The Devoted Life: A Creative Devotional Journal by Marjorie Jackson

The Devoted Life: A Creative Devotional Journal

by 

Marjorie Jackson

About:

Come Experience It for Yourself. . . Life Is Good with a God Who Is Great!

This topically guided creative journal for teen girls offers inspiration and encouragement for those who desire to live their lives fully devoted to Christ. Amidst the loud, confusing voices of the world, trying to tell them which way is the right way to go, girls need to stop, rest, refuel, and reflect in the presence of their truest Friend and most loyal heavenly Father. Whether it’s through creativity, meditating on scripture, prayer, or writing, readers will join young author and artist, Marjorie Jackson, for a time of life-giving fun, faith-strengthening encouragement, and God-glorifying growth. As girls connect with their first love, Jesus, they will begin to understand that life is truly good with a God who is absolutely great! 

My Thoughts:

The Devoted Life by Marjorie Jackson is a creative devotional journal that opens the reader to experience God in a different way. This devotional is perfect for those who are creative by nature and for those who desire to be more creative. The devotional journal contains 31 sections on faith, fear, the Bible, prayer, selfishness, humility, submitting authority, true beauty and so much more. This devotional is intended for young adult females. However, as an adult married female, I enjoyed this devotional. In this journal are over 60 scripture coloring pages to help the reader experience God in a creative medium. 

The journal is a rose gold leather cover that is flexible and bendable, which I love. It also has a white ribbon to help bookmark your page. This amazing devotional is a great book to help strengthen your relationship with the Lord. 

Thank you to Barbour Publishing for providing me a complimentary copy. I was not obligated to provide a review or a positive review. 

Who I Am with You (Legacy of Faith #1) by Robin Lee Hatcher

Who I Am with You

(Legacy of Faith #1)

by 

Robin Lee Hatcher

About:

For these two broken hearts, the first step toward love will be a huge leap of faith. 

Jessica Mason isn’t looking for love when she meets Ridley Chesterfield. Instead she is still reeling from the tragic, unexpected loss of her husband and daughter—and awaiting the arrival of her unborn child. Harboring the secret of her husband’s betrayal, her pain is deeper than anyone knows.

Ridley Chesterfield is hiding out in Hope Springs, Idaho, avoiding a political scandal and the barrage of false media headlines that have tarnished his good name. The last thing Ridley wants is a relationship—but when fate leads Ridley to form a friendship with his reclusive and pregnant neighbor, he wonders if this small-town hideout might be more of a long-term destination. 

When Jessica begins to read her great-grandfather’s Bible, she finds a connection with a man she never knew. Somehow the verses he marked and the words he wrote in the margins open her heart to healing. And as Ridley and Jessica help each other forgive the people who have wronged them, they must decide if the past will define them or if they will choose to love again. 

Who I Am With You weaves together a modern-day romance with Jessica’s great-grandfather’s story from the 1930s, reminding us that some truths can cross generations and that faith has the power to transform families forever.

My Thoughts:

Robin Hatcher is a remarkable story teller and Who I am with You tells the story of Jessica Mason and Ridley Chesterfield. Both characters aren't looking for love, but hope and forgiveness are resounding themes throughout this story. This book is unique in how the author writes a time period split, which makes this book interesting, especially as I was drawn to the plot from the 1930's. 

Hatcher does a phenomenal job of integrating Christian values and faith into the story. She interweaves faith into the story of both stories while telling an amazing story. This is a book that will have you turning the pages, cheerleading on characters and your heart will be overwhelmed with love for this story. 

Thank you to the Publisher for providing me a complimentary copy. A favorable review was not required. 

About the Author:

Robin Lee Hatcher is the author of over 80 novels and novellas with over five million copies of her books in print. She is known for her heartwarming and emotionally charged stories of faith, courage, and love. Her numerous awards include the RITA® Award, Christy Award, Carol Award, HOLT Medallion, National Reader’s Choice Award, and the Faith, Hope & Love Reader’s Choice Award, and she is also the recipient of prestigious Lifetime Achievement Awards from both American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America®. When not writing, she enjoys being with her family, spending time in the beautiful Idaho outdoors, Bible art journaling, reading books that make her cry, watching romantic movies, and decorative planning. A mother and grandmother, Robin and her husband make their home on the outskirts of Boise, sharing it with a demanding Papillon dog and a persnickety tuxedo cat.

We Hope for Better Things by Erin Bartels

We Hope for Better Things

by 

Erin Bartels 

About:

When Detroit Free Press reporter Elizabeth Balsam meets James Rich, his strange request--that she look up a relative she didn't know she had in order to deliver an old camera and a box of photos--seems like it isn't worth her time. But when she loses her job after a botched investigation, she suddenly finds herself with nothing but time.

At her great-aunt's 150-year-old farmhouse, Elizabeth uncovers a series of mysterious items, locked doors, and hidden graves. As she searches for answers to the riddles around her, the remarkable stories of two women who lived in this very house emerge as testaments to love, resilience, and courage in the face of war, racism, and misunderstanding. And as Elizabeth soon discovers, the past is never as past as we might like to think.

Debut novelist Erin Bartels takes readers on an emotional journey through time--from the volatile streets of 1960s Detroit to the Underground Railroad during the Civil War--to uncover the past, confront the seeds of hatred, and discover where love goes to hide.

My Thoughts:

We Hope for Better Things is an unforgettable novel! A powerful story of three women from different eras with the complexities of race relations among family makes this story interesting, dramatic and unforgettable. As a Michigander, I love how the story is set in my own backyard, which makes this book come to life even more. 

As a debut book, Erin Bartels writes an amazing story that I simply could not put down. This is a fantastic book and even a better story. I was worried it might not keep my interest, especially in the beginning, but this book picked up and it kept my interest to the very last page. I could not stop reading until this book was finished. This is definitely a book I would recommend to readers! It is great. 

Thank you to the publisher for providing a complimentary copy. A positive review was not required. 

About the Author:

ERIN BARTELS is a copywriter and freelance editor by day, a novelist by night, and a painter, seamstress, poet, and photographer in between. Her debut novel, WE HOPE FOR BETTER THINGS, is scheduled to be released in January 2019 from Revell Books, followed in September 2019 with THE WORDS BETWEEN US, which was a finalist for the 2015 Rising Star Award from the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Her short story “This Elegant Ruin” was a finalist in The Saturday Evening Post 2014 Great American Fiction Contest. Her poems have been published by The Lyric and The East Lansing Poetry Attack. A member of the Capital City Writers Association and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, she is former features editor of WFWA’s Write On! magazine.

Across the Bridge (A Copper Island Novel Book 3) by Kristin Neva

Across the Bridge (A Copper Island Novel Book 3)

by 

Kristin Neva 

About:

Fiction from the Ragged Edge of Faith 

When Marcella Seppa meets her new tenant, widower Drew Smith, a spark ignites, but she won't consider dating him. She doesn't want his son, AJ, to experience the hurt she felt when her dad remarried shortly after her mom died. Her faith unraveled, and she threw herself into exercise and gardening instead of forming trusting relationships.

When Drew finds out he may not be AJ's biological father, his first instinct is to leave Copper Island, but he wants to find out the truth. He seeks out Marcella's support.

Is it possible their friendship could become more? But how would that affect AJ? Could love help make peace with the past?

Love weaves its way through the messiness of life on Copper Island. 

Across the Bridge is part of the Copper Island series, but it can be read as a stand-alone novel.

Across the Bridge will make you laugh and cry. Deep, meaningful themes are woven into a fast-paced storyline.

After Marcella Seppa lost her mother when she was fifteen years old, her father quickly remarried, and her stepmother pushed too hard to foster a relationship with Marcella. Well-meaning people used Christian clichés in an attempt to comfort her, but it resulted in Marcella having a faith crisis. Is love worth the risk of loss, and how can you hold on to faith when questioning the idea of a puppet-master God?

Drew Smith moves to the small town of Quincy so that his in-laws can help raise his son, and he plugs into a local church where the leader of a boys group -- and his deceased wife's high school boyfriend -- looks strikingly like his son. Drew fears losing part of his son's heart to a man who even he admires for his height, charm, and cool job as a State Trooper. What does it mean to be a father, and what is the balance between protecting and preparing your child?

Across the Bridge also contains a theme dealing with ALS, a terminal disease that requires a team of caregivers. Readers who've met Grandma Lou in Snow Country will want to be with her again. 

My Thoughts:

Across the Bridge was my favorite book in the Copper Island series. I loved every single moment of this book by Kristin. She did a fantastic job with this book. I felt right at home turning the pages. The story line was fast paced as inhaled this book from beginning to end. The story was deep and meaningful, but can also be read as a standalone if you haven't been able to read the entire series, but I highly recommend reading the entire series. It is much richer of a story line if you are able to read the series. I love how Kristin doesn't shy away from difficult discussions in her books either like suffering or where is God in the suffering? She makes her characters real, which makes all of her books so much more relatable and enjoyable as a reader. 

I give this book 5/5 stars. Thank you to the publisher for providing me a complimentary copy. A favorable review was not required.

About the Author:

Kristin Neva grew up in an old farmhouse on Copper Island in Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula where the hard-working, rugged residents persevere through harsh winter weather, sustained by friendship and family, surrounded by natural beauty. As an adult, she lived in the Chicago and Milwaukee areas for seventeen years before returning to the her hometown with her husband and two children.

Kristin’s first book, Heavy, co-authored with her husband, Todd, journeys through the first year after Todd’s ALS diagnosis as the Nevas struggle to find meaning, hold on to faith, and discover joy in the midst of pain.

It is this life experience that brings authenticity to Kristin’s fictional works as she explores themes of love, loss, and faith on Copper Island. Her quirky characters are endearing and wholesome. But they are also full of healthy grit, humor, flaws, and appetites.

Learn more about Kristin and explore Copper Island at KristinNeva.com.

Toothella By Kristin Neva

Toothella: Tooth Fairy in Training

by 

Kristin Neva

About:

When the tooth fairy doesn't show up, there must be an explanation. Toothella is a tooth fairy in training. She enjoys her missions — sometimes too much. She gets sidetracked by all the fun toys in the kids' rooms.
Getting distracted happens to the best of us. Parents and tooth fairies fail. Fortunately, Toothella gets a second chance. And now, parents have a book to pull off the shelf to read to a heartbroken child.

Children will love this delightful character and the colored-pencil illustrations created by sixteen-year-old illustrator Josiah Mleko.
Songs to accompany Toothella can be found on the author’s website: KristinNeva.com.

My Thoughts:

This is a darling children's book! The illustrations are impeccable, especially for a sixteen year old who did them! This book is perfect for any parent who is trying to explain why the tooth fairy may have missed their house. This is such a great book. I highly recommend grabbing a copy to making new traditions in your home with the tooth fairy. I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to leave a positive review.

About the Author:

Kristin Neva grew up in an old farmhouse on Copper Island in Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula where the hard-working, rugged residents persevere through harsh winter weather, sustained by friendship and family, surrounded by natural beauty. As an adult, she lived in the Chicago and Milwaukee areas for seventeen years before returning to the her hometown with her husband and two children.

Kristin’s first book, Heavy, co-authored with her husband, Todd, journeys through the first year after Todd’s ALS diagnosis as the Nevas struggle to find meaning, hold on to faith, and discover joy in the midst of pain.

It is this life experience that brings authenticity to Kristin’s fictional works as she explores themes of love, loss, and faith on Copper Island. Her quirky characters are endearing and wholesome. But they are also full of healthy grit, humor, flaws, and appetites. 

Learn more about Kristin and explore Copper Island at KristinNeva.com.