Peace...Not Just For Today!

PEACE...For everyone!

The Power of A Smile...

The World seems to thrive on conflicts instead of Peace...

We have not done too well...

Why not leave diplomacy to our children?

A smile is worth a million...

Think for one moment how beautiful it is...

East, West, North or South...

The Power of a Smile..

The world would be so much better...

So beautiful and yet so simple...

Peace NOT War...

The Power of a Gun can kill;
and the Power of Fire can Burn;
The Power of Wind can chill;
and the Power of the Mind can learn;
The Power of Anger can rage
inside until it tears us apart
But the Power of a Smile
especially yours can heal a frozen Heart.

(by T. Shakur)

The Power of a Smile...
Smiling and praying...A winning combination...


For John, Tania, Gunny, Mike, Aaron, Joshua, Limek and all their mates in conflict zones...
Be safe and God speed!

Taming The Wind by Tracie Peterson, Book review & Giveaway

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
ISBN-13: 978-0764206177

Synopsis:

 A young widow nursing the wounds of her past...
A cowboy with demons of his own...


Though grateful for the blessing of her daughter, Carissa Lowe has accepted that widowhood is her lot in life. Bound by fear and mistrust, she feels incapable of opening her heart again.

Tyler Atherton has never forgotten Carissa. When he discovers she's living with her sister on a nearby ranch, his life becomes intertwined with the lovely widow's. And Carissa's daughter, Gloria, seems determined to wrap herself around his little finger. But while Tyler longs to provide a home and future for Carissa, he is haunted by an obligation he feels unable to fulfill.

Challenged by mounting hardships, can Carissa and Tyler preserve their fledgling love in a land as unforgiving and vibrant as the people who call it home?

My thoughts:

I was more than ready to read a good western and 'Taming the Wind' was not a disappointment!
Book # 3 in the Land of the Lone Star series written by Tracie Peterson, this novel gives us a lot to reflect upon. 
Tracie Peterson is after all a prolific writer with more than 95 novels to her credit and she writes passionately about the West. Her novels are always entertaining and clearly shows good research (loved the Longfellow poem addition!) but it also reflects her longstanding faith. 
Each character has its definite personality: passionate, hopeful, tenacious, caring, angry, vengeful...
The Lone Star land is harsh, often unforgiving yet beautiful in its rawness. Homesteading was not for the faint soul!

In her latest novel Tracie describes a little of the hardships endured by Southern sympathizers following the (US) Civil war. I for one had no idea land was confiscated simply because of allegiance. 
Both sides lost much to the war and the resulting animosity was very much alive even after three years of peace as we see in Taming the Wind. 
Cattle drives were dangerous enterprises, with countless obstacles including Native Americans raids, rustlers, stampedes and so on. Yet it also gave an opportunity for struggling ranchers to regain losses...

Taming the Wind depicts not only the many facets of ranching but a sweet love story. Carissa and her little girl Gloria are both ready for better times and the young widow has not forgotten the young rancher who saved her life two years prior.
In turn Tyler has often thought of the young mother and child but stands to loose much if his confiscated ranch is not returned to him. He also cannot forgive the raid which took his father's life...

Of course, God has a plan and with Tracie's flair for a good adventure, we learn love and forgiveness can be found even in these most challenging times!

Note: 
Just a suggestion of course: 'Chasing the Sun' and 'Touching the Sky' are pre sequels  in the series well worth reading albeit the author gives a rundown in Book #3 for those of us who have not read these titles.
A good reason for reading more of this entertaining author!

4 Stars!


About the Author:

Tracie Peterson is an award-winning, best-selling author of over 95 books. Having given her heart to Jesus at the young age of six, Tracie has always felt called to some form of ministry, and writing fulfills that mission field.
Tracie received her first book contract in November, 1992 and saw A Place To Belong published in February 1993 with Barbour Publishings' Heartsong Presents. She wrote exclusively with Heartsong for the next two years, receiving their readership's vote for Favorite Author of the Year for three years in a row.
In December, 1995 she signed a contract with Bethany House Publishers. Tracie now writes exclusively for Bethany House Publishers.

More on this prolific author on her website (here).

And for those of you interested in Tracie's GIVEAWAY....

Celebrate with Tracie by entering to win a Kindle Fire!

 See what people are saying about Taming the Wind.

One winner will receive:

• A Brand New Kindle Fire with Wi-Fi
• The entire Land of the Lone Star series by Tracie Peterson

Hurry, the giveaway ends on 9/25/12. Just click one of the icons below to enter. The winner will be announced at Tracie's "Taming the Wind" Author Chat Party on 9/26! Connect with Tracie, get a sneak peek of her next book, try your hand at a trivia contest, and chat with readers just like yourself. There will also be gift certificates, books and a Book Club Prize Pack to be won (10 copies for your book club or small group)!

So grab your copy of Taming the Wind and join Tracie on the evening of the September 26th for a chance to connect with Tracie and make some new friends. (If you haven’t read the book – don’t let that stop you from coming!)

DON’T MISS A MOMENT OF THE FUN, RSVP TODAY. TELL YOUR FRIENDS VIA FACEBOOK or TWITTER AND INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. HOPE TO SEE YOU ON THE 26TH!

I received this book free from LITFUSE as part of their blogger review program.

I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC 16 CFR, Part 255 'Guides concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. I was not asked to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

How Better to Describe it?...

Three weeks and I still feel like...

Definitively not how I look everyday...usually...
Happy Sunday to all! 
See you tomorrow or the day after...
Blah...

With Every Letter by Sarah Sundin, Book review & Giveaway

Publisher: Revell
ISBN-13: 978-0800720810

Synopsis:


Lt. Mellie Blake is a nurse serving in the 802nd Medical Squadron, Air Evacuation, Transport. As part of a morale building program, she reluctantly enters into an anonymous correspondence with Lt. Tom MacGilliver, an officer in the 908th Engineer Aviation Battalion in North Africa. As their letters crisscross the Atlantic, Tom and Mellie develop a unique friendship despite not knowing the other's true identity. When both are transferred to Algeria, the two are poised to meet face to face for the first time. Will they overcome their fears and reveal who they are, or will their future be held hostage to their past? And can they learn to trust God and embrace the gift of love he offers them?

Combining excellent research and attention to detail with a flair for romance, Sarah Sundin brings to life the perilous challenges of WWII aviation, nursing, and true love.

My thoughts:

'With Every Letter', Book 1 in Sarah Sundin's newest series 'Wings of the Nightingale' clinches her as one of the very best Christian authors in Historical Romance genre!

As we have learned to expect from this best selling author each of her novels surpasses the last one!
Her three previous novels in the 'Wings of Glory' included 'A distant Melody' (see review here),  'A Memory Between Us' (see review here) and 'Blue Skies Tomorrow' (see review here) were stunning in their historical details and emotional dramas.
I consider it a blessing she now presents us another great story which is sure to delight her audience everywhere.

In 'With Every Letter' Sarah clearly demonstrates you can still experience the emotional drama we remember from books and movies such as 'Best Years of our Lives', Casablanca, Mrs. Miniver and countless other WWII era reenactments! I am at a loss to explain why we feel this powerful attraction for a period which is remembered as full of danger and certainly heightened emotions but for some of us, it cannot be denied!

Tom and his Annie/Mellie reminds us that with God all is possible of course. Intended to build morale during war, a letter exchange betwixt the troops and volunteers brings these two people together with one rule: they cannot reveal their identities.
Letters become a vivid link between Tom and Annie, each letter allowing them to share their most private emotions and seek counsel from the other.

A skilled engineer Tom is a people person who never truly reveals his inner thoughts because of his past.  His leadership is challenged time and time again on the front and he must earn his men' respect or see himself sent back to the Sates. 
Annie/Mellie does not know how to deal with her fellow nurses but due to her unusual upbringing she can handle any man and situation. Her exotic physique, sort of an orchid instead of a rose, makes her an oddity in her group yet she desperately wants to fit in. In fact her job as a flying nurse demands it!

Will they ever meet and share openly their true feelings?

Their course is not the easiest one but with faith anything is possible and Sarah Sundin's excellent penmanship will make a believer from the hardest soul. With her meticulous details this author gives a carefully researched plot and we can follow our heroes throughout the war theater, feeling their distress and emotions along the way. Wait until you meet Sesame (and no, I will not tell you about this lovely little fellow just read and enjoy!)

With Every Letter will certainly speak to all of us who have written countless letters during war and peacetime to the troops bringing a little of home  to those who are still fighting for freedom.

I found this novel to be a beautiful love story with just the right amount of suspense to make any of us dream yet again (man or woman, just ask ex-RAF hubby!)! 
Sarah absolutely excells in this novel and since I cannot give up the plot, it remains for me to say this is a story certain to make you feel again the throes of love no matter your age!

How does she do it, again and again?

May we expect to hear more from Tom and Annie in the future? I certainly hope so!

5 Stars because there is no higher rating but worth much more for the warm feelings she gives us!
Thank you Sarah and please keep on writing! God speed!

About the Author:

Sarah Sundin followed an unusual career path for a novelist, receiving a bachelor's in chemistry from UCLA and a doctorate in pharmacy from UC San Francisco. She now lives in northern California with her husband, three children, an antisocial cat, and a yellow lab determined to eat her manuscripts. When not driving kids to soccer and tennis, she works on-call as a hospital pharmacist and teaches women's Bible studies and fourth- and fifth-grade Sunday school. She has been writing since 2000 and belongs to American Christian Fiction Writers and Christian Authors Network. She is also the author of the Wings of Glory series.

Fore more on this author visit her website (here). Be sure to sign up for her newsletter and future giveaways!

AND NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY!!

Celebrate with Sarah by entering to win a eReader!

 (Winner's choice of Kindle Fire or Nook Color)!

See what folks are saying about With Every Letter!

One fortunate winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire or Nook Color (winner’s choice)
• Handmade With Every Letter First Aid Kit
• With Every Letter by Sarah Sundin

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on September 26th. Winner will be announced at the “With Every Letter” Author Chat Facebook Party on 9/27. Connect with Sarah, get a sneak peek of her next book, try your hand at a trivia contest, and chat with readers just like yourself. There will also be gift certificates, books and a Book Club Prize Pack to be won (10 copies for your book club or small group)!

So grab your copy of With Every Letter and join Sarah on the evening of the September 27th for a chance to connect with Sarah and make some new friends. (If you haven’t read the book – don’t let that stop you from coming!)
Don't miss a moment of the RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 27th!

I received this book free from LITFUSE as part of their blogger review program.

I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC 16 CFR, Part 255 'Guides concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. I was not asked to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Unending Devotion by Jody Hedlund, Book review & Giveaway

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
ISBN-13: 978-0764208348

Synopsis:

In 1883 Michigan, Lily Young is on a mission to save her lost sister, or die trying. Heedless of the danger, her searches of logging camps lead her to Harrison and into the sights of Connell McCormick, a man doing his best to add to the hard-earned fortunes of his lumber baron father.

Posing during the day as a photographer's assistant, Lily can't understand why any God-fearing citizen would allow evil to persist and why men like Connell McCormick turn a blind eye to the crime rampant in the town. But Connell is boss-man of three of his father's lumber camps in the area, and like most of the other men, he's interested in clearing the pine and earning a profit. He figures as long as he's living an upright life, that's what matters.

Lily challenges everything he thought he knew, and together they work not only to save her sister but to put an end to the corruption that's dominated Harrison for so long.

My thoughts:

As stories goes, 'Unending Devotion' is pleasant enough, harmless even, a tad sentimental but easily dismissed after a few chapters. I felt there was something missing from the moment I saw the novel's cover. Somehow the plot and its main characters just does not hook the reader. Even the sub characters were much more interesting!

I struggled to feel the various emotions the author hinted at from the beginning and just had to accept this was just not my cup of tea so to speak. 
Lily posing as a photographer's assistant with its implied paraphernalia should have been on the cover posing next to gruff Oren and perhaps a more thorough description of the lumber camps might have caught my attention. There is a striking amount of information on logging available including stunning photos even here in the Pacific North West!

That said, I enjoyed the author's notes regarding the town of Harrison and its unsavoury residents. There is obviously a lot of historical facts recorded in the Michigan's past lumber era with the usual problems found in shanties such as alcoholism, violence, notwithstanding the origin of white slavery trade in the state, this being the most startling! 

All in all, I would recommend anyone going away this weekend to pack an extra book along unless like me, you find the historical portion enticing enough to browse internet and library files to find out more on the subjects of logging and white slavery in 1800's Michigan!
Interesting it was, entertaining it was not.

3 stars!

About the Author:

From Amazon:


Jody Hedlund is an award-winning author of inspirational historical romances, including the best-selling historical, The Preacher's Bride.
As a busy mama-writer, she has the wonderful privilege of teaching her crew of 5 children at home. In between grading math papers and giving spelling tests, she occasionally does a load of laundry and washes dishes. When she's not busy being a mama, you can find her in front of her laptop. Sometimes her family thinks her fingers are super-glued to the keyboard, but in reality she usually finds her writing time in the wee hours of the morning and then for a couple of hours in the afternoon when done with school. She views writing as God's gift to her--a creative outlet that helps bring fresh energy to her parenting.

For more, visit her website (here) 

AND NOW FOR THE...

 Celebrate with Jody by entering to win a Nikon Camera Prize Pack! 

 See what folks are saying about Unending Devotion!
 

One “devoted” winner will receive:

• A Nikon COOLPIX Digital Camera
• $25 Shutterfly gift certficate
• Unending Devotion by Jody Hedlund

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on September 17th. Winner will be announced at the “Unending Deovtion” Author Chat Facebook Party on 9/18. Connect with Jody, get a sneak peek of her next book, try your hand at a trivia contest, and chat with readers just like yourself. There will also be gift certificates, books and a Book Club Prize Pack to be won (10 copies for your book club or small group)!

So grab your copy of Unending Devotion and join Jody on the evening of the September 18th for a chance to connect with Jody and make some new friends. (If you haven’t read the book – don’t let that stop you from coming!)
Don't miss a moment of the RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 18th!

I received this book free from LITFUSE as part of their blogger review program.

I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC 16 CFR, Part 255 'Guides concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. I was not asked to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

The Reunion by Dan Walsh, Book review & Giveaway

Publisher: Revell
ISBN-13: 978-0800721213

Synopsis:

There are people in this world we pass right by without giving a second thought. They are almost invisible. Yet some of them have amazing stories to tell, if we'd only take the time to listen . . .

Aaron Miller was an old, worn-out Vietnam vet, a handyman in a trailer park. Forty years prior, he saved the lives of three young men in the field only to come home from the war and lose everything. But God is a master at finding and redeeming the lost things of life. Aaron is about to be found. And the one who finds him just might find the love of his life as well.

Expert storyteller Dan Walsh pens a new tale filled with the things his fans have come to love--forgiveness, redemption, love, and that certain bittersweet quality that few authors ever truly master. Fans old and new will find themselves drawn into this latest story about how God cares for everyone.

My thoughts:

The opportunity to be first in reading any of Dan Walsh's novels brings competitive emotions in our household! We have learned to expect the best of entertainment from this wonderful author! His novels holds a prized location in our (home) library and woe to anyone who borrows his books and does not return them (or in mint condition!).

Dan Walsh needs of course little introduction having the ability to weave biblical and family values without sounding 'preachy' in a great 'can't stop reading now' novel! This latest one grabs your attention from page one and you will soon find yourself enjoying once again his excellent penmanship! 

In 'The Reunion' we are introduced to Aaron, a former Vietnam war hero whose life has come apart since his return. This Vietnam veteran has lost his family, his job, his dignity and ends up living on the street. For him and so many like him who have experienced the real 'Nam', there is little or nothing left to live for. 

Sadly we have heard such tales before. But this is Dan Walsh people! He takes it and weaves such a story you will find yourself believing all over again the love God has for all who seeks him!
Lone Aaron Miller is a man of integrity, he earned the Congressional Medal of honour and has sacrificed time and time again his life for his fellow men. Forsaken he drifts around for decades and ends up as a handy man in a trailer park.
This is the story of one man who stands by all who need him and is finally rewarded for all he has done for others! 
In helping others and saving their lives, Aaron finds he is not alone and God has a plan for him after all!

Masterfully written as always, the author gives us a real life story with just the right amount of intrigue and even a touch of romance for all of us dreamers! 
Dan is a rare storyteller: he makes us believe again and again! 
The Reunion is an inspirational novel you will not soon forget I promise you! 

5 Stars only because there is no higher rating!
Thank you Dan for bringing us the best of fiction!!
P.S. Great cover!


About the Author:

Dan tells us:


'I was born in Philadelphia in 1957 to a mostly blue-collar, hard-working Irish family. My Dad was the first person on either side of the family to earn a college degree. It took him nine years, working during the day, going to college at night, using the GI Bill from his war days in Korea. In the mid-sixties, General Electric hired him as an engineer for the Apollo space program. We packed up and moved to Florida, which is really where I grew up.
I spent my childhood years playing basketball and surfing. In the spring of my senior year in high school I met the woman who would become my wife, Cindi. We dated for a brief period. I asked her to marry me and, to my great surprise, she said yes. We were married near the end of 1976.

And this is only the beginning Folks! Check out the 'rest of the story' on his website (here)!

And now for a surprise from Dan Walsh...

 5 Winners will receive autographed copies of both of The Reunion and The Deepest Waters! 

All you have to do and go to the link below and click! 

DATELINE TO ENTER: 17 SEPTEMBRE 2012!

Voila! 

 

http://danwalshbooks.com/the-reunion-book-giveaway-contest/

BEST WISHES TO ALL! 

I received this book free from BAKER/REVELL as part of their blogger review program.

I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC 16 CFR, Part 255 'Guides concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. I was not asked to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.