Beyond All Dreams By Elizabeth Camden

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


Book Description: 


Anna O'Brien leads a predictable and quiet life as a map librarian at the illustrious Library of Congress until she stumbles across a baffling mystery of a ship disappeared at sea. She is thwarted in her attempts to uncover information, but her determination outweighs her shyness and she turns to a dashing congressman for help.
Luke Callahan was one of the nation's most powerful congressmen until his promising career became shadowed in scandal. Eager to share in a new cause and intrigued by the winsome librarian, he joins forces with Anna to solve the mystery of the lost ship.
Opposites in every way, Anna and Luke are unexpectedly drawn to each other despite the strict rules forbidding Anna from any romantic entanglement with a member of Congress.
From the gilded halls of the Capitol, where powerful men shape the future of the nation, to the scholarly archives of the nation's finest library, Anna and Luke are soon embroiled in secrets much bigger and more perilous than they ever imagined. Is bringing the truth to light worth risking all they've ever dreamed for themselves?


My Thoughts:


Beyond All Dreams is the latest book of Elizabeth Camden and it is fantastic.Even though I have a few of her books on my To Be Read list, this is the first book by Elizabeth Camden I have had the pleasure of reading. As a huge fan of Christian Historical Fiction this book was perfect for me. With the added bonus of being about a map librarian at The Library of Congress! The perfect setting for this bookworm! Anna O'Brien is a map librarian at The Library of Congress who leads are very quiet life. Anna's father was a famous cartographer in the Navy and was killed at sea by a hurricane, or at least that is the report the Navy gave the families. Anna stumbles across conflicting information about that time and area so she starts to question things and is told to leave it alone. Anna and Luke Callahan, a congressman who is in need of help from a map librarian and is intrigued by Anna, requests her as his research assistant. Anna then asks Luke for help in finding out the truth about her father and so it begins.  Anna and Luke couldn't be more different but they are drawn to each other in a way that scares both of them. Anna knows that she will lose her job if any relationship starts and Luke wants to marry Anna. As they do their research they find a tangled web of secrets and politics neither expected.


Beyond All Dreams is a wonderful book. It takes place in Washington DC in 1897, rich in history. Elizabeth Camden does a wonderful job of balancing fact and fiction in this work of fiction. She writes with authority on American History, Washington DC and the world in 1897, cartography, map librarian, politics in 1897, and the military especially the Navy. I loved the historical facts in this story, I learned a lot about our nation's capital during this time in history. The characters in this book are great. They are real people dealing with messy lives. I really enjoyed Anna and Luke's banter. They are truly opposites and their interactions were always explosive (good and bad). I found myself laughing out loud at some of the conversations they had between them. I found myself unable to put this book down and Elizabeth Camden kept me guessing until the end how everything would work out, definitely kept my interest from start to finish. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Christian Historical Fiction, you will not be disappointed. I cannot wait to read more from Elizabeth Camden! I give this book 4 STARS.


Travel back in time to the U.S. Capitol and the Library of Congress in Elizabeth Camden's newest release, Beyond All Dreams. From the gilded halls of the Capitol where powerful men shape the future of the nation, to the scholarly archives of the nation's finest library, Anna and Luke are soon embroiled in secrets much bigger and more perilous than they ever imagined. Is bringing the truth to light worth risking all they've ever dreamed for their futures?

Elizabeth is celebrating the release of Beyond All Dreams with a Kindle giveaway and Facebook party on February 17.

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire
• One copy of Beyond All Dreams

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on 2/17. Winner will be announced at Elizabeth's 2/17 Beyond All Dreams Facebook author chat party. RSVP for a chance to connect with Elizabeth and historical fiction fans, as well as for the opportunity to win some great prizes!
{NOT ON FACEBOOK? ENTER HERE.}

RSVP today and spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway via FACEBOOK, TWITTER, or PINTEREST and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 17th!

Strengthen Your Marriage with Deb DeArmond’s New Book, Facebook Author Chat Party, and Relationship Challenges

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


Book Description: 


Married for nearly 38 years, author Deborah DeArmond and her husband have made the spoken declaration, “I choose you today” a regular part of their communication. It’s when we least feel like saying it that we need to remind ourselves that love is a choice, not a feeling. I Choose You Today features 31 scriptural principles that support marriage and help couples develop healthy biblically based behavior.
      Built on an introductory anecdotal story, each chapter has an inspirational takeaway of not only what to do, but how to begin applying the principles immediately. Thought provoking questions create talking points for couples to explore their own choices and experiences in each area serve to generate open dialogue of discovery. I Choose You Today is not a book of "shoulds," but one of clearly identified choices that each individual can make to grow their marriage and align it with the word of God. Every saying ends with a conventional wisdom quote.


My Thoughts: 


I Choose You Today: 31 Choices To Make Love Last is the first book by Deb DeArmond that I have read and WOW I am so glad I did. As a wife for almost 20 years my husband and I have been through our share of good and bad but my philosophy has always been, We make the choice everyday to be married, to be together, to stay together. This book reinforces that thought and expands on it in a way that really speaks to me.  I enjoyed Deb DeArmond's stories and antidotes about her own marriage. Her ability to look back at these events not with bitterness or blame but with love and humor, admit her mistakes and with the help of The Bible guide the reader to resolution. This book and concept doesn't just apply to marriage, it can apply to any type of relationship where love is a factor, family, friends, etc..


As my subscribers or regular readers know I very rarely review Non-Fiction books on my blog but this book really did spark my interest. Until this book I had not found a book, that explored this topic. The biggest lesson for me was right in the beginning Deb DeArnmond states in her introduction on page xi, " Love is not a feeling, and neither is marriage. Each is a choice-one that must be made every single day, even if spoken through gritted teeth." She states more than once that marriage is not easy, and it takes a lot of work from both of you but it is worth it. Each chapter in this book is a choice to make love last. I felt very different after reading each of these choices and answered the questions at the end of each chapter, felt very convicted by Deb DeArmond's words.  This is a book that I will be rereading, sharing with others, and recommending it to others. I highly recommend this to book to anyone in a relationship, you will benefit from the insight and wisdom.  I cannot wait to read more from Deb DeArmond, she is definitely on my Top 10 author list. I give this book
FIVE STARS.  Please check out below the contest and challenges being offered by Deb DeArmond.


What’s the secret for hanging on to the happily-ever-after feelings from the day you said, “I do”? It could be as simple as four little words: I Choose You Today. Be sure to grab a copy of Deb DeArmond's latest release and find out how you can make the declaration “I Choose You Today” a regular part of your marriage communication.

Deb is celebrating the release of her book with a Facebook author chat party on February 3rd.

 

Along with the February 3rd author chat party, you're invited to participate in two marriage-strengthening challenges: one beginning February 1 and the other beginning in March. Don't miss out on this opportunity to build your relationship with your spouse and enter to win some prizes along the way!

The Valentine's Challenge: February 1 – 28

Tell your spouse "I Choose You" every day of the month. Sign up online at www.ichooseyouchallenge.com and receive a free downloadable February calendar to mark off the days of the challenge.

Deb will also be emailing participants 1–2 times throughout the month with giveaway opportunities and "keep going" encouragement.
The "I Choose You" Challenge: March 1 – December 31, 2015

Sign up online at www.ichooseyouchallenge.com to receive 10 weekly emails, each teaching one of the choices from Deb's book along with practical applications. This challenge is broken up into three different sessions, covering all 31 choices from the book.

There will be giveaways and opportunities to win throughout the year. Participants can decide when to join—it's not required to do all three sessions. do all three sessions.