30 Days to a More Beautiful You ~ Review

30 Days to a More Beautiful You
A Devotional for Girls
By Kylie Bisutti

30 Days to a More Beautiful You is a devotional to help girls navigate the idea of what is true beauty.  The world is pushing the idea of selling our appearance to calculate our true worth when God is telling us just the opposite.

As a former Victoria's Secret Runway model Kylie has some unique insights into why the world wants us to define our worth by the amount of skin we show and how much we are willing to give away of ourselves.

By buying into the world view of beauty we are selling ourselves short and we won't find true contentment.  We'll be insecure because outer beauty can so easily change, but if we focus instead on our inner beauty we will transform our heart and soul.

30 Days to a More Beautiful You offers 30 days of verses and personal insights into how we've allowed ourselves to be confused and how we can rise above it and find our true worth and beauty in God and not the world.  This devotional would be a perfect gift for any young lady who is trying to discover who she is.  I think that ages 12 and up would benefit from the insights they can glean from it.  I also think parents of younger girls could use this as a guide to help steer their daughters to understanding where their true beauty can be found.

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

About the Book
Despite what the world leads us to believe, true beauty has nothing to do with outward appearances. The more we focus on what we look like on the outside, the more insecure we become.

Fortunately, God doesn’t measure our worth by how we look. We have value simply because we are His children. The more we focus on getting our hearts right with the Lord and honoring Him, the more secure and confident we will become—and the more we will exude true beauty.

In 30 Days to a More Beautiful You, former Victoria’s Secret Runway Angel Kylie Bisutti gives a complete inner-beauty makeover with succinct devotional readings designed to transform your heart, body, mind, and soul and put you on the path to becoming a happier, healthier, more beautiful you.

The perfect gift for every young woman, this devotional will forever change the way you define the word 
beautiful.

A Woman of Fortune ~ Review

A Woman of Fortune
Texas Gold #1
By Kellie Coates Gilbert

Having read a previous book by the author (Mother of Pearl) I was curious to check-out Kellie's newest offering.

Claire Massey's life is about to come crashing down around her and the worst part is it is all of her husband's own making.  For years Claire has been the envy of Texas.  She lives in the best house.  She has the most expensive cars.  And if her shoes are a shade off from her dress, she'll get another pair and cost is of no concern.

Claire's daughter Lainie is about to marry the rising star of the Texas political scene.  And Lainie is convinced that the spotlight that she's standing in is her right by birth, after all she knows she's something special and everyone deserves to know it too.  Claire's sons are opposites - Garrett is following in Daddy's footsteps. Garret never stepped out of line and never an embarrassment to his family.  Max lived a little fast and was a source of disappointment to his father.  Max wasn't involved in the family business - instead working for a local newspaper.

Tuck Massey was a loving and devoted husband and father.  But when he is accused of fraud in his cattle brokerage his family is about to fall hard.  But could the man that Claire has loved for more than 30 years even be capable of such deception?

This book looks at the strength of family bonds.  And it is interesting to see how all the Massey's react to this sudden change in their social and financial standing.  And when another crisis occurs they all realize just how important family truly is.

Kellie Coates Gilbert has a way of writing about a family caught in the middle of an unexpected crisis. Through it her characters come to discover who they truly are and what truly matters to them.  Happiness is not a given in life, but it is a possibility if one isn't afraid to work through periods of difficulty.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher through their Revell Reads blogger program in exchange for my honest review.

Book Trailer 

Backyard Horses Books 3 and 4 ~ Review

Chasing Dream

Backyard Horses #3

By Dandi Daley Makall

Ellie is determined to prove to everyone what a fabulous horse that Dream is.

But for some reason all of Ellie’s ideas seem to backfire.  And added to this is

the concern that Dream is somehow getting out of her backyard pasture.  How can a horse get loose and still have all the gates locked and the fences up?

But when Ellie’s dreams of making Dream into a star interfere with her promises to friends and family and even threaten Dream’s life Ellie is racked with guilt.

When Dream pulls through her bout of colic, which could have killed her, Ellie learns that family and friends are there for you when you need them the most.

Night Mare

Backyard Horses #4

By Dandi Daley Makall

When a school blogging project puts Dream in the spotlight, Dream’s former owner comes forward to reclaim the wayward fence-jumper.  With no way to fight against this claim, Ellie is sure to lose her dream and Dream!

But when her brother’s newest fish dies Ellie learns a lesson in pushing through each day and being glad with what she does have.

But before you tear up too much there is a happy ending for Ellie and Dream, not to give anything away!  Ellie's Night Mare may turn into a happy Dream!

Doppleganger Chronicles: The Great Mogul Diamond ~ Review

THE DOPPLE GANGER CHRONICLES
The Great Mogul Diamond
By G.P. Taylor

Sadie, Saskia, and Erik are back with yet another adventure. The trio has just overheard a one-sided phone conversation and Muzz Elliott is being threatened. But when the trio enters the Muzz Elliott hides a letter within the Times and says she wishes to speak privately with Dorcas Potts when she comes to pick-up Erik.

While Dorcas and Muzz talk Sadie, Saskie and Erik slip back into the library and find the letter. Muzz Elliott is being blackmailed!

After Erik and Dorcas leave Muzz Elliott tells the girls that they are going to France on a vacation. The twins call Erik from the train station but the call gets cut off. But little do Sadie and Saskia realize that someone is listening in on their call and that someone follows them onboard the train and all the way to the Rothchild Express in France!

As Saskia gets ready to board the Express, the stranger - Max Taranis calls out to her by name and seems to know a lot about her. Then strange things begin to happen onboard the Express. Someone seems to be acting out Muzz Elliott's book MURDER TRAIN, using it to plot crimes on the Express and frame Muzz. Max Taranis then reveals that he is a detective with Scotland Yard. Who is behind this?

Meanwhile Dorcas and Erik are racing to get to Cannes in time to meet Muzz Elliott, Sadie and Saskia. But there is someone trying to stop them and they drive into a trap and taken to a Chateau where they are going to be killed! While they are separated Erik finally sees Madame Raphael. Then as they are about to be killed one of their captors Foojack helps them to escape.

Then Sadie, Saskia, and Muzz are drugged with their cocoa and someone kidnaps Sadie. Can they find Sadie or will Muzz Elliott be forced to steal the Mogul Diamond?

When everyone meets up in Cannes they work on a plan to save Sadie and keep Muzz from being framed for the crimes. But then Dorcas Potts is captured. As everything comes to a head the kidnapper and blackmailer turns out be Muzz Elliott's twin sister Cicely Windylove. Can they stop this evil twin or will they all be lost?

Erik meets the Companion that Madame Raphael is always speaking of, He tells Erik that his father did not abandon him all those years ago, but he in fact died that night and had been with the Companion ever since.

I love all the twists and turns that Dopple twins go through in the their adventures and I won't spoil the ending for readers, but I think a fourth book could be in their future!

Horse Dreams ~ Review

HORSE DREAMS Backyard Horses By Dandi Daley Mackall Ellie James wants a horse of her own, so much so that she thinks, breathes, and dreams horses all day long. She dreams so much that when she sees a horse outside her fourth grade classroom window everyone thinks she's dreaming! When Ellie manages to capture the lost pinto mare she leads it to the cat farm where her mom volunteers. But a homeless horse doesn't belong in a cat rescue, where will she go? As Ellie cares for the pinto she continues to dream about her dream horse and how she'll get him. But when the pinto is going to be shipped to a horse farm in New Jersey will Ellie realize her dream is right in front of her or will she just have HORSE DREAMS? Digital Advanced Reader Copy provided through Net Galley

CSFF May/June Blog Tour ~ DreamTreaders Day 3

Welcome to Day 3 of the May/June CSFF Blog Tour
This month's book is 

DreamTreaders
By Wayne Thomas Batson

Dream by Day.       

              Live by Night.

Archer Keaton is a Dreamtreader, one of three throughout the world.  But Archer has a problem - the other two dreamtreaders are missing and the Nightmare Lord's attacks on the Dream are getting worse.

But when Archer takes the fight to the Nightmare Lord, he opens his family up to attack.  And worse he has no one with whom to talk this over with.  Kara, his best friend since forever has come under the influence of Rigby Thames, the new kid in school.  What Archer doesn't realize is that Rigby is about to make his life a whole lot more complicated in both worlds.

Being a teenager is hard enough, but when the fate of the world and dreams rests on your shoulders it is almost more than Archer can handle.  Get ready to enter the Dream, but beware sometimes the Dream follows you into reality.

Get ready to enter a world where time is an important factor in the fight, but be warned time follows no rules. And the sixth hour belongs to the Nightmare Lord.  And to stay past the twelfth hour may very well cost you your sanity or your waking life.

Thanks for joining me for Dream Treaders ~ a world you'll be drawn to whenever you close your eyes!

In conjunction with this CSFF tour I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for my participation in this tour.

Dream Treaders is available @ Amazon 
Learn more at Wayne Thomas Batson's Website.

Be sure to visit all the Tour Stops during the 3-day tour June 2 - 4.

Beckie Burnham  Jeff Chapman  Pauline Creeden  Vicky DealSharingAunt 

Carol Gehringer  Victor Gentile  Rebekah Gyger  Christopher Hopper

Jason Joyner  Carol Keen  Jennette Mbewe  Shannon McDermott

Meagan @ Blooming with Books  Rebecca LuElla Miller  Nissa 

Writer Rani  Nathan Reimer  Chawna Schroeder  Jojo Sutis

Steve Trower  Shane Werlinger  Phyllis Wheeler

Book Facts:

Dream Treaders by Wayne Thomas Batson
•      Age Range: 8 - 12 years
•      Paperback: 288 pages
•      Publisher: Thomas Nelson (May 6, 2014)
•      Language: English
•      ISBN-10: 1400323665

Middle grade, fantasy
Fourteen-year-old Archer Keaton discovers he has the ability to enter and explore his dreams. He is a dreamtreader, one of three selected from each generation. Their mission: to protect the waking world from the Nightmare Lord, who wreaks chaos in the Dream World. But as Archer’s dreams become more dangerous and threatening, so too does his waking life.

Rigby Thames, the new kid from England, builds a suspicious rock star-like following at Dresden High School a little too quickly. Even Archer’s best friend and confidant, Kara Windchil, seems taken in by the cool guy with the wild blond hair, which definitely rubs Archer the wrong way. Archer must face two foes in two worlds, but he cannot succeed alone. Archer sets off to find other dreamtreaders in a desperate attempt to defeat the enemy terrorizing his friends and family.     

The Dopple Ganger Chronicles: The Secret of Indigo Moon

Secret of Indigo Moon, the #2 by G.P. Taylor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

THE DOPPLE GANGER CHRONICLES: THE SECRET OF INDIGO MOON
By G.P. Taylor

In The Secret of Indigo Moon, Erik, Saskia, and Sadie are involved in yet another adventure. Burglars are using hidden a hidden tunnel beneath Isambard Dumstan's School for Wayward Children. While investigating Saskia gets trapped in a sarcophagus and is stolen! Can Erik and Sadie rescue her before she is discovered or will they be captured as well?

The magician Potemkin is back and continuing his evil ways. Can Saskia convince Sadie and Erik that Madame Raphael is real? Or will Saskia be alone in her belife?

Prepare for a thrilling adventure that even the most reluctant middle grade reader will enjoy. The combination of traditional text, text art, and graphic novel adds to the appeal of this engaging sequel in the Dopple Ganger Chronicles.