A Sky Without Stars by Linda S. Clare ~ CFBA book tour, Review

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

A Sky Without Stars

Abingdon Press (February 18, 2014)

by

Linda S. Clare

ABOUT THE BOOK

Frankie Chasing Bear is caught between cultures. She wants to raise her son Harold to revere his Lakota heritage, but she also thinks he will need to learn the white man’s ways to succeed. After the untimely death of her husband, Frankie joins the U.S. Government’s Relocation Program and moves to Arizona. There she begins sewing a Lakota Star pattern quilt for Harold with tribal wisdom sung, sewn, and

prayed into it.



A bed without a quilt is like a sky without stars, but neither the quilt—nor her new life—comes easily to Frankie. Nick Vandergriff, for instance, is the last man Frankie wants to trust. He’s half-Lakota but Christian, and Frankie can see no good coming from that faith after her own parents were forced to convert at an Indian school. Can Nick convince Frankie that white men and Christians aren’t all bad? And will Frankie learn that love is the most important ingredient—for her son’s quilt and life itself?






If you would like to read the first chapter of A Sky Without Stars, go HERE.





My Review:

I love clean, wholesome books about the West and Native American heritage.  To create such a wonderful story complete with a struggle with the Lakota way of life and Faith in God is an amazing feat.  Author Linda S. Clare takes the reader on an emotional journey with Frankie Chasing Bear, her son Harold, and Nick Vandergriff.  Frankie's determination to teach her son about his heritage and her reluctance to trust Nick made this story an enjoyable and fast read for me.  I loved it from beginning to end.  I recommend this book to Christian Fiction lovers, those who enjoy a strong female lead character and those who believe in Faith and Love overcoming difficult obstacles.





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Linda S. Clare is an
award-winning author and coauthor of several books and has also
published many essays, stories, and poems in publications, including The
Christian Reader, The Denver Post, and The
Philadelphia Inquirer. Her most recent book is A
Sky without Stars, the newest release in Abingdon’s Quilts of
Love line.



Born in Arizona, Linda and her husband now make their home
in Eugene, Oregon, where Linda has taught college-level creative
writing classes, and writes, edits, and mentors other writers. She also
is a frequent writing conference presenter, a church retreat leader,
and mom to four grown children and five wayward cats.

Disclosure: I received free the item(s) mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest review. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.

Once Upon a Winter's Heart by Meloday Carlsom ~ CFBA book tour

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Once Upon a Winter's Heart

Center Street (January 7, 2014)


by

Melody Carlson

ABOUT THE BOOK

Emma Burcelli has suffered over a decade of dating disasters. But she concludes that love is officially dead when her grandfather Poppi suddenly passes, leaving her grandmother Nona devastated. To help out, Emma works in the family bookstore, which Nona insists must be decked out in sweetheart décor as Poppi would have done for Valentine's Day. Although she feels like a V-Day Scrooge, Emma quickly learns to enjoy the task with the help of a handsome family friend, Lane Forester,

who shows her that hanging hearts is much more fun when done to the tune of Dean Martin. As Emma and Lane share time and memories of Poppi, she reconsiders the notion that romance is alive.






If you would like to read the first chapter of Once Upon a Winter's Heart, go HERE.







ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Over
the years, Melody Carlson has worn many hats, from pre-school teacher
to youth counselor to political activist to senior editor. But most of
all, she loves to write! Currently she freelances from her home. In the
past eight years, she has published over ninety books for children,
teens, and adults--with sales totaling more than two million and many
titles appearing on the ECPA Bestsellers List. Several of her books have
been finalists for, and winners of, various writing awards.



She
has two grown sons and lives in Central Oregon with her husband and
chocolate lab retriever. They enjoy skiing, hiking, gardening, camping
and biking in the beautiful Cascade Mountains.

Disclosure: I am a review partner for CFBA tours.  I did not receive this book, but thought some of my readers might enjoy learning about it. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.

Like to Read? Like FREE books? Check out these new FREE ebooks available today only - #affiliate links

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Disclosure: I am an affiliate partner with BookBub - any purchase made from clicking links in this post will provide Mom Loves 2 Read with a small monetary compensation. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.

Let Me Get This Off My Chest-A Breast Cancer Survivor Over-Shares ~ Review

Tamoxifen hot flashes, mastectomy, reconstruction, breast cancer etiquette, Frankenboobs, bras with special attachments—Margaret
Lesh shares all in her funny, heartfelt collection of essays,
anecdotes, and life lessons from the perspective of a two-time breast
cancer survivor. She’ll tell you when it’s okay to play the cancer card,
what you should take to the hospital, and gives suggestions on how to
cope in those dark moments of the soul. With practical tips sprinkled
throughout, Let Me Get This Off My Chest explores how breast
cancer changed her outlook on life, offering honest insights, humor, and
sensitivity as she looks for

the silver lining in a not-so-great
situation. Whether you are a woman diagnosed with breast cancer or
whether you know someone with breast cancer, this book was written for
you.







Review:

In Let Me Get This Off My Chest: A Breast Cancer Survivor Over-Shares Margaret Lesh does what books about cancer seldom accomplish: she gives hope. One read through her Amazon customer reviews, and it’s evident: those undergoing treatment and battling a range of emotions find comfort in reading this memoir of someone who has been there. It’s like listening to the voice of a friend who knows. A friend who also has a sharp sense of humor, might I add. 

  From hot flashes to reconstructive options, Lesh gives you the patient’s point-of-view, complete with practical tips, minus the intimidating medical talk. But it doesn’t stop there. Cancer touches more than just the lives of those who receive the diagnosis. How do you deal with the news of a family member/friend/neighbor undergoing treatment? Should you visit? Commiserate? Stay clear? None of the above? This book does a tremendous job addressing those issues. It helps you understand the physical changes and treatment side effects, as well as the emotional roller coaster involved. Those battling cancer will see the light at the end of the tunnel, while the rest of us will learn to be a good friend and support.

About the Author:

California girl Margaret Lesh lives with her husband and son in a quiet suburb near Los Angeles. She writes middle grade, young adult, and women's fiction. When she's not writing, she's thinking about baked goods, especially donuts, far too often. She believes tacos are magic.

Visit her website: margaretlesh.com.

Twitter @MargaretLesh

Disclosure:  I did NOT receive a free copy of this book! Paid for it with my own money-and gifted a copy to a friend to boot! All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.

Come Share your Parenting, Pregnancy and Funny Kid Moments on the Mommy Moments Mondays Hop - Week of Feb 16, 2014

Welcome to Mommy Moments Monday

Link Up

Feb 17th, 2014



Each Monday - Friday on Mom Loves 2 Read

You will be able to stop by and post a link to one of your personal posts about: Parenting, Children, Funny kid moments, Serious parenting issues, Pregnancy stories and more.



This is a fun way to share our special moments with each other!


Sound like fun?



All I ask is:



#1 - leave a comment below this post

#2 - I would appreciate if you would follow me!

#3 - Link Up one of your posts for me to visit!  

#4 - Make sure to visit and comment on other posts throughout the  week!

Ready?  Then link up!

 

Each week the link up will be open from Sunday 6pm 'through Friday Midnight (cst) 
You can post your links during that time, then have the rest of the week to hop around and read all the great Mommy Moments Posts!

Would you like to be a Co-Host?  Or like to post this link up on your blog? 

Then email Susan ~ MomLoves2Read(at)gmail(dot)com.  

I'd love to have you!

Skinny-licious Recipes that taste good, help you eat healthy and lose weight too. Review on Mom Loves 2 Read

About the Book:

Eat yourself skinny! Registered nurse and award winning cook Shauna
Evans proves that you don't need to give up your favorite foods in order
to slim down. 



You can enjoy tasty recipes like Lime and Cilantro Shrimp
Skewers, Stuffed Red Peppers, and Cherry Chocolate Cake, all while
losing weight and feeling great. Healthy cooking has never been easier!







My Review:

I have a whole slew of cookbooks, cooking magazines and recipe books around my home.  I have a few favorites that I use regularly, several with some favorite recipes highlighted or marked with some sort of sticky tag, and several that I plan to someday sit down and look through for new ideas.

When offered the chance to review a cookbook with healthy recipes to aid in healthier eating habits and possible weight loss, I was excited to give it a try.  I looked over all the recipes in the book and found several that I plan to try.  I like recipes that use items I keep in my pantry, keep on hand or at least am comfortable cooking with.  I do not like to have cookbooks or recipes that use expensive ingredients or ones that are unusual or not easy to find.  

Skinny-licious has a combination of both - recipes with ingredients that I do not keep on hand or would not use on a daily basis, but also quite a few recipes that are easy, simple and fun to make.  I like the variety, and the options to try something new.  It is a nice cookbook to add to my collection and one that I will be using for several new recipes I can't wait to try!

About the Author:


Shauna Schmidt Evans was born and
raised in northern Utah beneath the Wasatch Mountains. She was a
competitive athlete. Her high school cheer squad was 9^th
in the nation and she took fourth place in her age category when she
ran her first St. George marathon at the age of eighteen. She has
completed three half marathons and three full marathons. Shauna
graduated from Brigham Young University in nursing with a bachelor of
science degree. At BYU, she taught in the anatomy lab. She married Joe
Evans, BYU back-up quarterback to Ty Detmer in 1992. They have five fit,
athletic children. Shauna has been a water aerobic instructor and
continues her nursing education in subjects regarding nutrition,
exercise, and overall good health. Health and fitness have always been
of special interest to her. She is the author of What Goes With What: Baby Rooms Made Easy and Sweet and Savory: Award Winning Recipes Made Easy. She
has won over ten recipes contests including B98.7 and Select Med’s
Healthy Recipe Contest in March 2013. She has appeared on The Daily
Dish, Good Things Utah, Studio Five, and Channel 13 News and has taught
at The Home Show Expo in Salt Lake City. 

Disclosure: I received free the item(s) mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest review through Cedar Fort Blog Tours. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.