Tree Swing Reading

Giving Away "Restoration Series" by Terri Blackstock

What does this mean?  Well, I'm giving away a bunch of books of all kinds!  Some new releases, some that have been around a while...but are too good to miss.  Some fiction of all different genres, some non-fiction. 

My rules will be the same as usual. 

1) Post a comment to the blogs with the books you want to enter to win.  Answer the question that goes with that blog.

Today's question: This is a question to help me survive the summer...I'm a work-at-home mom with a 6 year old and a 9 year old girl.  Most of their friends are in day care for the summer.  Any suggestions on ways to keep them busy at least for part of each day so I can still do my work?  I'm getting nervous for summer!

2) See if you win!

Winners are drawn 10 days after the giveaway is posted. 

Today's giveaway will be drawn on May 27.

I'm giving away the Terri Blackstock Restoration Series! Four books!

Last Light (Book #1)

In the face of a crisis that sweeps an entire high-tech planet back to the age before electricity, Deni Branning's career ambitions have vanished. She's not about to let her dream of marriage go as well. But keeping it alive will require extraordinary measures. Yesterday's world is gone. All Deni and her family have left is each other and their neighbors. Their little community will either stand or fall together. But they're only beginning to realize that—and trust doesn't come easily. Particularly when one of them is a killer. Terri Blackstock weaves a masterful what-if novel in which global catastrophe reveals the darkness in human hearts—and lights the way to restoration for a self-centered world.

Night Light (Book #2)

Winner of the 2007 Retailer's Choice Award for General Fiction!

Learn the true cause of the global power outage that has brought the Brannings to their knees!

Technology is a thing of the past as a power outage covers the globe. One family struggles to do what’s right when so much is going wrong. When the Brannings catch two boys breaking into their home, Jeff tracks them to a filthy apartment and discovers a family of children living alone, stealing to stay alive. Where is their mother? The search for answers uncovers a trail of desperation and murder... and for the Brannings, a powerful new purpose that can transform their entire community—and above all, themselves.

True Light (Book #3)

Thanks to all my readers for making True Light #1 of all Christian books the first month it was out!

Eight months into a global blackout, the residents of Oak Hollow are coping with the deep winter nights. But the struggle to survive can bring out the worst in a person—or a community.

A teenager has been shot and the suspect sits in jail. As the son of a convicted murderer, Mark Green already has one strike against him. Now he faces the wrath of all Oak Hollow. But the Branning family stands with him as he fights to survive—and forgive. Book three in Terri Blackstock’s Restoration series

Dawn's Light (Book #4)

In the face of a crisis that sweeps an entire high-tech planet back to the age before electricity, the Brannings face a choice. Will they hoard their possessions to survive—or trust God to provide as they offer their resources to others?

As the Pulses that caused the outage are finally coming to an end, thirteen-year-old Beth Branning witnesses a murder. Threatened by the killer, she keeps the matter to herself. But her silence could cost her life.

Meanwhile, as Deni’s ex-fiancé returns to Crockett with a newfound faith and the influence to get things done, Deni is torn between the man who can fulfill all her dreams and Mark Green, the man who inhabits them.

As the world slowly emerges from the crisis, the Brannings face their toughest crisis yet. Will God require more of them than they’ve already given? How will they keep their faith if he doesn’t answer their prayers?

Winner of Tracey Bateman books

Congrats to Carolynn! Your name was drawn to win the two Tracey Bateman books, Catch a Rising Star and You Had Me At Goodbye. Thanks to everyone for entering!

Winner of The Boo Series by Rene Gutteridge

congratst to Christy H! Your name was drawn to win these 4 books!

Giving away "Believing God" by Beth Moore

What does this mean?  Well, I'm giving away a bunch of books of all kinds!  Some new releases, some that have been around a while...but are too good to miss.  Some fiction of all different genres, some non-fiction. 

My rules will be the same as usual. 

1) Post a comment to the blogs with the books you want to enter to win.  Answer the question that goes with that blog.

Today's question: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?  I wanted to be a nurse and to have 12 kids! 

2) See if you win!

Winners are drawn 10 days after the giveaway is posted. 

Today's giveaway will be drawn on May 25.

The book for today is Believing God by Beth Moore. 

Description:

If God is who he says he is and can indeed do what he says he can do, why are so many Christians living mediocre lives? Beth Moore thinks that there is a simple answer to this question: unbelief. Therefore, in Believing God she challenges us to take God at his word, believe his promises and, as a result, live fuller lives. Don't be afraid to set aside your unbelief and experience the great blessings of God's promises.

Review of "Healing Promises" by Amy Wallace

Healing Promises by Amy Wallace, book 2 in the Defenders of Hope Series

Description:

Facing a new threat.
When FBI Agent Clint Rollins takes a bullet during a standoff, it might just save his life. But not even the ugly things he’s seen during his years working in the Crimes Against Children Unit could prepare him for the overwhelming powerlessness of hospital tests revealing an unexpected diagnosis. If only Sara weren’t retreating into doctor mode…he needs his wife now more than ever.

Frozen in fear.
Sara Rollins is an oncologist with a mission–beating cancer when she can, easing her patients’ suffering at the very least. Now the life of her tall Texan husband is at stake. She never let the odds steal her hope before, but in this case, the question of God’s healing promises is personal. Can she hold on to the truth she claimed to believe?

Faith under fire.
As Clint continues to track down a serial kidnapper despite his illness, former investigations haunt his nightmares, pushing him beyond solving the case into risking his life and career. Clint struggles to believe God is still the God of miracles. Especially when he needs not one, but two. Everything in his life is reduced to one all-important question: Can God be trusted?

About this series:

Missing Children
	Shattered Dreams
		Hidden Truth

That’s where Defenders of Hope come in. FBI agents Steven Kessler, Clint Rollins, and Michael Parker risk their lives and hearts serving in the Washington DC Crimes Against Children Unit.

Every day these FBI agents work cases that constitute a mother’s nightmare. The hardest cases evoke haunting questions. What is justice? What part does faith play? And the hardest question of all… why?  Read more at the website: http://www.defendersofhope.com/index.html

What Amy Wallace says about this book and the first book:

FBI Agent Clint Rollins is one of my favorite characters to write, but the challenges he faces in book two were the hardest to put into words. This story grew out of a painful time of wrestling with God and doubting His goodness when two dear friends and a vibrant young adult in my church’s student ministry faced life threatening illnesses. These amazing people all play cameo roles in Healing Promises. But the book is dedicated to Ken Whaley and his family, who showed me in action that even when circumstances don’t go the way we prayed, God is on His throne and He is very, very good. Always.

Writing about a married couple whose deep love for each other is tested right along with their faith stretched me in ways I’m still decoding. The intimacy and history between marriage partners was both fun and painful to put into words. Clint and Sara’s love sizzles at a deeper level than new romance, but inherent in that depth is the possibility of even more pain with loss.

In Ransomed Dreams I wrote about one of my greatest fears, that of losing my children. With Healing Promises, the fear I grappled with was not only losing my spouse, but also the reality of living in a fallen world with bodies that aren’t always healed this side of heaven. My hope for readers of Healing Promises is that as they watch Clint and Sara’s journey, they’ll be challenged to ask their own deep questions. In doing so, I pray they’ll find that understanding isn’t the key to survival, but believing the truth is where the peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7) begins.

My Review:

Wow. This book grabbed me and held on to me from the beginning to the end.  A beautiful book that speaks of hope and trust in times when hope and trust are hard to find.  The characters are protrayed wonderfully and their stuggles are painted with authenticity and an almost raw humaness.  I put myself in their shoes as they wrestled with God and battled to understand the reasons for their suffering.

Cancer. It is a frightening word. Clint is an FBI agent whose job it is to find missing children.  That makes him a hero already. But to have to face cancer is an enemy that he can't take down with his gun.  Plus cancer battles the person and his entire family and friends as well. I know personally. My mother  had cancer and it was our whole family's battle for a time. His wife Sara's battle to "do it all" during Clint's chemo treatments reminds me of my own struggle to run my mom's household at age 16.  The questioning of God and the waiting on Him was as profound for me then as it is for Sara and for Steven, Clint's partner, as they pray and pray and look for answers.

Wallace does a wonderful job of showing that trusting God doesn't always mean the answer that we want. Some cancer patients live and some don't and we don't know why. All we can know is that God is on His throne and He is always good.

I highly recommend this book.  I reminded me again that though life is known to be hard, God is faithful. 

Get this wonderful book for yourself! Healing Promises

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1601420102

Review of "Ransomed Dreams" by Amy Wallace

Ransomed Dreams by Amy Wallace, book one in the Defenders of Hope Series

Description:

Chained To Yesterday

When tragedy struck and Gracie Lang lost everything, her faith crumbled, and nothing but the drive for justice propelled her forward. But after two years of dead-end searching, the truth Gracie seeks is the very thing her stalker will stop at nothing to hide.

Forgiveness Unlocks the Future

An FBI agent in the Crimes Against Children Unit, Steven Kessler spends his days rescuing other people’s children and nights caring for his son. He’s through with God, embittered by his ex-wife who abandoned them both, and definitely doesn’t expect what’s coming next.

The Past Is the Key

A plot to kidnap a British ambassador’s daughter dangerously intersects Steven and Gracie’s worlds–a collision that demands a decision. But are they willing to pay the high ransom required to redeem dreams and reignite hope?

What the Author Says About this book (good stuff!):

Out of the national tragedy of September 11, 2001 came a literal dream that wouldn’t let go. It included FBI characters and a deep desire to give tribute to the agents who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to see our country both protected and healed. This story also required me to walk through my greatest fear, that of losing my precious children. These two different plot lines converged to create my first novel, Ransomed Dreams.

As I began plotting this book, God brought into my path a federal agent who just happened to be married to a writer. Both Jack and his wife met with me and together we brainstormed a story originally titled The Journey. Through the initial writing and a few years of editing, one major theme rose to the top… forgiveness.

As I wrote about Gracie’s struggle to forgive the person who killed her family, I looked at the pictures of my children on my desk and wrestled with forgiving people in my past who nearly succeeded in destroying my family. But Steven’s battle with forgiving himself struck even closer to home. Growing up in an alcoholic family I learned early that type A behavior had its rewards. Now an adult, I see that the same behavior that helped me survive stands in opposition to trusting Christ and walking with Him at peace. Through writing Steven’s personal and professional struggles, God shined the light on my prideful living where I demanded perfection of myself and failed miserably. In God’s amazing grace, He also gave me a clear picture of the peace gained from setting others and myself free from the perfection treadmill.

Forgiveness is in no way an easy process. But my prayer for readers of Ransomed Dreams is that they will see the healing power of forgiveness played out in the pages of the book in a way that they can transfer to their own walk with the Lord.

My Review:

I think I found another favorite author!  A wonderful book with a great combination of suspense, romance, and heart.  Gracie Lang goes through a horrible tragedy, losing her husband and children in a deadly automobile accident.  I could not imagine going on with that kind of pain.  On top of that, she is still searching for answers of the identity of the drunk driver who killed them. She is convinced that she will be able to find him and that finding him will put the past to rest.

Gracie moves to a new home and begins a new life as a teacher. Meeting one of the fathers will end up changing her life. Steven is an FBI agent who is dealing with his own painful past.  He has been raising his son alone since his ex-wife abandoned them for alcohol years before.  What will happen when she suddenly shows up again wanting custody? 

As Steven and Gracie grow closer, they both have to learn to let go of the past. To forgive.

Forgiveness becomes a key theme in this wonderful book.  I enjoyed it very much and found the author had just the right mix of suspense with romance and important truths of God's unfailing love and his forgiveness in our lives. I picked up on Amy Wallace's profound authenticity in her writing and the heart for her characters. 

I highly recommend this author and this series!

Winners of "Symphony of Secrets" and "Mistaken Identity"

Congrats to Vader's mom whose name was drawn for the book Symphony of Secrets by Sharon Hinck

and

to Melissa from IN whose name was drawn to win Mistaken Identity.

I've get these in the mail to you soon!

CFBA Blog Tour of "Healing Promises" by Amy Wallace

Healing Promises

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Healing Promises
(Multnomah Publishers - April 15, 2008)
by
Amy Wallace

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:



Amy Wallace is the author of Ransomed Dreams, a homeschool mom, and a 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.








ABOUT THE BOOK

Facing a new threat.
When FBI Agent Clint Rollins takes a bullet during a standoff, it might just save his life. But not even the ugly things he’s seen during his years working in the Crimes Against Children Unit could prepare him for the overwhelming powerlessness of hospital tests revealing an unexpected diagnosis. If only Sara weren’t retreating into doctor mode…he needs his wife now more than ever.

Frozen in fear.
Sara Rollins is an oncologist with a mission–beating cancer when she can, easing her patients’ suffering at the very least. Now the life of her tall Texan husband is at stake. She never let the odds steal her hope before, but in this case, the question of God’s healing promises is personal. Can she hold on to the truth she claimed to believe?

Faith under fire.
As Clint continues to track down a serial kidnapper despite his illness, former investigations haunt his nightmares, pushing him beyond solving the case into risking his life and career. Clint struggles to believe God is still the God of miracles. Especially when he needs not one, but two. Everything in his life is reduced to one all-important question: Can God be trusted?

If you would like to read the first chapter, go HERE



The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1601420102

Winner of Smart Chick Mystery Series

Congrats to Jenn for winning the Smart Chick Mystery Series by Mindy Starns Clark!

I also just wanted to say I'm sorry that I haven't been able to review as many books lately.  It's been a little crazy here with my parents' visit and the jewelry sale.  I hope to get more time to read again now.

CFBA Blog Tour of "The Warriors" by Mark Andrew Olson

The Warriors by Mark Andrew Olsen

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

The Warriors

(Bethany House April 1, 2008)

by

Mark Andrew Olsen

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

MARK ANDREW OLSEN whose novel The Assignment was a Christy Award finalist, also collaborated on bestsellers Hadassah (now the major motion picture: One Night With the King), The Hadassah Covenant, and Rescued. His last novel was the supernatural thriller The Watchers.

The son of missionaries to France, Mark is a Professional Writing graduate of Baylor University. He and his wife, Connie, live in Colorado Springs with their three children.





ABOUT THE BOOK

A failed recon mission deep in the tunnels of Afghanistan has provoked a demonic onslaught that had been brewing for centuries. The mission's sole survivor is reformed black ops assassin Dylan Hatfield, and he once again teams up with Abby Sherman, now at the helm of the Watchers, an ancient spiritual force. Uncovering and preventing a secret wave of death whispered across cyberspace and threatening to be unleash against civilization will require another level of spiritual power and expertise--the Warriors.

Journeying across the Alps of Europe through the multilayered history of warfare in the unseen world, Dylan and Abby uncover an age-old stone engraving that rouses the church's Warriors to action, placing them dead center in one of the fiercest spiritual battles of their time!

And once again they are reminded: This is all part of a vast and perpetual war, a war beyond all human conflicts, one that has engulfed heaven and earth since before the dawn of history....

Abby Sherman is headed back to Israel, where a Watcher, the Sentinel of Jerusalem, lies dying. In her last breaths the old woman tells Abby of an ancient document prophesying humanity's full-scale entry into the ongoing conflict between armies of heaven and fallen angels.

Dylan Hatfield has decided to answer a summons from his old boss and join a secret operation, its mission to reconnoiter the Afghani tunnel complex from which Osama bin Laden escaped in 2001. What he discovers sears his very soul and likely will end his life.

Abby learns of the peril facing Dylan, and she sends out a call for intercession on his behalf. Her frantic email message sets in motion a series of harrowing events, propelling the two on a new mission and quest--one where the stakes are the lives of millions!

The Warriors is packed with high-octane action, featuring exotic international locales, with characters in a clash against spiritual "principalities and powers" with eternal consequences, The Warriors is a story that will enthrall, enlighten, and engage its readers.

If that piques your interest, you can read the first chapter HERE

"Olsen, one of the better writers in this subgenre, delivers powerful, action-packed plots that delve into mystical paranormal worlds."
~Library Journal, Feb. 2008

"Olsen delivers an entertaining thriller likely to be enjoyed especially by fans of the spiritual warfare genre."
~PUBLISHERS WEEK

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/076420274X

My Review coming soon!