Amy Wallace’s latest installment of the “Defenders of Hope Series” is a great read.

In Enduring Justice, Hanna Kessler’s childhood secret has remained buried for over two decades. But when the dark shadows of her past threaten to destroy those she loves, Hanna must face the summer that changed her life and the man who still haunts her thoughts.

Crimes Against Children FBI Agent, Michael Parker knows what it means to get knocked down. And when the system fails and a white supremacist is set free, Michael’s drive for retribution eclipses all else.

A racist’s well-planned assault forces Hanna and Michael to decide between executing vengeance and pursuing justice. When the attack turns personal, is healing still possible?

This thought-provoking novel deals with healing from sexual abuse, the balance of justice and mercy, and maintaining mixed-race friendships in the midst of racial tension. Readers who enjoy investigative thrillers by Dee Henderson, Colleen Coble, and Catherine Coulter, and who watch crime dramas like Law & Order: SVU, Criminal Minds, and Without a Trace will love this book—and the entire series.

Author Bio:

Amy Wallace is the author of Ransomed Dreams and Healing Promises, a homeschool mom, and self-confessed chocoholic. She is a graduate of the Gwinnett County Citizens Police Academy and a contributing author of several books including God Answers Moms’ Prayers and Chicken Soup for the Soul Healthy Living Series: Diabetes. She lives with her husband and three children in Georgia.

Having just celebrated another Mother’s Day, these books are timely. Plus, I have a fun giveaway to tell you about as well.

Here are two non-fiction books that address concerns most moms can relate to ~ or at least grapple with from time to time.

First up is a book by Melody Carlson entitled Dear Mom: Everything Your Teenage Daughter wants you to know but Will Never Tell You.

Every mom knows how communicating with a teenage girl can be difficult, even impossible at times. One-word answers. Defensive conversations. Daily arguments. How typical for teens to put up such barriers. All the while, moms truly long to know what their daughters really think.

Best-selling author Melody Carlson, whose books for women, teens, and children have sold more than three million copies, bridges this chasm with trusted insight. She speaks frankly in the voice of the teen daughters she’s written for and she tells it like it is: struggles with identity, guys, friendship, and even parents—it’s all here. The straight-talk to moms covers such things as

• “I need you, but you can’t make me admit it,”
• “I’m not as confident as I appear,” and
• “I have friends. I need a mother.”

Instead of focusing on outward behaviors, Dear Mom looks at a young woman’s heart and reveals to moms:

• how to talk to teens so they hear,
• how to connect despite the differences of perspective or years and experiences,
• and how strengthen the bond every mom and daughter ultimately wants.

The lively chapters in Dear Mom can be dipped into topically or used as a read-through tool by moms and daughters alike to understand what motivates or deflates, troubles or inspires—and just in time for Mother’s Day and all the Mother’s Days ahead.

Author Bio:
Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of more than one hundred books for adults, children, and teens, with sales totaling more than three million copies. Beloved for her Diary of a Teenage Girl and Notes from a Spinning Planet series, she’s also the author of the women’s novels Finding Alice (in production now for a Lifetime-TV movie), Crystal Lies, On This Day, These Boots Weren’t Made for Walking, and A Mile in My Flip-Flops. A mother of two grown sons, Melody lives in central Oregon with her husband and chocolate lab retriever. She’s a full-time writer and an avid gardener, biker, skier, and hiker.

Learn More:
To learn more about Dear Mom, including how to purchase it online visit Random House’s page featuring Dear Mom

Mama’s Got a Fake I.D.

Secondarily, here’s a book that most EVERY mom can relate to on some level or another. This books focuses on the struggle to maintain our identity after becoming a mom. God gave you unique passions, gifts, and talents that the world ~ and you ~ may fail to see and utilize once the title of Mom rules supreme in your life.

In Mama’s Got a Fake I.D., Caryn Rivadeneira helps you to get back in touch with the woman God created you to be. This is not a book to throw off the bands of motherhood or to condemn those who consider motherhood the pinnacle of their achievements. Rather, this book sheds light on how to “discover who He made you to be – in your family and beyond.”

I love the way the back cover summarizes it:

No one begins life as a mom. Before you have children, you are an amazing combination of friend, daughter, confidant, visionary, encourager, and thinker. You start out in life using your gifts and abilities in a surprising variety of settings.
Then you have children and the role of mom–as wonderful as it is–seems to consume you. It’s easy to lose your identity when others see you as a mom and little else. What happened to the artist, the team-builder, the organizer, the entrepreneur, the leader–the person you’ve lost touch with?

About the author:
Caryn Dahlstrand Rivadeneira is the former managing editor of Marriage Partnership and Christian Parenting Today. She’s been writing for and speaking to women for over a decade. Today she is the managing editor of GiftedForLeadership.com, and online community for Christian women in leadership.

Ready to Get Back in Touch with Your Identity?
To help you “reveal the real you hidden behind all that mom” the good folks at Waterbrook Press have provided me with a copy of Mama’s Got a Fake I.D. to give away to one of my readers.

Here’s how to enter to win:

1. Simply subscribe to or follow my blog and then leave a comment letting me know. = 1 entry
2. Tweet or blog about the giveaway and link back to this post. Please leave a separate comment with a link back to your tweet or post. = 1 entry

Winner will be chosen and announced on May 20th. So, check back here April 20th to see who won. (I’ll email the winner so be sure I can get in touch with you.)

Click here to leave a comment!

Ooops! I forgot to post the winner of The Treasure Principle. (Sorry about that.)

The book goes to ... Melodie

Thanks, everyone, for playing. The book will be on its way to you today, Melodie.

With Earth Day being this week, it’s a perfect time to focus on the new book, Gardening Eden, by Michael Abbaté. It’s seems the latest trend is for everyone to be on board with taking care of the Earth, recycling, and being as “green” as possible. For many years this was taboo in the Christian circle and many were frowned upon as aligned themselves with “tree-hugging liberals” but that stigmata is changing.

Very clearly God’s original design was for man to be stewards of His creation. There is a LOT of mention in the Bible about stewardship – from finances to natural resources. So, in keeping with that vein of stewardship, shouldn’t we care for our environment just as much, if not more than, our forefathers?

Abbaté advocates “spiritual environmentalism” and throughout the book gives practical advice on how to achieve that. For instance, there is a whole section entitled, “Becoming a Gardener” with tips on how to do just that (don’t worry there are some easy ones to start with).

I’m a big fan of buying local and supporting local farmers so this section really resonated with me. As I’ve been learning more about food and taking care of myself, it seems only logical to eat local, organic foods. But that’s just one dimension of this book.

Take a Closer Look:

Gardening Eden:
Before the snake, the apple, and the Ten Commandments, God created a garden, placed humans in it, and told them to take care of it.

“Spiritual environmentalism” did not start out as an oxymoron—it was an invitation. Yet today, many believe God’s original job description for humankind has been replaced by other worthier pursuits. So when did this simple instruction become so controversial? How does one sort through all the mixed messages? Is making the world a healthier place for the next generation really a responsibility—or even possible?

Gardening Eden is a new understanding of how the spiritual dimensions of life can find expression and renewal through caring for our incredible planet. Empowering, simple, and never polemical, Michael Abbaté outlines the Bible’s clear spiritual benefits of caring for creation, exploring new motivations and inspired ideas, and revealing the power of our basic connection to all people and living things through the growing interest in spiritual environmentalism.

Green living is no longer a fad—simple lifestyle solutions are now available to everyone. Gardening Eden shows readers how this shift transforms not only our world, but their very souls as they’re drawn into deeper harmony with the Creator. This book invites them to discover the powerful spiritual satisfaction of heeding the call to save our world.

Author Bio:

A nationally recognized expert in “green” development strategies, Mike Abbaté is a founder of GreenWorks, an award-winning landscape architecture design firm. He frequently speaks to students and leaders about practical ways to minimize the impact of building and landscape design on natural resources. Abbaté’s work has been featured in national magazines such as Metropolis and Landscape Architecture and in many local newspapers and trade publications. He and his wife, Vicki, have two adult daughters and live near Portland, Oregon.

Purchase the Book:

You can get a copy of the book through Amazon and most large book retailers.

Focusing on “Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving,” this petite tome packs quite a punch. To some, this book will be radical and contain some inflammatory ideas, but as always when money is the center of the text – especially ‘YOUR’ money – things can get quite opinionated and heated.

Randy Alcorn advocates that ‘your’ money is instead ‘His (God’s)’ money. To that end, his content focuses on Matthew 6:19-21:

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

In the text, Alcorn establishes what he calls, “Treasure Principle Keys.” There are six in all and they include such statements as:

• God prospers me not to raise my standard of living, but to raise my standard of giving.
• My heart always goes where I put God’s money.

In theory, I agree with most of what Alcorn says, but some of his assertions are easier left in theory than put into practice. That is where most readers will stumble over his words – putting them into practice. It is one thing to postulate about giving 90% of your income to charity and quite another to “walk it out.”

I’m not saying I disagree, just that this type of radical faith living is at the extreme for most modern-day Christians living in America. It certainly flies in the face of the “Prosperity Gospel” that has been popular in recent years. Alcorn is not saying that God won’t bless and prosper His people; it’s just that this prosperity should not be lavished solely upon ourselves. Wealth is given for a purpose.

In times of economic downturn, this teaching is even more difficult to adopt for most church-goers. Yet in my own life and in the lives of my friends I have seen God bless when we gave beyond what others would call “comfortable.” God blesses giving and the Bible upholds that blessings will be poured out to those who give.

This is a great book and excellent for an afternoon of reading. I’d recommend this book for those who want to take your giving to the next level. As with all teaching books, read with discernment and allow God to speak to you about the content. Randy Alcorn is not saying to give all your 401k and the inheritance money away. Instead, learn to wisely use what you have been given to you.

Want to Win a Copy for Yourself?

I’m giving away a copy of this book here on the blog. Simply follow the instructions below to be entered to win.

Contest closes: Tuesday, April 21
Winner will be announced Wednesday, April 22

To enter:

Leave a comment about a time you gave to others when you didn’t really have the extra cash or tell me about what you would give to (or underwrite completely) if money was no longer a hindrance.

*Be sure to leave me a way to contact you in case you are the winner. That means either include your email addy or make sure there is a way to contact you on your profile or website. Thanks!

Buy a copy:

Even is you don’t win, you can purchase a copy of the book for your personal library by clicking on the Amazon link below.

From the first sentence until the last, Daisy Chain engages you and pulls you deeper into Defiance, Texas and the mysterious events of that hot summer thirty years past.

DeMuth’s words are exceptionally evocative, allowing the book to play like a movie across the screen of your mind. Admittedly, some of the content is not comfortable to read, much less envision. When you think of a lazy summer day – especially in the late 70’s -- most of us were not contending with issues as difficult as those presented in Daisy Chain. However, these struggles occur far too often in real life and are frequently treated as the “elephant in the room” – especially within the context of Christian homes.

DeMuth does an excellent job of exposing this “elephant” and while other reviewers are lambasting her for not presenting enough redemption and hope, I say they should withhold judgment. Life is not like a sitcom. It does not always reach a suitable conclusion within a thirty minute timeframe. And a single book does not a trilogy make. Said reviewers should remember that this is BOOK ONE of a three-part story. The author has merely parted the clouds to let us view the storm roiling within Defiance and the hearts of her characters.

(OK . . . I’ll climb down off my soapbox now :o) and return you to our review.)

Back to Book One: I believe that redemption and hope are woven throughout this story. They show up where you least expect, clothed in garb that makes them hard to recognize for what they are. Bear in mind that light shines brightest in the darkness. In the considerable darkness of Defiance, Texas and the Pepper family, I have a feeling that light is about to break forth. I anxiously await the next two installments of the series and the conclusion of this trilogy.

Let’s take a look at what Daisy Chain is all about:

The abrupt disappearance of young Daisy Chance from a small Texas town in 1977 spins three lives out of control-Jed, whose guilt over not protecting his friend Daisy strangles him; Emory Chance, who blames her own choices for her daughter’s demise; and Ouisie Pepper, who is plagued by headaches while pierced by the shattered pieces of a family in crisis.
In this first book in the Defiance, Texas Trilogy, fourteen-year-old Jed Pepper has a sickening secret: He’s convinced it’s his fault his best friend Daisy went missing. Jed’s pain sends him on a quest for answers to mysteries woven through the fabric of his own life and the lives of the families of Defiance, Texas. When he finally confronts the terrible truths he’s been denying all his life, Jed must choose between rebellion and love, anger and freedom.

Daisy Chain is an achingly beautiful southern coming-of-age story crafted by a bright new literary talent. It offers a haunting yet hopeful backdrop for human depravity and beauty, for terrible secrets and God’s surprising redemption.

About the Author:

In my previous post, I featured a little Q & A with Mary DeMuth regarding her newest book, Daisy Chain.

Mary DeMuth is an expert in the field of Pioneer Parenting. She helps Christian parents plow fresh spiritual ground, especially those seeking to break destructive family patterns. Her message guides parents who don’t want to duplicate the home where they were raised or didn’t have positive parenting role models growing up.

An accomplished writer, Mary’s parenting books include Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture, Building the Christian Family You Never Had, and Ordinary Mom, Extraordinary God. Her real-to-life novels inspire people to turn trials into triumphs: Watching the Tree Limbs (2007 Christy Award finalist, ACFW Book of the Year 2nd Place) and Wishing on Dandelions (2007 Retailer’s Choice Award finalist).

Mary is a frequent speaker at women’s retreats and parenting seminars, addressing audiences in both Europe and the United States. National media regularly seek Mary’s candid ability to connect with their listeners. Her radio appearances include FamilyLife Today, Moody Midday Connection, and U.S.A. Radio network. She also has articles published in Marriage Partnership, In Touch, and HomeLife.

As pioneer parents, Mary and her husband Patrick live in Texas with their three children. They recently returned from breaking new spiritual ground in Southern France where they planted a church.

Learn more about Mary at http://blog.myfamilysecrets.org/.

My Personal Take on Daisy Chain:

For those of you who have made it this far in the review, I wanted to include a little aside, in the form of a confession. You see, I knew better than to get involved with something like Daisy Chain. Typically I read series after at least two books have been published. That way I don’t have the pain of waiting on the next installment. I don’t lie awake at night daydreaming about the characters, wondering how they are and what life has held for them since last we interacted. I’ve guarded myself against this for quite some time.

But I let my guard down with Daisy Chain and now it’s firmly entrenched in my heart and mind. I long to check in on Jed and Sissy, to see if someone finally gave Hap what he deserved, and to make sure Hixon and Muriel are OK. I want – no I NEED – to know the rest of the story.

Truthfully, I’ve not felt like this in many years about a piece of literature. For many years, I’d given up on Christian fiction books and only recently have started exploring more of them. It’s not that I was such a great writer (this post is proof positive of that); it’s just that I was exposed to such great literature and was a connoisseur of it before becoming a Christian. In my mind, Mary DeMuth has joined the likes of Francine Rivers, Brock and Bodie Thoene, Angela Elwell Hunt, and Susan Meissner as authors worthy of accolades in the Christian fiction genre.

I eagerly await my next trip to Defiance. I can’t wait to peer into the lives of the characters again. I am anxious to hear the story unfold as DeMuth delivers what I’m sure will be another compelling and excruciatingly beautiful novel.

Get a Copy for Yourself

I know you want a copy for yourself. Order from Amazon by clicking the link below.

I’m looking forward to posting a review of Mary DeMuth’s newest book: Daisy Chain. It’s an exceptional book that I’m sure you will love. 

First, I wanted to introduce you to Mary and provide you with a ‘teaser’ of what’s to come.

Where to find Mary:

Mary DeMuth’s Website
Mary DeMuth’s Blog
Mary DeMuth’s Facebook Profile
Follow Mary DeMuth on Twitter

A little Q&A with the Author:

Where did you get the idea for the book?
I had a friend who shared a difficult story with me. He grew up in a Christian home. His father was in leadership in the Christian community. From the outside, all looked perfect. But behind closed doors, life was very, very hard. I wanted to expose that kind of abuse. That’s why the idea of family secrets plays heavily into all three books of the Defiance, Texas trilogy.

What are the major themes of the book?
The importance (and elusiveness) of authenticity.
The devastation of maintaining and keeping family secrets.
Redemption comes from surprising people.
Feeling guilty doesn’t always equal reality.
True friendship involves sacrifice.

What kind of research did you have to do for the book?
Having lived in East Texas for two years, I absorbed a lot of the geography and colloquialisms of the area. A lot of my research happened as I wrote. I also researched battered wives and police procedure (Thanks Officer Woodruff).

With which character do you identify most and why?
In high school, I was a lot like Hixon, living on the margins of life in some ways because I was so flat-out in love with Jesus. I wanted to share Him everywhere, and my speech was peppered with Jesusisms. But like Hixon, I also had another side to me, one I hid. Learning to be honest with myself and others about my own shortcomings—and, oh, they are aplenty—has made me a better Christ-follower in the long run. It’s not about appearing holy. It’s about being holy from the inside out. The only route to that kind of abundance is honest, excruciating disclosure with trusted friends and the God who sees it all.

What do you hope to accomplish with this book?
I liken this book to an Oprah book, but with hope. Yes, there is darkness and meanness abounding in this world, but God’s light has a way of fully penetrating that darkness. I hope Daisy Chain cradles the reader through its deep, scary journey clear through to the end because redemption will shine brighter in the midst of darkness. That’s my own personal testimony, so it can’t help but leak out on the page.

My hope is that folks will see the need to share their family secrets in order to be set free. (A cool place to share your family secrets anonymously is http://blog.myfamilysecrets.org). I also want people to see that the Body of Christ is probably much different looking than they first thought. Some appear holy. Others, in distressing disguises, actually are.

Daisy Chain’s first page:

How’s this for a teaser: the first page of Daisy Chain:

It had been thirty roller-coaster years since Daisy Marie Chance forced fourteen-year-old Jed Pepper to fall in love with her. He’d obliged her, dizzied at the thought ever since. It had been that long before Jed could walk through the ruins of Crooked Creek Church, a butterfly flitting a prophecy he never could believe, even today. It was Daisy’s singsong words that gave the butterfly its bewitching manner, those same words that strangled him with newfound love. For years, he wished he’d had an Instamatic camera to capture the moment he fell for Daisy, but then entropy would’ve had its way, fading and creasing Daisy’s face until she’d have looked like an overloved newspaper recipe, wrinkled and unreadable.Thing was, he could always read Daisy’s face. Even then. She’d looked at him square in the eyes that day in 1977, in the exact same spot he stood now, and declared, “Your family ain’t normal, Jed.” And because lies came easy to him, he’d thought, of course my family’s normal. Anyone with eyes could see that. Daisy said a lot of words, being a thirteen-year-old girl and all, but these didn’t make much sense.

Thirty years later they did. They screamed the truth through the empty field where the church used to creak in the wind.

For a hesitant moment, enshrined in the ruins of his childhood, Jed was fourteen again. Filled to the brim with testosterone and pestered by an orange and black tormenter and Daisy’s oh-so-true words.

“Your family ain’t normal, Jed.”

He watched the butterfly loop above the organ, never landing, like it had a thing against church music. Or maybe dust.

He sat on a rickety pew.

“Jed?”

He clasped his hands around his ears, hoping Daisy’s words would run away. He hummed “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.”

She put her nose right in front of his. He felt her breathing, smelled her Juicy Fruit breath. “You in there?”

He swatted the air between them, hoping she’d disappear. “Yeah. Quit bothering me.” He looked at his watch. Six fifteen. Time to go.

“But your face.” Daisy sat down a Bible’s throw away.

Jed touched his swollen eye. “Yeah? So? What about it?”

“It looks like it hurts.” Daisy scooted closer. She reached her arm his direction.

He inched away.

That’s right! You can ask them anything … and they’ll answer. Too bad I’m not talking about the now defunct Soviet Intelligence Agency (now that would be cool). The KGB I’m referring to is the Knowledge Generation Bureau – a service that will answer any question you have via text.

I was privileged to get a week-long trial of KGB and the service came in handy a few times. You see, I’m not one that is willing to pay an arm and a leg for an all access web plan on my phone. Heck, I’m just thankful to have a small texting plan. Obviously, the lack of techie goodness on my phone severely limits my options for finding info on the go. Enter a service like KGB.

They specialize in helping those, like me, who only have text or pay as you go internet access on their phones. It works like this: you text a question to 542542 and then one of their Special Agents researches the answers and texts you back.

During the week of my free trial, I asked multiple questions and always received a quick, accurate response (average response time from text to receipt of answer was 4 minutes). My favorite part is that they just don’t give perfunctory answers. Most times the Special Agent would expound on the answer or include some interesting trivia regarding the subject as well.

How does this pertain to Literary Discoveries?

Ever been in a conversation with someone and can’t remember an author’s name? What about a heated discussion about who top the NYT Best Seller’s list last week? KGB can solve even the most difficult literary conundrum, and you just might learn a thing or two along the way.

Best Practices:

According to one of the employees at KGB, here are some helpful tips if you choose to use the service:

Be VERY specific. Your phone isn’t a GPS unit or a guide to who you are, so if you want to know “Where is the nearest such-and-such?” you need to tell the Special Agent where you are. Or if you wanted to know, “How long does it take to get from A to B?” you’d need to specify your mode of transportation. The Special Agents only answer the question you asked, so if you wanted to know how long it took to fly somewhere, but you also wanted a suggestion of airlines, ask something like “How long does it take to fly to Tokyo, Japan from Salt Lake City and which airline can get me there under $1500 roundtrip?” However, it can be really fun to ask KGB subjective questions to see what comes back. One blogger recently wrote that she asked "Should I wear my red dress or my blue dress tonight?" and they replied "Blue. Studies show that the color blue makes you look confident and makes others more comfortable around you."

The Nitty Gritty:

Of course, there’s a fee involved. The service recently increased their pricing from .50 cents per text to .99 cents. A pretty steep price if you just want random trivia facts, but downright cheap if you’re away from the house and in a bind.

Visit them at www.kgb.com to learn more about the service and even see a few of the questions folks are asking.

Become a Special Agent:

Think you’ve got the skills necessary to work for the KGB? Hop on over to the site and see. Just click on the ‘become an agent’ link at the top and they’ll put you through the paces. Qualify and you could be the next Special Agent. (note: I passed everything except the Math portion. Guess I’d better brush up on that.)

Here’s a link to the KGB Challenge: http://beginkgb.com/challenge/ just in case you’d like to see if you have the goods.

What question would you ask the KGB?

First of all, thanks to everyone who participated, left comments, subscribed, tweeted, blogged, and joined in the fun. We will be offering more giveaways soon, so stay tuned into the blog.

The winner of the Romance Your Spouse 3-book set is Estela!

We'll be sending those out right away!


Reviewers Welcome:
This is an open call for reviewers that would like to post on Literary Discoveries. We have several spots open on the team and would welcome an inquiry if you are interested. Simply email me at christy{dot}broxton{at}gmail.

I look forward to welcoming you to the team!

Sometimes the best thing we can do for our spouse (or significant other) is to work on the relationship and remember to give it your best. This is especially true if you’ve been together for years.

Recently, I had the privilege of reviewing three books that help you do just that. Better still, thanks to the good folks at Multnomah Books* and Waterbrook Press*, I have a set of these same books to giveaway to one faithful blog reader.

Each of these three books focuses on a unique portion of the relationship, but all trace back to endeavoring to truly love one another.

In his new book Love as a Way of Life Devotional, best-selling author Dr. Gary Chapman will rouse a desire to let “love guide the way you respond to others in every situation.”

“These ninety short devotionals—perfect for reading on your own, with your spouse, or with a friend over coffee—deliver the inspiration and encouragement you need to make love a lasting habit.” As you delve into the book, applying its principles to your life, you will cultivate a new lifestyle of loving others built around the seven characteristics of authentic love.

Each devotional entry showcases biblical truths that guide a life of love, offering fresh insight and practical guidance in how to consistently love others. 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.

Ideal as a gift or to read for personal enrichment, this little book will significantly impact all of your relationships – not just the one with your spouse or significant other.

I Do Again by Cheryl and Jeff Scruggs 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.”

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 level.”

“After years of frustration, Cheryl’s longing 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.”

“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.”

“Cheryl and Jeff are the founders of Hope Matters Marriage Ministries, and for the past several years they have shared their incredible story of a marriage restored with audiences across the nation.” Whether happily married or trapped in a troubled marriage, this book has the power to touch all who read it.

For Couples Only by Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn combines two wonderful resources, For Women Only and For Men Only providing the perfect resource to help you understand what the woman or man in your life needs most.

“Since their debut, these revolutionary guides have sold well over a million copies, been translated into fifteen languages, and sparked many fascinating water-cooler conversations 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.

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!”

Purchase the books:

Win a copy of each of the books listed above:

As mentioned above, thanks to the folks at Multnomah Books* and Waterbrook Press*, we have one copy of each of the books to giveaway to a faithful blog reader. To win all three books in the prize set follow the guidelines below.

1. To enter simply leave a comment on this blog ~ any comment will do. That qualifies as one entry.
2. Tweet or blog about this contest and link to this post. Then comment here with the permalink for your blog entry or tweet. That qualifies for another entry.
3. Want two extra entries? Subscribe to or Follow this blog and you’ve got ‘em. Just let me know how you subscribed.

Giveaway Details:
The winner will be contacted by email. So, be sure to have it on your blogger profile or leave it in the comment.

You can enter until 5 pm Eastern on February 19, 2009. At that time the comments will be closed. The winner will be selected at random and announced on February 20, 2009.

Ready! Set! Leave a Comment!

*Both Multnomah Books and Waterbrook Press are divisions of Random House Inc.

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Get your daily dose of blog giveaways, contests and free online sweepstakes from Sweeties Sweeps.

Concise, cross-referenced, and crucial – these are fitting descriptors for the Christian Writers’ Market Guide. Any aspiring Christian writer will save valuable time and effort by utilizing the tools and contacts gathered by Sally E. Stuart.

This year’s Guide is even handier with a CD-Rom included that features the full text of the book for easy searches of topics, publishers, and markets, as well as 100 pages of exclusive content including indexes and writing resource listings.

“For 24 years running, the Christian Writers’ Market Guide has remained the most comprehensive, complete, essential, and highly-recommended resource for beginning and veteran Christian writers, agents, editors, publishers, publicists, and those teaching writing classes.”

Completely updated and revised to feature the latest on…

• more than 1,200 markets for the written word
• 416 book publishers (32 new)
• 654 periodicals (52 new)
• 96 literary agents
• 100 new listings in Resources for Writers
• 226 poetry markets
• 316 photography markets
• 25 African-American markets
• and 166 contests (29 new)

The sheer volume of resources on the CD alone is worth more than the cost of the book. You will find links to Elements of Style, Freelance jobs, help for new writers, web page development, websites for locating quotes and information, legal guides, self-publishing information, tax help for writers, and so much more.

This book would be a great gift for your friends or a fantastic way to leverage your writing skills for greater profit and exposure. Every avenue is covered: from publishers to writing contests, the greeting card market to comprehensive lists of periodicals accepting submissions.

Truly worthy of the space it will occupy on your desk and guaranteed to not gather dust, this reference is one you will reach for time and again during your writing career.

Get a Copy of the Book:
Click below to purchase through Amazon.

Author Bio:

Sally E. Stuart is the author of thirty-six books and has sold more than one thousand articles and columns. Her long-term involvement with the Christian Writers’ Market Guide as well as her marketing columns for the Christian Communicator, Oregon Christian Writers, and The Advanced Christian Writer, make her a sought-after speaker and a leading authority on Christian markets and the business of writing. Stuart is the mother of three and grandmother of eight and lives near Portland, Oregon.

“For the first time ever, all of the statements Jesus made in the New Testament have been brought together and organized under more than 200 topics. When you want to know his will in a specific area of life, or you’re seeking the answer to a perplexing question, or you are desperate for his encouragement, comfort, or wisdom–you can easily find the help you need.
The moment you turn to the appropriate topic heading, you will have access to the breadth of Jesus’ teaching on that subject. You can also use this book as a guide for studying Jesus’ wisdom on any topic of interest, such as prayer, forgiveness, eternity, anger, temptation, relationships, grace, or knowing God.”

Although not a book you read from cover to cover, it is one you will reach for continually. A wealth of knowledge is contained within its pages, and during the time I’ve owned the book, it has come in handy on several occasions, proving useful in locating just the right passage of Scripture time and again. This book is an exceptional resource and one that any student of the Bible would desire to have in their personal reference library.

Perhaps more amazing than the topics covered in this book are the ones that aren’t. Out of curiosity, I would look to see what Jesus had to say on certain topics only to find there weren’t any entries pertaining to that subject. It certainly sheds new light on the issues of life that were closest to his heart, and allows you to see the depth of teaching on any subject of interest.

To Purchase the Book:
This book is available online at Amazon by clicking the link below or you can purchase it at most fine bookstores.

Practical and no-nonsense in its approach, you are certain to find this book informative and a ready reference as you embark on your wellness journey. While it revisits tried and true methodology for long term weight loss, it offers fresh perspective for those who have been in cyclical yo-yo dieting. The book affirms what we know to be true: diets don’t work for long-haul, life-sustaining weight loss. The focus rests clearly on lifestyle changes, choices, and the fact that you are truly the only one who can take steps to overcome years of deadly eating habits.

Accompanying the book is a 16 week “journal” to help you track weight loss and exercise goals. It is filled with motivational tips and exercise routines. While I have not completed it, I am looking forward to tracking the full 16 weeks of progress toward my personal weight loss.

I believe this would be an excellent resource for those who are tired of the fad diets and claims to quick and easy weight loss without lasting effects. This is the good old-fashioned “Eat Right and Exercise” method tweaked to focus squarely on choices and owning each decision you make for your personal health and wellbeing.

It is refreshing to read a book on weight loss from someone who has actually lost a LOT of weight herself and who has successfully kept if off using the same methods she is discussing in the book.

You can purchase the book by itself or with the accompanying Personal Fitness Trainer (journal). Here are the specifics as well as a synopsis of the book and Bio for the author.

Synopsis:
After years of failed diet attempts, Chantel Hobbs discovered the missing ingredient to permanent weight loss: to change your life, you first have to change the way you think.

She developed a balanced plan for exercise and nutrition and lost two hundred pounds. Now, through writing, speaking, and her work as a personal trainer, she inspires others to achieve far more than they thought possible.

In Never Say Diet, Chantel provides everything readers need to lose weight for good, including:

• Simple, step-by-step workout routines that fit into a normal weekday schedule
• A realistic approach to nutrition that helps people break their bondage to food
• Strategies for staying motivated when life takes unexpected turns
• Keys to dealing with discouragement by relying on God’s strength
• The secret to moving beyond past failures and getting over old excuses

Chantel helps readers make the five commitments that are necessary for changing their lives. Her high-energy, no-nonsense approach inspires readers to achieve results that last in body, mind, and spirit.

Personal Trainer: Her newest book, The Never Say Diet Personal Fitness Coach, now allows readers to have Chantel show up each week to inspire, encourage, and energize them on the journey to a healthy life that centers on body, mind, and spirit.

This fitness guide helps readers set new weight-loss goals and create an exercise schedule that works in the midst of life’s constant demands. Readers will be inspired with Scripture, and they will welcome Chantel’s healthy eating plan with simple, energy-and-nutrition-packed recipes. Weekly checklists and personal evaluations direct readers in reaching their goals. Plus, Chantel’s personal and entertaining stories provide the motivation needed to get through even the most frustrating days.

With Never Say Diet and The Never Say Diet Personal Fitness Coach readers will establish new fitness habits that burn off excess weight, increase strength, and establish a new, healthy way of living.

Author Bio: Chantel Hobbs is a personal trainer, certified spinning instructor, and motivational speaker whose no-excuses approach to fitness has won her a grateful following across the country. The author of Never Say Diet, Chantel hosts a weekly fitness program on Reach FM radio and is a regular guest on Way FM. Her “Ditch the Diet, Do the Weekend” bootcamp takes place several times a year in a variety of locations. She has presented her unique approach to lasting fitness in People magazine and on Oprah, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Fox News, The 700 Club, Living the Life, and Paula White Today. Chantel enjoys life with her husband and their four children in South Florida.

The American Patriot's Almanac by William J. Bennett and John T.E. Cribb would be an excellent addition to any personal library. As it's subtitle suggests, it features daily readings on America.

"Patriotism means 'love for country.' The word comes from the Latin pater, meaning 'father.' Loving your homeland is just as natural as loving your father or mother - after all, your country nourishes you, protects you, and in many ways makes you who you are. Just as it's a virtue to honor your parents, it's a good and admirable thing to honor the land you call home."

I am, by all accounts, a patriot to the core, but I am not naive enough to believe that everyone within the bounds of this nation (or any nation)consider themselves as such. Still, this collection of readings on American history would be an invaluable resource.

Each day's entry features an account of something that occurred on that day in our nation's history and then concludes with an "American History Parade" which features other noteworthy events from that day. This would serve as a great reference for any history scholar and would be a fantastic resource for home-schooling parents as well.

Nestled between each month's entries the authors have included other patriotic writings and references. These include: Flags of the Revolutionary War, The History of the Stars and Stripes, Flag Etiquette, How the Declaration of Independence was Written and Signed, Songs of Patriotism, and much more. The book also houses the full text and notations on patriotic writings such as The Gettysburg Address, The Emancipation Proclamation, The Pledge of Allegiance, and more.

"The stories in this book are part of what Abraham Lincoln called the 'mystic
chords of memory.' They are the symbols that define the essence of the United
States, that mark its historic course, and connect its people. The American
Patriot's Almanac is a daily source of inspiration and information about the
history, heroes, and achievements that sum up what this nation is all
about."

I know this is a reference I will reach for time and again, and I feel certain it would be an excellent source of insight and historical information for anyone. I look forward to teaching my daughter to love and cherish her country and will certainly be utilizing this tool in that quest.

Purchase the Book:

*Both hardback and Kindle versions are available

We're honored to add James Reyes to our board of reviewers. James is an exceptional writer whose conversational tone welcomes you to each paragraph of his prose.

An avid techie, with a job in the high-powered corporate arena of business education, James' self-proclaimed "superhero identity is as a photographer."

His upcoming reviews include:

• The Shack by William P. Young
• The Way of the Wild Heart by John Eldredge
• The God Who Smokes by Timothy J. Stoner
• Not the Religious Type by Dave Schmelzer
• A Call to Die: A 40 Day Journey of Fasting from the World & Feasting on God by David Nasser and Chris Tomlin
• 11: Indispensable Relationships You Can't Be Without by Leonard Sweet

Look for James' reviews soon, but in the meantime enjoy his personal blog: Brainwashed Blog

You can also live vicariously through his work at Focus Photography -  his photography website

Congrats to ihchicky, the recipient of Only Nuns Change Habits Overnight. I'll be emailing you shortly for your mailing address and will get the book out to you. (Incidentally, you should check out her blog - lots of great links to giveaways and more.)



Thanks to everyone who posted a comment and joined with us this time. Be sure to subscribe to our blog and we'll keep you posted on the latest giveaways and book reviews.