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Showing posts from December, 2015
New Year's Day is near. A time to have hope again. A new year to pray.

The Homecoming by Beverly Jenkins

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"The bundled-up Lydia was out on this cold, sunny Saturday morning because she needed a tree, and she wanted to have it home by the time her mother returned from volunteering at the church later today...The field surrounding the short pine was as pristine as if the Good Lord had laid down a blanket....." beverlyjenkins.net

Called to Prayer by Linda Evans Shepherd

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   There are many non-fiction prayer books written and published. "Called to Pray" by Linda Evans Shepherd is one of the special ones. This book is extremely inspiring. In each chapter are personal experiences about someone in some sort of struggle. For example, there is a coughing and choking incident, a weather catastrophe, money problems, wedding problems and accidents. In these stories, there is a person who has this strong urge to pray for the one in trouble. It is like God or God's Holy Spirit personally taps them on the shoulder and says "pray now!" I liked these personal examples. I also liked the petitions at the end of the chapters. The prayers seem like ones I have needed in the past or might need in the future. The prayers are short. Although not lengthy, these prayers are also examples of praises to God, and they also point to our weaknesses, places in our lives that still need pruning. In one prayer, the person asks for God to use them in th

A Thousand Shall Fall by Andrea Boeshaar

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Carrie Ann's sister, Sarah Jane, has gone missing. Carrie Ann leaves her Confederate home to search for her. This search leads Carrie Ann into Yankee territory where her true feelings about the Civil war will become tested during 1864. In the front of the novel there is a list of "helpful resources"  and many other extra facts about the Christian novel. I had a hard time choosing A Thousand Shall Fall by Andrea Boeshaar. This is because I'm a Yankee at heart. Knowing a bit about the Civil war I did not want the novel to take me too far behind the Confederate lines. This journey I didn't want to experience became easier because of the heroine. Carrie Ann, loves her fellowman. It doesn't matter whether they are Yankee or Confederate. Therefore, Carrie Ann nurses and shows concern for both her enemy and her ally. "She'd tended to wounded Yankees as well as captured Confederates. The color of their uniforms and their skin didn't matter to her.&

Book Beginnings

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August 15, 1864 Ooh, that Sarah Jane! "Carrie Ann Bell stared at her youngest sister's sloppily scratched note. How could that girl do such a scandalous thing? Running off with a lowlife peddler?" http://rosecityreader.blogspot.com
blooms of pink cactus outside Notre Dame people walking near to pray

Teaser Tuesday

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http://adailyrhythm.com "Don't neglect your burden for others. Hit your knees as soon as you realize God has you on call to respond to a burden He has placed on your heart."

First Chapter First Paragraph

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August 15, 1864 Ooh, that Sarah Jane! Carrie Ann Bell stared at her youngest sister's sloppily scratched note. How could that girl do such a scandalous thing? Running off with a lowlife peddler? Certainly Sarah had threatened to run away numerous times in the past, but who would have thought she'd actually do it? Mama would be heart broken when she learned the news. http://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com

Center City Christmas by Angelia Vernon Menchan

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She and Malcolm sat in the chairs provided near the entry and for thirty minutes watched the girls dance to The Nutcracker Ballet.                                                         
light a candlewick starlight is drawing closer play a song of love
I remember you still. Lying close to my heart a baby boy loved.

Now I Appreciate Waterfalls!

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I am the type of person who isn't blown away by waterfalls. Unless I am standing in front of one. This changed while visiting Ruby Falls in Tennessee. Seeing that waterfall inside a cave changed my life almost more than my new marriage. It's just beautiful. The lights were put out.  Then, you hear this strong rush of water. Weirdly, where the water flows from is a mystery. worldreviewer.com This time I just read about a waterfalls and became excited. I could feel the water spraying over my body. The cozy is named The Puffin Of Death by Betty Webb. She writes about Gulfoss Waterfalls in Iceland.   Her description made me feel as though I were standing there. " The falls were magnificent, but at the same time, terrifying...Their almost unearthly beauty was even more enhanced by a double rainbow arching over them." Not only has the author made me want to see more waterfalls I have a greater admiration for Iceland. I've always thought of Iceland as cold and

Teaser Tuesdays

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"They had nothing in common. For heaven's sake, he studied rocks. He dug through mud and dirt because he wanted to. He treasured a trunk full of fossils." http:adailyrhythm.com

Whistling Women by Kelly Romo

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There is always a set of people who will have different ideas from mainstream society. In Whistling Women by Kelly Romo , there are people living in a nudist camp. These men, women and children dress nude for health reasons and maybe a worship of the sun. Of course, while they love nudity, there are other parts of society who despise this open, familiar attitude with themselves and other people. While meeting the nudists, there are also their families to meet where is found great angst. Along with the sad and emotional parts of the novel, there is humor in the novel. Although I wouldn't have the nerve to live in a nudist camp especially with my children, I have to applaud the nudists courage to live out their ideal lifestyle. All the while knowing, people were always close who despised their lifestyle. I think the author, Kelly Romo, is brave to write about this segment of society. All too often Historical Fiction hands us the same plate of delicacy. We yawn and take it. All w

A Tea Set

  Christmas time is a time to look at gifts for those we love and for ourselves or just an acquaintance like a mailman. I looked at beautiful and whimsical tea sets this morning. All of a sudden I fell back in time. I remembered the china tea set given to me by cousins. Since I was a change of life baby, these cousins were much older than me. They were a married couple. The husband just married in our family. His wife carried my bloodline. I will never forget the golden edges of the saucers and cups. The rest of the pattern was pure white like snow. Finally, I was allowed to take tea set into the back yard. My friends came over, and we had a tea party without real tea. Gratitude must last longer than our lives. Because while Cousin_____ and Cousin____ are long gone I'm still grateful for their gift of love to me. I believe they knew how much I and my whole family cherished that gift.
What hope means within brings boundless wandered seas up to shores of sun's changed light. Nestled next to ruby breasts of birds in Niger skies.

First Chapter, First Paragraph

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August 15, 1864 Ooh, that Sarah Jane! Carrie Ann Bell stared at her youngest sister's sloppily scratched nose. How could that girl do such a scandalous thing? Running off with a lowlife peddler? Certainly Sarah had threatened to run away numerous times in the past, but who would have thought she'd actually do it? Mama would be heartbroken when she learned the news. http://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com

Wife of the Gods by Kwei Quartey

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I certainly enjoyed reading Kwei Quartey's Wife of the Gods. It's a mystery. The setting is Africa, Accra and surroundings. The main detective or policemen is Dawson. He is searching for who murdered a woman named Gladys Mensha.Gladys' work  involved keeping  in touch with people who were HIV positive or had Aids. She also worked to educate the community about the illnesses. From the very beginning, I liked Gladys. I never had a doubt about her good character. So I really wanted to know who had hurt her so brutally. As the book went on I could never figure out who killed her. Well, I did guess the right person. I just couldn't come up with their motive or motives for murder. While Dawson hunts down Gladys Mensha's killer, he also contends with problems at home. His son has a hole in his heart and needs treatment. It is during this situation that Dawson's flaw in character shows up. When a medicine healer is careless while giving treatment to Christine a