Fired Up ~ Review

Fired Up
Trouble in Texas #2
By Mary Connealy

Fired Up takes up where Swept Away left us.  Luke and Ruthie are married.  Flint Greer is dead and his mail-order widow Glynna is preparing to open a diner which may be the worse thing to happen to Broken Wheel, Texas.  But her cooking skills are a boon to Dare's doctoring practice with all the bellyaches she causing

But someone is still determined to make Doctor Dare Riker a patient without a doctor.  And they're determined to make Dare's condition deadly and permanent.

But the Regulators are determined to keep their friend safe, which isn't easy when the good doctor falls hard for Glynna, especially since her son is dead set against any romance between his mom and any man.

Fans of Mary Connealy will love the second book in the Trouble in Texas series.  Dare, Glynna, and Paul have to work past the issues that are keeping them at odds with each other before it is too late and a killer manages to get his revenge.

Historical Fiction wrapped in Romance should appeal to many readers and the touches of humor just add to the fun.  Escape for a few hours to 1860's Texas and enjoy a quick vacation from the everyday.

And I think there is a setup for a third book when Tina, Jonas's younger sister, comes to town and she's determined to reform it.  I can't wait to find out what comes next - there's sure to be more Trouble in Texas!

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher Bethany House and BookFun/TBCN in exchange for my honest review.

About the Book:
Rollicking Wild West Adventure and Romance from Bestselling Author Mary Connealy

Dare Riker is a doctor who saves lives, but someone seems determined to end his. It may have something to do with the traitors he dealt with during the Civil War, or it might be related to the recent incident with Flint Greer and the ranch. Whoever the culprit is, he or she seems really fired up, and Dare can't let his guard down for a moment, which is a challenge, since right now he's trying to win the heart of the recently widowed Glynna.

Glynna Greer came west as a mail-order bride and ended up in a bad situation. Now her husband, Flint, is dead, and she's determined to care for her son and daughter on her own. She wants to believe Dare Riker is as decent as he seems, but she's terrified to lock herself into another marriage. She plans to support her small family by opening a diner--never mind that cooking is not her greatest talent. The men in Broken Wheel, Texas, are so desperate for home cooking that they seem willing to overlook dried-out beef and blackened biscuits.

Glynna can't help but notice that danger follows Dare wherever he goes. There's the avalanche. And then the fire. But things really get out of hand when someone plunges a knife from Glynna's diner into Dare's back. Are Flint's cronies still plotting revenge? Is Glynna's son engaged in a misguided attempt to protect his mother? Is a shadowy outsider still enraged over past injustices? And can Dare survive long enough to convince Glynna to take another chance on love?

Closet Words ~ Review and Excerpt

Closet Words
by Kim Hilton

Closet Words is a collection of words that the author received during times of prayer.  The second half of the book is for study and reflection. The purpose of this book is to help others come to a closer more personal relationship with God.

Time of reflection and communion with God is a two way dialogue and Closet Words is an attempt to help fellow believers come to this relationship.

Closet Words comes from the author's own journal.  Each chapter is printed text and a copy of the page from which it was taken.  Each chapter has a corresponding study/reflection guide located at the back of the book so that a deeper understanding may be achieved.

I was provided a copy of this book in conjunction with this Pump Up Your Book tour and the opinions expressed are my own.

About the book:

Taken word for word as heard from God, Closet Words is a collection of powerful and penetrating words written down in the stillness of a prayer closet. Hearing from God for several years, Kim Hilton began writing down what she heard. Encouraging, uplifting, and challenging words with a clear message to His servants, Closet Words gives a renewal and refreshing word to the Christian believer.

Book excerpt:

Closet Words is a collection of words from God. What began as an earnest journey to seek God in prayer became a journey of God answering and speaking to me. Through a simple pen, God has spoken to me many times. Although it happened one time before, I consider an August morning in 2002, after I prayed the following prayer, to be when God began speaking to me.

My written prayer to God on the second day of a fast:

    Do I have the courage to seek you, God? Do I have the strength the prophets of old
    had? Do I have the wisdom of the kings of old? Do I have the power to rebuke like
    the apostles? I seek this courage, I seek this strength, I seek this power, I seek this
    wisdom! Fill this vessel, oh God, to overflowing. I desire you and only you. Help me to be
    blameless, to keep myself from sin. Help my heart to be full of love for others. Help my
    hands to serve others. Help my lips to teach of you. Help my mind to be filled with your
    wisdom. May I find every ounce of strength, every beat of my heart, every word of my
    mouth, every step of my walk…all come from you and only you.

After that August prayer I began regularly hearing from God while in my closet praying. I have kept a prayer journal for many years, and as the words flowed to me from God, I began writing them in my journal. Many were given to me while on my knees in the dark of my closet. Most were scribbled quickly to grasp each word and phrase. I’ve also been awakened in the night and reached for the pen beside my bed to scribble down words as God was speaking to me.

I have been seeking a deeper walk with God for many years. Like any Christian, I have journeyed with simple issues and I’ve struggled through tough problems. I have overcome, and I have failed. Throughout my walk as a Christian I have searched to get to the deepest level possible with God. This journal, these closet words from God, did not come easily. They are the product of years of yearning and earnestly seeking God through hours of fasting, tears, and prayer.

I have also given words from God to people. I’ve been asked, “Can you give me words from God?” and after praying, he has given me words that have impacted people’s lives. Many times I have been asked how I hear these words. I can only say, “When I hear God, I write. When he stops, I stop.”

The following words are written word for word as they were given to me. My earnest prayer is that these Closet Words can be a comfort to you.

Purchase at:

WestBow Press or Amazon

About the author:

Kim Hilton, MCC, PCC, has a master's degree in Christian counseling. Founder of Closet Words Ministries Foundation, Kim is a teacher on prayer and listening to God. An avid writer of several books, Closet Words was chosen as the first book to be published with the proceeds going to Closet Words Ministries Foundation. A sought-after speaker and Bible Study leader, Kim has spoken at both national and local events. She resides with her husband on a farm and enjoys spending time with their six grown children and grandchildren. For more information on Kim Hilton or her work, please visit: www.KimHilton.org.

Closet Words VBT Schedule

December 2
Interview at The Book Connection

December 3
Guest post at Paperback Writer

December 4
First chapter reveal at Read My First Chapter

December 5
Guest post at Lori’s Reading Corner
Interview at Blogcritics

December 6
Interview at Pump Up Your Book

December 9
Guest post at Cheryl’s Christian Book Connection

December 10
Guest post at The Story Behind the Book

December 11
Interview at Beyond the Books

December 13
Book spotlight and giveaway at The Busy Mom’s Daily

December 17
Video feature at If Books Could Talk

December 18
Interview at Broowaha

December 19
Book club discussion at PUYB Virtual Book Club
Book review at Create with Joy

December 20
Interview with Between the Covers

December 23
Book review at Cheryl’s Christian Book Connection
Book review at A Simple Life, Really?

December 24
Book review and first chapter reveal at Blooming with Books

December 26
Book tour highlights at My Devotional Thoughts

The Beloved Daughter ~ Review

The Beloved Daughter
By Alana Terry

Chung-Cha's story is one that will quite literally tear at your heart. When she is 12 she is sent to Camp 22, a forced labor camp within North Korea.  Her crime?  Being the daughter of an outspoken Christian father.

Facing lies, torture, and a life of forced labor is the faith that she has strong enough to survive?  And is God even there?  After all where was God during the famine that has hurt her country?  And where was God when her family was taken during the night? And how can her parents have different responses when her very life is threatened by the government agents?

The Beloved Daughter is a heart wrenching journey of faith and love.  What would you sacrifice for your daughter?  Would you deny your Savior or would you sacrifice your daughter?  This is a question that haunts Chung-Cha and it is the premise of The Beloved Daughter.  I highly recommend this book.

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

About the Book:
In a small North Korean village, a young girl struggles to survive. It is her father's faith, not the famine of North Hamyong Province, that most threatens Chung-Cha's well-being.

The Beloved Daughter follows Chung-Cha into one of the most notorious prison camps the contemporary free world has known. Her crime? Being the daughter of a Christian.

The Beloved Daughter is Alana Terry's debut Christian novel and has won multiple awards, including the Women of Faith writing contest and the Book of the Month award from The Book Club Network.

Audiobook: The Beloved Daughter audiobook is narrated by four-time Audie-award winner Kathy Garver, who has also won a lifetime achievement award from the Motion Picture Council.

Awakened Love ~ Review

Awakened Love 
The Amish of Webster County
By Laura V. Hilton

Katie Detweiler has never had a beau and at 21 she has just about herself to never marrying.  But when Abram Hilty comes to Seymour, Missouri, he's determined to be Katie's beau and her husband.

But there are secrets in both Katie and Abram's past that they need to deal with if they are to have a future together.

Katie's struggling to come to terms that she wasn't born Amish and was adopted after she was taken from her birth mother.  Not only was she adopted but she has Englisch siblings!  And one of them has a special reason for finding her if Katie is willing to take the risk.

Abram's running from his past.  With his best friends killed, Abram and his brother left Shipshewana, Indiana, behind.  In addition to leaving his family behind, Abram is leaving behind the woman who is determined to marry him.  But Abram's past may keep him from being able to marry Katie.

When Abram's past takes him back home to Indiana will he ever see Katie again?  And how can Katie trust him especially when she learns why he returned home.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable read and if you like Amish Romance you'll be in a book lover's paradise!

I was provided a copy of this book in conjunction with this Pump Up Your Book blog tour in exchange for my honest review and participation in this tour.

Book Description:

Katie Detweiler grew up Amish, never knowing she was adopted as an infant. Now an adult, her new job as cook at an Amish bed and breakfast doesn’t bring about the euphoria she hoped for. Just as she’s getting her menu perfected, the Englisch family and severely ill sister she never knew existed enter her life and strain her Amish relationships. Plus, Katie suddenly has two different men vying for her attention—one Amish, one Englisch—and she wonders if one of them could be the man of her dreams. But when her Englisch sister’s health worsens, Katie must find a way to balance her heart, her job, and her faith while risking her own life for the sister she never knew.

He’s hiding from a cold-blooded killer; her Amish identity has been stripped away. Both must find a way to balance their hearts, their jobs, and their faith.

Find out more on the author's blog at www.lauravhilton.blogspot.com.

Zierath: Lord of the Alliance ~ Book Blast with Giveaway

Zierath: Lord of the Alliance

About the Author:
M. David Loyal is a jack-of-all-trades. He is an author, an artist, cartoonist, an animator, a web designer, a musician, an actor, and a director. He has worked as a cashier, a waiter, a factory worker, a teacher, and a TRIO professional. He lives in the Driftless area of Iowa with his wife, Kathleen.

About the Book:
Title: Zierath Lord of the Alliance
Genre: Fantasy
Author: M. David Loyal
Publisher: iUniverse
Pages: 284
Language: English
ISBN – 978-0-59569-622-2

Welcome to the Achar, a huge rotating mobius strip encircling a yellow sun. The Achar is home to hundreds of sentient races, bizarre monsters, thousands of countries, and the Imrhys, a race of immortal humans with great magical abilities who believe it is their responsibility to save the world.

More than three thousand years have passed since the last great Gnarrhys War, but Lord Zierath and his fellow Imrhys still remember it. More than half of all the sentients on the Achar died in that war. Now, rumors of a darkness forming off in the west set Zierath out on a quest to gather allies, armies, and information before the darkness envelops them all. Of course, the first trick is to get out of the tedious administrative duties of ruling a large confederation of countries. Zierath’s solution is simple. Sneak out of the castle, city, and country before the regent can stop him.  However, if the regent can see into the future, things can get complicated very quickly.

Purchase Your Copy Here.

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Hot Buttons Bullying and Image editions ~ Review

HOT Buttons

By Nicole O'Dell

As anyone with younger children, tweens, and teens knows peer pressure is a real and present fact of life.  But by being prepared one can be ready to offer a steadying hand to keep peer pressure from overwhelming the young people in our lives.

Edition 5 is the Bullying Edition and Edition 6 is the Image Edition.  In both books popularity can be a driving force behind image and bullying issues and fear is a motivating factor in in a child keeping it hidden from parents.  Taking a proactive approach and confronting these issues before they occur is the best way to help your child be prepared.

Unfortunately issues of image are instilled early in a child's life, as adults gush over a child's cuteness, looks, and clothes.  Looks and appearance equal attention and approval/disapproval.  But we should instead focus on a young child's acts of kindness, caring, and honesty instilling value on the internal character rather than outward appearance.

Your children need for you to be approachable so that they can feel confident that they can come to you with a problem and that you will listen to them and offer advice when they need it.  Your communication needs to be two-way not just you spouting off what your experiences were in middle/high school.  Talking and consistent involvement will create a level of trust in your relationship, but remember you are the parent not the BFF of your child and they need/want your help and guidance.

Remember that fitting in and bowing to peer pressure is not the answer.  We are each unique and that uniqueness is what allows us to make individual contributions.

Bullying Edition and Image Edition overlap in areas as these two issues can contribute to one another, but by no means are they the same book.  Bullying looks at the different and various forms bullying can take physical, verbal, and technological.  While Image deals with how we present ourselves and why we seek approval of our appearance.  Image focuses on how we as adults lead by example and even how we tend to put our own selves down.

Eating disorders, body piercings, tattoos, depression, falling grades, and lack of self-esteem are signs that help is needed.  But with these two books you can offer the help your child needs before these situations arise.  And the most important tools at your disposal are time spent with your child, communication that is two-way, leading by example, consistency in all that you do and say, and prayer. 

 I was provided a copy of these books by Kregel Publications in exchange for my honest review.


About the book: 

From dating to drugs, modesty to purity, morals to popularity, teens face all sorts of tough issues. How teens respond to these challenges will influence their future, possibly define their future, maybe even determine whether they have a future or not.

Following four successful books in the uniquely packaged Hot Buttons Series, author, mom, and broadcaster, Nicole O'Dell now debuts two more books on two of the most prevalent issues in the lives of today's teens: bullying and image. Parents can reach for these quick-reference resources to create healthy conversations with their teens about teasing, cliques and gangs, suicide, or self esteem, piercings and tattoos, eating disorders, and trash talk.

Nicole's creative strategic scenarios, discussion questions, and Bible studies have and will continue to equip parents to proactively prepare their tweens and teens to respond to challenges with courage and grace.

Get these Hot Buttons here!

A Christmas Kindness ~ Review

A Christmas Kindness
By C.C. Gevry
Illustrated by Caroline Mabey

As Robert impatiently waits for his chance to tell Santa what he wants for Christmas he meets Glenn.  Glenn is a shabbily dressed boy who doesn't seem to be anticipating his visit with Santa.  When Robert questions Glenn about his Christmas wants he is shocked by Glenn's single want.

Glenn's reasoning behind this want causes Robert to rethink his request to Santa.  And his request is one that will make someone else happy for Christmas.  A Christmas Kindness is a sweet and touching story that looks at the needs of others rather than ourselves, and it is a message that will touch the lives of your children and/or grandchildren.  A powerful message of kindness is found within these 15 pages.

I was provided a copy of this book through Pump Up Your Book in exchange for my honest review as a part of this blog tour.


About the Book:
Eight-year-old Robert is eager to share his wish list with Santa at the mall on Christmas Eve.  When he meets Glenn, who has only one request for Santa, Robert is confused over what he should do. Can he cast aside what he wants and ask Santa to bring his new friend a special gift?