Thursday, May 26, 2016

Mother & Son




About the Book:
A new book from W Publishing Group/HarperCollins asks you to consider the all–important mother/son relationship in a new way: respect, as in the mother should respect the son. 

Dr. Emerson Eggerichs, author of Love and Respect – a landmark book that transformed millions of marital relationships – is launching his latest book, Mother & Son: The Respect Effect.
In Mother & Son, Dr. Eggerichs proposes that while showing love is important to a son, showing him respect is key to his heart, and what will transform the mother/son relationship. Of course, to a lot of people, that will sound backwards – shouldn’t it start with the son respecting the mother??

My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed the "meat" of the book. Admittedly, some of it went over my head but I believe it's a book that all boy moms can benefit from. He has amazing insight on what makes a man tick. How God designed each of us, both male and female, specifically to be two halves of the same coin.  He explains that men are more respect driven while women are more love driven. I honestly had never considered that but as I was reading I started to think of my own two boys and their dad and I realized he was right! I'm curious to see how making a conscious effort to me more respectful in the way I communicate with them makes a difference. He also mentions respect when disciplining.  I had a little trouble understanding this concept at first but as he explained it in more detail in made sense. My mom used to tell me "I love you too much to allow you to act this way" basically with Dr.Eggerichs approach you tell your son(s) "I respect you to much to allow you to act this way".  It's mind boggling to think how much a little respect can change the whole mother/son relationship. 

 I was given a copy of this book to review by flyby promotions. The thoughts expressed above are my own.  The publisher is generously giving one lucky reader of the Book Nerd Corner a copy of Mother & Son. The giveaway ends May 30 8pm CST. Please read the disclaimer below and enter using the widget. Happy Reading!  
"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.
Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

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Monday, May 16, 2016

An Unbroken Heart



An Unbroken Heart is Kathleen Fuller's second book in her Birch Creek series although it can be read as a standalone novel.  It follows the life of Joanna Schrock and her family. Joanna is tired of being pushed around.  She remembers her days of being bullied on the school yard vividly. Her sisters tell her she needs to stand up for herself but that's easier said than done.  It's  not that she doesn't want to, it's that she doesn't feel she has it in her to speak up.

All of her life Joanna had been somewhat of a mouse. Often the victim of bullying when she was younger, Joanna never let it sour her sweet demeanor. She had a crush on Andrew Beiler ever since he rescued her from a school yard bully when she was twelve.  True to her  nature though, she doesn't reveal her feelings, she's just hoping he catches on soon. He makes her feel safe and loved.

She's finally caught Andrew's eye and she's super excited to be his girlfriend. If only he wouldn't treat her with kid gloves. She wants him to hold her hand, say he loves her. Anything but this awkwardness between them. She finally takes her sisters' advice to stand up for herself and proposes to Andrew. Enough with being meek and mild, she knows what she wants; Andrew!!  But does Andrew want her?

After the singing with Andrew, Joanna still feels empowered. She's finally fessing up to her parents how she feels about Andrew. How she feels her parents baby her more than her sisters. They have been trying to marry Sadie off for a long time now, but Joanna mention marriage and they flip their lid! She's had enough and she is telling them so when tragedy strikes, a buggy accident. Is this the price of standing up for yourself?

I thoroughly enjoyed An Unbroken Heart even though I haven't read the first one. I sympathized with Joanna. She had been through so much between the bullying, family issues, and her own struggles. Most women would have given up, but not Joanna. Underneath that quiet demeanor is a heart of a warrior. She has the power to overcome all that's in her way if she will just take a leap of faith and believe in herself. She needs to see herself the way God sees her. She is fearfully and wonderfully made. She needs to believe in herself. She also needs to believe in others. Some people do pity you when bad things befall, but most genuinely want to help. Not because of pity or because they're looking for something in return but simply because they love you.

An Unbroken Heart has all the elements of a wonderful story: intrigue, love, loss, tragedy and triumph. I recommend this story to anyone, even if you're not a fan of Amish fiction. This story will get its hooks into you and won't let go. The only down side is you may find yourself loving the characters so much you'll want to take up residence in Birch Creek.

You can grab a copy here: An Unbroken Heart by Kathleen Fuller
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Friday, May 13, 2016

The Goodbye Bride



What would you do if you woke up one day and the last seven months of your life were gone? This is the situation Lucy Lovett faced. The Goodbye Bride by Denise Hunter is the second book in her Summer Harbor series, although it can stand alone. It is a clean christian romance novel with no sex or foul language.

Lucy Lovett has faced her share of hard times. From watching her mom die of a rare brain tumor to her dad walking out of her life and leaving her with a neighbor. She knows nothing comes easy and she has stood on her own two feet quite well.  That is until she meets Zac Callahan and falls head over heels in love. 

Zac Callahan owns and runs the local Roadhouse. It's a type of sports bar and grill located on the beach. It's here that he first meets Lucy Lovett.  He knows he's a goner when he hears her southern accent and the way she's endearingly clumsy.  They both fall deeply and quickly in love.  Two people couldn't be more right for each other. As the wedding approaches, Zac needs to get away for the weekend.  When he comes home he finds his whole world upside down, Lucy is gone! Nowhere to be found, Zac finally has to face the fact she has run from him and their love. 

Imagine his surprise seven months later when Lucy calls out of the blue.  She seems to have no recollection of their break up. As a matter of fact, she seems to think its their wedding day! He knows she's in trouble, he can hear it by the tone of her voice. After a quiet internal war with himself, he decides to go help her. If nothing else, maybe he can talk her into going to the hospital.  He still loves Lucy but he refuses to let her get close again. He's convinced once she regains her memory she will not want him anymore. 

The Goodbye Bride is a beautiful love story of love conquers all and perfect love drives out fear. Lucy is driven by her fear of abandonment, convinced she isn't good enough or deserving enough for anyone, much less a man like Zac Callahan. Zac is a good man, an honorable man but even he has his limits. His heart was crushed when Lucy just ran off so he's a little reluctant to get too involved, even if she has amnesia. In the end he does the right thing and sticks by Lucy and tries to help her put the pieces of her life back together.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a great read full of twists and turns. I also liked that it wasn't heavy on sexual content or innuendos as some romance books are known for. For me this is a swoon worthy book that I would love to see made into a movie.

You can grab a copy here: The Goodbye Bride by Denise Hunter
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Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Distinctly You



I'm really excited to review this one but, first things first, I was given a copy of this book by Bethany House publishers in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed below are mine alone.

Now, on to the fun stuff. I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from this book because I had never heard of its author Cheryl Martin but the cover was beautiful and I was really interested in the subject matter, "trading comparison and competition for freedom and fulfillment".  I decided to give it a shot and I'm glad I did. I thoroughly enjoyed Cheryl's writing style. She's eloquent, but writes in a way that everyone can understand, humble but not self degrading.

The chapters aren't long, but they do pack a punch. Each one is unique in it's own way and covers an aspect of trading comparison and competition and finding freedom and fulfillment. The first chapters focus on distinctly you blockers.Things that keep us from being distinctly us, who God intended us to be. She describes each blocker in detail and then shares how that blocker worked in her life to keep her from being distinct. She follows each chapter up with a series of five to six questions for the reader to work through in order to help them spot problem areas in their life and to work towards a solution.

The second half of the book focuses on distinctly you builders. These are things you can do or character traits to work on to become the person God called you to be. Just like in the first half Cheryl shares experiences from her own life but she also uses biblical examples we can learn from. She also includes a series of questions for the reader to complete to know what the reader needs to work on and where they're doing well.

I believe Distinctly You is an invaluable tool for women of all ages. I learned a ton about myself and how I let self doubt and opinions of others keep me from being distinctly me. I loved how Cheryl Martin didn't just preach and teach, she lived. She shared her own experiences and struggles on her road to becoming who she was meant to be. This book is NOT a one stop fixes all, this is merely a tool that shows us where we need to work harder on being who we are called to be.

You can pick up a copy by clicking the link below:

Distinctly you by Cheryl Martin
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Friday, May 6, 2016

Amish Quilts Coloring Book & Giveaway






Adult coloring books are all the rage; so when I had the opportunity to be a part of this blog tour I jumped at the chance! Like many I've tried several different kids of coloring books and had yet to find one which suited me. Many had complex patterns that made my eyes hurt or were so complicated I gave up before I completed the picture.


I was gifted two pages from Rachel J. Good's Amish Quilts Coloring book by CelebrateLit and Rachel J. Good to sample and review them for you. Let me say, I'm impressed!! The designs are beautiful and aren't too difficult to color. I chose to use fine tipped markers, but you could just as easily use colored pencils or whatever you prefer. Each page has a bit of Amish wisdom at the top in the form of an Amish Proverb. I really enjoyed reflecting on these as I colored my beautiful quilt. Here's a look at my finished quilt:




I made a few mistakes but all in all I'm proud of my work. I finally finished a coloring page! I'm going to purchase at least one of these adorable coloring books but I may do more and hand them out as gifts. I really enjoyed seeing my quilt come together and would recommend this book to anyone no matter their artistic level. Please take a minute to read a little more about the book, description provided by CelebrateLit, and check out my fellow bloggers' pages. The giveaway is posted below. Good Luck!!


About the book:


  Feeling stressed? Why not relax with an adult coloring book? Rachel J. Good’s Amish Quilts Coloring Book takes you back to a time and place that’s calm. Immerse yourself in a world of peace as you color the 25 different quilts.


Inspired by quilts seen in Amish country, many of these designs are based on traditional patterns, but some have been reimagined or repeated multiple times to create more intricate designs to color. Each quilt is printed on only one side of the page; facing pages contain inspirational Amish proverbs. To make the quilts even more colorful and interesting, sketch fabric designs – plaids, checks, paisleys, flowers, or abstract shapes – into the larger quilt blocks, use pattern stamps, or even collage fabric scraps to the pages. And if the designs inspire you to make quilts of your own, the pages can be used as templates for quilt-making.


About the Author


  Rachel J. Good, inspirational author, writes life-changing, heartfelt novels of faith, hope, and forgiveness. She is the author of Amish romances in the Sisters & Friends series. She grew up near Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the setting for her novels. A former teacher and librarian, she completed her MA from Vermont College while raising five children. She is presently an MFA student in Writing and Illustration at Hollins University. In addition to having more than 2200 articles and 30 books in print or forthcoming under several pseudonyms, she also juggles freelance editing and illustration careers.
To buy the Amish Quilts Coloring Book: http://amzn.to/1VmIOUi. 



Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Rachel is giving away two autographed copies of her Amish Quilts Coloring Book! Click here to enter: https://promosimple.com/ps/986f
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Wednesday, May 4, 2016

The Inheritance




The Inheritance by Michael Phillips is the first book in his Secrets of the Shetlands series.  It follows the branches of the Tulloch family and their quest to protect their family's inheritance at all cost. The inheritance means different things to each one, but each is bound and determined to be declared the rightful heir.

I really enjoyed this book though I had a bit of trouble with it at first.  The author added loads of charm to the story by writing in broken dialect in certain parts of the book that would resemble the way the Shetland people would speak.  It took quite a bit of getting used to but once I got the hang of it I felt it was a wonderful addition to the story.

Loni Ford is a self made woman.  Raised by her grandparents in their ultra conservative Quaker faith, she chose to make her own way at the age of 17 and attend a local junior college.  From there she changed her name from Alonnah to Loni, majored in business and never looked back.  It's not that she is looking to forget herself, quite the opposite in fact, she's longing for a place to belong. She never really fit in with the fellowship her grandparents belonged to. Often the victim of bullying by classmates, as well as the teacher, Loni wondered if her grandparents were really her grandparents.  Nothing about her fit in and she wanted so desperately to feel as if she did.  Just as she's on the fast track in the business world a mysterious letter comes telling her of an inheritance and a family she knows nothing about.

David Tulloch has been a resident of Whales Reef of the Shetland Islands most of his life, except for his brief time at college. He is the resident Chief and beloved by many. He is always ready to lend a hand and his infectious laughter has raised many a spirit. No one can quite understand the relationship he has with his notoriously grumpy uncle, and resident laird, Macgregor Tulloch. David tries to see the best in everybody and Macgregor is no different.  He is like a father to David, since David's dad passed away when he was 13.  Everyone assumes when Macgregor passes David will be both chief and laird of the Shetlands but things aren't always what they seem.

Money makes people do crazy things.  Thus is the case of Hardy Tulloch.  A fisherman by trade, he can't resist the allure of riches that North Sea oil offers.  He would never drill for it himself, he's a fisherman but he would be willing to do just about anything for a quick buck.  He's not respected by many but feared by most, known for his nasty temper Hardy just wants to make a name for himself. He wants to be rich and married to the girl of his dreams, but she has eyes for another.

The author does an excellent job of describing the islands, you can picture them in your mind and almost smell the sea!  I want to visit the Shetlands and visit the Tulloch clan, well, except for Hardy. I want to browse the shops and enjoy pastries in Coira MacNeill's bakery.  The Inheritance is a wonderful tale of love, intrigue, family and sacrifice.  It gets its hooks in you and won't let go.  The characters are colorful and lively. The story ends with a cliff hanger and I'm eagerly awaiting the second book.

I was given a copy of this book by Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

The Inheritance (Secrets of the Shetlands book one)
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