Justice Delayed ~ Review

Delayed Justice
Hidden Justice #3
By Cara Putman

Jaime Nichols has lived with the memories and the nightmares for twenty years but she is now strong enough to seek justice against the person who broke her trust. This will not be an easy fight to win against someone as powerful as he is. But Jaime needs to do this - to be a voice for others who were without a voice as she was.

Chandler Bolton, a veteran, who has suffered from the scars from his own service works with other veterans who are in need of counseling. When a young victim who needs the special comfort skills of his dog Aslan, Chandler finds himself helping Tiffany work through her trauma. A victim that Jaime is asked to help, due to her personal insights into what Tiffany is dealing with. But working with someone like Chandler is something Jaime isn't sure she can do especially with the upheaval she is experiencing in both her personal and professional lives.

As Jaime confronts the past she hopes to find healing but the healing she seeks might come from an altogether different source. Her friends have been praying for her and now Chandler has added his own for her. Could God have been there all along? Or is He as distant as she always assumed? The answers to her questions will determine the future course of her life.

Each book in the Hidden Justice series can be read as a standalone book with each book focusing on different characters. Difficult issues are covered and each could be taken right from the headlines of current news events and Justice Delayed is no exception. The book does not get into the nitty-gritty ugly details leaving that to the reader's own imagination (or not). The issues covered are childhood abuse and PTSD. This is not a book to read if you want fluff but it is an excellently written work that I would recommend if you are looking for a book that offers some depth to it.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Thomas Nelson through their blogger program with no expectations but that I offer my honest opinion ~ all opinions offered are my own.


About the Book:

She had long given up the desire to be loved. 

Now she only needed to be heard.

Jaime Nichols went to law school to find the voice she never had as a child, and her determination to protect girls and women in the path of harm drives her in ways both spoken and unspoken. As Jaime, now a criminal defense attorney, prepares to press charges against someone who wronged her long ago, she must face not only her demons but also the unimaginable forces that protect the powerful man who tore her childhood apart.

Chandler Bolton, a retired veteran, is tasked with helping a young victim who must testify in court—and along with his therapy dog, Aslan, he’s up for the task. When he first meets Jaime, all brains, beauty, and brashness, he can’t help but be intrigued. As Chandler works to break through the wall Jaime has built around herself, the two of them discover that they may have more to offer one another than they ever could have guessed—and that together, they may be able to help this endangered child.

This thrilling installment of the Hidden Justice series explores the healing power of resolution and the weight of words given voice. And as Jaime pursues delayed justice of her own, she unearths eternal truths that will change the course of her life.

Santa's Dog ~ Blog Hop

Welcome to the Santa's Dog Blog Hop

In this rhyming picture book for dog lovers of all ages, readers follow the adventures of Santa’s best dog, Lance, when he falls out of the sleigh one Christmas Eve. He’s taken in by the animal shelter and then brought home by a military family who needs some help as Dad is called to serve his country. When Christmas Eve comes ‘round the next year, Lance must decide whether to return to the North Pole with his friend Santa or stay with his new family. Kirkus Reviews describes SANTA’S DOGS as “a sweet, powerful Christmas story.”

SANTA’S DOG would be a great addition to any library or classroom reading program! To accompany this book, we have developed full teacher resources, including a Teacher Lesson Plans packet as well as an Activity Packet, both of which are available for FREE download from the Dogs and Books website. JoAnn also offers FREE virtual author visits to schools. Additional information about all of these resources can be found here.

GOODREADS

About the Author

JoAnn Sky has written for years as part of her job (business and marketing plans and the like). One day she tried her hand at writing for fun—and liked it. Now she authors adult contemporary romance and young adult romance with a magical twist as well as children’s books. She is a two-time Golden Heart® finalist and a member of Romance Writers of America. Originally from the Midwest, JoAnn currently lives in northern Nevada with her husband a.k.a. love of her life, three teenage children, and three crazy rescue dogs.

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | BOOKBUB | WEBSITE

Behind the Scenes Facts About the Book

1. Lance in the story is a combination of two rescues we’ve been lucky to have as part of our family over the years: Sampson and Lance. Sampson was our first rescue, and I adopted him from a kill-shelter while my husband was deployed to Iraq about 15 years ago. Lance was a wonderful older dog who spent about five years with us. Lance crossed the Rainbow Bridge earlier this year.

2. This story didn’t start out intending to be a children’s book. I began writing this as a short story that I thought I’d give to readers to encourage them to sign up for my author newsletter. As I wrote it out, it would only come out in rhyme—it just didn’t seem to work any other way. Then once I was done, I had a huge desire to add illustrations. The whole thing just snowballed after that!

3. The illustration of Santa going to pick up Lance and finding the shelter closed initially didn’t have the cardinal or the cat. I thought it needed “a little something,” so Ed Koehler (the most awesome illustrator in the world) added the cardinal. But it still seemed to need something! I asked Ed if he would add an animal peeking through the window. He wasn’t convinced it was necessary but added a cat. We both loved it, so that cat got to stay!

4. For the illustration of when Lance packs his things and waits for Santa, I had this vision with his dish on his head. I’m pretty sure Ed thought I was nuts when I first described it. But then he added the photo of the kids, and it was absolutely perfect!

5. SANTA’S DOG would not exist in its final form as a beautiful hardcover with dust jacket if I had not purchased Bobbie Hinman’s book, “How to Create a Successful Children’s Picture Book.” Bobbie is a successful author and editor. Her book is the bible for writing and publishing a children’s book. Seriously.

Facebook Party

Join the Facebook Party HERE.

Giveaway

Enter the giveaway HERE.

Giveaway is subject to policies HERE.

Blog Hop Schedule

October 8-Life Is What Its Called
October 9-Emily Yager | My Book a Day | Cafinated Reads
October 10-Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen | Remembrancy
October 11-Why Not? Because I Said So!
October 12-Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic
October 13-Maiden of the Pages | Paulette’s Papers | Blooming with Book

Hidden Peril ~ Review

Hidden Peril
Code of Honor #2
By Irene Hannon

Kristin Dane might not have had the family she wanted growing up but she does have her two best friends Colin and Rick and she knows they will have her back should the need arise. And she is about to enlist them once again in the children's show she's putting together. When a murder occurs in her small gift shop Kristin is drawn into a world that could easily put her life on the line.

When a second murder is loosely linked to her shop Kristin and St. Louis Detective Luke Carter try to find out if these were just random burglaries gone terribly wrong or if the victims were targeted. And an even bigger question if the possible terrorist link that Luke suspects is proven to be accurate just how far is someone willing to go to achieve their goal?

In a game that increasingly becomes more dangerous the unknown terrorist works to keep his identity hidden and his operation under the radar of law enforcement. But one little mistake could conceivably bring it all down in an explosive finale.

Fans of Irene Hannon will enjoy seeing a few characters from her previous series join together to stop this latest threat to St. Louis and her residents. For those who haven't read Irene's work before you can read this book without reading her previous books as each is a complete story in itself. A word of advice - be sure to read this when you are guaranteed uninterrupted read because as the story progresses you'll be less inclined to put it down. This is Romantic Suspense but there is no over-the-top violence or graphic crime-scene detailing to keep you from sleep.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher through JustRead Publicity Tours with no expectation but offering my honest opinion - all opinions expressed are my own.

About the Book:
The most dangerous enemy is the one who has nothing to lose
As teenagers, Kristin Dane and her two best friends took a vow to make the world a better place. Twenty years later, she's fulfilling that pledge through her fair trade shop that features products from around the world. All is well until, one by one, people connected to the shop begin dying. 

Detective Luke Carter, new to the St. Louis PD, wants to know why. Before he can answer that question, however, the FBI weighs in and Kristin suddenly finds herself in the middle of international intrigue--and in the sights of the ruthless mastermind behind an ingenious and deadly scheme. Can this cold-blooded killer be stopped before more people die . . . including Kristin?

Three-time RITA Award-winner and "queen of inspirational romantic suspense" (Library Journal) Irene Hannon doesn't disappoint in this edge-of-your-seat thriller that will have you up late as you rush toward the explosive conclusion.

LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | iTunes | Book Depository | BAM! | Christian Book

 About the Author:

Photo Credit: © DeWeesePhotography.com

Irene Hannon is the bestselling author of more than fifty novels, including One Perfect Spring, Hope Harbor, Sea Rose Lane, Sandpiper Cove, and Pelican Point, as well as Dangerous Illusionsand the Private Justice and Men of Valorsuspense series. Her books have been honored with three coveted RITA Awards from Romance Writers of America, and she is a member of that organization’s elite Hall of Fame. Her many other awards include National Readers’ Choice, Daphne du Maurier, Retailers’ Choice, Booksellers’ Best, Carols, and Reviewers’ Choice from RT Book Reviews magazine, which also honored her with a Career Achievement award for her entire body of work. In addition, she is a two-time Christy Award finalist. Learn more at http://www.irenehannon.com.

CONNECT WITH AUTHOR:  Website | Facebook | Twitter  |  Instagram

http://bit.ly/HiddenPeril

(1) Winner will win:

Book Pack with Revell swag

(US/Canada Mailing Addresses Only)

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. 

Giveaway will begin at midnight October 10, 2018 

and last through 11:59 PM EST on October 17, 2018. 

Winners will be notified within a week of the close of the giveaway

and given 48 hours to respond or risk 

forfeiture of the prize. 

Open US/Canada mailing addresses only.

Enter at the following page

http://bit.ly/HiddenPeril

Big and Little Coloring Devotional ~ Review

Big and Little Coloring Devotional
Written by Rachel C. Swanson
Illustrated by Jacy Corral

Big and Little Coloring Devotional is a fun and relaxing way to spend time together with your younger family members. The facing pages go together one is a simpler design while other is more intricate. They are themed so that these two pages go together offering a verse of Scripture on both pages and corresponding devotional message on the big page.

The book is softcover so while it does not lay-flat it can get fairly close to it and is an excellent opportunity for parent and child to learn to work together if coloring at the same time. The pages are of a heavier weight but I'd recommend crayons or color pencils just to be sure the color doesn't bleed through to the other side.

One page pairing has the verse: Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. The parents are then offered a small insight - they are to lead their children in the Lord. The pages have a penguin family to color as you think on these things.

If you have more than one child you may have to come up with an alternating day coloring system or get a second book to double the enjoyment. This would also be a lovely visit to Grandma and Grandpa's house activity. Do you know someone expecting a new sibling soon - this would be a great big brother/big sister gift with the promise that there will still be a special parent time to come (unwinding de-stressing time for Mom).

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher BH with no expectation except that give my honest opinion ~ all opinions expressed are my own.


About the Book:

Kids crave constant activities and attention. Adults crave quiet moments of refreshment. How can we achieve both? Big and Little Coloring Devotional engages adults’ minds with appealing biblical devotionals while providing a creative outlet through coloring to diffuse stress.

Let’s have fun with our children through coloring and facilitate their spiritual growth with Scripture. Big and Little Coloring Devotional will incorporate physical, spiritual, and emotional refreshment by providing authentic faith-filled devotionals combined with therapeutic doodling for both the adult and child.

About the Author:

Rachel C. Swanson is a dental hygienist turned author and speaker. She’s founder of the blog community RefineAndRestore.com where she pours out "R&R for the Heart and Soul." Her writing is featured on multiple websites worldwide. She’s been married ten years to her husband who loves her despite her love for coffee and often impulsive nature. They rear their tribe of identical twin boys and (nineteen months later) their baby girl ... and a Weimaraner (dog) who thinks she’s human. They reside in a wannabe country town just on the outskirts of the big city Los Angeles, CA. www.RachelCSwanson.com

About the Illustrator:

Jacy Corral (pronounced "Jackie") is an illustrator, hand lettering artist, graphic designer, wife, and mom. After enjoying an extensive career in corporate marketing and design, she traded fancy slacks for yoga pants to focus on the great privilege of raising her daughter, investing in her home and marriage, and creating artwork that helps people to connect and reflect. Jacy lives with her husband, daughter, and miniature poodle in West Los Angeles, CA. She shares her creations regularly on Instagram and at www.hyssopdesign.com.

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms ~ Featurettes

This year's Nutcracker is a big screen event

Enjoy this brand new featurette featuring Misty Copeland in her role as the ballerina princess in Disney’s “Nutcracker and the Four Realms”  Misty is the first African-American principal dancer for the prestigious American Ballet Theater and showcases her world-class dancing in the upcoming holiday film.

This beautiful behind-the-scenes look at the story and how the cast 

came to fall in love with the story of the original Nutcracker.

ABOUT THE MOVIE:

All Clara (Mackenzie Foy) wants is a key – a one-of-a-kind key that will unlock a box that holds a priceless gift. A golden thread, presented to her at godfather Drosselmeyer’s (Morgan Freeman) annual holiday party, leads her to the coveted key—which promptly disappears into a strange and mysterious parallel world. It’s there that Clara encounters a soldier named Phillip (Jayden Fowora-Knight), a gang of mice and the regents who preside over three Realms: Land of Snowflakes, Land of Flowers and Land of Sweets. Clara and Phillip must brave the ominous Fourth Realm, home to the tyrant Mother Ginger (Helen Mirren), to retrieve Clara’s key and hopefully return harmony to the unstable world. Starring Keira Knightley as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Disney’s new holiday feature film “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” is directed by Lasse Hallström and Joe Johnston, and inspired by E.T.A. Hoffmann’s classic tale.

Opens in U.S. theaters on Nov. 2, 2018.

Directors:  Lasse Hallström, Joe Johnston

Producers:  Mark Gordon, Larry Franco

Executive producers:  Sara Smith, Lindy Goldstein

SOCIAL LINKS:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/DisneysNutcracker

Twitter:   https://twitter.com/disneystudios

Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/disneysnutcracker

Becoming Mrs. Lewis ~ Review

Becoming Mrs. Lewis
By Patti Callahan

She became Mrs. Lewis but the journey from Joy Davidman to Mrs. Gresham to Mrs. Lewis was not an easy one. From an early age, Joy became an atheist and she clung to this belief of unbelief until she called out to God in a moment of despair. Fear for her husband caused her to call out but what she experienced set her on a path that would take years and redirect her life.

What had she experienced? Joy was determined to discover the truth researching through reading books, articles, and asking questions. The question that made the greatest impact was the one she wrote to Mr. Chad Walsh in which she asked him about C.S. Lewis. In reply to her letter, he told to write to C.S. Lewis and ask him the questions she had. What followed was years of correspondence that lead to a unique and special friendship between the two.

As Joy struggles with her husband's bouts of drinking, infidelity, and abuse her correspondence with Jack offers her a chance to escape the life she had and to hope for something better. When her own writing provides the funds to visit England in the hopes of saving her marriage and to heal from the undiagnosed illness plaguing her Joy takes this opportunity. Exploring England, doing research for her newest book, and connecting with her friends including Jack.

Joy's return to her home exposed just how dreadful her home life had become, a life that was threatening to drag her beloved sons down with it. With her husband once again straying from his vows, Joy knows that she and her sons must leave behind this toxic life. But divorce was something she had never thought would be a consideration for her. Yet it was the only way she knew to save both herself and her boys.

Becoming Mrs. Lewis is a most interesting look at the life of the woman who inspired C.S. Lewis to write A Grief Observed. Their friendship and love was but a mere 10 years and yet it had a tremendous impact on both. It all started with the reading of a book The Great Divorce and a questioning, seeking mind. One never knows just what journey the opening of a book will set one on and this is one woman's journey. A journey of pain, of loss, of joy, of love, of life.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher through TLC Book Tour with no expectation but offering my honest opinion - all opinions expressed are my own.

Listen to an audio clip of chapters 1 and 2: here

About the Book:

Hardcover: 432 Pages

Publisher: Thomas Nelson (October 2, 2018)

In a most improbable friendship, she found love. 

In a world where women were silenced, she found her voice.

From New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan comes an exquisite novel of Joy Davidman, the woman C. S. Lewis called “my whole world.” When poet and writer Joy Davidman began writing letters to C. S. Lewis—known as Jack—she was looking for spiritual answers, not love. Love, after all, wasn’t holding together her crumbling marriage. Everything about New Yorker Joy seemed ill-matched for an Oxford don and the beloved writer of Narnia, yet their minds bonded over their letters. Embarking on the adventure of her life, Joy traveled from America to England and back again, facing heartbreak and poverty, discovering friendship and faith, and against all odds, finding a love that even the threat of death couldn’t destroy.

In this masterful exploration of one of the greatest love stories of modern times, we meet a brilliant writer, a fiercely independent mother, and a passionate woman who changed the life of this respected author and inspired books that still enchant us and change us. Joy lived at a time when women weren’t meant to have a voice—and yet her love for Jack gave them both voices they didn’t know they had.

At once a fascinating historical novel and a glimpse into a writer’s life, Becoming Mrs. Lewis is above all a love story—a love of literature and ideas and a love between a husband and wife that, in the end, was not impossible at all.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

About the Author:

Patti Callahan (who also writes as Patti Callahan Henry) is a New York Times bestselling author. Patti was a finalist in the Townsend Prize for Fiction, has been an Indie Next Pick, twice an OKRA pick, and a multiple nominee for the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) Novel of the Year. Her work has also been included in short story collections, anthologies, magazines, and blogs. Patti attended Auburn University for her undergraduate work and Georgia State University for her graduate degree. Once a Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist, she now writes full time. The mother of three children, she lives in both Mountain Brook, Alabama and Bluffton, South Carolina with her husband.

Connect with Patti

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Instagram Tour Stops

Monday, October 1st: @Rissi006

Monday, October 1st: @hollyslittlebookreviews

Tuesday, October 2nd: @thecaffeinated_bibliophile

Wednesday, October 3rd: @girlsinbooks

Wednesday, October 3rd: @readingbringsjoy

Thursday, October 4th: @bookishmadeleine

Thursday, October 4th: @ladyofthelibrary

Thursday, October 4th:: @theardentbiblio

Saturday, October 6th: @acozyreader

Sunday, October 7th: @theliterarybirds

Review Tour Stops

Monday, October 1st: View from the Birdhouse

Tuesday, October 2nd: @prose_and_palate and Prose and Palate

Wednesday, October 3rd: Book by Book

Thursday, October 4th: Amy’s Book-et List

Friday, October 5th: Running Through the Storms

Monday, October 8th: Really Into This and @mountain_reader_

Tuesday, October 9th: Blooming with Books

Wednesday, October 10th: @createexploreread

Thursday, October 11th: Jathan & Heather

Friday, October 12th: The Lit Bitch

Monday, October 15th: @kim_reads

Tuesday, October 16th: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Wednesday, October 17th: Openly Bookish

Thursday, October 18th: Cheryl’s Book Nook

Monday, October 22nd: Fiction Aficionado

Monday, October 22nd: @novelmombooks

Tuesday, October 23rd: Read Eat Repeat

Wednesday, October 24th: Faery Tales are Real

Thursday, October 25th: Girl Who Reads

Friday, October 26th: What is That Book About

Second-Chance Dogs ~ Review

Second-Chance Dogs

True Stories of the Dogs We Rescue 

           and the Dogs Who Rescue Us

Edited by Callie Smith Grant

Everyone loves a good dog story or at least I do and this collection of stories offers several that will warm your heart. Second-Chance Dogs is an offering of dogs who are offered a second chance at life and a home. But these delightful new additions also offer their new families a second chance as well.

All too often after the loss of a beloved friend, one declares that they can't take the heartbreak of another pet but somehow these four-legged bundles of life manage to make a place in hearts that are hurting.

I really like that each story is a quick read and takes under 10 minutes. Some of these stories will bring tears while others will make you smile as you are reminded of the antics of your beloved furry friend. I highly recommend this book - it would be a great gift for the dog-lover in your life.  Another possibility for this book is if you volunteer with seniors is this would be a great group read-aloud book that could be read a story at a time.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Revell with no expectation but my honest opinion - all opinions expressed are my own.



About the Book:

Everyone loves an underdog, and nothing gives us warmer feelings than seeing someone get a second chance in life. A problem pup who flourishes under the right kind of training. The struggling veteran who finds unconditional love wiggling around at the end of a leash. The lonely child who finds comfort in the steady breathing of the warm, furry friend at her side. Each of us needs to be rescued from something--and each of us has the capacity to rescue someone, or something, else.

This collection of more than thirty contemporary, true, feel-good stories spotlights the beauty of being rescued--dogs rescued by people, people rescued by dogs, and even dogs who rescue other animals. It's the perfect companion--well, besides the four-legged, tail-wagging kind--for your morning cup of coffee or an evening curled up on the couch. Contributors include Susy Flory, Dusty Rainbolt, Lauraine Snelling, Melody Carlson, Wanda Dyson, Suzanne Woods Fisher, and many more.