THE SPIRIT CONTEMPORARY LIFE

How would your world change if you regularly experienced the miraculous? And what if this happened everywhere you went—in a way that attracted people to Jesus? It wouldn’t just make a difference in your world...it would make the world different.

It might sound too good to be true...but that’s the Spirit Contemporary life.

While working as a first responder in an ambulance, Leon Fontaine longed to see God’s power at work outside the four walls of the church. He learned through many life-changing experiences that we can all unlock the miraculous in a way that works anywhere—at home, in a hospital, at work—with anyone!

The Spirit Contemporary way of life involves communicating with others as Jesus would...using their language, stories, and settings. Leon draws on biblical truth and personal stories to reveal how this dynamic first-century faith can be yours when you live so in tune with God that you’re guided in ways that are both natural and supernatural.

My thoughts...

This book will change the way you live...it will wake up the church of Jesus. God is ready to use you regardless of where you are in your faith walk. The author presents examples from his life and church that prove Christians can experience the Spirit alive in them.

Very easy to read, inspiring & encouraging, it left me realizing how weak the church is because we are living without the power God has given us. Well worth reading & rereading!

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A Haven on Orchard Lane

Famed actress Charlotte Ward stepped away from the Victorian London stage five years ago. Now in desperate circumstances, she tries to restart her career--only to experience a complete collapse. Against her better judgment, Charlotte's estranged daughter, Rosalind, comes to her mother's rescue and moves her to a quiet English coastal village where her mother can evade the gossip columnists, at least for a time.

Charlotte is grateful to re-establish even tenuous family ties with Rosalind. As one with regrets over her own romantic past, she's happy to see love blossom for her daughter. For Rosalind, however, it's time away from teaching, and now she must care for the mother who wasn't there for her. And what could possibly be more complicated than romance?

But there can be no permanent escape from the threats of recent months. As the privacy they seek is threatened, mother and daughter must make some difficult decisions--ones that jeopardize those they care about most.

My thoughts...

A story of a once famous actress that left the fame and fortune to marry the man of her life. All was well until aher husband suffers a financial crisis...Charlotte gives her love her entire fortune. What happens next is an intriguing tale of a woman trying to escape being a prisoner in her own home...after her husband has control of her finances he becomes a different man. What Charlotte goes through is terrible but she emerges victoriously. Great characters, great setting, a really good book.

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

SEA ROSE LANE

Two people starting over . . . in a town known for second chances

After a devastating layoff, attorney Eric Nash heads back to Hope Harbor--only to discover that his childhood home is being transformed into a bed and breakfast. Instead of plotting his next career move in peace, he's constantly distracted by noise, chaos--and BJ Stevens, the attractive but prickly blonde architect who's invaded the house with her motley crew. As for BJ, her client's son might be handsome, but after a disastrous romance, dating isn't high on her agenda. Yet when they join forces for to help Hope Harbor seniors, might they also find healing, hope, and a new beginning themselves?

Come home to Hope Harbor--where hearts heal . . . and love blooms

My thoughts...

Hope Harbor is a delightfully charming seaside town that the author depicts in such a way you want to be there! This book has really good true to life characters dealing with many issues. The main characters are Eric and BJ whose meeting begins with a bang. It's a sweet light romance that anyone will enjoy.

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

THE GREAT CARP ESCAPE

Based on a true story, Maddock shares an inspirational fish “tail” of love and discovery for all of God's creation. Abandoned by her mother at age four and raised by a working father, Maddock was left to care for her one year old brother. Her book, a quiet allegory of the Gospel of Jesus, is a celebration of God’s redeeming love in her life.

First released in Canada, The Great Carp Escape has garnered 10 literary award placements. Maddock hopes to spread her message of positive values to children through knowledge and discovery.

“Acceptance of all of God's creatures is beautifully portrayed in this delightful story!” - Henry K. Ripplinger, Bestselling Author

Maddock has been a newspaper columnist, been featured in Reader’s Digest, and on broadcasts including: 100 Huntley Street, CHBC Television, and CBC Radio.

Her children’s title, The Great Carp Escape, is available as a fundraiser for schools, churches, charities and ministries in need and has already raised over $1000 for such causes. As a member of Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Independent Book Publishers Association, Inscribe, and The World Guild, Maddock would like to continue to do something about those ideas that get downloaded into her brain at 2AM.

My thoughts...

We all know a carp is not a beautiful fish...neither are they fit to be eaten. The author has taken the least desirable and woven a tale that is wonderful for teaching children that we are to love and care for all God's children...no matter what they look like. This book is delightful, beautifully written, and illustrated. It isn't just for children, I think it would be good for adults as well to take us back to what God's love is all about. This story would make a great film. I highly recommend it!

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

SPOTLIGHT "BLOOD SYMETRY"

Clare Riordan and her son, Mikey, are abducted from Clapham Common early one morning. Hours later, the boy is found wandering disorientated. Soon after, a container of Clare's blood is left on a doorstep in the heart of London.

Psychologist Alice Quentin is brought in to help the traumatized child uncover his memories, with the hope that it might lead the authorities to his mother's captors. But Alice swiftly realizes Clare is not the first victim… nor will she be the last.

The killers are desperate for revenge… and in the end, it will all come down to blood.

Book Details:

Genre: Thrillers, Crime
Published by: Witness Impulse
Publication Date: July 12, 2016
Number of Pages: 368
ISBN: 1444785605 (ISBN13: 9781444785609)
Series: Alice Quentin #5
Purchase Links: Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Symmetry-Alice-Quentin-Rhodes/dp/0062444085
Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blood-symmetry-kate-rhodes/1122821907?ean=9780062444080
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27246452-blood-symmetry

Author Bio:
Kate RhodesKate Rhodes is the author of four previous Alice Quentin novels, Crossbones Yard, A Killing of Angels, and The Winter Foundlings. She is also the author of two collections of poetry, Reversal and The Alice Trap. She writes full-time now, and lives in Cambridge with her husband, a writer and film-maker.

Catch Up:
Kate Rhodes's website http://katerhodes.org/Kate_Rhodes/home.html
Kate Rhodes's twitter https://twitter.com/K_RhodesWriter
Kate Rhodes's facebook https://www.facebook.com/katerhodeswriter

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY HERE!

LIKE A RIVER FROM ITS COURSE

The city of Kiev was bombed in Hitler's blitzkrieg across the Soviet Union, but the constant siege was only the beginning for her citizens. In this sweeping historical saga, Kelli Stuart takes the reader on a captivating journey into the little-known history of Ukraine's tragedies through the eyes of four compelling characters who experience the same story from different perspectives.

Maria Ivanovna is only fourteen when the bombing begins and not much older when she is forced into work at a German labor camp. She must fight to survive and to make her way back to her beloved Ukraine.

Ivan Kyrilovich is falsely mistaken for a Jew and lined up with 34,000 other men, women, and children who are to be shot at the edge of Babi Yar, the "killing ditch." He survives, but not without devastating consequences.

Luda is sixteen when German soldiers rape her. Now pregnant with the child of the enemy, she is abandoned by her father, alone, and in pain. She must learn to trust family and friends again and find her own strength in order to discover the redemption that awaits.

My thoughts...

Learn intimate details about people during WWII, the author must have spent years researching for this book. It's fabulous. I plan to read it again. The people we meet have stories to tell and those stories are raw...they will tug at your heart. The events were horrific...at times I had to put the book down and just thank God that I am so blessed. Reading this novel has left an impression on my heart that won't go away.

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

DWELLING PLACES ~ A Devotional

Do you long for serenity and refuge, peace and hope? Are you seeking a deeper spiritual life through a closer relationship with God?

If you're tired of dwelling in busyness and noise, then perhaps one word a day can change your life. Award-winning author Lucinda Secrest McDowell knows that if you spend time each day turning to God's Word for wisdom and guidance, your faith can flourish and grow.

Through short and inspiring readings, McDowell unpacks a single word---such as mercy, beauty, gratitude, or grace---to reveal a biblical blessing or challenge relevant to where you are. Full of stories and illustrations to empower you to live the word you have just read, each devotional ends with a benediction, written as if God were speaking directly to you.

These "dwelling places" that offer the joy of God's promise and presence cover four seasons: fall, Advent, Lent, and summer. Whether in the midst of busy holiday schedules, holy days, ordinary moments, or changing seasons, a deeper faith can be as simple as a single word.

My thoughts...

I have fallen in love with this devotional...what a wonderful refreshing way to start your morning. It left me feeling loved by God and gave me thoughts to meditate on throughout the day that just seemed to be what I needed. God definitely speaks through these lovely words. DWELLING PLACES is encouraging and a blessing, a rejuvenating summer devotional. I'm looking forward to the other three seasons in the book.

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.