The Farmers' Market Mishap: A Sequel to The Lopsided Christmas Cake by Wanda E. Brunstetter, Jean Brunstetter + Giveaway

The Farmers' Market Mishap: A Sequel to The Lopsided Christmas Cake by Wanda E. Brunstetter, Jean Brunstetter + Giveaway 


New York Times Bestselling Author Wanda E. Brunstetter and Daughter-in-Law, Jean, Weave a Lighthearted Romance from Indiana’s Amish Country
 
Living alone for the first time in her life is lonely for Elma Hochstetler, whose twin sister Thelma recently married. Though they share the running of a general store, more and more of Thelma’s time is taken up by her growing family. Elma has dated some, but she wonders if she is just too picky to find love.
 
Through a mishap at the farmers’ market, Elma meets Ben Wagler and instantly likes him. But there is a problem. He lives in Grabill—50 miles away! But Elma has tried long-distance dating before, and it won’t work for her.  Besides the store needs her. Her sister needs her. Elma feels love will forever remain beyond her grasp.
 
Elma has a habit of putting others before her own needs. Can she learn to take a risk at following the desires of her heart?

How did Thelma meet her husband?  Find out in The Lopsided Christmas Cake.


My Thoughts:
Who knew that setting up a little stand at the neighboring farmers market and in Shipshewana could make for a particular encounter for the possibility of a romantic interest? It's fruit after all! However, Ben and Elma hit it off, but there are problems and it isn't just one.. Ben lives so far away and Elma won't leave her twin sister, Thelma it just won't happen, especially since Thelma is expecting. This book is headed for disaster and so is this couple. Will this couple make choices that will forever change their lives or will they go their own separate ways? I particularly enjoy the element of faith that Wanda includes in all of her novels. I give this book 5/5 stars. A favorable review was not required and I was given a copy by the author.


Giveaway Info:
To continue reading further, you may enter my giveaway by leaving a comment to my question below with your name and email address. I will email the winner by June 2, 2017.

Question: What would you give up for the love of your life? Do you believe God has a plan for your life? 



About the Author:

A nationally recognized authority on the Amish community, Wanda E. Brunstetter has sold more than seven million copies of her fiction and nonfiction books. Wanda enjoys an uncommon kinship with the Amish and continues to visit their communities throughout the country. Her books have won numerous awards and topped several bestselling charts.

The Turquoise Table: Finding Community and Connection in Your Own Front Yard by Kristin Schell

The Turquoise Table: Finding Community and Connection in Your Own Front Yard

by Kristin Schell

About:

re you consumed with a busy life but unsure how to slow down? Do you desire connection within your community and think, “Absolutely, but I don’t have time for that” or “I can’t create that”? What if there was another way through it all, a way to find those moments of peace and to create a time for honest, comfortable connection? What if meeting neighbors and connecting with friends was as simple as showing up and being available?


Desperate for a way to slow down and connect, Kristin Schell put an ordinary picnic table in her front yard, painted it turquoise, and began inviting friends and neighbors to join her. Life changed in her community and it can change in yours, too. Alongside personal and heartwarming stories, Kristin gives you:

Stress-free ideas for kick-starting your own Turquoise Table

Simple recipes to take outside and share with others

Stories from people using Turquoise Tables in their neighborhoods

Encouragement to overcome barriers that keep you from connecting

New ways to view hospitality

Today, Turquoise Tables are inviting individuals to connect with each other in nearly all fifty states and seven countries. Ordinary people like you wanting to make a difference right where they live.

Community and friendship are waiting just outside your front door.

My Thoughts:

My first initial impressions were that I loved the way the book feels in my hands. This isn't your normal book. It reads more like a small, yet beautiful coffee table book that you can shove in your purse. The pages are gorgeous and so inviting, just like the painted picnic table that the author created. I love how this book is one that creates spaces for community, relationships and to meet new people. The idea behind this is that you can invite people over and you don't have to worry about a clean home because your picnic table is outside. This book is so easy to read and is filled with stunning photos. You'll enjoy stories from others as they experience the Turquoise table and the delicious recipes. This book even has a book marker in it, which makes it even more fabulous. I love how Kristin paid so much attention to the details, which makes this a lovely read for the summer and even better to actually do. We should all be apart of the larger community of the the turquoise table. I give this book 5/5 stars and the opinions expressed here are my own. A favorable review was not required. 

To pick up your copy, head here! 

Adorned: Living Out the Beauty of the Gospel Together by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth

Adorned: Living Out the Beauty of the Gospel Together by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth

Known for her wisdom, warmth, and knowledge of Scripture, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth has encouraged millions through her books, radio programs, and conferences. Now she’s back with a legacy work on Titus 2 and its powerful vision for women.

From Nancy:

"Cross-generational community between women is the biblical antidote for being chronically, hopelessly overwhelmed, as so many of us are.

When older women come out of their protective cocoons to invest themselves in the lives of younger women, whole families and churches feel the blessing. When young moms and singles widen their peer groups to include women who have already braved the same rapids and lived to tell about it, both sides of the relationship are strengthened and grow. We all, in different ways and in different seasons, need to be on both the giving and receiving end of this life to-life process.

So I invite you to join me as we look to God’s Word for His perspective on the character, commitments, and attitudes of godly women—and His prescribed process for helping us live out these virtues not only today, but from generation to generation."

My Thoughts:

This book is so wonderfully crafted and articulated. It reminds us that no matter the age, that women need one another. In "Adorned," this book shows women how to live out Titus 2. This book will give you simple and practical solutions to being the woman God created you to be as well as living you convicted about areas you want to change in your life. It will also show women how to live out Biblical womanhood. I really enjoyed it and felt that it was filled with grace. I truly enjoyed this book and felt it was a great book to help me examine areas in my heart where I need Christ to reign and continue to utilize Godly mentorships with other women to help walk through the journey . The church needs to wake up and realize that women can't walk alone and that women value community. I give this book 5/5 stars. A favorable was not required. Thank you to the publishers for providing me a complimentary copy for review. 

About the Author:

Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth also known as Nancy Leigh DeMoss is the host and teacher for Revive Our Hearts and Seeking Him, two nationally-syndicated programs heard each weekday on over 1,000 radio stations. She is a mentor and spiritual mother to thousands of women and a leader of the True Woman movement.

Sacred Privilege: Your Life and Ministry as a Pastor's Wife by Kay Warren

Sacred Privilege: Your Life and Ministry as a Pastor's Wife

by Kay Warren

About:

Life as a pastor's wife offers meaningful opportunities to play a significant part in God's work, to witness and participate in the beauty of changed lives. Yet it also carries the potential for deep wounds and great conflict that can drain the joy out of service. Is it worth it? Oh, yes, says Kay Warren, wife of Pastor Rick Warren and cofounder of Saddleback Church. It is more than worth the risk--it's a sacred privilege.

Drawing on more than forty years in ministry in every possible size church, Kay provides encouraging principles and life lessons, along with intimate personal stories, that will give readers the confidence needed to lead and live well. 

Pastor's wives learn to

- accept who they are
- adapt to change
- help their children survive and thrive
- protect their private lives
- deal with criticism
- live with integrity
- develop an eternal perspective

Whether she is excited, struggling, or feeling broken and tired, every pastor's wife will find hope and encouragement for their calling in Kay's warm and wise words.

My Thoughts:

First my review of this book comes with a bias. I have friends who are pastor's wives and I also assist a pastor on a daily basis. I have had the honor and have seen how God uses the wife of a pastor. These women are courageous, gracious and are the most unselfish people I have ever met in my life. Their husbands are responding to a call on their lives to lay down everything and in turn their wives are doing the same. I love how Kay is authentic in her ability to share her experiences as a pastor's wife, mom and daughter. Her role in ministry is so important too. There are so many people that this book brought to my mind as I read it. I just know so many would find this book to be helpful in ministry and in their lives, especially pastor's wives. If you're not a pastor's wive, you can still learn from this book. It gives you a real look into the life of ministry and it will allow you to look at your pastor's family different. This is a great tool for your church. I give this book 4.5/ 5 stars. A favorable review was not required.

About the Author:

KAY WARREN cofounded Saddleback Church with her husband Rick Warren in Lake Forest, California. She is a passionate Bible teacher and respected advocate for those infected and affected by HIV and AIDS, as well as orphaned and vulnerable children. She founded Saddleback’s HIV/AIDS Initiative. Kay is the author of Choose Joy: Because Happiness Isn’t Enough, Say Yes to God and coauthor of Foundations, the popular systematic theology course used by churches worldwide. She has three children and five grandchildren.

Weaver's Needle by Robin Caroll + Giveaway

Weaver's Needle by Robin Caroll

Two recovery specialists.
One murder.
A hunt for the Dutchman's Lost Gold Mine becomes a race of survival.
 
AboutFormer Army MP Landry Parker fell into the recovery specialist role quite by accident—to help her ailing father. Now that she’s on her own, she is determined to prove herself and honor her family legacy.

After being shot in the line of duty, former police officer Nickolai Baptiste became a recovery specialist, and he’s good at his job—maybe even the best.
           
A potential client pits Landry and Nickolai against one another to find the Dutchman’s Lost Gold Mine map that was stolen from her murdered husband, and the potential payday is too enticing to pass up. The trail takes them from New Orleans to Weaver’s Needle in Arizona where legend claims the mine is hidden. Landry and Nickolai are no strangers to adventure, but the unlikely partners quickly discover there’s someone after the treasure and there are those who want to ensure the lost mine in Arizona’s Superstition Mountain stays lost forever.

Can Landry and Nickolai work together despite their distrust of each other to save the legend before more innocent lives are lost? Will they find the real treasure isn’t the gold, but something more valuable. . .true love and understanding?


My Thoughts:

Weavers Needle is a book sure to capture your attention that is non-stop packed adventure. It is a mystery filled with excitement, danger, romance and faith. Carol writes with all the elements of an amazing story that will have the pages flying in no time and you won't believe this book is done! It is the perfect summer read as it encompasses so many different aspects of an exciting read. I love the mystery and intrigue behind every single line in the story. It unlike any other. I love the romance aspect of this book too! Folks, this book has all the elements! I could gush about this one. This book is filled with interesting characters, but I think Landry was my favorite. I give this book 5/5 stars. A favorable review was not required. You will love this book. 

I am giving a copy away. To be entered, please answer the following question and provide your email address. Random.org will select a number and I will email the winner, send you out your book. Happy Reading! 

Q: How have you worked towards becoming less materialistic in your life? Are you a minimalist? 




About the Author:
Born and raised in Louisiana, Robin Caroll is a southerner through and through. Her passion has always been to tell stories to entertain others. She gives back to the writing community by serving as Conference Director for ACFW. Her books have finaled/placed in such contests as Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice, Bookseller's Best, and Book of the Year. To learn more about this author of deep South mysteries of suspense to inspire your heart.