The Runner: Book One In The Michael Knight By A. Wayne Gill

I received this book from Glass Road Public Relations for no charge in exchange for my honest review of this book. The opinions expressed here are my own.


Book Description:

What happens when a brilliant attorney combines his legal knowledge with his insight into relationship? Well, imagine Nicholas Sparks and John Grisham got together and decided to write a novel. Wayne Gill's The Runner is the story of a preacher's son who foregoes a path to the pulpit for law school in the city. 

 

Michael Knight has the perfect life - a perfect family, a perfect relationship and a perfect future. Groomed to follow in his father's footsteps, Michael's career as a preacher is laid out before him. But he has a secret that will take him from being a small town preacher's kid to the heart of the big city, where everything seems golden, glittery and glamorous. When he gets the opportunity of a lifetime, Michael glimpses a future of power, influence and wealth. The whole world is his for the taking, but at what cost? Will he trade in all he has been for all he could become?

 

 

My Thoughts: 

 

The Runner is the first book in A. Wayne Gill's Michael Knight Series.  This is the first book by A. Wayne Knight I have had the privilege of reading.  The Runner is a well written suspense book that grabbed me from the start and held on to me until the end.  Michael Knight is finishing up his college career and is expected to become a youth pastor in his brother's church but dreams of being a lawyer so her applies to law school without telling anyone but his mother.  Michael leaves his small town home and goes to New York to attend law school.  There Michael learns that no matter where you go, you cannot outrun God and His plans. 

I honestly could NOT put this book down once I started it. I have always been a huge fan of legal thrillers/suspense and this one does NOT disappoint. The characters are personable, real people in the real world.  I felt like I was there watching the story unfold.  The characters are intriguing and personable. I truly felt like part of their world.  I cannot wait to read the rest of this seven part series.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys legal thrillers/suspense.  A. Wayne Gill will not disappoint. 

A Kingsbury Collection: Where Yesterday Lives, When Joy Came to Stay, and On Every Side By Karen Kingsbury

I received this book from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group's Blogging for Books program for no charge in exchange for my honest review of this book. The opinion expressed here are my own.



Book Description:

Three Page-Turning Novels in One Volume!

Where Yesterday Lives

Ellen Barrett is a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist with an uncertain marriage, a forgotten faith, and haunting memories of her picturesque hometown and the love she left behind. The eldest of five siblings, she longs for the time, long ago, when they were a happy family. Now Ellen’s beloved father is dead, and she returns to her childhood home to make peace–with the people who still live there, with the losses and changes that time has wrought, and with the future God has set before her.

When Joy Came to Stay

Maggie Stovall is one of the golden people. She has it all together...at least on the surface. Ben Stovall is a godly husband and successful attorney. He has no idea of the darkness about to overtake his life. Amanda Joy is a child of society–abused, broken, thrown away. But her trust in God is still alive. When Joy Came to Stay is the heart-wrenching story of one woman’s descent into the shadows of depression, her husband’s search for understanding, and a precious child’s unwavering faith.

On Every Side

Faith Evans is an up-and-coming newscaster, a woman of honor and integrity who must take a stand against the one man she never imagined would be her enemy. A beloved, hundred-year-old statue of Jesus stands in a small-town park–but some say it’s a clear violation of separation of church and state that must come down. Jordan Riley is a powerful attorney fighting for human rights and against God, but still reckoning with bitter boyhood losses. Amid political intrigue, social injustice, and personal conflicts, will love be enough when the battle rages on every side?



My Thoughts:

A Kingsbury Collection: Where Yesterday Lives, When Joy Came to Stay, and On Every Side by Karen Kingsbury is 3 Novels in one.   I haven't read a lot by Karen Kingsbury but the books I have read do NOT disappoint.  Her stories are beautifully written and truly honor God and His love for us.  In each of these books show personal struggles of the characters and how God worked in their lives to help overcome these struggles.  I found myself taken in from the start of each story and had a hard time putting them down.  Each of these stories addresses problems that men and women face on a regular basis: struggles with their belief in God, struggles within marriage, depression, the feeling that life is falling apart. Each story touches on different aspects of life. 

I highly recommend this collection to anyone who enjoys Christian Fiction and enjoy Karen Kingsbury's books. You will not be disappointed. I look forward to reading more by Karen Kingsbury.

Beyond Ordinary: When a Good Marriage Just isn't Good Enough By Justin and Trisha Davis

I received this book from Tyndale House Publishers for no charge in exchange for my honest review of this book. The opinions expressed here are my own.


Book Description:

How safe is your marriage? The answer may surprise you. The biggest threat to any marriage isn’t infidelity or miscommunication. The greatest enemy is ordinary. Ordinary marriages lose hope. Ordinary marriages lack vision. Ordinary marriages give in to compromise. Ordinary is the belief that this is as good as it will ever get. And when we begin to settle for ordinary, it’s easy to move from “I do” to “I’m done.”
Justin and Trisha Davis know just how dangerous ordinary can be. In this beautifully written book, Justin and Trisha take us inside the slow fade that occurred in their own marriage—each telling the story from their own perspective. Together, they reveal the mistakes they made, the work they avoided, the thoughts and feelings that led to an affair and near divorce, and finally, the heart-change that had to occur in both of them before they could experience the hope, healing, and restoration of a truly extraordinary marriage.

My Thoughts:

Beyond Ordinary: When a Good Marriage Just Isn't Enough By Justin and Trisha Davis is not your typical marriage help book and I am so glad I had the honor of reading it.  The Davis' give readers a completely open look at their lives and marriage. They are completely transparent in this book and truly open their hearts to others in marriages like theirs.  The title of this book and the description truly peaked my interest and I was excited to read it.  From the beginning this book impressed me and truly challenged me to look at my own marriage.  Justin and Trisha give readers a completely different format for this type of book, this book reads like a conversation. I truly felt I was in the room listening to Justin and Trisha give their views of their lives and marriage.  The honesty is refreshing and I found myself laughing and crying throughout this book.  Justin and Trisha truly give couples hope that with God's help your marriage can come back from anywhere. Both of them humbly share how God opened their eyes to some of the dark, idolatrous root sins that they, like all of us, struggle with. They mutually shoulder the blame of allowing their marriage to drift toward ordinary.  They also show how they came back from ordinary to have extraordinary.  

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an honest book about marriage, you will not be disappointed. I look forward to reading more from Justin and Trisha Davis, they are truly extraordinary!

The Lesson: A Stony Ridge Seasons Novel By Suzanne Woods Fisher

 I received this book from Litfuse Publicity Group for no charge in exchange for my honest review of this book. The opinions expressed here are my own.


Book Description:

In her wildest dreams, spunky and impulsive nineteen-year-old Mary Kate Lapp never imagined herself behind a schoolteacher's desk. A run-in (literally) with the schoolteacher compels her to act as a substitute teacher, just as her restless desire to see the world compels her to apply for a passport . . . just in case. The only thing of interest to M.K. in the sleepy Amish community of Stoney Ridge is the unexplained death of a sheep farmer that coincided with the arrival of a mysterious young man into the community. Frustrated that no one takes the crime seriously, she takes matters into her own hands. Unfortunately, as tends to be the case for M.K., she jumps headlong into trouble.

Centered on one of Suzanne Woods Fisher's most loved characters, this is the story fans have eagerly anticipated. The precocious M.K. is all grown up (well, almost) and ready to take on the world--with surprising results. Fisher's trademark plot twists and turns are as unexpected and satisfying as ever in this third book in the Stoney Ridge Seasons series.


My Thoughts: 

The Lesson By Suzanne Woods Fisher is the third and last book in her Stoney Ridge Seasons and I loved it. I had the privilege of reading the previous books in this series and The Lesson did not disappoint. The Lesson is centered around Mary Kate Lapp, known by all as M.K.  She is the youngest of the Lapp girls and definitely a character. M.K. is curious about everything, wants to experience everything, and finds herself in trouble more times than not.  M.K. finds herself having to teach temporarily at the Amish school after a scrape with the current teacher.  M.K. never dreamed of teaching, but doesn't have a choice.  M.K. is preoccupied with the death of a sheep farmer that is suspicious and seems to have happened at the same time new neighbors have moved into Stoney Ridge.  

I truly enjoyed The Lesson. M.K. has been on of my favorite characters in this series and this whole book centered on her life.  Suzanne Woods Fisher writes a wonderful story that makes you laugh and cry.  As with the other books in this series, M.K. and her adventures truly made me laugh out loud. This story wraps up the series in a way that answers questions from the start and includes all the characters that have been part of this series from the start.  I am sad to see the series but hope to see these characters again.  Suzanne Woods Fisher writes with authority on the Amish, their way of life, and Lancaster County. I truly enjoy reading her books because I find myself absorbed from the beginning of the book and stay that way until the end.  I highly recommend this book and series to anyone who is a fan of Amish Fiction, again you will not be disappointed.


About Suzanne Woods Fisher: Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of the Lancaster County Secrets series and the Stoney Ridge Seasons series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. She is also the coauthor of a new Amish children's series, The Adventures of Lily Lapp. Her interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, who was raised in the Old Order German Baptist Brethren Church in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Suzanne is a Carol Award winner and a Christy Award finalist. She is the host of internet radio show Amish Wisdom and a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazines. She lives in California. For more information, please visit www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and connect with her on Twitter @suzannewfisher. Get Amish proverbs delivered right to your iphone or ipad! Download the Free App! 






Celebrate the release of The Lesson with Suzanne Woods Fisher by entering to win one of TWO iPads!

Two winners will receive:

• A brand new iPad
• A $15 gift certificate to iTunes

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on January 20th. Winner will be announced on 1/22/13 at Suzanne's Blog.

Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

Courting Cate: The Courtships of Lancaster County Series Book 1 By Leslie Gould

I received this e-book from Bethany House Publishers through NetGalley.com for no charge in exchange for my honest review of this e-book. The opinions expressed here are my own.


Book Description:

When Amish farmer Pete Treger moves to Paradise Township, Pennsylvania, seeking a better life, he meets sisters Cate and Betsy Miller. Both are beautiful, but older sister Cate is known more for her sharp tongue and fiery temper than her striking appearance. Betsy, on the other hand, is sweet and flirty--and seems to have attracted most of the bachelors in Lancaster County!

However, the sisters' wealthy father has made one hard and fast rule: elder sister must marry first, before the younger can even start courting. Unfortunately for poor Betsy, and for the men who want to court her, her older sister, Cate, doesn't have any suitors--until Pete comes to town, that is.

Though he finds both sisters attractive, something about Cate's feisty demeanor appeals to him. Soon the other bachelors in the district convince Pete to court Cate. She hardly seems receptive to his overtures, though. Instead, she's immediately suspicious of his interest.

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My Thoughts:

Courting Cate is the first book in Leslie Gould's newest series The Courtships of Lancaster County. As my readers know, Amish Fiction is one of my favorite genres so naturally this was a book and series I HAD to read.  I have never read any of Leslie Gould's other books so when I saw this book and read the description I was hooked.   In this adaptation of Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew", this book is a must read for Amish Fiction lovers.  I could not put this book down, from the start meeting Cate I found myself hooked.  Cate Miller would do anything for her family, she helped raise her younger sister Betsey after their mother died and helped her father with his business. Cate is known throughout their community for speaking her mind and her temper.  Cate courted but it ended when she found out the boy was using her because of her father's wealth.  Since then Cate did NOT date.  When Cate's father makes a rule that Betsey can't date or marry until Cate does, this makes things very hard for both sisters. Cate would do anything for Betsey but courting and marrying?  Pete Treger is new in town but finds himself drawn to Cate, but because of her previous courtship she questions Pete's intentions from the start.

Leslie Gould writes a wonderful story of love, forgiveness, and how people can change with God's help.  As I read this story, I found myself connecting to Cate in many ways.  This story shows the lengths people will go to for love and how giving of one's self for God's Glory truly can transform.  Leslie Gould is a wonderful writer who captivates her readers from beginning to end. She writes with much authority on the Amish and the different communities of Amish. Leslie Gould's writing made me feel like I was there, watching the whole story unfold.  I truly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys Amish Fiction.  I look forward to reading more by Leslie Gould and of this series.

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Guideposts Spirit Lifters Series- About 101 Moments of Prayer: Inspiring Thoughts for Listening to God and About 101 Moments of Trust: Inspiring Thoughts for Believing in God's Promises

I received these e-books from Litfuse Publicity Group for no charge in exchange for my honest review of these e-books. The opinions expressed here are my own.

 

 

 

 

 

Book Descriptions:

 

The Guideposts Spirit Lifters series is an all-new eBook series from Guideposts featuring devotionals and story collections. The Spirit Lifters series demonstrates the powerful connection between faith and daily living, and offer readers hope to overcome life's challenges and to celebrate God's hand in our lives.

About 101 Moments of Prayer: Inspiring Thoughts for Listening to God

Join Elizabeth Sherrill, longtime writer for the bestselling devotional, Daily Guideposts, as she takes you on a journey that will help you appreciate life's little moments where you allow yourself to truly listen to how God is speaking to you. With carefully chosen Scripture passages for each day and thoughtful devotional entries, 101 Moments of Prayer will be a refreshing addition to your quiet time. If you're looking to grow in your faith while enhancing your daily practice of prayer and reflection, you'll find a wonderful companion in 101 Moments of Prayer, part of the Guideposts Spirit Lifters series.

About 101 Moments of Trust: Inspiring Thoughts for Believing in God's Promises

Join Marion Bond West, longtime writer for the bestselling devotional, Daily Guideposts, as she takes you on a journey that will help you trust in God's abiding strength and love no matter what challenges life brings. With carefully chosen Scripture passages for each day and thoughtful devotional entries sharing real-life experiences, 101 Moments of Trust will be a refreshing addition to your quiet time. If you're looking to grow in your faith while enhancing your daily practice of prayer and reflection, you'll find a wonderful companion in 101 Moments of Trust, part of the Guideposts Spirit Lifters series.

Link to buy these ebooks: http://ow.ly/g1Hxp

Meet Elizabeth Sherrill: Elizabeth ("Tib") Sherrill has published some 1500 articles and authored more than 30 books, with sales in excess of 50 million. Book titles, many co-written with her husband John -- include The Hiding Place, The Cross and the Switchblade, God's Smuggler, They Speak with Other Tongues, and Return from Tomorrow. Her most recent book, All the Way to Heaven, recounts for the first time her own journey from atheism to profound commitment. For over sixty years, Elizabeth has been a writer and editor for Guideposts Magazine.

Meet Marion Bond West: Marion Bond West is fascinated by honesty: honesty in others, honesty with herself, honesty with God. For almost forty years, she has written honestly about her life and God in a wide variety of books, magazines, and newspapers. Marion is a contributing editor of Guideposts magazine, having written for the internationally recognized publication and for the devotional book Daily Guideposts for more than thirty years. She and her husband, Gene Acuff, life in a Watkinsville, Georgia.

 

My Thoughts:

 

Guideposts Spirit Lifter Series is a wonderful series for e-readers.  101 Moments of Prayers and 101 Moments of Trust are short e-book devotionals that really uplift readers and offer thought provoking verses and stories for readers.  The authors: Elizabeth Sherrill and Marion Bond West are new authors to me and I am so glad I had the opportunity to read their writing.  As I read these devotionals, it was apparent the sharing and transparency each of these authors offer their readers.  These devotionals truly help you feel like you are not alone in where you are in life.  These books are a wonderful addition to my library and I am so glad to have them to reread whenever I need my Spirit lifted!  I highly recommend these two books to women who are looking for a devotional, you will truly be blessed.