Total Pageviews

Monday, December 8, 2025

My Thoughts - The Bible Companion Book 6 Psalms: Journey Through Scripture One Day at a Time Author: Karen Westbrook Moderow

 

About the Book

Book: The Bible Companion Book 6 Psalms: Journey Through Scripture One Day at a Time

Author: Karen Westbrook Moderow

Genre: Bible Study

Can you tell God how you feel? The Bible Companion Book 6 helps you approach God with both honesty and respect. A simple one-chapter-a-day format lets you engage with Scriptures without the pressure of schedules, homework, or heavy reading loads. Short daily readings and thought-provoking questions connect your story to God’s Word. For personal and group study.

In the Books of Wisdom (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs), God speaks to us in poetry—the language of the heart. In Psalms we mourn, celebrate, and worship with people who run to God in the best and worst seasons of life. Their experiences give us hope. If you feel alone, if you are hurting, if you need grace, join the psalmists who find forgiveness and strength in God’s presence.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

KAREN WESTBROOK MODEROW is a Bible teacher and author who brings a storyteller’s perspective to Scripture. She holds master’s degrees in theology and creative writing and loves introducing others to Jesus through the stories told in God’s Word.

 

 

 

 

More from Karen

I once attended a small church that had several young rowdy boys. I wondered if there was a way to settle them down by doing something fun after church that also had spiritual significance. I decided to bribe them. If they memorized the verse I gave them from the Psalms, I would give them a treat. It seemed a good idea at the time.

The first week we talked about how God is the one who cares for us and meets our needs. I taught them Psalm 81:10: “Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.” I pulled out a stick of gum and told them if they could quote this verse with the reference the following Sunday after church, I would give them the gum. The idea was to continue this until they had a few verses under their belt. There was a lot of jumping up and down and hand clapping though I wondered how many would follow through.

The next Sunday after church, four little boys ran up to me. “I know the verse,” one little guy said. He recited it as his compadres listened, then opened his mouth wide and waited for me to unwrap the gum and put it in his mouth. (With this group, you didn’t dare give it to them. You just hoped they wouldn’t stick it under a church pew before their parents got them outside.) One after another they came, chirping out the verse. I soon realized some hadn’t memorized it. Because the verse was short, they were just repeating what the first boy said. Oh well. It counted. I fed them like little birds though the moment felt sacred, somehow, as if I were serving communion.

The next week, they learned Psalm 34:8: “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” That week, I gave them mints. But when I started perusing the Psalms for other appropriate verses, I realized I’d worked myself into a corner. The Bible has a lot of verses about food but not many are in Psalms. It was slim pickings. I considered:

Psalm 119:103 “”How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” I couldn’t very well squirt honey into their mouths, and I didn’t think the parents or the pastor would appreciate having four active little boys running around the sanctuary with sticky piece of honeycomb in their hands.

Psalm 141:4 wasn’t going to work either. This verse is about the wicked. It says, “And do not let me eat of their delicacies.” In this context, any treat I brought would be a temptation. Not a good idea.

Psalm 23 looked like my best hope: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” In the end, I decided against it too. What was I going to do, bring a whole meal? And set up all the onlookers as “enemies?” Also not good.

So three weeks into my ill-conceived Scripture memorization plan, the best I could come up with was Psalm 145:15 “The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.”

The proper time, sadly, no longer included my after-church Bible memory program. I tried to let the boys down gently. (From this I learned to set an end-time for such initiatives. Better yet, have a plan before starting them!) Still, whenever I come across the verses they learned, I think about those boys. I see their little upturned faces, eyes closed, mouths open, waiting expectantly and wonder if they remember too. Do they remember that God is our provider? That He is good? That He delights in meeting their needs? If so, my little failed experiment was worth it.

MY THOUGHTS

The Bible Companion Book 6 Psalms: Journey Through Scripture One Day at a Time  is written by  Karen Westbrook Moderow. This book could not have come at a more perfect time. I recently went through a season of waiting, and God had guided me to Psalms. It was then I was selected to read and review this book. I have never read through Psalms, just skipped around. I can honestly say that I learned so much. God really showed me things, 

This book is well organized. It's easy to follow. Each page starts off with a selected verse. Then the author unpacks the text. I really liked being able to go at my own pace. Sometimes, I need to unpack it a bit to ensure that I am getting the full meaning. 

This author has several Bible Companion books, while this is the first that I have read, I will definitely be checking out the rest of her work. Thank you to the author, publisher and Celebrate Lit for allowing me to read a copy of this book - all thoughts are my own. 


Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, December 5

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 6

Simple Harvest Reads, December 7 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, December 8

Artistic Nobody, December 9 (Author Interview)

Because I Said So, December 9

Girls in White Dresses, December 10

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academ, December 11

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, December 12

Guild Master, December 13 (Author Interview)

Cover Lover Book Review, December 14

Fiction Book Lover, December 15 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, December 15

For Him and My Family, December 16

Lots of Helpers, December 17

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, December 18 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Karen is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/3e373/the-bible-companion-book-6-psalms-celebration-tour-giveaway


Thursday, November 27, 2025

My Thoughts - THE FORBIDDEN HEIRESS by Gledé Browne Kabongo

 

Monday, November 24, 2025

My Thoughts - Sermons from a Soapbox, Messages of Hope and Encouragement Author: Ladonna Shanks

 


About the Book

Book: Sermons from a Soapbox, Messages of Hope and Encouragement

Author: Ladonna Shanks

Genre: Devotional, based on personal experience; Memoir; Adult Nonfiction; “Life Lesson Essays”

Release Date: April 8, 2025

“What is God like?

Does He even exist, other than as a figment of the imagination?

Or is He real, a part of daily life and our world?

In Sermons from a Soapbox, Ladonna Shanks shares her personal spiritual journey of more than seventy-five years. “I cannot write what I have not experienced,” serves as the base of her easy-to-read, anecdotal essays. The short “sermons” challenge the reader to think, question, search, and consider living where God is . . . in the spiritual, long-term, instead of humankind’s physical, short-term.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Ladonna Shanks was born and raised in Oregon’s lush Willamette Valley. During her several decades of life, she has been an entrepreneur, a small business owner, and, most recently, a writer. Her first book, Tidbits and Pearls, A Book of Essays on Living Everyday Life with God was published in 2019. Ladonna’s family, including five grandgirls, and her commitment to God serve as her priorities.

 

 

 

 

More from Ladonna

The desire and passion to share God’s quest for friendship with humankind has driven me to write of my personal experiences with Him. “I cannot write what I have not experienced” is my mantra.

The easy-to-read anecdotal essays make up both of my books: Tidbits and Pearls, A Book of Essays on Living Everyday Life with God and my newly published Sermons from a Soapbox, Messages of Hope and Encouragement. (My editor calls them “Life’s Lessons Essays.)

I never preach, but I share my life. My desire is to challenge the reader to consider life in the long-term, eternal instead of the short-term, physical. I want them to think.

I am open, honest, and transparent as I present my weaknesses, failures, and inadequacies in contrast to God’s faithfulness, care, and love.


MY THOUGHTS 


Sermons from a Soapbox is written by Ladonna Shanks. I really enjoyed this book and felt that I really learned a lot. The book is well organized and I love all the personal touches that the author shared 



The chapters are organized under varying topics. She has the perfect blend of Bible verses and unpacking the using personal circumstances. The words flowed nicely off the page. 


The author is very passionate about her relationship with God. I loved the tidbits of wisdom the author has shared. 


Thank you to the author, publisher and Celebrate Lit for allowing me to read a copy of this book —- all thoughts are my own 

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, November 13

Simple Harvest Reads, November 14 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, November 15

Artistic Nobody, November 16 (Author Interview)

Guild Master, November 17 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 17

The Sacred Line, November 18

Lots of Helpers, November 19

Fiction Book Lover, November 20 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 21

Vicky Sluiter, November 22 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 23

For the Love of Literature, November 24 (Author Interview)

Because I said So, November 24 

Tell Tale Book Reviews, November 25 (Author Interview)

Girls in White Dresses, November 26

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Ladonna is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card, copy of my book, and a set of 6 blank note cards created by myself using floral photos!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/3d5a0/sermons-from-a-soapbox-celebration-tour-giveaway

Thursday, November 20, 2025

My Thoughts - MAYHEM ON MULBERRY BOOK TWO - Fall of an Empire By: Vincent deFilippo

 

MAYHEM ON MULBERRY

by Vincent deFilippo

October 12 – November 21, 2025 Virtual Book Tour

CHINESE GANGS CLASH WITH THE OLD-SCHOOL ITALIAN “FAMILIES.” It’s 1990 in New York City. The AIDS pandemic is raging, murder is at an all-time high, an arsonist burns 87 people to death in a Bronx social club, and garbage and graffiti overwhelm the city. Though a sense of lawlessness pervade the city, being a gangster just isn’t the same anymore. In fact, it may be the twilight of the Italian mob: Under pressure from the feds and their loss of new recruits, the real menace facing them is the other ethnic gangs that are encroaching on their territory—in particular the Chinese.


BOOK ONE: RISE OF THE EAST

 

What if the only way to protect the one you love is to destroy everything you’ve ever known?

New York City, 1990-a city teetering on the brink of chaos. The AIDS pandemic is ravaging communities, crime is at an all-time high, and the streets pulse with the tension of gang warfare. The once-dominant Italian mafia, now in its twilight, faces a new threat: the rise of ruthless ethnic gangs determined to carve up their territory.

Enzo DeCarlo, heir to a fading mob empire, is caught between two worlds. His father, the old-school Don Vincenzo, clings to the traditions of the past while the DeCarlo family crumbles under pressure from the feds and encroaching Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean gangs. Enzo’s loyalty to his family has always been unwavering-until he meets the captivating Jen Mo Li, a woman with secrets as dangerous as her beauty.

Jen, the daughter of a powerful Chinese crime family, is no stranger to the brutal world of organized crime. Overlooked and undervalued by her own family, she fights to prove herself in a male-dominated world, growing colder and more ruthless with each passing day. But when her brother is murdered, and the blame falls on Enzo, Jen’s desire for revenge spirals into something far more deadly-especially as her heart betrays her by falling for the enemy.

With tensions between their families at a boiling point and betrayal lurking at every turn, Enzo and Jen’s forbidden love becomes a ticking time bomb. When Jen takes control of the notorious Black Dragon gang, the violence escalates to all-out war in Chinatown, with blood flowing in the streets and power shifting hands. But Jen’s bold moves come at a terrible cost, and when a tragic mistake links her to a human trafficking operation, she finds herself hunted by both the law and her enemies.

As their worlds spiral out of control, Enzo and Jen are forced to make impossible choices. Can Enzo defy his father and the mafia’s brutal code to save Jen and their child? And can Jen survive long enough to claim her throne in the criminal underworld-or will the betrayals she’s suffered drive her to a darker fate?

In this explosive tale of love, betrayal, and survival, nothing is certain, and no one is safe. Dive into the pulse-pounding world of gangland New York, where power, loyalty, and love collide. Will Enzo and Jen escape the deadly shadows of their families-or be consumed by them?

The streets are unforgiving. Are you ready to find out who survives?

Praise for Mayhem on Mulberry: Book One: Rise of the East:

“Mayhem on Mulberry is a fast-paced page-turner that readers will not soon forget, and that will appeal to fans of hard-boiled stories and more grounded crime novels alike.” 
~ Jo Niederhoff, San Francisco Book Review


BOOK 2: FALL OF AN EMPIRE

 

How far would you go to destroy the ones who wronged you?

In Mayhem on Mulberry: Book Two, the ruthless battle between the Chinese mob and the Italian Mafia rages on—but this time, vengeance runs deeper than blood. It’s 2020, and Jen Mo Li, presumed dead for decades, is very much alive. Back in New York under an assumed identity, Jen has one goal—to annihilate the DeCarlo family. She’s spent years plotting her revenge, using her beautiful daughter, Julia, as the perfect weapon to tear them apart from the inside.

Nicky DeCarlo, son of Enzo, is determined to break free from the fading mob legacy and start fresh. But when Julia, under Jen’s manipulation, seduces him and lures him into a dangerous heist, Nicky’s dreams of escape turn into a nightmare. Unbeknownst to him, Julia is not just an enemy—she’s his sister.

As the Chinese mob tightens its grip on New York, the Italians plan one last high-stakes score, setting the stage for a dramatic showdown. Betrayal, forbidden love, and shocking family secrets collide in a deadly game where no one is safe, and loyalty could prove fatal.

Will Nicky uncover the truth before it’s too late? Or will Jen’s plan for vengeance destroy everything he holds dear?

Dive into this pulse-pounding sequel that will leave you on the edge of your seat. Get your copy today and find out who survives the mayhem!

Praise for Book Two: Fall of an Empire:

“Vincent deFilippo masterfully weaves a tale of power, betrayal, and survival, where every choice cuts deep. With characters who are fierce, flawed, and navigating a world where morality collides with necessity, this isn’t just a story; it’s a riveting, adrenaline rush.” 
~ Kathryn Dare, San Francisco Book Review

Book Details:

Genre: Suspense, Mystery, Crime, Action
Published by: ViennaRose Publishing
Series: MAYHEM ON MULBERRY

 

Author Bio:

Vincent deFilippo

Dr. Vincent DeFilippo, an international financier and former CEO of a private equity fund in Hong Kong, where he aided numerous executives and businesses in raising billions of dollars in capital.

Currently residing in New York, he is a Professor at Monroe College, where he mentors and teaches young people to achieve their goals. Driven by his passion for writing and storytelling, he captivates readers with his fiction works and provides practical business and financial advice through his non-fiction books.

Catch Up With Vincent deFilippo:

VINCENTDEFILIPPO.COM
AMAZON AUTHOR PROFILE
GOODREADS
BOOKBUB
INSTAGRAM – @VINCEDEFILIPPOAUTHOR
LINKEDIN – VINCE DEFILIPPO
X – @DEFILIPPOAUTHOR
FACEBOOK – @VINCEDEFILIPPOAUTHOR



MY THOUGHTS


If you missed my review for book one - you can see it: https://becauseisaidsomyadventuresinparenting.blogspot.com/2025/11/my-thoughts-mayhem-on-mulberry-book-one.html


I was excited about book two - We dive back into the world and see Tensions between Mo-Li  and DeCarlo Crime families. We also see the return of: Jen Mo Li. She has been presumed dead for decades. She has been hiding in plain site for years - but under a different identity. She is ready to come back and seek revenge. 

She wants to take down the DeCarlo Crime family once and for all - and she will stop at nothing to do so. This includes using her own daughter. Jen is no longer just a sidelined figure — she has reclaimed agency and is playing chess in  world that plays checkers. 

Enter Enzo's son, Nicky - he knows the DeCarlo family is on their last legs - and he finds himself being a pawn in Jen's game - he finds himself entangled with Julia. 

There is so much heart pounding action, along with twists and turns that I did not see coming. The book is well written, the storyline engaging - I love a good Mob Thriller. 

Thank you to the author, publisher and Partner in Crime Book Tours for allowing me to read a copy of this book - all thoughts are my own. 



GIVEAWAY:

This is a giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Vincent deFilippo. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.


The giveaway is for:    2 - $50 Amazon.com Gift Cards 


https://www.promoamp.com/c/mayhem-on-mulberry-vincent-defilippo