Inklings and Notions: August 2018

Friday, August 31, 2018

Shadows From the Past

Back Cover Synopsis:
͞...
It is the price you pay for choosing to be a cop. Your brother͛'s life
...͟
Those words haunt her dreams, and her waking moments. LAPD officer, Aurora Kavvan cannot rest until
she finds her brothers killer. Digging into the past always brings back unpleasant things: memories,
guilt
...
the hit man. Now she is in a race against time to find the murderer before he
finds her.
͞
Kill her. I don't care how, and I don't care where, but I want her dead now!
͟
Someone was trying to kill his dead partner͛s sister. FBI agent, Jordan Reiley will stop at nothing to
protect the woman he loves. Even if it means going against her wishes; putting
himself between her and
the man who murdered her brother.
Will God keep them alive long enough for them to find the truth?

My thoughts: This is the first book that I have picked up by Ashley, and I was impressed! The story was well written and hard to put down. I enjoyed getting to know Jordan and Aurora as they learn how to work together, through the mystery and past hurts and grief. I look forward to reading more by Ashley!
I received this book from Celebrate Lit. This is my honest review and is in no way influenced by receiving a complimentary copy.

Author Bio:
Ashley Dawn was born and raised in rural Arkansas where she developed her love for writing while
helping in her parent's office. She graduated with an accounting degree from
the University of Central
Arkansas but is currently working as a legal assistant.
Ashley has been writing professionally for the past twelve years and has three pub
lished books. Her
Shadows Series include Shadows From The Past, Shadows of Suspicion, Shadows of Pain, and Shadows
of Deception. She is currently working on multiple projects including
the fifth in her
͚
Shadows' series
entitled
͞
Shadows in Black and White
͟
and also a standalone suspense titled
͚
One of Their Own. She
and her family make their home in Texas.

Purchase a copy here:
This post contains affiliate links.

Making God Smile review and Giveaway!

A devotional that changes your heart, mind, and actions through sharpening your focus on living out the fruit of the spirit every day.

More than just an inspiring daily message, this book leads you on a year-long journey of aligning your actions to your heart's intentions. Making God Smile overflows with encouragement, reminders, practical tips, personal and inspiring stories, scriptural insight, and biblical teaching that will show you how to reflect love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. By embracing this fruit, others will see Christ in you and your life will be more than you ever imagined possible.

My thoughts: I love how this devotional is set up, with different sections for each of the different fruits of the spirit. Even though it starts with Faithfulness, I feel like you could switch it up if you want to start with a different section first, you would just have to make a note to go back and catch the previous section. I thought that Kim did a fabulous job of tying scripture and stories together. This is a enjoyable devotion!
I received this book from Worthy. This is my honest review and is in no influenced by receiving a complimentary copy.

Enter the Giveaway!
Do you enjoy devotionals? Leave a comment with your favorite and a way for me to contact you if you win the giveaway! The prize is a copy of Making God Smile.

Purchase a copy:

The Daily Question for You and Your Child

A fun, thought-provoking 365-question guided journal and keepsake that sparks daily interaction with your child to create a memory book capturing your child's life, personality, and faith journey.

This interactive prompted journal allows a parent to create a keepsake of three years of their child's life. By answering each of the 365 questions together on the same date each year, readers will get a unique and precious picture into their child's feelings, development, and personality. Some of the questions focus on spirituality and the child's heart, while some are meant to capture their creativity, spirit, and sense of humor. All questions spark conversations and memories that span well beyond the pages of this book.

My thoughts: This is such a fun journal to do with the child or children in your life! I love the questions and how much fun they are for one to discuss with children. Some of them are very thought provoking, like "what could you teach someone?" or "when did you last have to be brave?", while others are just plain fun. I love how they help me get to know my kids a lot better!
I received this book from the publisher. This is my honest review.

Interested in your own copy? Purchase it here:

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Homespun

About the book
"A revealing and wide ranging resource. . . . This eclectic book will interest any reader who s curious about the plain lifestyle."
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Straight from the pens of Amish and Mennonite women . . .

Ever wish you could visit with a group of Amish or Mennonite women over a cup of coffee? In the pages of Homespun, Amish and Plain Mennonite women swap stories and spin yarns while we listen in. Lorilee Craker, bestselling author of Money Secrets of the Amish, collects these personal writings about hospitality, home, grief, joy, and walks with God. Hear from one woman who struggles with feeling inferior to her sister, from another about her longing for a baby, and from a third who accidentally bought stretchy material to sew her husband s pants. Each woman s story is a testament to the grace of God and the blessings of community.
Behind Amish romance novels and tourist spots and television shows stand real people, with longings and loves just like the rest of us. Every Amish and Mennonite woman has a story. In Homespun, you get to hear some of them.

My thoughts: Amish fiction has exploded in the last several years, giving us a very limited view of what it is like to live "Plain". I really enjoyed reading this book, since it was full of beautifully written accounts from Amish and Mennonite women, showing their struggles and victories, their insecurities and how they are a lot like the rest of us. This book shows how relate able these women are. It is a fun book for anyone interested in their culture.
I received this book from the publisher. This is my honest review and is in no way influenced by receiving a complimentary copy.

About the Editor

Editor Lorilee Craker is the author of thirteen books, including Money Secrets of the Amish; Anne of Green Gables, My Daughter, and Me; My Journey to Heaven with Marv Besteman; and the New York Times bestseller Through the Story with Lynne Spears. Connect with her at LorileeCraker.com.

Patriot Bride Blitz!

About the Book
Title: The Patriot Bride
Collection: Daughters of the Mayflower, Book #4
Author: Kimberley Woodhouse
Publisher: Barbour Publishing
Release Date: August 1, 2018
Genre: Historical Romance
Faith Jackson and Matthew Weber are both working covertly to aid the Patriot cause. But will they be willing to sacrifice all for their fledgling country?
A brand new series for fans of all things related to history, romance, adventure, faith, and family trees.
Spies Work Together for the Patriot Cause
Faith Jackson is a wealthy widow, friend of George Washington, and staunch supporter of the Patriot cause. Matthew Weber is friends with both Ben Franklin and his son William, who increasingly differ in their political views; and Matthew finds himself privy to information on both sides of the conflict. When a message needs to get to a spy among the Loyalists, Faith bravely steps up and in turn meets Matthew Weber. Suddenly she believes she could love again. But someone else has his eye on the Faith she portrays in elite social circles. What will Matthew and Faith have to sacrifice for the sake of their fledgling country?
Join the adventure as the Daughters of the Mayflower series continues with The Patriot Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse.

Purchase a copy

This post contains affiliate links.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kimberley Woodhouse is an award-winning and bestselling author of more than
fifteen fiction and
nonfiction books. A popular speaker and teacher, she’s shared her theme of
͞
Joy Through Trials
͟
with more than half a million people across the country at more than 2,000
events. Kim and her incredible
husband of twenty-five-plus years have two adult children. She’s passionate about music and Bible study
and loves the gift of story.

CONNECT WITH KIM: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

TOUR GIVEAWAY

Kimberley have graciously offered (1) Winner a wonderful gift basket filled with goo
dies from Mount
Vernon, a gift card and many more! Of course, it also includes a copy of
the book!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway will
begin at midnight August
27, 2018 and last through 11:59 PM EST on September 3, 2018.
Winner will be notified within a week of
close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize.
Open to US mailing addresses only.&
nbsp; For our giveaway
rules and policy, click HERE.

Be sure to stop at a stop each day for extra entries!

TOUR SCHEDULE

For the full tour schedule, click on either of the launch pages below.

(All stops expected to post by 12:00 NOON EST)

Launch Post @JustReadTours

Launch Post @JustCommonly

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate li
nks.

Monday, August 27, 2018

Made for These Times

In fearful, uncertain times, how can we find significance in something greater than ourselves?
Award-winning social entrepreneur Justin Zoradi was once haunted by this question as a young person daunted by the world's needs, yet wanting to make a difference. But when some friends from across the world invited him to join them, Justin said yes - and felt a small spark ignite within. That spark led to the founding of These Numbers Have Faces, a social enterprise investing in the next generation of African leaders.
Made For These Times is a field guide to help you find your own spark as you remember who you were made to be. Through 26 power-packed microchapters, you will learn how to bolster ambition with character, dig deep to find your grit, and rise up to the challenges of today.
Along the way, Justin weaves together compelling narrative, historical anecdotes, practical tips, and a six-part road map to equip you to join God in the work he is already doing. The result is a hope-filled blueprint for fighting back against fear and building a life of purpose.
A life of significance isn't about what you are doing, it's about who you are becoming. In these trying times, God is calling you to be brave. Made For These Times is a rallying declaration that we cannot rely on the heroes of the past to engage the challenges of today. It's your turn – let this book be the spark you’ve been waiting for.

My thoughts: This book is excellent! The message, one that challenges misconceptions and encourages the reader to embrace all the Lord would have us experience and the work we can help Him with, is one that I have been hearing quite a bit over the last week or so. It was appropriate that I received this book from Thomas Nelson, since it is a book of action that is well written and hard to put down. I highly recommend this book and the excellent, encouraging message it has.
I received this book from Book look bloggers. This is my honest review and is in in no way influenced by receiving a complimentary copy.

This post contains affiliate links.

Take ten: books that mesh well with school starting

Here is a list of books that we are enjoying with school starting up. My oldest is starting kindergarten this year, so we are having fun with some of the books I enjoyed as a kid and some new ones.;) As usual, if you are interested in learning more about the book, click the image to go to Amazon. This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for helping to support my book hobby.;)

1. The Magic School Bus series

I have been reminded how much I enjoyed these books as a kid by reading them to my own children!

2. The Truth about my Unbelievable School

3. The Kissing Hand

This is such a sweet book to prepare kids for being away from their parents at school.

4. Take Away the A

Not really a book about school, but I love how it shows kids how easy it is to change words and how much fun it can be!

5. At the Same Moment Around the World

This is another fun, educational book that shows one moment around the world. It's a great book for teaching about time.

6. Dear Dragon

Remember school pen pals? This is a super cute book about school pen pals.;)

7. We're All Wonders

I love reading this one to my kids!

8. Be A Star, Wonder Woman

My daughter loves Wonder Woman (no, we have not let her see the recent movie!), so she adores this book!

9. Alpha Oops

This is a fun one!

10. E-mergency

This is one of those fun books that is written every bit as much for adults as it is kids, since it has so many fun play on words! I highly recommend this one for all ages.;)
What books are on your list? I thought about including books that I enjoy, like Harry Potter (and the most awesome school ever), but this wound up being challenging and fun to stick with kids books! I hope you enjoy the list as much as I have with putting it together!

Fit to be Tied

The Bucklin family loves each other too much to stay away. . . but not enough to behave

Being rich is fine, but when wealth comes from striking oil, it's a slippery mess for a family who doesn't know what to do with it. The Bucklin cousins are all together again, and this family reunion is shaping up to be another disaster.

Coralee falls for the police officer who pulls her over. Sally has finally found a guy, but now she's not sure a relationship is even worth the bother. No matter how hard Brett tries to avoid trouble, he somehow stumbles right back into the thick of it. And Marybeth and Bucky continue to fumble and bumble as they learn how to handle being rich.

The Bucklin family is known for drama--and Bucklin family drama knows no bounds.

My thoughts: While I enjoyed the first book in this series, I thought that this one was even more fun, since it continued the stories of a lot of the characters from the first book! A few of the main characters took a back seat in this one, but that left room for a few others to step up with their stories, which was so much fun. I really liked that Sally still had her point of view, since I can relate to her and how close she is to her sister. This is such a fun series about a large family working out their differences and dealing with their unique struggles and victories. I highly recommend it!
I received this story from Gilead publishing. This is my honest review and is in no way influenced by receiving a complimentary copy.

This post contains affiliate links.

Saturday, August 25, 2018

Mourning Dove

Welcome to the blog tour & giveaway for Mourning Dove by
Claire Fullerton, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Mourning Dove

Author: Claire Fullerton

Publisher: Firefly Southern Fiction

Release Date: June 29, 2018

Genre: Southern Fiction, Family Life

"An accurate and heart-wrenching picture of the sensibilities of the Am
erican South." Kirkus Book
Reviews

The heart has a home when it has an ally.

If Millie Crossan doesn't know anything else, she knows this one truth simply
because her brother Finley
grew up beside her. Charismatic Finley, eighteen months her senior, becomes Millie's guide when their
mother Posey leaves their father and moves her children from Minnesota to Memph
is shortly after
Millie's tenth birthday.

Memphis is a world foreign to Millie and Finley. This is the 1970s
Memphis, the genteel world of their
mother's upbringing and vastly different from anything they've ever known. Here they are the outsiders.
Here, they only have each other. And here, as the years fold over themselves,
they mature in a
manicured Southern culture where they learn firsthand that much of what glitters isn't gold. Nuance,
tradition, and Southern eccentrics flavor Millie and Finley's world as they
find their way to belonging.

But what hidden variables take their shared history to leave both brother and sister at
such disparate
ends?

PURCHASE: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

My thoughts: This book is an interesting taste of the South in the 1970's, where old and new ideas clash, old money and ways meet with the 1970's way of thinking that turned the things on it's head. It's unique to read the story through Millie's eyes, and has a memoir feel to it. While the characters have a lot of depth to them, some of them where hard for me to really like. The story jumps around a bit, but is well written and unique.
I received this book from Just Read Tours. This is my honest review and is in no way influenced by receiving a complimentary copy.

2 Claire LvgRm 3 set 2 828 465 360-1010730

2 Claire LvgRm 3 set 2 828 465 360-1010730

Claire Fullerton grew up in Memphis, TN and now lives in Malibu
, CA. She is the author of
contemporary fiction,
͞
Dancing to an Irish Reel,
͟
set in Connemara, Ireland, where she once lived.
Dancing to an Irish Reel is a finalist in the 2016 Kindle Book Review A
wards, and a 2016 Readers
’
Favorite. Claire is the author of
͞
A Portal in Time,
͟
a paranormal mystery that unfolds in two time
periods, set on California’s hauntingly beautiful Monterey Peninsula, in a village called Carmel-
by
-the-
Sea. Both of those novels are published by Vinspire Publishing. Her third novel, Mourning Dove, is a
Southern family saga, published in June 2018 by Firefly Southern Fiction.
She is one of four contributors
to the book, A Southern Season, with her novella, Through an Autumn
Window, to be published in
November 2018 by Firefly Southern Fiction.

CONNECT WITH CLAIRE: website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

TOUR GIVEAWAY

Claire Fullerton is giving away:

1 audiobook of Mourning Dove (US only)

Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midn
ight August 21, 2018 and
last through 11:59pm August 28, 2018. US only. Winners will
be notified within a week of close of the
giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow along with the tour at JustRead for a full list of stops!

Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Out of North Korea Review and Giveaway

Can even God save him now?

An atheist journalist. A North Korean prison camp. An enlightening novel you won't soon forget.

"My favorite Christian fiction book of all time ... and I’ve read many." ~ L.D.

***

A single photograph could cost his life ...

Ian McAllister has searched the world over, hunting for that all-elusive perfect photograph.

He finds it on a tourist trip to North Korea when he stumbles upon a young street kid foraging for roots.

Unaware that this single act will cost his freedom, Ian takes the shot.

Now he must pay the penalty.

***

A true-to-life novel about an American imprisoned behind North Korea's closed borders.

A gripping tale of courage, faith, and hope from award-winning Christian novelist Alana Terry.

Read it today.

My thoughts: This is book is excellent! Well written and a realistic portrayal of what it could be like to be accused of being a spy in a foreign country. I thought that Alana did a wonderful job of writing about hard topics and breathing life into the story. This book is thought provoking and very interesting. It was hard to put down! I highly recommend it.
I received this book from Celebrate Lit. This is my honest review and is no way influenced by receiving a complimentary copy.

Purchase a copy:

This post contains affiliate links.

About the Author:
Alana is a pastor’s wife, homeschooling mom, self-diagnosed chicken lady, and Christian suspense author. Her novels have won awards from Women of Faith, Book Club Network, Grace Awards, Readers’ Favorite, and more. Alana’s passion for social justice, human rights, and religious freedom shines through her writing, and her books are known for raising tough questions without preaching. She and her family live in rural Alaska where the northern lights in the winter and midnight sun in the summer make hauling water, surviving the annual mosquito apocalypse, and cleaning goat stalls in negative forty degrees worth every second.

Guest Post from the Author:
Have you seen in the news that the leaders of North and South Korea have both publicly stated their willingness to promote peace on the Korean peninsula? It was certainly a historic moment, and this part of the world has earned its place in global headlines.

My interest in North Korea, however, goes back over a decade, when as a young mother I received a prayer burden for the people of North Korea. Fast-forward to five years ago when my debut novel was released. The Beloved Daughter follows the life of a young girl who is sent to prison camp because of her father’s Christian faith. In addition to winning several awards, The Beloved Daughter gave an expression to my prayer burden to see North Korea free to worship the one true God.

Out of North Korea is unique among my other titles because it’s the first story that focuses on an American in North Korea. Ian McAllister is captured and held in a Pyongyang prison because of a photograph he took of a young homeless boy. I hope the message leaves you as inspired and encouraged as I was when I was writing it.

Blog stops.

Giveaway:
Enter to win a $30 gift card to Amazon here!

Journey to Jericho review and giveaway!

In this fourth installment of The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls, Peter and Mary find themselves in the middle of the battle of Jericho.
The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls series follows siblings Peter and Mary and their dog, Hank, as they discover ancient scrolls that transport them back to key moments in biblical history. In this fourth adventure, the time-traveling trio journeys to an ancient desert and finds the Israelites preparing to enter the Promised Land. With limited time to solve the secret of the scroll, Peter and Mary join Israelite spies on a reconnaissance mission to Jericho; sneak Rahab to safety; and ultimately face the scheming man in black as the walls of the city begin to crumble. Fans of the series will love this whirlwind adventure that brings the Bible to life. Ages 6-9 years.

My thoughts: We love this series! It is such a fun way to bring different events from the Bible to life for kids. I love that the books are so engaging, told from the point of view of a 9 and 10 year old sibling duo. We enjoyed journeying with Peter and Mary to the camp of the Israelites, just outside of the city Jericho, as they prepared for marching around the city. It's fun how the two children not only take part in the events, but also have to solve the mystery of what is written on the scrolls before they can go home. I highly recommend this series!
I received this book from Worthy publisher. This is my honest review and is in no way influenced by receiving a copy of the book from the publishers.

Giveaway:
The publisher is graciously offering a copy of Journey to Jericho to one of my lucky readers! Just leave a comment on this post with your favorite book to read to your children (or to the kids in your life) and a way for me to contact you if you win. I will draw the winner in a week!

This post contains affiliate links.

Pumpkin Spice cookbook

If you rush to Starbucks at the first hint of cool weather . . . If Pumpkin Spice Latte is your fall drink of choice . . . If you need a way to recover from a busy summer and take a breath before a busy holiday season, this book is for you. Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice Coloring Book includes gorgeous illustrations featuring your favorite images of autumn. This one-of-a-kind adult coloring book has classic fall quotes, fun sayings, and Bible verses featured alongside detailed coloring pages.
Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice Coloring Book offers hours of enjoyment and reflection and makes the perfect gift for anyone who loves fall.
So settle in by a crackling fire for an evening of relaxation, rest, and pumpkin spice!

My thoughts: Okay, so I will fully admit to being one of those people who embraces pumpkin everything in the Fall (I may have already started making pumpkin bread this year.... lol), so I was thrilled to receive this Fall themed coloring book! I love the Fall and pumpkin inspired coloring pages, the lovely quotes, and just how it works so well for the upcoming season. The only downside to the book is that there are coloring pages on each side of the page, and the paper isn't terribly thick, so it isn't ideal for coloring with markers. That said, it's a gorgeous coloring book and I look forward to using it more as we go into Fall!
I received this book from Book look Bloggers. This is my honest review and is in no way influenced by receiving a complimentary copy.

This post contains affiliate links.

Monday, August 20, 2018

Top Ten books to get you out of a reading slump

Here are some books that have helped me get out of a reading slump, or ones that would get me out of one.;) Some of them may just be favorites that would make my day. lol. As usual, just click the image to go to the Amazon page to learn more about the book. This post does contain affiliate links. Thanks for supporting my hobby!;)

1. Murder at the Flamingo

This one helped me out of a recent reading slump, with it's delightfully unique characters and fun scene.

2. The House on Foster Hill

I'm sure you can kind of tell, this one is a bit creepy, but so hard to put down! It has some incredible twists that really got me thinking.

3. The Reckoning of Gossamer Pond

Another one that is hard to put down, I really loved that this one was based on a true story and that there were some unique twists for the main characters. I highly recommend it!

4. Shadow Sister

This one is sad, thought provoking, and hard to put down, with it's sense of mystery.

5. The Bradford Sisters Romance

Is it weird that I related a lot to both sisters? I can't wait to read the 3rd book!

6. Then There Was You

Not only is the cover cute, but the story is wonderful too.;)

7. The Story Peddler

Loved this one so much!

8. Basically any Sandra Boynton

We adore her books at this house! They are bound to drive away any funk. lol. If there are kids in your life, then they need her books!

9. Blue Justice Series

This is another incredible series! I can't recommend it enough, since it a masterfully written mystery series about a family involved in law enforcement.

10. Close to You

Another great love story!

Bonus!
Fawkes

I can't talk about this one enough, since it is such a fun combination of magic and history!

I wound up with sticking to more recently read books that have helped me out of reading funks, but I could of included classics like Harry Potter, the Chronicles of Narnia, and the Hunger Games.
What books are on your lists this week? Have you read many on my list?

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