Take a Chance on Me (A Christiansen Family Novel) by Susan Mae Warren

Apr 302013

Darek Christiansen is almost a dream bachelor—oldest son in the large Christiansen clan, heir to their historic Evergreen Lake Resort, and doting father. But he’s also wounded and angry since the tragic death of his wife, Felicity. No woman in Deep Haven dares come near.

New assistant county attorney Ivy Madison simply doesn’t know any better when she bids on Darek at the charity auction. Nor does she know that when she crafted a plea bargain three years ago to keep Jensen Atwood out of jail and in Deep Haven fulfilling community service, she was releasing the man responsible for Felicity’s death. All Ivy knows is that the Christiansens feel like the family she’s always longed for. And once she gets past Darek’s tough exterior, she finds a man she could spend the rest of her life with. Which scares her almost as much as Darek learning of her involvement in his wife’s case.

Caught between new love and old grudges, Darek must decide if he can set aside the past for a future with Ivy—a future more and more at risk as an approaching wildfire threatens to wipe out the Christiansen resort and Deep Haven itself.

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Chapter 1 Excerpt

Ivy Madison would do just about anything to stay in the secluded, beautiful, innocent town of Deep Haven.

Even if she had to buy a man.

A bachelor, to be exact, although maybe not the one currently standing on the stage of the Deep Haven Emergency Services annual charity auction. He looked like a redneck from the woolly woods of northern Minnesota, with curly dark-blond hair, a skim of whiskers on his face, and a black T-shirt that read, Hug a logger–you’ll never go back to trees. Sure, he filled out his shirt and looked the part in a pair of ripped jeans and boo and boots, but he wore just a little too much “Come and get me, girls,” in his smile.

The auctioneer on stage knew how to work his audience. He regularly called out names from the crowd to entice them to bid. And apparently the town of Deep Haven loved their firefighters, EMTs, and cops because the tiny VFW was packed, the waitresses running out orders of bacon cheeseburgers and hot wings to the bidding crowd.… Continue Reading First Chapter

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Author Bio
Susan Mae Warren the RITA Award winning author of more than thirty novels whose compelling plots and unforgettable characters have won acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. She served with her husband and four children as a missionary in Russia for eight years before she and her family returned home to the States. She now writes full time as her husband runs a lodge on Lake Superior in northern Minnesota, where many of her books are set. She and her family enjoy hiking, canoeing, and being involved in their local church. Susan holds a BA in mass communications from the University of Minnesota. Several of her critically acclaimed novels have been chosen as Top Picks by Romantic Times and won the RWA’s Inspirational Reader’s Choice contest and the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year award. Four of her books have been Christy Award finalists. In addition to her writing, Susan loves to teach and speak at women’s events about God’s amazing grace in our lives.

~Website~Facebook~Twitter~

Author Q & A

1. This is the first installment in a brand new six book series. Can you give us a bit of background on this series?
I love stories about families watching the members interact and grow together through challenges and victories and I conceived this series as I watched my own children begin to grow up and deal with romance and career and futures. I love Deep Haven, and it’s the perfect setting for a resort, so I crafted a family, much like the families I know, who run a resort. They want to pass on their legacy to their children…but their children don’t know if they want it. It’s sort of a parallel theme to the legacy of faith we instill in our children. As they grow older, they need to decide whether it is their faith too. It’s a saga about family and faith and what happens when those collide with real life.

2. This Christiansen Family series is set in Deep Haven, Minnesota. Tell us about this setting.
Deep Haven, Minnesota is based in a small vacation town in northern Minnesota where I spent my childhood. It’s located on Lake Superior, surrounded by pine and birch and the sense of small town and home. Populated by everyone from artists to lumberjacks, it’s Mitford, or perhaps Northern Exposure gone Minnesotan. Quaint, quirky and beautiful, it’s the perfect place to escape for a vacation.

3. What lessons or truths will your readers find in the pages of this novel?
This book is for the person who feels they just can’t get past the anger they have for someone else to live in joy again. It’s for parents who see their children making bad choices and don’t know where to turn. It’s for people who believe that no one will ever really love them because of who they are, or the things they’ve done. It’s for people who need the courage to take a second chance on love and faith and family. I’m hoping readers walk away with a sense of how much God loves them, and that yes, He can heal the angry and broken-hearted.

4. As a writer, what did you particularly enjoy about crafting this story?
I loved Darek’s transformation. His relationship with his son is so precious, but when he truly lets go of his anger, he becomes the hero I always knew he could be. I love writing about broken heroes who find healing.

5. What advice do you have for budding novelists?
Read! Then write the book you’d like to read. But, along the way, learn the craft. In fact, a good writer never stops learning.

6. What is the best advice or encouragement that you have received?

Just keep writing. If you want to be a career novelist, you just have to keep writing.

7. In your writing career, what are you most proud of?
After over forty novels, I’m always striving to keep the stories fresh and unique; so I guess I’m proud that every book is bathed in prayer, has a message singular to that story, and has unique characters and journeys. Every story is a new adventure for me, and the reader.

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My Review (5 Stars)

‘Take a Chance on Me’ is the first book in the Christiansen Family Series. There are 6 other books in the series, and I plan on reading all 6! Before reading this book I had never heard of Susan May Warren, and that is probably because this book is not in my normal genre to read.

‘Take a Chance on Me’ is a story of tragedy, love, family, friendship and forgiveness. The story takes place in the town of Deep Haven, and Evergreen Lake Resort in Minnesota. (I have never been to Minnesota, but this book made me want to visit!) Darek is the oldest brother in the Christiansen clan, and he has been angry at himself and life since his wife died in a tragic car accident. Which left him to be a single father to their son Tiger.

Ivy Madison is new to Deep Haven, and she is the new District County Attorney. Ivy grew up in the foster care system and she feels hurt, and as if God and life have given up on her. When Ivy & Darek meet for the first time, she immediately thinks him a jerk. Then she meets the Christiansen clan and instantly likes them all. They treat her like one of their own. It is like a dream come true, because she never had a family to call her own.

I really enjoyed the secondary characters, Claire and Jensen. Claire feels like she has been a failure to her parents. She didn’t go to college after high school ans she hasn’t done anything ‘big’ with her life. She works in a pizza place, takes care of prized roses and helps out at the elderly home. Her parents expected her to go to college and get a degree, but Claire wants to stay in Deep Haven. She doesn’t want to live or go anywhere else.

Jensen was responsible for Felicity’s death that fateful night. Most everyone in the town of Deep Haven look at him like he is a murderer. He has been sentenced to community service in Deep Haven, and he longs for the day when it is over and he can leave town and never come back.

Darek, Claire, Jensen and Felicity grew up together. They went to high school together and were all best friends. I enjoyed this book because none of the characters were perfect. They were all just people longing to be forgiven and trying to forgive themselves. Meeting the Christiansens’ through this book, made me want to be a part of their family. They are not perfect, but they love and really care for each other.

Sometimes you have to forgive someone for a wrong they have done to you, to be able to forgive yourself. Most of the time forgiving ourselves for something is the hardest thing to do.

Mrs Warren did a great job developing her characters and her setting. While reading the book I could actually see the characters and the town of Deep Haven. A few times I could actually feel fire licking at my heels. Take a Chance on Me is one of the best books I have read in a long time.

Happy Reading!

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions in my review are my own. Read my Disclosure Disclaimer here.

Book Review: The Sky Beneath My Feet by Lisa Samson

Books, Christian Fiction No Responses »

Mar 252013

Being married to a saint isn’t what it’s cracked up to be.

Beth’s husband won’t be joining the family on vacation at the beach this year. He’s not even joining them in the house. Instead, Rick has holed up alone in the backyard shed. Nobody knows exactly what he’s up to. Maybe he’s immersing himself in prayer. Maybe he’s lost his mind. Maybe he’s even the modern-day prophet or the saint the neighborhood artist imagines him to be. But while “St. Rick” waits for an epiphany, Beth will have to figure out what to do with herself and their teenage sons, possibly for the rest of her life.

What happens next is both uproarious and bittersweet: a peace march turns violent, her son is caught with drugs, and she embarks on an ambitious road trip that turns into something nearly surreal. Will Beth rediscover the idealistic woman she used to be, once upon a time? Can her marriage survive Rick’s backyard vigil? Will anything ever be the same? And should it be?

Truthful, comic, heartbreaking, and magical in the very best sense of the word, The Sky Beneath My Feet gently tears the veil off our egos and expectations to reveal the throbbing, redemptive, and achingly beautiful life beyond and within us.

My Thoughts

First I have to say that I love the cover of this book! That is what first caught my attention. It may sound weird but when I am reading a book I often look back at the cover. If the book has a bad cover I sometimes don’t even look inside. I know I may be missing a lot of good books that way. Ok, on to my review. This is the first book I have read by Lisa Samson.

Beth is the mother of 2 teenage sons Eli and Jed, and the wife of a pastor, Rick. Beth feels her life is moving along and she has lost herself somewhere along the way. Things start to fall apart when her husband is offered a new pastoral position in a different city. Instead of making plans to head off to the beach to spend time together as a family as they had planned. Rick locks himself up in the shed out in the backyard to wait for God to speak to him, and let him know what he should do about the new job offer. Beth feels as if her husband has abandoned her and the boys.

There is a Jesus Fish sticker that is talked about throughout the book. Beth hurt a woman’s feelings at church, and before you know it she has a sticker of a Jesus Fish on the bumper of her VW Van. Which leads Beth into new situations that she may have not experienced if it wasn’t for that fish on the bumper.

I like the voice of Beth, she was very easy to relate to. I don’t like books that come off as a preachy or have the ‘once upon a time feel’. This book didn’t do that way. The story and characters were very believable. There are many different characters in the book that make it interesting. When I first started reading ‘The Sky Beneath My Feet‘ I wasn’t sure that I was going to like it. A little less than half way through the book I became really interested in the story. It makes you see that sometimes you have to get away from it all, step back (whether it be for a week or an hour) and that’s usually when that ‘ah ha!’ moment hits you.

Happy Reading!

**This book was given to me to review by Book Sneeze on behalf of the publisher (Thomas Nelson) in exchange for my honest review. All opinions and thoughts are my own and I was not further compensated in any way, besides the book. This post may contain affiliate links. Read my Affiliate & Disclosure Policy here.

Review & Author Interview: Showstoppers & Three Sisters Book Tour & Giveaway

Books, YA Mystery 2 Responses »

Feb 132013

Tour Schedule

Three Sisters by Helen SmithThree Sisters and Showstoppers are two novella-length stories in the Emily Castles mystery series. The first full-length novel, Invitation to Die, will be published by Thomas & Mercer in October 2013.

The Emily Castles mystery series is set in present-day London. It features twenty-six-year-old Londoner Emily Castles and her neighbor, eccentric philosophy professor Dr. Muriel Crowther. In Three Sisters, Emily goes to a party in a big house at the end of her street. She’s sure she witnesses a murder, but no one will believe her. She teams up with Dr. Muriel to investigate.

My Review:

I had never read one of Helen Smith’s books before reading Three Sisters. Mysteries are not something I ordinarily read, but I decided to give this one a try. This novella is about 70 pages and didn’t take long to read at all.

Emily is invited to a party in her neighborhood. At the party we are introduced to some very colorful characters, and performers. We meet sisters that are knife throwers and brothers that are a little strange at times.

Things are not as they appear at this party, and Emily believes that a girl may or may not have been murdered. She is very determined that she is going to figure it out for sure, with a little help from Dr. Muriel (a neighbor also).

I found Three Sisters to be a short and fast read. It did take a little bit before I got used to the characters speaking in short and incomplete sentences. That’s just the way they spoke, but once I got used to that all went well.

I would have also liked to have known more about the characters and who they were and how Emily knew them. This would have added more flavor to their already interesting party.

Showstoppers by Helen Smith

In Showstoppers, Emily helps out at a local stage school run by her neighbor, Victoria. Soon she’s mixed up in a blackmail plot and two deaths. Emily and Dr. Muriel team up to prevent further a massacre live on stage during the end of term show.

My Review:

I enjoyed reading this store much more than I did the first. I am sure it is because the mystery (action) starts right off the bat. Emily receives her neighbor, Victoria’s mail in her mail box, and takes it over to her.

Victoria begs Emily to open the letter and read it to her. It is a letter, among many, that she is receiving from someone who is threatening her. Emily is confused as to why Victoria will not report the letters to the police. Without really wanting or meaning to Emily is soon swept up into the mystery involving the letters.

We see more of Dr. Muriel in this story, which made it a lot more enjoyable. I also enjoyed the dry humor in this story. I look forward to Helen’s full length novel, Invitation to Die, an Emily Castle Mystery, which will be out in October 2013. I am sure then the characters in the Emily Mysteries will get the development that they deserve. I will be waiting.

Author Helen Smith

Helen Smith is a member of the Writers Guild of Great Britain, The Crime Writers Association and English PEN. She traveled the world when her daughter was small, doing all sorts of strange jobs to support them both – from cleaning motels to working as a magician’s assistant – before returning to live in London where she wrote her first novel, which was published by Gollancz (part of the Hachette Group). She writes novels, children’s books, poetry, plays and screenplays, and was the recipient of an Arts Council of England Award. She likes dancing but she doesn’t like driving. She likes knitting.

Amazon * Facebook * Twitter * Blog

Goodreads* Shelfari * LibraryThing

Interview With Helen

Me: What do you like most about Emily in ‘Emily Castle Mysteries’ series?

Helen: Emily’s based partly on my daughter. She has her dark brown hair and dimples, her sweet nature and love of solving mysteries. I love everything about her!

Me: How long did it take you to write ‘Three Sisters’ & ‘Show Stoppers’?

Helen: I think it took about six months to write each of them.

Me: Why do you enjoy writing mysteries?

Helen: I love reading mysteries and wanted to write a series of my own. It’s very enjoyable to create characters—especially strong, interesting female characters—and put them in situations where they have to solve mysteries with plenty of suspects and red herrings. I’m writing comic mysteries so there’s plenty of opportunity to write funny lines, which is something else I like doing. Me: Who is your favorite author?
Helen: I find it difficult to choose just one. But Agatha Christie is one of the authors I admire most. She was a woman, she wrote mysteries, she was prolific and she was successful.

Me: Which one of your books was the most fun to write and which character did you identify with the most?

Helen: Three Sisters and Showstoppers were both a lot of fun to write. Three Sisters is the first in the Emily Castles series and I was happy when I started writing it and realised that the characters were going to be interesting enough to feature in future stories. I like Emily but Dr. Muriel is closer to me in age. I have given Emily some of my daughter’s characteristics… and I’m trying not to take on any of Dr. Muriel’s—she’s rather eccentric!

Me: When you were younger did you know that you would be an author one day, did you always love writing?

Helen: Yes. I loved reading when I was younger and hoped I could make a living as a writer when I grew up. I used to write poetry and stories, and even started writing a novel when I was about ten. Me: Are you currently working on your next book and if so do you have a title yet?
Helen: The next book is called Invitation to Die. It’s the first full-length Emily Castles mystery and it will be published later this year.

Me: Did traveling the world and meeting different people influence any of the ideas for characters in your books?

Helen: I don’t think so. But, as you know, everything you do helps to make you the person you are, whether you travel abroad or you stay at home and work hard at college or in a job. Traveling the world made me the kind of person who writes the kind of books I write. I would like to have Emily go abroad to solve a mystery one day in the future, so perhaps I’ll have a chance to revisit some of the places I visited in the past, and find some inspiration for new characters who might appear in the books.

Me: Where do you write, do you have a special place?

Helen: At the moment I’m writing in my kitchen. I have an office next door but it’s a bit cold and dark in there. I have moved in here so I can sit with my back to the radiator and look out at the garden.

Me: If you could sum up the Emily Castle Mysteries in what sentence, what would it be?
Helen: The Emily Castles Mysteries are fun British mysteries featuring twenty-six-year-old amateur sleuth Emily and her side-kick, eccentric philosophy professor Dr. Muriel Crowther.

Tour Giveaway

10 winners will each receive a Kindle Ebook copy of Showstoppers & Three Sisiters

Ends 2/28/13

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When Your Parent Becomes Your Child by Ken Abraham

Books, Christian Fiction No Responses »

Feb 062013

Book Description

Hope and inspiration for helping parents through the aging process and the decline that comes with dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.

Dementia is one of the world’s fastest growing illnesses. Without a major medical breakthrough, the estimated 24 million people living with some form of the disease could easily jump as high as 84 million by the year 2040. It is rapidly becoming everyone’s problem.

When Your Parent Becomes Your Child tells the story of one family who reluctantly began to recognize and then deal with the common issues found in caring for their elderly loved one:

memory loss
physical decline
personal hygiene
dangers of driving and living alone
aberrant behavior
uncharacteristic attitudes

As he chronicles his own mom’s degenerative condition, New York Times bestselling writer Ken Abraham not only educates but offers inspiration to help readers cope with and manage their family circumstances.

With humor and spiritual reminders of God’s command to honor our parents, Abraham encourages readers, helping them shoulder the additional, often difficult responsibilities. And though patients will not recover this side of heaven, he suggests many practical things that families can do to make the experience safer, kinder, and more endurable for everyone involved.

Helping our loved ones live out their remaining years in dignity paves the way for a rewarding and enriching experience for our families, and for the people whose lives they have affected for all eternity.

What I Thought

I am very happy that I was given the chance to review Ken Abraham’s book ‘When Your Parent Becomes Your Child‘. Before reading this book I had always associated Dementia with Alzheimer’s. I just assumed that they were one in the same, but they are not. Dementia is a cluster of symptoms (memory loss, forgetting how to do something or care for yourself), where Alzheimer’s is a specific medical disease that has many of the symptoms of Dementia.

I enjoyed reading Ken’s book. I have learned things about the illness that I never knew before. I am fortunate in that I haven’t had to go through anything like this with either one of my parents, and I hope that I don’t have to. In this book shares his mother’s illness with us and her day to day life, care and quality of life.

Once Ken’s mother came to visit with his family for a bit and woke him up in the middle of the night saying that there were men in white coats outside her window. Ken assured her there were not. He even went so far as to take her outside in the dark so she could look for herself.

Ken and his siblings overlooked many things at first and decided it was just old age. Such as their mother having a wreck because she forgot which pedal was for the gas and which pedal was for the break. She would forget to take her medicine or take to little or no enough. Accusing people of stealing from her all the time, to hoarding. She would have out burst and say inappropriate and sometimes hurtful things to people. She would even curse at times, something that she never had done before.

Ken talks about how he denied to himself that nothing was wrong with his mother, even when others noticed things he didn’t. He talks about coming to terms with his mothers illness, deciding on her care and where she would live. He wanted the best care possible for his mother, but also care that was affordable.

I can only try to imagine how hard it was on his mother also. To go from caring for yourself and being independent to not being able to bathe, dress or care for yourself properly. This illness had to be frustrating for everyone. It would be a lot to shoulder caring for a parent with Dementia or Alzheimers and to help them keep their dignity also.

Throughout the book Ken talks about his mothers love for singing gospel songs and playing the piano. Even with her illness it seems she never forgot how to play the piano or the words to all the songs she loved. Ken’s book is a must read for anyone that is caring for a parent. Even if you are not caring for you parent it is a wonderful book to read to help understand the illness. I enjoyed reading this book. It was sad at times because I kept thinking to myself “what if this were my mother?”

Have you had a chance to read ‘When Your Parent Becomes Your Child’? If so what are your thoughts on Ken’s book?

*This book was given to me to review by Book Sneeze on behalf of the publisher in exchange for my honest review. All opinions and thoughts are my own and I was not further compensated in any way, besides the book. This post may contain affiliate links. Read my Affiliate & Disclosure Policy here.

Book Review: The Respect Dare 40 Days to a Deeper Connection with God and Your Husband by Nina Roesner

Books, Christian Fiction No Responses »

Dec 132012

The Respect Dare 40 Days to a Deeper Connection with God and Your Husband is a book for wives that helps you to develop a deeper respect for your husband. It has 40 days of dares (or challenges as I call them). Each day contains a verse from the bible for that day, a personal story by a woman that relates to the verse, and a dare or a challenge for you. It is set up to teach you to respect your husband, even when you feel he may not deserve it.

It sounds easy doesn’t it, to respect your husband. I always thought I respected my husband in every way, until I went though this book. I am now on day 20 and I have learned many things about myself along the way. This is a great book if your looking for a deeper connection with your husband, and a more peaceful family life. Have you heard the saying ‘you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar?’ I found this to be another theme through out the book.

It is true that when someone snaps at us or attacks us verbally, we usually respond in kind. I am sure we ladies have all done this, especially if it is coming from our spouses. After all he is your best friend and we when he says something hurtful to us, it seems to hurt more than it would coming from a stranger. Right?

When I read the description for the book I thought this book wasn’t for me, because I am no one door mat. The more I thought about it as I was going through the dares the more I came to mostly understand. When mamas happy, everyone seems to be happier. If you change your attitude you begin to see your husband change along with you. I am not saying that after reading this book that you will not have bad days. You will have days when you will stick your foot in your mouth, when you will snap at your spouse because you are not having a good day. We are far from perfect after all.

The Respect Dare is a book that can be used with ‘The Love Dare‘ for couples that was introduced in the movie ‘Fireproof’. The Respect Dare is a good tool if you find yourself resenting your spouse, or feel you marriage is in trouble. It can also help you reflect on your attitude and flaws in your personality.

The author does talk about ‘the Daughters of Sarah’ groups that they have in many cities. You may have trouble finding one in your area. I am sure that it helps to get together and talk with woman that are working on the same thing you are. Respect for your husband. There is an online e-course also that you sign up for online. It is a little annoying that there is a fee for this, a small fee. You would think if you had the book that the e-course would be included, but it is not.

All in all this is a really helpful book for wives to develop a deeper and intimate relationship with their husbands. I promise if you start doing the dares in the book you will see a difference in you and your husband. It may take a while. I am still working on it! It is not easy.

Happy Reading!

Book Review: The Purpose Driven Life Expanded Edition by Rick Warren

Books, Christian Fiction No Responses »

Nov 232012

About 9 years ago my sister in law gave me her copy of ‘The Purpose Driven Life’ by Rick Warren. I have to admit that I read the first few chapters (days) and then it sat on my bookshelf and it is still there today. So when I was given the chance to receive a copy and to give an honest review I was very interested. I was interested for two reasons. One was because I wanted to see what all the hype was about and two was because my sister in law really wanted me to read this book. So that is how I came to post this review of The Purpose Driven Life.

The Purpose Driven Life, What On Earth Am I Here For, New Expanded Edition by Rick Warren is celebrating its 10th year anniversary. In this anniversary edition there are 2 new chapters, The Envy Trap & The People Pleaser Trap, online video teaching by Rick Warren as well as an online community to discuss the book with.

In the back of the book there is an Appendix of Discussion Questions and Resources, notes with the book and verse of the bible that they were taken from. This anniversary edition represents a new approach for a new generation incorporating a new understanding of barriers that keep people from finding their purpose.

I am sure that if you read The Purpose Driven Life years ago that you already know what the book is about. The book is broke up into 42 days of lessons and at the end of each day there is points and verses to ponder. You can study the book alone or as a group. Mr Warren offers a packet that includes DVD’s, the book, training materials and online resources. This book is supposed to help people that are Christians become better christian and ones striving to find there purpose in life.

The book is set up to answer the questions:

1. Why am I alive?

2. Does my life matter?

3. What on earth am I here for?

In this book there are 5 concepts to help you discover your purpose and live far beyond just surviving day to day life.

1. It will explain the meaning of your life.

2. It will simplify your life.

3. It will focus your life.

4. It will increase your motivation.

5. It will prepare you for eternity.

My Thoughts

The Pros

I have only been reading this book for about 2 weeks now, so these are my opinions and views of the book so far. Right off the bat you notice that each day is easy to read and Mr Warren uses simple language that anyone can understand. The book is arranged by 42 days and the teaching for each day is short and gives you many verses from the bible that match the topic being discussed.

I liked the fact that each day has an online video chapter summery for that day, and if you have any questions or just want to talk about the book you can go to the online community. There is a message to be heard video by Rick Warren that is a little over 40 minutes long, but to me in has really nothing to do with the day you are on.

I like the fact that one of the themes throughout the book is that we were made ‘for Gods pleasure’. That God made us for a reason and not to just exist and to survive day to day life. If you are at all like me, there are days that I feel like I may know what my purpose is and days that I have no clue.

Many feel that the bible is a mystery, but I don’t think so. Even though I have days that I question everything in my life, I know that we were created by God and for a purpose. When I was younger I would say, “I wish God would just come down here and tell me what to do”! One day it hit me, He did give me that answers on how to live and answer many of my questions, in the Bible.

There are some points in the book so far that have got me to thinking, like What is the driving force in your life? He also brought up a good point, some of us want more material things to make us happy, more important and more secure. In truth the happiness that we feel in material things only last a short while and fade and then we need more to give us that happy feeling again. In truth acquiring more possessions and power can cause us unnecessary stress, to feel unfulfilled, empty and exhausted and therefore we do not live up to our full potential. I have been guilty of this, just as I am sure many of us are. Do you find this to be true?

The Cons

There are a few issues I had with this book such as the bible versus quoted in it are paraphrases, and in my opinion this can be dangerous. If you read only a portion of the verse you may not get the whole meaning. In other words the paraphrase may not be the meaning of the scripture at all. You have to read the whole scripture to get the meaning and to understand fully what is being said.

I also did not care for the many translations of the bible that were used. There are 14 bible translations that were used to quote scripture from. I prefer the King James Bible and the New International Version. These 2 bibles basically say the same thing and the main difference is that the NIV Bible does not contain words such as thee, thou, etc. There is no drastic changes in the verses as other bibles have. There is one translation used, The Message, that I found I had reread the verse paraphrase and it did not even say the same thing as the Kind James Version.

Another thing I did not care for was that in some parts of the book Mr Warren states some things as fact, when in truth they are his own thoughts.

All that being said, I believe that The Purpose Driven Life, Expanded Edition as a whole is a good book to help guide you in the direction of serving God and finding purpose in your life. It is a good tool to help guide you, but is in no way a substitute for your bible. When a verse is referred to in the book, please find it in your bible and read it. I am not saying that Mr Warren says to replace your bible with his book. I am just saying to go to your bible for confirmation of the verses.

I will be finishing the book because I am curious to see what else it says.

Have you read The Purpose Driven Life and if so what are your thoughts on the book? Did you like it? Has it helped you for the better?

Happy Reading!

Review: Secrets of the Red Box by Vickie Hall

Blog Hops, Books, Give-A-Ways, Reviews, YA Mystery No Responses »

Nov 192012

Excerpt

Bonnie lay on her side staring across the small bedroom. A faint light from the street filtered through the curtains, touching hard lines with pale illumination. Beside her, Glen breathed deeply as he slept, his body spooned against hers, his arm draped over her torso. She held on to his arm, feeling his warmth and sureness. She clung to him as if he were an anchor, as though if she were to let go, she’d drift away from him forever.

They’d been married only three short weeks, and still she could scarcely comprehend how she came to be in this bed with a husband who loved her. It had all seemed an impossible dream not so long ago. Her only aspiration then had been to survive, to find work, and become invisible. She never expected to fall in love, had never even hoped to. And now that she was, Bonnie felt certain she didn’t deserve it.

The thought of losing her new found happiness terrified her. She never wanted to go back to the dark days she’d lived before, the empty days of lies and secrets. She never wanted to live even one day without Glen. There were no guarantees, she knew, but Bonnie vowed to make Glen happy, to do everything in her power to keep his love for her alive. But most of all, she wanted to prove herself worthy of his love.

My Review
(I gave the book 4 out of 5 stars)

I enjoyed reading ‘Secrets of the Red Box’. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it reading the description, but I did. The book is set in the 1940′s, during World War II, when Roosevelt was president. I think all women are fascinated by the 1940′s. Most movies you see of that time period romanticize the 1940′s. The women’s hairstyles were lovely and what was not to love about their clothes.

Bonnie is a young woman that was physically abused by her father growing up, as was her mother. She was made to work in the fields at a very young age picking strawberry’s. She never felt love from her father, and all she ever wanted was to feel loved and that she mattered to someone. As a little girl Bonnie promised herself that she would have money and would never have to work again. She was a runaway at the age of 16, and was very determined to make a better life for herself.

I didn’t like Bonnie much in the first part of the book. She was selfish, manipulative and a liar. Lies rolled off of her tongue very, very easily. She didn’t let anyone get close to her, for the fear of being hurt and she didn’t want anyone to know her past. As in the title of the book, …Red Box, Bonnie carried the red box with her every where she moved to. You don’t really know what is in the box, until the end of the book. She does hint to the contents of the box though. You learn that it has something from her past, something that she doesn’t want anyone to know about, something that she is ashamed of, but doesn’t really admit that do herself.

Throughout the book you see that Bonnie carries no real affection for any of the men she meets. She uses them for what they can give her. She picks military men, men that are lonely and that crave love and attention. When she met Glen all of that changed. Then we see a different side of Bonnie, one that is softer, caring and giving. I started to care about Bonnie in the second half of the book. She genuinely loves Glen, and they are happy together. Then something happens to change that.

Throughout the book I thought the Red Box held evidence of Bonnie killing someone, or a horrible family secret she didn’t want revealed. You don’t find out the contents of the Red Box til almost the very end. I was actually surprised of it’s contents. I would have never guessed what was in there.

If you have never read one of Ms Hall’s books you should pick this one up. It has a little of everything, history, romance, mystery and a little drama. The first few chapters were a little slow, but keep reading and you want be disappointed. Secrets of the Red Box was very well written, and I will be reading more of Ms Hall’s books.

You can enter the giveaway to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card or $50 PayPal Cash from Author Vickie Hall, for Secrets of the Red Box book tour hosted by ‘I’m A Reader Not A Writer’ HERE.

Happy Reading!

**I received a copy of this book to review. I was not obliged to review or give a good review. This review are my own thoughts about the book and were in not way influence by the author. This review includes 1 affiliate link.

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