Get Ready…

…Because a group of writers (including myself!) are soon hosting a Writing Contest!! The gal behind the original idea and our Contest Captain (hehe) is Miss Soleil, at her blog Reviews by Soleil. She has gathered us hosts together (about 6 of us, including Soleil), and got Faith P. (Stories by Firefly!) to make us some looovely graphics to represent this contest, affectionately dubbed “Writers Unite 2016”.

So, how about some details?

So yes, in case the image doesn’t show up, the exact details are that it begins on April 15th, and ends on May 16th, and the theme is SACRIFICE. Each blog will be giving a specific writing prompt for the enterers (new word, folks) to use to write their entries. There will be an email to send your entries to, and winners will be announced on a specific date to be revealed, with prizes too. It promises to be lots of fun!

So! Make you sure you stay tuned so you can join in the writing fun! We look forward to it!

 

The Solid Rock by Faith Blum – book spotlight and giveaway

I am excited to be part of this blog tour for a new Christian Western! Faith Blum joins us today to talk about her new release, The Solid Rock. It is about a talented detective with a mission to find his kidnapped colleague who finds himself working undercover with a heinous outlaw who has more plans than first meet the eye.

About the Book

Joshua woke with a quiet groan. As his senses woke up one at a time, he cracked his eyelids open. Sure enough, there was a silhouetted form standing at the foot of the bed. From the smell, the person was either from the brothel down the street or had recently left one.

He forced himself to breathe evenly and reached for the knife in his thigh holster. With as tough and evil a voice as he could imitate, he spoke, “State your intentions.”

Pinkerton detective, Joshua Brookings, is sent on a job that seems simple on the surface. His fellow detective has been kidnapped and his boss, William Pinkerton senses foul play. Joshua is sent to investigate Edward’s case in hopes of finding the kidnapped detective and helping solve the case that has taken over ten years to investigate.

Arriving in Cheyenne, Joshua finds much more than a simple kidnapping. Yet again, he must go undercover, something he made his boss promise never to make him do again. The only Christian in the outlaw group, Joshua falters and almost loses faith in God’s providence. Will he stand on the solid Rock or drown in the sinking sand?

BookCrash review: “Yes, Dear, There Really is a Devil” by Chris Rader and Johnnie Coley

 

“Yes, Dear, There Really is a Devil” by Chris Rader and Johnnie Coley

Children’s book

Review copy source: BookCrash

My Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

 

What the Author says about the Book:

The idea for this book came while trying to explain the reality of the devil to my four year old son. After looking around for a book and not finding what I was looking for, I decided to put something together myself. After putting thoughts down on paper and drawing stick figures, I was so very blessed to meet a talented artist named Erin McKay and a devoted Christian author named Johnnie Coley, who helped me move forward with my ideas. God has designed this book to be a blessing for you, the reader and all children. To God be the Glory!

 

My Thoughts:

This was a good, encouraging Children’s Book. I applaud the authors’ desire to write a children’s book that warns them about Satan.  The pictures were well drawn and fit the story well, and the story itself was well-written and rhymed, still getting the point across with care and clarity. However, I do think that every parent should read through it first, to gauge how much their child can handle.  While the book is well written, Satan can be a scary thought to a young child and even the verse, “Your adversary, the Devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.” can come across as very scary.  And there were some pictures that might be a bit scary, as well.  To an older child, it would probably be okay, but I know with my little sister and her fears, this would have frightened her when she was younger.  Otherwise, I agree that it is so very important for everyone to understand who our enemy is and with Christ, Satan is a defeated foe (to understand Christ’s power in us to resist Satan).

 

 

I received this book from BookCrash/the publishers in exchange for my honest review which I have given.

Winner of the “Miriam” Scavenger hunt!

Hello all!

The Scavenger Hunt for Mesu Andrews’ book, “Miriam”, has come to an end, and now I am pleased to announce the winner of the giveaway of the two print book copies – “The Pharaoh’s Daughter” and “Miriam”! So, please join me in congratulating….

 

!!!Bonnie Moore!!!

 

Thank you so much for entering each of you, and I hope you greatly enjoy the books, Bonnie! I’ve contacted you to get your info :)

 

And for those who didn’t win, please still consider checking out “Miriam” – it is a great book!

 

 

Bethany House Book Review: “Risen” by Angela Hunt

 

(READERS: DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE “MIRIAM SCAVENGER HUNT” IN THE POST BEFORE THIS ONE :) )

(Image via goodreads.com and description of book take from Amazon.com)

“Risen” by Angela Hunt, The Novelization of the major motion picture.

Based on the story by Paul Aiello and Screenplay by Kevin Reynolds and Paul Aiello

Review copy source: Bethany House

My rating: 2 out of 5 Stars

 

About the Book:

 

Epic in scope, yet deeply personal, this novelization offers a unique perspective on the story of the resurrection. Roman Tribune Clavius is assigned by Pilate to keep the radical followers of the recently executed Yeshua from stealing the body and inciting revolution. When the body goes missing despite his precautions, Clavius must hunt it down.

His investigation leads him from the halls of Herod Antipas to the Garden of Gethsemane and brings him in touch with believer and doubter alike. But as the body still remains missing, Clavius commits to a quest for the truth–and answers that will not only shake his life but echo throughout all of history.

My Thoughts:

I’m giving this two stars to give it the benefit of the doubt, otherwise I might give it less. I did not finish it because I was very disappointed in the immorality displayed by the 7th chapter already. It was inappropriate and should not be in Christian fiction, let alone Biblical Fiction. Various ages read Biblical fiction and having “sex-scenes” is beyond not okay. I did finish Angela Hunt’s previous book (“Bathsheba”), so I know firsthand the sex-scenes that she has written into that book, which lends to my decision not to finish this book. In other words, I know from reading previous content by the author that this would undoubtedly prove to continue the same way. When I requested this book for review, I was first unaware that it was by this author, and when I realised it was by her, I had hoped that since it has been an acclaimed movie, that it would be a bit cleaner.
The rest of the book may have been good, but I cannot condone such things in what is supposed to be a Godly book. I want a clean read, and so that is what I will spend my time on.
It bothers me that there are so many such scenes in Christian fiction, because it is numbing the minds of the reader to make it seem ‘okay’ to have sex out of wedlock. Nothing is Holy anymore, and that is very grievous to me.

I’ve heard that the movie doesn’t contain the immoral element, so I may watch that at some point, but I won’t be finishing the book, and cannot rightly recommend it either.

 
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publishers in exchange for my honest review which I have given.

 

 

“Miriam” Scavenger Hunt!

I’m so excited to be a part of this scavenger hunt blog hop in celebration of the launch of Mesu Andrews’ second book in her Treasures of the Nile series, Miriam!

I realize most of you are probably already “on the hunt”, but if you just happened on this page first, you’ll want to hop on over to the start of the hunt at Mesu’s blog and then you’ll finish your journey at Mommynificent.com. At the bottom of this post, you can find the full list of stops for the entire hunt. Between March 15th and 20th, click on the next link, head over to the page, meet a new book-lover, and read their thoughts about Miriam. Somewhere in each post there will be a single word that is in BOLD AND ALL CAPITALS. Write it down. (The words “Home” and “Good Luck” are not secret words for anyone.)

Then, go to the next stop. That post will also have a word that’s bolded and capitalized. You will need to visit all 14 blogs as each one will have a word that you need. Once you reach the end and have found all the words, you will have found an inspirational quote from the book Miriam. There are 14 words in this quote. Enter the quote into the Rafflecopter on the last stop and you will be entered to win a Kindle Fire from Mesu Andrews! (Open to U.S. residents only)

If you have any questions, get lost, or experience any technical difficulties, you may email Tina at tina{at}mommynificent{dot}com for help.

Now, let’s talk about this fantastic book!

About the Book

Title: Miriam

Author: Mesu Andrews

Series: Treasures of the Nile, Book 2

Publication Date: March 15, 2016

Publisher: WaterBrook Press

Print Length: 384 pages

Summary from the publisher: At eighty-six, Miriam had devoted her entire life to loving El Shaddai and serving His people as both midwife and messenger. Yet when her brother Moses returns to Egypt from exile, he brings a disruptive message. God has a new name – Yahweh – and has declared a radical deliverance for the Israelites.

Miriam and her beloved family face an impossible choice: cling to familiar bondage or embrace uncharted freedom at an unimaginable cost. Even if the Hebrews survive the plagues set to turn the Nile to blood and unleash a maelstrom of frogs and locusts, can they weather the resulting fury of the Pharaoh?

Enter an exotic land where a cruel Pharaoh reigns, pagan priests wield black arts, and the Israelites cry out to a God they only think they know.

My Thoughts about Miriam by Mesu Andrews

Some of you reading this may have already seen my review of this lovely book, but if this is your first time, you may read my official review here: Miriam Review

To sum it up, I really truly loved “Miriam”. It was so beautiful and written so well. And the Lord is so good – HE used several parts in the book that directly ministered to me, and I love when that happens! It is a touching book, and you certainly won’t want to miss it!!

About The Author

Mesu Andrews is the award-winning author of Love Amid the Ashes, Love’s Sacred Song, Love in a Broken Vessel, In the Shadow of Jezebel, as well as two books in her Treasures of the Nile series: The Pharoah’s Daughter and Miriam. Winner of the 2012 ECPA Christian Book Award for New Author, she has devoted herself to passionate and intense study of Scripture, bringing the biblical world vividly alive for her readers. She lives in Washington.

Mesu’s Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

Stops on the Scavenger Hunt

1. Mesu Andrews
2. A Holland Reads
3. Mother of Three
4. Just A Second
5. Grace and Glory
6. Angela Arndt – Joy on the Back Roads
7. God’s Peculiar Treasure Rae
8. What If
9. Carole Towriss
10. Kate Hodges, Storyteller
11. Backing Books
12. Creative Madness Mama This blog is not working right now. :( The keyword for this one is WHO. Sorry for any inconvenience.
13. Climbing to the High Calling
14. Mommynificent

Win Both Treasure of the Nile Books

WaterBrook Press has given me permission to give away one copy of each of Mesu’s Treasures of the Nile novels to one lucky winner so to enter to win your own copies of both The Pharaoh’s Daughter and Miriam, all you have to do is sign up to follow this blog (on the sidebar) and comment that you’ve done so! And don’t be shy to talk about the books in the comments – I love talking books. :) (Open to U.S. residents only)

May the Lord bless you and keep you!

 

Get To Know Me Tag

Good day t’ ye! Faith over at Stories by Firefly so kindly tagged me and so I am honoured to do so! :)

Vital Stats…

 

Name: Raechel (Pronounced the same as ‘Rachel’)

Nicknames: Rae (not hard to guess! That’s partly why I was named Raechel with the extra e, so I could be called Rae :)), Ren, David/Jonathan (hehe), Lady Rae,  and some more personal ones by my family that I am not quite willing to share. :D

Place of Birth: Here in MN

Firsts…

 

Best Friends: First Best Friend hmmm….I guess it would’ve been a girl who my Mum watched (she did a sort of daycare when I was little) and we were friends with.

Award: Haha, this picture (taken from Pinterest) just makes me laugh – it is the award I could’ve won in my childhood days. XD But otherwise, no, I don’t think I’ve won a ‘real’ award.

Sport:  Softball. I don’t play sports anymore, but softball was my passion when I was younger.

Real Holiday: Okay, does this mean ‘vacation’ or like a celebrated holiday? Not that I’m really sure what the answer would be to either of those options…the one big “vacation” we went on when I was younger was going to Mt.Rushmore, but I hardly remember any of it because I was so little.

 

Concert: Go Fish. :)

Favorites…

 

Film:  “Wives and Daughters”, “North and South”, “Persuasion”, and the How To Train Your Dragon movies. :)

TV Shows: “Downton Abbey” (we forward/skip some things), “Call the Midwife” (first three seasons at least, the fourth wasn’t quite as good because a certain reason), AFV, and I don’t know…I don’t watch a lot of TV shows. I like the HTTYD episodes :D

Color: Hot pink, army/forest/emerald green (lots of greens XD), and turquoise.

Song: Um…just about any of TobyMac’s or Tenth Avenue North. My favourite right now? I’m enjoying “It’s Not Over Yet” by For King and Country. I’m also enjoying some of the songs from the Big Band era – especially “In the Mood”. And I know there are others, but they’re not coming to mind right now.

Restaurant: Culver’s. And the Steak and Shake, except for the fact that we don’t have them in MN. Utterly sad thing that is.

Books: Too many!!!!! All books by Tessa Afshar and Chuck Black’s fiction books are always favourites, and I love the Ilyon Chronicles by Jaye L. Knight, The Wings of Glory series by Sarah Sundin, “Silk” by Linda Lee Chaikin, all of Alicia Ruggieri’s books, “Not Abandoned” by MacKenzie Morganthal, “Redeeming Love”, and so so so so many others!

Currently…

 Feeling: Umm… a little sore and tired. :)

Single or Taken:  I’m single, but I love Faith’s answer of ‘reserved’ – waiting for God’s right guy for me. :)

Eating: Nothing. It’s morning and I haven’t eaten yet – I’m oil-pulling right now. :)

Watching: Just the computer as I type :D For a show…my family and I are going through season 6 of Downton Abbey again.

Wearing: My Pj’s. :) A long pink shirt with cats on it and turquoise pants with penguins on it. ^.^

Future…  

Want children: Yes. My own and adopted children. :)

Want to be married: Yes – God willing, of course!

Careers in Mind: Missionary, Wife, Mom, writer on the side.

Where you want to live: In the future? With my hubby and children, provided I have that. Wherever that might be. :)

 

Do You Believe in…  

God: Absolutely. He’s my everything.

Miracles: Yes.

Love at first sight: I don’t know…I believe love includes feelings, but it’s also a choice we make daily.  I’m not saying love at first sight can’t happen, but there should be a bit more involved to find out if you really love someone before jumping into marriage right away.

Ghosts: I believe demons exist, but not the ghosts that everyone imagines persay.

Aliens: Well, I believe that we’re all aliens in the fact that we’re all strangers in the land, awaiting our home in Heaven. :) But otherwise, no.

Soul Mates: Hmm…I believe God has the right person picked out for us, but I don’t know that I would call it ‘soul mates’.

Heaven: Yes.

Hell: Yes.

Kissing on the first date: No. It is my personal belief that kisses are very special, and I am saving my first kiss for my future husband.

Yourself: Well, Arthur says I must, so yes. ;)

So there we have it! Rather fun, huh? I tag anyone who wants to do it! :) Leave me a link in the comments to your post if you do it so I can read it :)

Thanks again Faith for tagging me!

A Fun Cover Reveal! “The Solid Rock” by Faith Blum

Today, I’m excited to announce that Faith Blum have not only an official release day, but also a cover for her newest novel, The Solid Rock!! There’s a catch, though. You can’t see the cover for the novel until you’ve gathered all 15 clues. There’s also an exciting giveaway of 10 books, well 14 if you count the box set of 5 as 5 instead of just 1. Have fun searching for the clues. Instructions on how to see the cover are under the “Clues” section of the blog post.

 

About the Book

Joshua woke with a quiet groan. As his senses woke up one at a time, he cracked his eyelids open. Sure enough, there was a silhouetted form standing at the foot of the bed. From the smell, the person was either from the brothel down the street or had recently left one.

He forced himself to breathe evenly and reached for the knife in his thigh holster. With as tough and evil a voice as he could imitate, he spoke, “State your intentions.”

Pinkerton detective, Joshua Brookings, is sent on a job that seems simple on the surface. His fellow detective has been kidnapped and his boss, William Pinkerton senses foul play. Joshua is sent to investigate Edward’s case in hopes of finding the kidnapped detective and helping solve the case that has taken over ten years to investigate.

Arriving in Cheyenne, Joshua finds much more than a simple kidnapping. Yet again, he must go undercover, something he made his boss promise never to make him do again. The only Christian in the outlaw group, Joshua falters and almost loses faith in God’s providence. Will he stand on the solid Rock or drown in the sinking sand?

Book Review: “Miriam” by Mesu Andrews

“Miriam” by Mesu Andrews

Biblical Fiction, A Treasure of the Nile Novel

Review copy source: The Publishers/Author

My rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

 

About the Book:

The Hebrews call me prophetess, the Egyptians a seer.
But I am neither. I am simply a watcher of Israel
and the messenger of El Shaddai.
When He speaks to me in dreams, I interpret. When He whispers a melody, I sing.

At eighty-six, Miriam had devoted her entire life to loving El Shaddai and serving His people as both midwife and messenger. Yet when her brother Moses returns to Egypt from exile, he brings a disruptive message. God has a new name – Yahweh – and has declared a radical deliverance for the Israelites.
 
 Miriam and her beloved family face an impossible choice: cling to familiar bondage or embrace uncharted freedom at an unimaginable cost. Even if the Hebrews survive the plagues set to turn the Nile to blood and unleash a maelstrom of frogs and locusts, can they weather the resulting fury of the Pharaoh?
 
Enter an exotic land where a cruel Pharaoh reigns, pagan priests wield black arts, and the Israelites cry out to a God they only think they know.

My Thoughts:

I am very much a fan of Biblical Fiction. The tricky thing is finding *good* Biblical fiction that is actually Biblical. I found “Miriam” to fit just this description. I thoroughly enjoyed this rich story and was very impressed with all the Biblical research Mesu seamlessly wove into it. Truly, it was spectacular.

Mesu brought new light to the familiar Bible account, and had me enraptured the whole time right up until the very end. Even though I know how the Bible account goes, I was still on the edge of my seat as I read, and that expresses great God-given talent in the author.

There were parts that had me smiling, laughing, crying, and one point I had goosebumps! There were so many heart-touching moments and things that really made you think.

And the characters were done so well. I loved Miriam – she was so real. In her faith, in her doubts, in her daily life. Exceptionally well done! And I really loved Eleazar too. He was a great character, and though he has his issues (who doesn’t?!), I so very much enjoyed his character. He was quiet, and maybe a bit angry at times (but that seems to be “my type” because nearly every character I love is that way..hmmm…), but his heart was good and still reachable in the end.

Each of the plagues were really well-written too, and made my skin crawl at the horrid-ness of them. And the sadness that Pharaoh wouldn’t relent, even for his children.

I underlined so many sections of this book because it was full of meaningful quotes and lessons. It was my desire to share them here, but there are SO many that you’ll just have to read the book for yourself to discover all of its gems. :)

Suffice it to say, I was not disappointed with “Miriam” at all – I greatly enjoyed it and am looking forward to more from Mesu!

Just a few of the quotes that I liked:

“El-Shaddai has not abandoned you any more than He’s abandoned Israel. For reasons that only He knows, He has chosen to become silent, and you must trust His silence – as Israel has trusted His silence all these years.”

    “You can learn to know Him anew, but you must trust Him in the silence, daughter.”

“We can plant the seeds, but only God can make them grow.”  

Taliah sat down beside her and scooted close. “It’s more than a little reassuring to know that even a prophetess has questions.” Warmth flooded Miriam’s cheeks, not with shame or embarrassment, but with a deep sense of awe. Perhaps Shaddai’s silence was nurturing seeds beyond Miriam’s garden.”

“Many gods have been created by men, but only one God created all men. It is that one God that Israel serves – Ell-Shaddai, the Almighty – who chose to make a covenant with Abraham and to bless all nations through his descendants.”

“Utlimately, my dear,” Ima Jochebed chimed in, “it is El-Shaddai who must reveal Himself to us. We are but dust and could never climb to the heights of His holiness to reach Him.”….”But He is near to those who seek Him with their whole hearts. We’ve seen it proven repeatedly in our lifetime.”

Abba chuckled. “Anyone can develop a *God sense* similar to the way we use other senses to experience things. Though we can’t taste, touch, see, hear, or smell our invisible God, He sometimes uses those experiences to communicate His nearness.”

“Like the warm breeze I sometimes felt while inside the longhouse, that proved Shaddai was near.”

“You simply know He is.There’s no magic or sign. He just *is*”

I’ll continue to seek Shaddai – and wait for Him to reveal Himself

Still, He had the patience to woo her as she made these discoveries at her own pace. Her heart broke at the reality.

“No matter who else disappoints you, Yahweh’s love endures. We need never doubt His love – ever.”

“Yahweh is more interested in you knowing Him than pleasing yourself – or even pleasing others.”

Yahweh wasted no experience, no matter how seemingly insignificant.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publishers/author as one of Mesu’s Biblical Fiction Fan (BFF) team in exchange for my honest review, which I have given.

Cover Reveal: “Brothers-in-Arms” by Jack Lewis Baillot

Today I get to share with you the cover for Jack Lewis Baillot’s soon-to-be published book, “Brothers-in-Arms”! I’m really excited for this book, because I’ve read a previous unpublished version of it (my review here), and I adored it so much. Cannot wait for everyone to read it! So, without further ado, here is the cover:

 

About the Book:

Can a Jew and a Nazi survive Hitler’s Germany?

Franz Kappel and Japhet Buchanan never expected their friendship to be tested by the Third Reich. Friends from early childhood, the boys form an inseparable, brotherly bond. Growing up in a little German village, they escape most of the struggles of war until the day Japhet is banished from school for being a Jew, and later has a rib broken when other village boys beat him up. Franz learns he is putting himself in danger for spending so much time with Japhet but continues to stand up for his Jewish friend even at the risk to himself. Then one day their lives are shattered when they see first-hand that the price of being a Jew is dangerously high. 

With the war now on their doorsteps, Franz and Japhet come up with a desperate plan to save their families and get them out of Germany alive. Leaving behind the lives they’ve always known, they move into Berlin with nothing to protect them but forged papers and each other. Convinced their friendship can keep them going, the boys try and make a new life for themselves while trying to keep their true identities and Japhet’s heritage a secret. Taking his best friend’s safety upon himself, Franz joins the Nazis in an attempt to get valuable information. At the same time, Japhet joins the Jewish Resistance, neither friend telling the other of their new occupations.

With everyone in their world telling them a Nazi and a Jew can’t be friends, it is only a matter of time before they believe all the lies themselves, until neither is certain if they are fighting against a race of people or fighting for their homeland. Somehow they have to survive the horrors of World War II, even when all of Germany seems to be against them.

 

Author Bio:

Jack is one of those strange people who calls herself an Author. She spends a lot of her time writing and even less time editing. She likes to write about friendships which is partly how Brothers-in-Arms came to be. More than ten years in the making, this is the book she dreaded the most writing, but which also has the most meaning for her.

When Jack isn’t writing, which doesn’t happen too often, she keeps busy with various other hobbies – such as reading, playing the bagpipes to the dread of her neighbors, and drinking tea – which might not be considered a hobby by most but which should be.

She lives in a cabin in the woods with her dog and a library which isn’t quite equal to Prince Adam’s but will be given enough time and a secret doorway.

(She has an author photo, but for some reason, it refuses to show up here. =/)

 

 

Contact Info

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/JackLBaillot

Twitter – https://twitter.com/JackLBaillot

Goodreads –  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5862775.Jack_Lewis_Baillot

Blog – http://www.jacklewisbaillot.com/  

 

Goodreads link –  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24703965-brothers-in-arms

Brothers-in-Arms Pintrest Page – https://www.pinterest.com/jackbaillot/brothers-in-arms/