
Level 4, for teens and adults, steps up the reading and the depth of study including the definition of several Greek or Hebrew terms.
Level 5, is for the parent or study leader with guidance and background to lead a group of all ages includes a copy of Level 4.

The Sword Study series, originally created for competitors in The Shelby Kennedy Foundation's National Bible Bee, is now available to everyone for the first time.  Families no longer have to compete in the Bible Bee to establish family discipleship in the home with this one-of-a-kind study.  The Sword Study available for this tour is II Timothy.  I John is also available to the public and I Peter is scheduled for release in the fall of 2013. A new study is scheduled to be released each year. For more information visit www.swordstudy.org.

Trapped ~ Review

Trapped
A Private Justice Novel #2
By Irene Hannon

Laura Griffith is desperate to find her 16 year old sister Darcy and she's willing to spend as much as it takes. And Phoenix Inc. is her best hope with the police too busy to deal with a runaway.

A blizzard has St. Louis to a halt and it has given the Phoenix, Inc. and James Devlin the time to search for Darcy.  But with few leads to go on time is short and Dev's gut instinct is his greatest asset in this case.

Trapped will keep you on the edge of your seat as Darcy struggles to come to terms with her loss and to truly see just how blessed she is that Laura opened her home and took her in after the death of her parents. The situation Darcy finds herself in is intensely nerve-wracking to say the least and one keeps wondering until almost the very end what the outcome will be.

Trapped is a thrilling and suspenseful drama that follows the 3 private investigators that we were introduced to in Vanished.  But James "Dev" Devlin is the lead character in this case and his painful past is revealed. With the help of client Laura Griffith, Dev just may be able to forgive himself and find healing.

Irene Hannon has created another page turner you won't want to put down.  A missing teen, a concerned sister, a determined investigator, and a festering secret pain combine to create a nerve wracking reading experience that will keep you reading until the end.  This is definitely a one-more-chapter before bed book!

Looking forward to reading book 3 in this series of which there was a short excerpt included.  Irene Hannon is one author I am glad I was introduced to!

I was provided a copy of this book by Revell in exchange for my honest review.

Available August 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

A runaway teen, a desperate sister, and an intrepid PI determined to discover the truth.

 When Laura Griffith's sixteen-year-old sister disappears on a frigid February day, leaving only a brief note behind, Laura resolves to do whatever it takes to track down the runaway teen. That includes recruiting ATF agent turned private investigator James Devlin to help. Dev knows time is of the essence with runaways--just forty-eight hours can mean the difference between recovery and ruin.

But the deeper he and Laura dig, the more Dev begins to suspect that something sinister is at work in the girl's disappearance. And in the icy winter weather, the trail is going cold . . . 

Dark Halo ~ Review

Dark Halo
Angel Eyes Trilogy #3
By Shannon Dittemore

One halo brought sight to Brielle. Another offers sweet relief from what she sees.

With the Terrestrial Veil tearing above Stratus the Celestial starts to seep into the world as an epic battle rages between Heavenly and demonic forces.  Jake has been taken by Damien.  Marcus and Liv have left Stratus and Marcus unknowingly took Cannan's halo with him.

But Brielle can now see without the halo and what she sees is frightening - demons lurk everywhere and fear is visible to her as it oozes off people.  And without the halo her nightmares are intensifying.

When Brielle and Kaylee set out to search for Jake, Brielle is about to get more than she ever imagined when she is brought before the Prince himself.  When given a choice the take the Prince's halo to stop her sight, Brielle is torn.  The peace of not seeing the fear and the battles, not dreaming is a powerful temptation.  But is she willing to give up her gift for a chance at normalcy?  Only time will tell.

Dark Halo picks up right where Broken Wings left off.  Olivia and Marco's characters are more fully developed.  And there is an interesting connection surrounding several of the characters that just draws the story together in a unexpected though not unwelcome way.

This is also an interesting look at free will.  How is God's gift to us of free will different from the free will that Satan offers us?  How many when given a choice, actually put on the manacles of Satan, believing the lies that he offers us.  This is a fantastic finale for this trilogy and the afterword just completes everything so that the reader can leave this series happy.

The entire Angel Eye trilogy has dealt with the atrocity known as human trafficking in its various forms.  This is a fantasy with a powerful message to teach.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by BookSneeze in exchange for my honest review.

Book Description

One halo brought sight to Brielle. Another offers sweet relief from what she sees.

Brielle can’t help but see the Celestial. Even without the halo, the invisible realm is everywhere she looks. It’s impossibly beautiful—and terrifying, especially now. Because a battle rages above Stratus, Oregon.

The Terrestrial Veil is ripping, and demons walk the streets past unseeing mortals. Dark, sticky fear drips from every face, and nightmares haunt Brielle’s sleep.

Worst of all, Jake is gone. The only boy she’s ever loved has been taken by the demon, Damien. When she receives instructions from the Throne Room leading her to Jake, she unknowingly walks into a diabolical and heartbreaking trap.

Now she’s stranded in a sulfurous desert with the Prince of Darkness himself, and he’s offering her another halo—a mirrored ring that will destroy her Celestial vision. All she has to do is wear it and she’ll see no more of the invisible world. No more fear. No more nightmares. No more demons. It’s a gift. And best of all: it comes with the promise of a future with Jake, something the Throne Room seems to be taking from her.

Will Brielle trade the beauty of the Celestial and the truth of the world around her just to feel ordinary again? 

The Promise ~ Review

The Promise
The Restoration Series #2
By Dan Walsh and Gary Smalley

The Dance picks up two months after The Dance ends.  Jim and Marilyn Anderson have reconciled and are in Italy on their second honeymoon.  But as their marriage improves their son Tom and his wife Jean are quickly heading into the same rocky territory Jim and Marilyn have so recently left behind.

Tom is keeping a secret, a secret that could cost him everything.  For 5 months he has been going to a job that he doesn't have.  Living off his unemployment, months late on his mortgage, racking up the credit card bills and Jean doesn't know...

As Jean watches Marilyn and Jim's marriage improve she can only hope that her own can improve, but Tom refuses to talk to her about what has been troubling him.

Meanwhile in Italy Marilyn and Jim are enjoying their time together, but Marilyn is troubled.  She feels as if something is off with Tom and Jean and that the problem goes back to Tom's idolizing of Jim.

The Anderson family has become trapped in a cycle, a cycle that has been going on for years.  But with the help of a beloved uncle they may be able to break free of it, but only if they are willing to open their hearts and their ears to truly listen to God, their spouse and their children.

Where The Dance focused on marriage, The Promise adds another dimension to the relational mix by focusing on parenting and marriage.  The Promise is an engaging book, that should be read by married couples with children.  The message woven throughout the pages of The Promise is as powerful and heart-touching as the movie Courageous is.  A worthy addition to any home or church library shelf.

I was provided a copy of this title by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Available August 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

About The Promise

One home, two hearts, and the power of a promise kept . . .

For the last five months, Tom Anderson has been without a job, a fact he's been hiding from his wife Jean--and everyone else. He leaves each morning, pretending nothing has changed, and spends his disheartening day rotating through coffee shops and the library, using their wifi to search job listings online. The stress of keeping this secret is beginning to put serious strain on his marriage.

But Tom's not the only one hiding something. Jean Anderson has a secret of her own--one that will seriously complicate their situation. Will the promises they made on their wedding day hold firm?

Critical Pursuit ~ Review

Critical Pursuit
By Janice Cantore

20 years ago Officer Brinna Caruso was six years old when she was kidnapped and left to die in the middle of the desert.  But Brinna survived and has made it her life's mission to find and rescue other children who go missing.  But sometimes she's too late... and because of this she doesn't believe God could possibly exist.

Jack lived for the sentencing of the drunk who killed his wife and his unborn daughter. His loss embittered him towards God, isolating him from his friends.

When Brinna gets caught up in a shooting she is reassigned from K-9 unit to regular patrol with Jack O'Reilly an almost burned out homicide detective struggling with the loss of his wife. Neither is happy with the assignment.  Brinna wants to work with Hero, not a two-legged partner with emotional baggage.  Jack wanted to leave homicide behind and return to patrol, but being teamed up with Brinna wasn't part of his plan.

When a kidnapping goes bad and a young girl found dead, it appears that a copycat is taunting Brinna.  The question is why now?  And who knew enough about Brinna's kidnapping to pull this off?

Critical Pursuit is a search not just for justice but of the heart as Jack and Brinna struggle with their doubts about God.  When loss touches one personally it can affect how one views the eternal, because without belief in God how can one believe in the existence of Heaven?

Critical Pursuit packs a lot of thought provoking dialog and action between the covers.  Told through both Brinna and Jack's perspective one gets a more complete feel for the two lead characters.  It is also interesting how the various characters react to the same situations, for example how Brinna's abduction affected her family and their relationships with one another.

I read this book in one afternoon and because of the superb writing that just pulled me in I am looking forward to reading Visible Threat the second book about Brinna Caruso, of which there is a teaser excerpt included.

In exchange for honest review of this book Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.

About the Book:
Officer Brinna Caruso has built a reputation at the precinct as the cop to call when a child goes missing. For Brinna, it’s personal because she was once one of them. Brinna and her K-9 search and rescue dog, Hero, will stop at nothing to find a missing child, no matter the stakes.

Detective Jack O’Reilly isn’t ready to return to his homicide duties, after losing his wife to a drunk driver. He’s on the downside of his career, and bent on revenge, when he’s assigned as Brinna’s partner. While on patrol, Jack struggles between his quest for personal justice and his responsibility to those around him, especially his partner.

Skeptical of Jack’s motives, Brinna isn’t sure she can rely on her new partner, whose reckless abandon endangers the safety of those around him. But when a man surfaces with an MO similar to the criminal who abducted Brinna twenty years earlier, Brinna and Jack must cast aside previous judgments and combine efforts to catch the kidnapper, and finally allow Brinna the peace stolen from her as a child.


Be sure to connect with Janice Cantore online!

Visit Janice Cantore's website

Janice Cantore's Author Facebook

And check out the excerpt of Critical Pursuit here.

Cover Reveal and Giveaway

When my friend Dorothy asked me to be part of the unveiling of the cover for her upcoming book I couldn't say no.  Well here it is Romancing of the Million $$$ GHOST.

 



 About the Book:

Eccentric tobacco tycoon Rodger Hawthorne III can have anything his heart desires except his dead wife, Sarah. Feeling responsible for the car crash that killed her twenty years earlier, he offers one million dollars to anyone who can find her spirit and bring it to him within one week or the money is forfeited. Six spiritually-challenged—but highly intuitive—women find his ad over the Internet and accept his challenge only to embark on a journey they didn’t quite expect that covers astral traveling, past life regressions and spiritual encounters of the unworldly kind. While this book is lightly based on a true story of a real man who is offering one million dollars to anyone who can prove that spirits exist, this story is purely fictional. Or is it?
Coming October 2013!
 ------------------------

 About the Authors:

ABOUT HEIDE AW KAMINSKI

HEIDE AW KAMINSKI is the mom of three very successful children, and she lives in southeast Michigan with her partner, her son and her stepson. She teaches English in a high school for juvenile delinquent boys, as well as co-directs the Sunday school program for an Interfaith Center. She is also the editor-in-chief for the Interfaith Center’s monthly 16-page newsletter. She is currently the author of five books, ADHD and ME , Get Smart Through Art, The Ability Gang (a novel for upper elementary readers), Von Riesiggross bis Klitzeklein (a German children's book), and South of Eden (a not so serious novel about life in Heaven). She has also published stories in 15 anthologies, including Chicken Soup for the Divorced Soul.
Kaminski was born and raised in Germany, and after spending a year as an exchange student in the USA, she ended up marrying an American and has been a permanent resident in the U.S. since 1984, as well as a citizen of the U.S. since 2007. After dedicating many years to being there for her children first, she obtained her bachelor’s degree in English communications at the ripe age of 50 and her English teaching certificate two years later.

ABOUT PAM RYAN

Pam Ryan is a writer and professional psychic from Northwestern Ohio. She is the mother of two and has been a widow for the last five years. Her writing career began back in high school where she wrote a column for the Sylvania Sentinel Newspaper in Sylvania, Ohio. Pam was also the first page editor of the high school newspaper as well as doing the public relations for the high school musicals At the University of Toledo she helped to create the Public Relations Department for the Department of Theatre and Speech, worked as a reporter for the college paper, The Collegian, and was assistant to the Public Relation Director of a local Toledo, Ohio, theatre group, Lynro Productions. After college Pam went to work for the United States Government and part of her duties were to write, and publisher a newspaper for the Migrant Opportunity Program in Phoenix, Arizona. Back in Ohio she lent her talents to the local Muscular Dystrophy Association, Make A Wish of Northwestern Ohio, worked on newsletters for Grace Lutheran Church and Christ the King Church, both in Toledo, and did public relations for the Parent Organization of Lake Elementary School. Pamela Ryan, as she is known professionally, began her professional psychic career in 1990. She presently does private readings and parties, and is also available at Lite the Way,Lambertville, Michigan, and The Healing Oasis in Clay Center, Ohio. Pam has recently completed classes and become a Certified Hypnotherapist and has completed the Master’s level for hypnotherapists. Publication is tentatively set for 2013, for her book, “My Dearest Children”, channeled by Mary Magdalene, and is presently working on a biography of world renowned journalist, Ruth Montgomery and a series of books about a fictional psychic medium. The first one is called, "The Macrame Cross".

ABOUT DOROTHY THOMPSON

Dorothy Thompson is the owner/founder of Pump Up Your Book, an innovative public relations firm specializing in online book promotion and social media marketing for authors. Pump Up Your Book was voted #1 in the Preditor's and Editor's Readers Poll in 2012. She is also the co-author/compiler of Romancing the Soul, an anthology which proves soul mates exist and has appeared in USA Today, Chicago Times and other publications. Dorothy loves the paranormal and is spatial clairsentient. She lives on the beautiful island of Chincoteague, Virginia.

Together, they make the writing team of Romancing the Million $$$ Ghost. Visit the official book blog at www.RomancingMillionDollarGhost.comor like them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RomancingTheMillionDollarGhost.

------------------------
 

Heide, Pam and Dorothy are giving away these fabulous prizes!

One Halloween party kit (valued at $49) or Paypal Cash!

Two $25 Amazon Gift Cards or Paypal Cash!

One FREE psychic phone reading from one of the authors, Pam Ryan!

and

One Romancing the Million $$$ Ghost ebook gifted from Amazon Kindle Store!

Terms and Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old
• One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive a Halloween Party Pack for 18, an eBook copy of Romancing the Million $$$ Ghost gifted via Amazon only, one psychic phone reading from Pam Ryan and two winners will be chosen to receive $25 Amazon Gift Cards (or Paypal Cash)!
• This giveaway begins September 2 and ends September 27.
• Winner will be contacted via email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. EST September 27 2013.
• Winner has 24 hours to reply.
• Each blogger who participates in this promotion is eligible to win.
• Visit each “stop” daily for more entries.

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

powered by Rafflecopter

Romancing the Million $$$ Ghost Cover Reveal Page:
http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2013/06/15/cover-reveal-pump-up-your-book-presents-romancing-the-million-ghost-cover-reveal-win-ghostie-swag/

Daughter of Light TNT Blog Tour with Giveaway!

Daughter of Light
By Morgan L. Busse

Daughter of Light opens with a woman running for her life.  A woman, named Mercia, who is trying to save the life of her daughter by getting to the White City.  But her time has run out...

Approximately 20 years have passed since Mercia's attempt to reach the White City when we are introduced to Rowen Mar, Captain Lore, Caleb Tala, and Nierne - four very different people from the various corners of this world.  Rowen has just lost her father to war.  Captain Lore is Captain of the Guard for Lord Gaynor Celestis, High Lord of the White City.  Caleb Tala is an assassin for his cousin Lord Corin. Nierne, a scribe at the Monastery of Thyria, was rescued by Father Roth when she as a child.

When a mark appears on Rowen's hand she is accused of being a witch and exiled upon pain of death should she ever return to Cinad.  When she is offered a position as varor Rowen is provided a means to escape the village that has just thrown her out.  But to become varor for Lady Astra will require training - physical training.  Can Rowen keep her mark and her frightening power a secret?

Captain Lore, tasked with overseeing Rowen's training, is puzzled by Rowen's demeanor.  He senses that something in her past has hurt her though he doesn't know what.

Meanwhile in Thyria something evil is moving in, an evil that most had forgotten had ever walked the land. An evil known as the Shadonae who bring with them the Mordra.  Only by calling upon the Word does Nierne survive the utter destruction of city.  With the only possible hope for stopping this ancient evil lying in the White City, Father Rath and Nierne are tasked with the mission.  But they are being hunted by the very beings they are hoping to stop.  Do any Eldaran yet live or has Nierne taken on a hopeless quest?

As the Temanins take their war to the very walls of the White City, Caleb is determined to destroy, in one night, the power of both the White City and that of Avonia.  Caleb's attack forces Rowen to use the powers that she has been hiding.  Will the White City now, out of fear, turn on the one person that could save it from the danger it will soon face?

To be perfectly blunt there is no way to review this book to do it justice to it without giving too much away.  I just finished up the CSFF blog tour for Patrick Carr's A Cast of Stones and The Hero's Lot and other tour participants were commenting on how little Christian Speculative Fiction is written for adults, well here you go!

This book has all the elements you could want.  A misunderstood outcast.  A heroic figure who calls upon God.  Danger.  An impossible mission (several in fact).  A closely guarded secret.  A hero is disguise.  A chance at redemption.  A world in the balance.  And a touch of romance.  Something for almost everyone.

The characters are an intriguing and compelling group.  Some you develop a fondness for, others you would run the other way if you saw them coming.  Daughter of Light  drew me in and held my attention to the very end.  Looking forward to reading book 2 Son of Truth sometime in the near future.

I was provided a digital copy of this book for the purpose of honestly reviewing it for this blog tour.

Be sure to check-out all the TNT tour stops:
ADD Librarian •  Blooming with Books •  Colorimetry •  CTF Devourer •  Jill Williamson •

Katie McCurdy •  The Librarian’s Bookshelf •  The Ramblings of a Young Author •  

Shadow Writer World •  A Simple Life, Really?! •  Who YA Reading? •  Worthy2Read 

Book blurb: 

What if with one touch you could see inside the soul? 

Rowen Mar finds a strange mark on her hand, and she is banished from her village as a witch. She covers the mark with a leather glove and seeks sanctuary in the White City. She lives in fear that if she touches another person, the power inside her will trigger again, a terrifying power that allows her to see the darkness inside the human heart . . . But the mark is a summons, and those called cannot hide forever. For the salvation of her people lies within her hand. 

About the author: Morgan L. Busse writes speculative fiction for the adult market. She is the author of Daughter of Light and Son of Truth, the first two books in a series from Marcher Lord Press. Morgan lives in the Midwest with her husband and four children. You can find out more about Morgan at www.morganlbusse.com.

Her Facebook Page 

Morgan’s website 

Enter to win an eBook of Daughter of Light runs August 30 - September 6, 2013

a Rafflecopter giveaway