Book Review and Giveaway - You are Loved & Free Author: Micah Ruth On Tour with Celebrate Lit

 

About the Book

Book:  You are Loved & Free

Author: Micah Ruth

Genre:  Nonfiction, Christian Purpose

Release Date: July 29, 2020

How do you gain your sense of worth and significance? Career? Kids? Marriage? Finances? Living in a culture where your achievements define you makes you prey to attacks on your very identity. But God values you regardless of your wins and losses and provides the tools in His Word to help you win the battle and rebuild your identity on His truth as you walk with Him into your purpose.

Born achiever Micah Ruth found herself questioning her value during a career demotion and personal crisis. Feeling like a failure and questioning her every move, Micah began listening to God as He led her to make major life changes and reassess the source of her worth. Through exploring the book of Ephesians, Micah uncovered the lies that held her captive and broke the self-inflicted chains of shame to ultimately experience deep soul transformation.

Micah weaves her story as inspiration for you to embark on your own journey of freedom and discovery. Devotionals, journal questions, and practical application prompts provide opportunities for you to remove your armor of self-reliance, grow in your faith, and reflect on your story. You Are Loved & Free also includes resources to help you discover your gifts and purpose while you cling to your newfound identity as a beloved and free child of God.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

 

 

About the Author

After focusing solely on her career in the corporate world for eighteen years, Micah Ruth discovered and leaned in to her calling from Christ to share her journey and inspire others through her writing. Through her blog, Created Significant: Living Loved & Free, and first published book, she is committed to helping others see themselves as Christ sees them. Micah is a wife and mother to three kids, a lifelong Colorado resident, avid mountain biker, and a lover of the outdoors, where she does most of her writing.

 

 

 

More from Micah

Just after a devastating demotion, Micah Ruth sees the revelation God wants to speak to her in this season. You are not what you do, you are not what they think of you, or have said of you. You are a loved and free child of God. With this new revelation, Micah goes on a journey to break down what she had allowed to identify her and rebuilds her identity in Christ.

You are Loved and Free is a devotional journey through the Bible, focusing on the book of Ephesians which holds the Truth about who we are in Christ. Through testimonials and heartfelt stories, Micah shares her journey, inviting others to go on the journey for themselves. She also shares the Biblical wisdom and practical application to rebuild your identity in Christ God revealed to her. Both by uncovering the lies about who you are and revealing the Truth in God’s word, you can find and start walking in your identity as a loved and free child of God.

My Thoughts

I felt like this book was written just for me. My identity and who I am in Christ is something that I have struggled with so much. Being divorced and remarried, you get some that look down on that - but ultimately I need to remember, that I am God's child and HE loves me flaws and all. 

I love how the author uses her real world experiences to write this journey. Sometimes as women we want to hide our past - but not this author. It's part of her journey. Her journey helped my journey. This book allows you to dig deep and see and hear what Christ says about you. I loved the heartfelt stories that go along with the Biblical teaching. 

This is a great book for anyone that wants to deepen their relationship with Christ. It will remind you that God made you, he knows all the hairs on your head, and he knitted you in your mothers womb. 

I received a copy of this book through the Celebrate Lit blogging program. All thoughts are my own. 

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, August 19

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 20

Inklings and notions, August 21

My Devotional Thoughts, August 22 (Author Interview)

deb’s Book Review, August 22

Texas Book-aholic, August 23

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 24

Wishful Endings, August 25 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, August 26

Artistic Nobody, August 27 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Mary Hake, August 28

Ashley’s Bookshelf, August 29

Through the Fire Blogs, August 30 (Author Interview)

Splashes of Joy, August 31

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, September 1

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Micah is giving away the grand prize of a $20 Amazon gift card & a signed copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/fee7/you-are-loved

Book Review - Acceptable Risk By Lynette Eason

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Sarah Denning is a military journalist with the Army in the Middle East when her convoy is attacked and she's taken hostage. When former Army Ranger Gavin Black is asked by his old unit commander--Sarah's imposing father--to plan an extremely risky rescue, he reluctantly agrees and successfully executes it.

Back in the US, Sarah is livid when she's discharged on a false psychiatric evaluation and vows to return to the Army. Until she learns of her brother's suicide. Unable to believe her brother would do such a thing, she puts her plans on hold and enlists Gavin to help her discover the truth. What they uncover may be the biggest story of Sarah's career--if she can survive long enough to write it.

Strap in for another breakneck nail-biter from bestselling romantic suspense author Lynette Eason that will have you up turning pages long into the night

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lynette Eason grew up in Greenville, SC. After graduating from the University of South Carolina with a Business Degree she used for a very short time, she moved to Spartanburg, SC to attend Converse College where she obtained her Masters degree in Education. She started her teaching career at the South Carolina School for the deaf and blind. In 1996, she met the man she would marry—the boy next door!

She is married to Jack Eason, who speaks, leads worship, and consults ministries around the country. They have two teenage children.

MY THOUGHTS

This is the 2nd book in the Danger Never Sleeps Series. I have read book one - but they books can be read as a stand alone. One thing that you will always get with this author is the jaw dropping suspense. Her books are FULL of it. You will think that you have it figured out - then BOOM, there is a plot twist. 

In this book, we meet Sarah Denning. She is a military journalist who is taken hostage. Once she is rescued, she is discharged with a phoney psych discharge. She vows to clear her name and go back into the army. Then she finds out her brother has committed suicide. 

This book deals with real life situations that our Military faces. PTSD, Suicide, Combat issues and so much more. Sometimes this can be hard to read about, but the author has dealt with it in the best way possible. 

That being said, Sarah knows that her brother would not have committed suicide. Something smells fishy and her journalism self kicks in. Enlisting Gavin (who was part of the team that rescued her) She vows to figure it out. However can she avoid death twice? 

I received a copy of this book through the Revell Reads program. All thoughts are my own. 

Book Review and Giveaway: Blush by Danielle Ripley-Burgess On Tour with Celebrate Lit

 

About the Book

Book:  Blush

Author: Danielle Ripley-Burgess

Genre:  Nonfiction

Release Date: September 15, 2020

NOBODY SAID growing up is easy. For Danielle, the safe suburbs of Kansas City always felt warm. Inviting. But one day, everything changed. Not only did she hate what puberty was doing to her body, she had spotted a few scary specks of blood after going number two. Gross. As an insecure tween who blushed during “the talk,” one who refused to buy toilet paper at the store, nobody could know her little secret. So she hid it from everyone—Mom, Dad, her brother, and her friends. This went on … for years.

Busted. Eventually, her secret came out. Danielle was rushed to the doctor and into a colonoscopy. Shock took over when she was diagnosed with a rare colon cancer (something the internet called an “old man’s disease”) just a few weeks after her seventeenth birthday. Seriously!?

High school mornings in classrooms morphed into nightmare days in cancer-center waiting rooms. Yet Danielle stayed hopeful, even grateful, for her illness. The way she saw it, fighting cancer spiced up her otherwise-boring testimony. And it brought her true love. Not until she heard the dreaded “It’s cancer” again at age twenty-five did she start to resent so much suffering and question her faith. Yet Danielle wasn’t about to stop. From Times Square to the White House, she became an outspoken survivor by starting a blog, as well as a young wife and a mom. Eventually, she found the self-acceptance she’d been looking for—it was guided by a still, small voice that had been with her all along.

In this soul-baring memoir, Blush: How I Barely Survived 17, Danielle reminds us that growing up is never easy, and she shows us how to go head to head with God. With out-of-body wisdom beyond its years, Blush beautifully inspires us to accept our imperfections and embrace every season of life.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

 

 

About the  Author

Danielle Ripley-Burgess is a two-time colon cancer survivor first diagnosed at age seventeen and an award-winning communications professional. She writes and speaks to encourage those facing trials, under a motto of “faith that survives.” She’s the author of Blush: How I Barely Survived 17 (Redemption Press, 2020), The Holiday Girls (Little Lights Studio, 2018), and Unexpected: 25 Advent Devotionals. Her story has been told around the world through outlets like The Today Show, BBC’s World Have Your Say, Sirius Radio’s Doctor Radio, the Chicago Tribune, the Huffington Post, among others. Home is in Kansas City with her husband, Mike, and daughter, Mae. When she’s not writing, she can be found baking her favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. It’s a good one. Follow her blog at DanielleRipleyBurgess.com or connect on social media at @DanielleisB.

 

 

 

More from Danielle

I walked into the classroom, hung my backpack on a designated hook and glanced at the chalkboard as I took my seat. Sigh. It was spelling bee day. I’d dreaded it for weeks.

Most people probably didn’t realize I loathed the spelling bee, especially my teacher. As a book-loving student who aced nearly all English exams, anyone could have rightly assumed I would be jazzed about the competition. I was a great candidate to represent our class. But there was one little problem: it sounded like a nightmare. I wanted nothing to do with it. The idea of the whole school looking at me on stage—the chance of people noticing the zits on my face, seeing a bra underneath my shirt, or calling me a nerd because I was a strong speller—sounded awful. No thanks.

“Riiinnngggg”

A buzzer echoing throughout the hallways kicked off our school day. My teacher, dressed in a popular floral dress from the 1990s, walked to the chalkboard to take control of our classroom. The pledge of allegiance, math worksheets and recess distracted me from the schedule until the dreaded hour came.

“Everyone please stand up, push in your chairs and join the circle,” my teacher insisted as she waved her hands to gather us. It was time.

Fortunately, I had a plan: I was going to cheat.

If my spelling test grades were any indicator, I had a good chance of making the spelling bee. So, I decided to purposely spell my word wrong. I would use a wrong vowel toward the end of the word and pause to hear, “I’m sorry but that’s incorrect.”

Let’s just say my plan worked like a charm. Relief flooded my chest when I was asked to sit down and join the others who were knocked out of the competition. A few weeks later during the school-wide spelling bee, I deeply exhaled and smiled widely as I watched my classmates compete on stage from the gymnasium floor. I was so glad it was them and not me.

Today, 25 years later, this memory is both a victory and a tragedy. I can’t help but see my younger self, a tween girl who felt embarrassed about her body, and feel proud of her for identifying what she did and didn’t want. That moment in fifth grade helped her find her voice. Yet her empowerment came at a high cost.

Convinced that hiding her true self—her body, her smarts and her opinions—was the only way, this thinking led to her nearly losing her life. If I could go back and chat with her today, I’d affirm her fears yet encourage her to see God gave her the smarts—being a strong speller and a good writer is a gift and not a bad thing. I’d challenge her to accept herself and say that dominating the school-wide spelling bee could actually be a great thing.

Blush is a memoir that tells many other stories like my fifth grade spelling bee. The book is dedicated to my daughter, who is just now becoming a tween. As I’ve relived my life by writing this book, I’ve not only found nuggets of truth to pass on to her as she navigates adolescence, but also confidence and redemption in my story.

Many of us have believed the lie that to be accepted, we must hide. I wrote Blush not only for my daughter, but for anyone looking for inspiration and hope. It’s a book especially for those who are ready to finally face their insecurities and consider how to stop sitting it out and instead take the stage.

 

Danielle Ripley-Burgess is a two-time colon cancer survivor first diagnosed at age 17, an award-winning communications professional and author of Blush: How I barely survived 17. Follow her blog at DanielleRipleyBurgess.com or connect on social media at @Danielleis

My Thoughts

Do you ever just read a book, and want to sit with the author and talk about the book you just read? This book made me want to. I would love to sit down with  author  Danielle Ripley-Burgess and talk about this book. Being a teenager is rough. Being a teenager with issues is a whole different story. 

The author writes her story with such realness, raw emotions and the truth. It made me want to reach through the book and hug her.  I cannot even imagine being in high school and being diagnosed with Colon Cancer. Most girls her age were worrying about boyfriends, dates, prom, etc and the author was worrying about the cancer. 

One of the things that I loved most about this book is how her faith in God got her through. Her journey helped to strengthen her faith. *beware - you will need to make sure you have Kleenex on hand when you read* 

Beautifully written, God filled, and so full of emotions. I enjoyed this book very much. 

I received a copy of this book through the Celebrate Lit blogging program - all thoughts are my own. 

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, August 21

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 22

Simple Harvest Reads, August 23 (Author Interview)

deb’s Book Review, August 23

For Him and My Family, August 24

Inklings and notions, August 25

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 26

Spoken from the Heart, August 27 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, August 28 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Get Cozy Book Nook, August 29

Ashley’s Bookshelf, August 30

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, August 31

Adventures of a Travelers Wife, September 1 (Author Interview)

Emily Yager, September 2

Lights in a Dark World, September 3

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Danielle is giving away the grand prize package of Danielle’s favorite local coffee, Betty’s Recipe from the Roasterie in Kansas City & a signed copy of the book!! (here’s a link to the coffee: https://theroasterie.com/product/bettys-recipe/)

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/ffa2/blush-celebration-tour-giveaway

Book Review and Giveaway - Rose in the Desert Author: K.M. Daughters On Tour with Celebrate Lit

 

About the Book

Book:  Rose in the Desert

Author: K.M. Daughters

Genre:  Christian Contemporary Fiction

Release Date: July 2020

Anna Babic Robbins, dubbed “The Rose Of The Adriatic” by pilgrims to her village, leaves her home bound for America. She is to deliver secrets concerning the fate of the world to a Chicago priest who will shepherd mankind to prepare to hear God speak.

Four women travel to Las Vegas, and while there, snow begins to fall during triple digit heat. They soon learn that the non-accumulating snowfall is a worldwide phenomenon—a universal sign from God preceding the gift of a permanent sign inexplicable by earthly standards.

With the culmination of these miraculous events, all their paths intersect, and God will reveal His plans to each soul on earth.

Will mankind listen?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

 

 

About the Author

K.M. Daughters is the penname for team writers and sisters, Pat Casiello and Kathie Clare. The penname is dedicated to the memory of their parents, “K”ay and “M”ickey Lynch. K.M. Daughters is the author of 15 award winning romance genre, women’s fiction and Christian fiction novels. The “Daughters” are wives, mothers and grandmothers residing in the Chicago suburbs and on the Outer Banks, North Carolina. Visitors are most welcome at http://www.kmdaughters.com

 

 

 

More from K.M. Daughters

In our first book in the Gospa series, Jewel of the Adriatic, on April 7th, 1992, rose petals rained on three teenagers walking past a craggy hill in their village, Valselo, near the Adriatic coast. The deluge stopped, and high on this hill, they saw a remarkably beautiful young woman with a child in her arms. They immediately thought that she was Jesus’ mother. She didn’t say anything to them but gestured for them to come closer. They were scared and ran. These three children were Anna, Elizabeta and Josip, who despite their fear, returned to the hill and were rewarded with another visitation by the mother of God, lovingly referred to as Our Lady of the Roses. Daily apparitions continued for decades as the visionaries became adults, guided by the heavenly visitor to pray, open their hearts fully to the salvation of Christ and carry her messages to the world in discipleship. Josip became a priest, instructed to pray for vocations. Elizabeta became a wife and mother, dedicated to praying for unbelievers. And Anna, also a wife and mother, was given the role of divulging secrets concerning all of mankind to an ordained priest, three days before the predicted events occur. In Rose of the Desert, we meet the “Belles of St. Mary’s”, lifelong girlfriends who have shared everything with each other since they met in grammar school. Or have they? When experiencing the all-knowing, forgiveness of God’s presence, will they change so they never have anything to hide again? The Belles’ lives intersect with Anna Babic’s when Anna travels to the United States to fulfill her heavenly appointed mission. Now the time has come.

My Thoughts

Be prepared to do some soul searching while reading this book. It draws you in from the first few pages. Given the current state of the world - this is a book that shows that in the end - God is in control. The book does follow more of a Catholic theology - with the girl needing to share her prophetic thoughts/speech with a priest. I still have a bad taste in my mouth because of the Catholic Church - but this story preached that Jesus is the way - not through good deeds. 

This book reminded me of reading a play - which is outside the norm of what I read - but I enjoyed it. There are sprinkles and showers of God throughout the entire story. Great characters, well written story, heartwarming. 

I received a copy of this book through the Celebrate Lit blogging program - all thoughts are my own. 

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, August 15

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 16

A Baker’s Perspective, August 17 (Author Interview)

Inklings and notions, August 18

For Him and My Family, August 19

Vicky Sluiter, August 20 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, August 20

deb’s Book Review, August 21

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 22

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, August 23 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, August 24 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Ashley’s Bookshelf, August 25

SusanK. Beatty, Author, August 26 (Author Interview)

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, August 27

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 28

Giveaway

To celebrate their tour, K.M. Daughters is giving away the grand prize of a beautiful necklace!! (Pictured Above)

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/fee6/rose-in-the-desert-celebration-tour-giveaway

Book Review and Giveaway -- Joy after noon By: Debra Coleman Jeter On tour with Celebrate Lit

 

About the Book

Book:  Joy After Noon

Author: Debra Coleman Jeter

Genre:  Romance, Women’s Fiction

Release Date: February 26, 2019

Joy marries a widowed bank executive caught in an ethical dilemma and misreads his obvious frustration while struggling to integrate into her new family. This novel explores the challenges of second marriages and dealing with step-children during the crucial years of puberty and teenage angst. A college professor coming up shortly for the huge tenure decision, Joy finds herself falling apart as her career and her home issues deteriorate and collide.

 

Click here to get your copy!

About the  Author

Debra Coleman Jeter has published both fiction and nonfiction in popular magazines, including Working Woman, New Woman, Self, Home Life, Savvy, Christian Woman, and American Baby. Her first novel, The Ticket, was a finalist for a Selah Award, as well as for Jerry Jenkins’ Operation First Novel. Her story, “Recovery,” was awarded first prize in a short story competition sponsored by Christian Woman; and her nonfiction book “Pshaw, It’s Me Grandson”: Tales of a Young Actor was a finalist in the USA Book News Awards. She is a co-writer of the screenplay for Jess + Moss, a feature film which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, screened at nearly forty film festivals around the world, and captured several domestic and international awards. Joy After Noon is the first novel in her Sugar Sands series. She has taught at Murray State University, Austin Peay State University, and Vanderbilt University, where she is currently a Professor Emerita. She lives in Clarksville, Tennessee, with her husband.

More from Debra

Joy After Noon

With most of my novels, several forces come together to compel me to tell the story. This is definitely true of Joy After Noon. I thought I’d share a few of those.

Carl Jung says: “The afternoon of life is just as full of meaning as the morning; only, its meaning and purpose are different.”Jung goes on to describe life’s afternoon as the time when we begin to shift away from the ego being the dominant force in our life and move toward a journey that has real meaning.

I also like the following quote: In the afternoon of your life, you don’t do life. You do what resonates with the callings of your soul. When does the afternoon of life begin? I don’t believe the afternoon of life begins at a particular age, or even stage of life. In JOY AFTER NOON, Ray has been pursuing career success and material acquisitions, and experiences a significant change of direction. Some fairly disastrous events in his workplace precipitate the change—events that threaten not only his financial stability but the core of who he is.

When I was a kid, I watched a movie called Joy in the Morning, starring Richard Chamberlain and Yvette Mimieux.  This movie was about a young married couple, and the memory of it stayed with me for years. I remember thinking that whereas a typical romance ended when the couple got together or married, the really interesting story starts there. When I wrote Joy After Noon, I decided to focus on a couple that marry a bit later in life. He’s a widower with two teenage daughters. She’s an insecure college professor who has never been seriously romanced.

Initially, the idea for Sugar Sands Book 1 and the title of the novel, Joy After Noon, was that Joy’s life has been lonely (and joy has been elusive) since her parents died when she was sixteen, and she has about given up on finding love when she meets Ray. She comes into his ready-made family and, for a time, this seems like a mistake. However, in the afternoon of her life, she finds love and joy.

What inspired my characters:

There’s always a bit of myself in each of my characters from the least likable to the most. Here’s how I relate to some of the characters in Joy After Noon.

 

Joy Hancock

Joy is a college professor who has never been in love … until she meets the gorgeous widower Ray Jenkins. In the novel Joy struggles to adapt to her new family at the same time that she’s coming up for tenure as a college professor. I’ve been through the tenure process (with a husband and two kids at home), and I’ve seen a number of others struggle to balance career and family during this stressful process.

 

 Ray Jenkins

Ray, seemingly successful banker, finds himself facing ethical dilemmas as his associates negotiate a dubious merger and then try to hide the undesirable financial consequences. I’ve taught bankers, and I have coauthored a textbook on mergers and acquisitions. I’ve also seen former students caught in ethical crises at work.

Marianne Jenkins

Marianne has aspired all her life to please her demanding perfectionist mother, even after that mother’s death. She cannot live up to her own standards of perfectionism, either as a ballerina or as a cheerleader longing for popularity. I have not studied dance or cheerleading, but I remember being a perfectionist as a child taking piano lessons. I wanted to play a piece with no errors, and I almost never succeeded.

 

Jenny Jenkins

Jenny, the younger daughter, knows she could never come near to the example set by Marianne, so why try? Jenny plays clarinet in band. As she practices for tryouts, she has a loose pad, causing her horn to squeak rather than play properly. I was a clarinet player, and had this exact experience myself. Jenny becomes friends with a wild girl named Claudia, who leads her to trouble. I had a similar friend as a teenager, and she was even named Claudia. Claudia is a tragic figure in the novel, but not an unsympathetic one.

Although Joy After Noon is part of a series, each book in the series stands alone.

Song of Sugar Sands

Sugar Sands Book 2, Song of Sugar Sands, has recently been announced as a Finalist in the Christian Fiction category in the 2020 Next Generation Indie Book Awards.

My Thoughts

This is the first book in the Sugar Sands series - and it's the first book that I have read from this author. I enjoyed this book because I come from a blended family - and I have a blended family. I recently got married for the 2nd time. I have 4 kids, he has 5. His are grown - but there are still relationships to maintain. I love how this book dealt with it. I loved how it was honest and raw. Which is needed when being faced with some of the same obstacles. 

In this book we meet Joy - who marries Ray. Ray is widowed and has teenage children. The book follows their journey. It shows how building a successful blended family takes trust and dedication. It shows you that you can't keep secrets and make sure you communicate. Such powerful advice. 

This book is well written, easy to follow and has great characters. I look forward to reading book 2, Song of Sugar Sands. 

I received a copy of this book through the Celebrate Lit Blogging program - all thoughts are my own, 

Blog Stops

For Him and My Family, August 17

lakesidelivingsite, August 18

Splashes of Joy, August 19 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 20

Artistic Nobody, August 21 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Inklings and notions, August 22

Simple Harvest Reads, August 23 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 24

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, August 25

Ashley’s Bookshelf, August 26

Tell Tale Book Reviews, August 27 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 28

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, August 29 (Author Interview)

deb’s Book Review, August 29

Texas Book-aholic, August 30

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Debra is giving away the grand prize package of a $20 Starbucks gift card and a signed copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/ff18/joy-after-noon-celebration-tour-giveaway