Don’t Go Through Life Naked Spotlight

About the Book

Why do I feel like I’m going through life naked if I’m following God faithfully?

The Bible tells you the war has already been won, yet some days you simply feel undone.

The enemy of your soul wants you to feel out of control…overwhelmed, outwitted and under resourced. When you listen to the lies the enemy weaves in your marriage, finances, relationships, and health, he wreaks havoc. Steals your joy. Kills your hope. And aims to not only dull, but destroy the power of God in your life.

In Don’t Go through Life Naked, Susan B. Mead shares her own deeply personal experiences with feeling exposed and engaging the enemy—from the recurring nightmares of childhood to the loss of her son and perceived judgment of others.

With scriptural insight, let’s-get-real vulnerability, and a wry sense of humor, Mead helps readers:

– Toss out misconceptions about spiritual warfare to understand what Jesus really said about your spiritual authority and the certainty you have in him. – Know what to pray to steady your soul and restore your confidence. – Stop feeling overrun by the enemy and start believing the authority of God abides in you to overcome.

In Don’t Go through Life Naked, Mead provides strong spiritual weapons for your life through the scripture of God’s prayer book, the Bible. These weapons enable you to successfully clothe yourself in God’s power and promises every day.

A portion of the proceeds of Don’t Go through Life Naked will benefit Proverbs 31 Ministries to help them continue teaching biblical truth and taking the hope of Jesus to women and families around the world.

Click here to purchase your copy!

About the Author

With over 22 years in corporate American, 2 million airline miles under her belt, 2 Christian Literary Awards on the shelf, an MBA hanging on the wall, and a Doctor of Theology candidacy in process, Susan B Mead shares her expert teachings on business, grief, spiritual warfare and relationships. A master storyteller and award winning, best selling author, Susan leaves audiences motivated to live a life free of regrets even though she has done the hardest thing any parent can do – bury her youngest son, Kyle.

Susan has been described as a solid, comforting voice in a messy world. Whether speaking to business professionals, women’s conferences, industry leaders or writer’s workshops, Susan’s insightful wisdom inspires audiences, empowering them to make healthy mental u-turns to help them find calm in the chaos.

Guest Post from Susan B. Mead

Seriously Susan? You’re taking the Word of God and making it laughable?

Yes, I am. The subject we address is serious – it is arming ourselves with the Full Armor of God. Do you realize that makes this topic Spiritual Warfare? Yes! Warfare. Why was I compelled to write about this?

We address being 1) aware of the adversary, 2) mindful of his methods and 3) positioned for combat with a powerful promise.

God gave me His sense of humor to lighten the mood and open our minds to His message. Now that is a blessing, in my humble opinion.

Why would God let me poke lightly at this problem? So we can look forward to digging in to discover every tidbit, tool, and treasure He has for us. The world is unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (MSG)

Do you see the nuggets here? I consider them valuable like pure gold and solid silver. When we forge the Word of God into our hearts, He equips us with a tool – the sword of the Spirit. That allows us to clear the ground of every obstruction.

God also covers us with His Word when we come to Him as Lord of our lives. His Word is His Son, Jesus; the Jesus who lived, bled, died, and rose to Heaven for you and for me. We are covered and protected by that amazing gift, for the Word Jesus carries power to prevail against all powers of evil when Jesus is Lord of our lives.

All power.

All powerful.

Not the enemy and not us – Jesus.

Are you ready to venture into the vault of God’s vast truth?

Expect adventure, excitement and breathtaking breakthrough IF you choose to forge ahead.

But beware…

There are twists and turns ahead.

(Spoiler alert! You may already know the end of this story.)

Oh by the way, on April 19, Susan received an email from the Jenkins Group. You know, Jerry Jenkins of the Left Behind Series – and so many other books. She was humbled – and incredibly honored – to read the 2018 eLit Book Awards Medalist list and find this line…

Religion

Don’t Go Through Life Naked by Susan B. Mead

GOLD Medal Winner

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, May 15

proud to be an autism mom, May 16

Simple Harvest Reads, May 16 (Spotlight)

Texas Book-aholic, May 17

Janices book reviews, May 18

Bibliophile Reviews, May 19

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 20

Carpe Diem, May 21

A Baker’s Perspective, May 22

Christian Author, J.E.Grace, May 23

Jeanette’s Thoughts, May 24

Artistic Nobody,May 25 (Spotlight)

Bigreadersite, May 26

margaret kazmierczak, May 26 (Interview)

Reading is my Super Power, May 27 (Interview)

Among the Reads, May 28

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Susan is giving away a grand prize of a Kindle Oasis preloaded with her ebooks along with an autographed copy of her book Don’t Go Through Life Naked: How to Clothe Yourself in God’s Power.

Click below to enter:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0bc39d2b1/?

My Review of the Journible Series

About these Books

Title: Journible: The 17:18 Series

Author: Robert Wynalda (a local businessman) and Dr. Joel R. Beeke (President of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary)

Genre: Non-fiction, Bible study tool

Release Date: Series released in 2009

Why the 17:18 series?
In Deuteronomy 17, Moses is leaving final instructions concerning the future of Israel. As a prophet of God, Moses foretells of when Israel will place a king over the nation (v. 14). In verse 18, the king is commanded to not simply acquire a copy of the law (the entire book of Deuteronomy) from the scroll publishing house, but to hand write his own copy of the law. Thirty-four hundred years later, educators are discovering that students that physically write out their notes by hand have a much greater retention rate than simply hearing or visually reading the information. Apparently, God knew this to be true of the kings of Israel also. From such understanding came the conception of this series of books.

How to Use These Books
Each book is organized so that you can write out your very own copy of Scripture. You will be writing the Bible text only on the right hand page of the book. This should make for easier writing and also allows ample space on the left page to write your own notes and comments. From time to time a question or word will be lightly printed on the left page; these questions are to aid in further study, but should not interfere with your own notes and comments.

Click here to purchase your copy!

My Review

Can I start out this review by saying I loved this? Is that okay? I’m going to do it anyway. The Journibles are a great way to help you memorize scripture. These took me back to my elementary school time where every week we were assigned a memory verse. Throughout the week the class was required to write the verse several times. By Friday, the verse was to be memorized and recited at chapel. Let me just tell you now, it’s an effective method. After graduating from there at the end of my sixth grade year, I lost the tradition. I have been using the Galatians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, and 2 Thessalonians. I have retained the verses I have been rewriting much better than when I just read and repeated it to myself. I also love the prompting questions on the side. It helps me to stop and really give prayerful thought to what I am reading. My complaint is that my writing is rather big, and I have a hard time making it small. I have been using a notebook to write the verses in. It’s works because now I can keep reusing the Journible as many times as I want. If you struggle with memorizing scripture, I really recommend giving this method a try!

About the Author

Dr. Joel R. Beeke is president and professor of systematic theology and homiletics at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, a pastor of the Heritage Netherlands Reformed Congregation in Grand Rapids, Michigan, editor of Banner of Sovereign Grace Truth, editorial director of Reformation Heritage Books, president of Inheritance Publishers, and vice-president of the Dutch Reformed Translation Society. He has written, co-authored, or edited seventy books (most recently, A Puritan Theology: Doctrine for Life, Living Zealously, Friends and Lovers: Cultivating Companionship and Intimacy in Marriage, Getting Back Into the Race: The Cure for Backsliding, Parenting by God’s Promises: How to Raise Children in the Covenant of Grace, Living for the Glory of God: An Introduction to Calvinism, Meet the Puritans, Contagious Christian Living, Calvin for Today, Developing a Healthy Prayer Life, and Taking Hold of God), and contributed 2,000 articles to Reformed books, journals, periodicals, and encyclopedias. His Ph.D. is in Reformation and Post-Reformation theology from Westminster Theological Seminary (Philadelphia). He is frequently called upon to lecture at seminaries and to speak at Reformed conferences around the world. He and his wife Mary have been blessed with three children: Calvin, Esther, and Lydia.

The 17:18 Series

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, May 17

Vicky Sluiter, May 17

Seasons of Opportunities, May 18

Lighthouse Academy, May 18

Bibliophile Reviews, May 19

Purposeful Learning, May 19

Eat, Read, Teach, Blog, May 20

Just the Write Escape, May 20

Because I said so – and other adventures in parenting, May 21

Book by Book, May 21

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 21

God’s Little Bookworm, May 22

Artistic Nobody, May 22

Genesis 5020, May 23

Simple Harvest Reads, May 23

Have A Wonderful Day, May 24

amandainpa, May 24

Bigreadersite, May 24

With a Joyful Noise, May 25

Pause for Tales, May 25

Jeanette’s Thoughts, May 25

Among the Reads, May 26

Live. Love. Read., May 26

Multifarious, May 27

Rebekah’s Quill, May 27

A Baker’s Perspective, May 28

proud to be an autism mom, May 28

Christian Author, J.E.Grace, May 29

Janices book reviews, May 29

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, May 30

Texas Book-aholic, May 30

Giveaway

To celebrate the tour, Reformation Heritage Books is giving away a grand prize of the entire set of New Testament Journibles!!

Click below to enter: https://promosimple.com/ps/cee2/journible-celebration-tour-giveaway

The Amish Teacher’s Gift Spotlight

About the Book

Title: The Amish Teacher’s Gift, Book 1 of the Love & Promises Series

Author: Rachel J Good

Genre: Amish Romance

Release Date: April 24, 2018

Widower Josiah Yoder wants to be a good father. But it’s not easy with a deaf young son who doesn’t understand why his mamm isn’t coming home. At a loss, Josiah enrolls Nathan in a special-needs school and is relieved to see his son immediately comforted by his new teacher, a woman whose sweet charm and gentle smile just might be the balm they both need.

With seven siblings to care for, Ada Rupp wasn’t sure she wanted to take on teaching too. But the moment she holds Nathan in her arms, she realizes she’ll do all she can to help this lost little boy. Plus, it gives her a chance to spend more time with Josiah. Falling for a man in mourning may be against the rules, but his quiet strength is the support Ada never knew she needed. Yet with no time to court and a family secret holding her back, how can she allow herself to fall in love?

Click here to purchased your copy!

About the Author

Rachel J. Good grew up near Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the setting for her Amish novels. Striving to be as authentic as possible, she spends time with her Amish friends, doing chores on their farm and attending family events. Rachel loves to travel and visit many different Amish communities.

Rachel is the author of several Amish series in print or forthcoming – Sisters & Friends series, Love & Promises series, and two books in the Hearts of Amish Country series – as well as the Amish Quilts Coloring Books and the contemporary novella, Angels Unaware, part of the Hope Chapel series. In addition, she has stories in the anthologies Springs of Love and Love’s Thankful Heart.

She’d love to have you visit her website, or connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and Bookbub. Rachel also enjoys meeting readers and will be doing talks and booksignings around the country this year. To find out more about Rachel and her books, you can sign up for her newsletter: http://bit.ly/1qwci4Q

Guest Post from Rachel J. Good

Heart-Tugging Research

Sometimes as an author, stories call to you and beg you to write them. This story first tugged at my heart after I spent time with an Amish friend’s special needs child. I thought about writing a book to show how the Amish treat each child as a gift from God. After meeting a hearing-impaired teen girl with Down’s syndrome and seeing how she was encouraged to live up to her potential, the idea grew stronger. This girl later became Martha in the book.

Then at an auction, I watched a young Down’s syndrome boy help the auctioneer by delivering the goods to the bidders. His straw hat tilted a little crookedly, but with a broad smile on his face, he carefully matched items with the correct bidder. He looked so proud of himself and proud to be able to do such an important job. I sat there at the auction and jotted notes for the novel.

Once I knew the topic of the novel, I began my research by visiting Amish schools for special needs, attending auctions to support them, and touring the Community Care Center, where Amish and Mennonite children and adults with special needs get amazing help. The young man in the wheelchair who showed us around was an awesome guide. We peeked into an exercise room, a therapy room, a craft room, several classrooms, a cafeteria, and my favorite—a multi-sensory environment. This room with dark walls lit only by a small row of twinkling Christmas lights had a ball pit (with the plastic balls like some fast food restaurants have in their play areas), a plush recliner, blankets, headphones, and a hammock. Autistic children at the center found this room a great calming atmosphere. I knew this room had to have a place in the book.

I visited a teacher who taught autistic children and learned a lot about programs, therapies, and teaching techniques. After learning the cutting edge techniques she used, I was surprised to realize that the Amish had adopted quite a few of them for their classrooms. I chose a hearing-impaired boy for the hero’s son because I had a nephew with hearing problems, so I could incorporate some of the struggles he had into the story.

I wanted this series to be about the healing power of love, so each book will deal with a different type of healing. When something touches my heart like this, I always pray it will touch the readers’ hearts too.

Blog Stops

Carpe Diem, May 8

Texas Book-aholic, May 8

The Avid Reader, May 9

Among the Reads, May 9

Reading Is My SuperPower, May 10

The Fizzy Pop Collection, May 10

Lighthouse Academy, May 10

Ansel book blog, May 11

Because I said so – and other adventures in parenting. , May 12

Bibliophile Reviews, May 12

Splashes of Joy, May 12

books n baubles, May 13

A Baker’s Perspective, May 13

cherylbbookblog, May 14

Maureen’s Musings, May 14

Captive Dreams Window, May 14

Blossoms and Blessings, May 15

Mary Hake, May 15

Janices book reviews, May 15

D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, May 16

SusanLovesBooks, May 16

A Simply Enchanted Life, May 17

proud to be an autism mom, May 17

Jeanette’s Thoughts, May 17

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 18

Artistic Nobody, May 18 (Spotlight)

margaret kazmierczak, May 18 (Interview)

Quiet Quilter, May 19

Red Headed Book Lady, May 19

Bigreadersite, May 20

Christian Author, J.E.Grace, May 20

Simple Harvest Reads, May 20 (Spotlight)

Pink Granny’s Journey, May 21

Vicky Sluiter, May 21

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Rachel is giving away a grand prize package of a tote, an autographed copy of The Amish Teacher’s Gift, and an autographed copy of Hearts Reunited!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/cee3/the-amish-teacher-s-gift-celebration-tour-giveaway

The Simple Soul of Susan Spotlight

About the Book

Title: The Simple Soul of Susan

Author: Noel Branham

Genre: Romance, YA, Coming-of-Age, Contemporary

Release Date: October 11, 2017

Susan Combs had long ago found the love of her life. The only problem was the other party still didn’t know he had been found.

Every day Susan saw Calder Hurtz, her next door neighbor and childhood best friend. They always enjoyed the short drive to school down the dusty streets of their small Texas town. She was happy in those perfect moments, for her life at home was most imperfect. The challenging homestead she inhabited was also the favorite subject of local gossip.

But one autumn day she overhears Calder and another boy having a conversation. This occasion of accidental audience sets Susan’s life on an unforeseen path. In the seasons to come, her future will be changed by two hospitalizations, two confessions of love, and one betrayal.

Compulsively readable, The Simple Soul of Susan is an engaging, soul-endearing romance and a mesmerizing debut.

Click here to purchase your copy!

About the Author

Born and raised in a small Texas town, Noel Branham started her career in digital communications after graduating with a degree in English. An award-winning communicator, she now writes from her residence in Florida about things closest to the heart: home, family, and love.

Guest Post from Noel Branham

Fictional Romance: A Real Relationship Killer?

You’ve heard it before… All romance novels give readers unrealistic expectations of relationships. Yep. They totally do. But I think most of the time, with life in general, we have unrealistic expectations not only of others but of ourselves. We live in a world where there is always something else to try, buy or satisfy our ever-evolving aspirations of happiness and fulfillment. So here are three things to remember while reading romance novels that will lead to having deep, meaningful, romantic, relationships in real life:

Happiness isn’t fulfilled expectations. When you expect yoursignificant other (SO) to see you and romantically sweep you off your feet while pulling flowers from behind your back and force feeding you chocolates… you may have some unrealistic expectations. Would it be nice? Sure! But there is always something more they could do to make you happy, feeling loved, satisfied, etc. It’s a bottomless pit of desire and implied anticipated actions. We have to realize that no matter how many things we want out of a relationship, we can never receive them all… because realistically, we could never live up to the things expected of us either. Romance is a two-way street.
Happiness is the unexpected, fulfilled. Wait… how can you fulfill something that isn’t expected? You can’t. And that’s what makes it so great. Your SO fills your car up with gas, takes you out for a date for no particular reason, watches that Victorian-era PBS drama with you even though they can’t understand the accents… When we get rid of expectations for ourselves and others we are able to really enjoy the things and people we already have and anything else is simply adding to lovely life that we already possess.
Happiness in relationships is what you make of it. Just not feeling the love anymore after five years together? Was it that you chose the wrong person? Was it something they did? Something you did? Love can be a feeling and an action. Your relationship doesn’t have to be defined by feelings. Feelings fade. They aren’t realistic. They change with time as people change with time because all people change. But actions… actions are what you choose to do on a regular basis. They are a daily intentional choice (made by you) to care for another person. You can control your actions, but not so much your feelings. Funny thing is often times your actions create feelings you never thought you could have.

If you are looking for a romance novel with a bit more realism to test out these principals, check out The Simple Soul of Susan. You can have the realistic expectation that you won’t be disappointed 🙂

Blog Stops

Among the Reads, May 10

The Christian Fiction Girl, May 10

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, May 10

Multifarious, May 11

Remembrancy, May 11

Two Points of interest, May 12

Blogging With Carol, May 12

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, May 13

Inklings and notions, May 13

Kristin’s Book Reviews, May 14

proud to be an autism mom, May 14

Artistic Nobody, May 15 (Spotlight)

Texas Book-aholic, May 15

Mommynificent, May 16

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 16

The Fizzy Pop Collection, May 17

Janices book reviews, May 17

Pause for Tales, May 18

Jeanette’s Thoughts, May 18

Bibliophile Reviews, May 19

Carpe Diem, May 19

A Baker’s Perspective, May 20

margaret kazmierczak, May 20 (Interview)

Simple Harvest Reads, May 21 (Guest post, Mindy Houng)

Reading is my Super Power, May 21 (Interview)

Christian Author, J.E.Grace, May 22

Bigreadersite, May 22

Reader’s cozy corner, May 23

Josephine’s Thoughts, May 23

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Noel giving away

Grand Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card First & Second Place Prize: eBook copy of the Simple Soul of Susan!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/cee4/the-simple-soul-of-susan-celebration-tour-giveaway

Loving Brock Spotlight

About the Book

Title: Loving Brock

Author: Joan Deneve

Genre: Contemporary Christian Women’s Fiction & Romance

Release Date: April, 2018

For years, Brock Whitfield served God with joy and contentment at the mission hospital he founded in Angola.

When Joy Stockman joined their team as a surgical assistant, he found a woman whose zeal for God and heart for people equaled and in many ways surpassed his own. Before he knew it, his admiration and respect for her blossomed into love. After years of serving alone, Brock began to hope that God was giving him another chance to love and be loved in return.

A crisis arose within the family causing Brock to put his personal plans on hold. As he prayed for guidance, Brock’s faith and obedience were put to the ultimate test as God brings the perfect person into his life and then asks him to give her up.

About the Author

Joan Deneve enjoys being a wife, mother, grandmother, teacher, and author, but her favorite role and defining title is that of Christian. Joan teaches English in a Christian school and has a passion to help young people fall in love with Christ and equip them to become all God wants them to be.

Joan shares her life with Rene’, her husband of forty years. Together they reside in Prattville, Alabama, a quaint city with southern charm and hospitality.

Joan loves to laugh and spend quality time with family and friends.

Blog Stops

Christian Author, J.E.Grace, May 3

proud to be an autism mom, May 4

Mary Hake, May 4

Among the Reads, May 5

The Christian Fiction Girl, May 5

Bibliophile Reviews, May 6

Remembrancy, May 7

Janices book reviews, May 8

Mommynificent, May 9

Carpe Diem, May 10

A Baker’s Perspective, May 11

Bigreadersite, May 12

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 12

Artistic Nobody, May 13 (Spotlight)

Reading is my SuperPower, May 13 (Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, May 14

Jeanette’s Thoughts, May 15

margaret kazmierczak, May 15 (Interview)

Henry Happens, May 16

Quiet Quilter, May 16

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Joan is giving away a grand prize of the entire The Redeemed Side of Broken Series, African blend coffee, coffee mug, a magnet from Angola, and a personalized message from the author on a special card from Angola!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/cc63

She Who Knows No Fear Spotlight

About the Book

Title: She Who Knows No Fear

Author: Barbara Bras

Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction

Release Date: December 8, 2017

Cassie’s dream is about to come true. She’s marrying her best friend, the love of her life.

She will never be alone again.

But when Zack fails to return from surfing, Cassie’s safe world comes crashing down around her and she begins her struggle anew.

Haunted by her conviction that her late grandmother left her something that will help her, Cassie discovers hidden “treasures” in the house she inherited.

With the help of her stepmother, Cassie unlocks the secrets of her grandmother’s journey and along the way finds the ultimate answer for her own life.

Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Author

In 2015, Barbara Bras left her career to pursue her dream of serving God. She believed that her first step was to share the amazing story of God’s blessings in her life. Wrapped in God’s Grace, A Life Rediscovered does so through a trio of narratives. It begins with the story of her son’s miraculous adoption and the challenging years that followed, her grandparents’ remarkable survival in Armenia, and her own quest for purpose and love. Once written, Barbara realized her life’s new purpose. Captured by St. Paul in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, she views her writing as a tribute to the God who comforts and strengthens us in hardships and trials, and as her mission to encourage others. Her first novel, She Who Knows, A Tale of the Heart, seeks to inspire and encourage. The sequel, She Who Knows No Fear: Another Tale of the Heart, released in December 2017. Solo Deo Gloria, To God Alone Be the Glory

Blog Spots

All-of-a-kind Mom, April 26

proud to be an autism mom, April 26

Reflections From My Bookshelves, April 27

Inklings and notions, April 28

Blogging With Carol, April 28

Bibliophile Reviews, April 29

A Greater Yes, April 29

Josephine’s Thoughts, April 30

Among the Reads, April 30

Maureen’s Musings, May 1

Texas Book-aholic, May 1

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 2

Janices book reviews, May 2

Jeanette’s Thoughts, May 3

Reading is my Super Power, May 3 (Interview)

Reader’s Cozy Corner, May 4

Pause for Tales, May 4

Kaylee’s Kind Of Writes, May 5

Carpe Diem, May 5

A Baker’s Perspective, May 6

margaret kazmierczak, May 6 (Interview)

Mary Hake, May 7

Simple Harvest Reads, May 7 (Guest Post from Mindy Houng)

Two Points of Interest, May 8

Bigreadersite, May 8

For the love of books, May 9

Artistic Nobody, May 9 (Spotlight)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Barbara is giving away a grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card plus a signed copy of She Who Knows and She Who Knows No Fear!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/ca74

21 Days of Joy Spotlight

About the Book

Title: 21 Days of Joy

Author: Kathy Ide

Genre: Non-fiction, Devotional

Release Date: April 1, 2016

Tour Dates: April 28 – May 11

Oh, the joys—and struggles—of

motherhood!

21 Days of Joy honors mothers of all varieties. Biological moms. Adoptive moms. Stepmothers. Grandmothers. Godmothers. “Second moms.” Even men who “mother” children when circumstances put them in that position.

Whether you are a mother, have one, or know one, these heartwarming fictional stories will touch your soul and help you see that you are not alone. The work you’re doing will have an impact for eternity. And those rewards will make the trials all worthwhile.

God knows every sacrifice you make for the children He has brought into your life. So take a few moments out of your busy schedule to read this book, and get a glimpse of your daily routine from a divine perspective.

Compiler and editor KATHY IDE has written fiction and nonfiction books and is the author of Proofreading Secrets of Best-Selling Authors. She is a professional freelance editor and the founder and director of two organizations for editorial freelancers. She has ghostwritten ten nonfiction books and a series of five novels. Kathy makes her home in Orange County, California.

Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Author

Compiler and editor KATHY IDE has been a published author since 1989. She has written fiction and nonfiction books and is the author of Proofreading Secrets of Best-Selling Authors. She has ghostwritten ten nonfiction books and a series of five novels. She also writes columns of writing and editing tips for blogs and newsletters. Kathy makes her home in Orange County, California.

Q & A with Kathy Ide

Tell us a little about yourself.

I’ve been writing for publication since 1989 and I’ve been a full-time freelance editor since 1998. I teach at writers’ conferences across the country, and I’m the director of the Orange County Christian Writers Conference here in Southern California. I’m also the founder and director of two organizations for freelance editors: the Christian Editor Connection and The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network.

You’ve created a Fiction Lover’s Devotional series. What inspired you to gather a collection of short fiction stories to be used as devotions?

I’ve always loved Christian fiction, and I’ve seen the power of fiction to touch hearts and change lives, both firsthand and hearing about the experiences of others. But you know, in my quiet times with the Lord, reading a chapter from a novel just doesn’t seem quite appropriate. So a devotional with short fiction stories seemed like a great solution.

Tell us about the books in this series.

Each one contains 21 short fiction stories, followed by brief life applications, each written by a different author. Some contributors are best sellers, some are mid-range authors, and some are new writers. The first book was 21 Days of Grace: Stories that Celebrate God’s Unconditional Love. That came out June 1st of last year. The second book, 21 Days of Christmas, released on September 1^st. 21 Days of Love came out January 1st.

Tell us about this third book, 21 Days of Joy.

21 Days of Joy: Stories that Celebrate Mom contains stories about mothers of all varieties. Biological moms. Adoptive moms. Stepmothers. Grandmothers. Godmothers. “Second moms.” Even men who “mother” children when circumstances put them in that position. It makes a wonderful Mother’s Day gift. And it’s a great way to boost your spirit when dealing with your kids—or your mom—becomes challenging.

Tell us about some of the stories in 21 Days of Joy.

Some of the stories are about the struggles moms have dealing with their kids at various ages and stages. Others are about women dealing with their aging mothers. One story is about a young woman who thinks her dreams of having lots of kids are shattered when her fiance dumps her right before the wedding. There are a couple of stories about adopted kids meeting their biological moms. One story is about a barren woman who realizes she actually has lots of children. And one story, written by one of Bob Hope’s comedy writers, is a humorous tale of a woman who applies for the job of mother.

How do you hope readers will use 21 Days of Joy?

This book makes a great gift, with its beautiful debossed hardback cover, full-color interior, even a ribbon page marker. With stories about all kinds of mothers, it’s great for anyone who is a mom, has a mom, or knows a mom.

Like the other books in this series, 21 Days of Joy makes a wonderful daily devotional. And if you want to go deeper, you can get a Study Guide with additional questions about each of the stories. It will be available soon as a free PDF download at FictionDevo.com or as a 99-cent e-book from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

What do you hope readers will get out of reading 21 Days of Joy?

I’m praying the Holy Spirit will speak to the hearts of everyone who reads this devotional about how much God has shown His love for them through the mothers in their lives, and what a tremendous impact women have in the lives of the children God has given them to love.

What is unique about this series?

Most devotionals contain true stories. And those are great! But so many believers today are big fans of Christian fiction … because fiction can be a powerful way to soak in spiritual truths and apply them to our daily lives. In this devotional, the authors share the themes and messages they see in the pieces they’ve written, and encourage readers to look for those types of things in these devotional stories as well as in other fictional things they might read.

What life circumstances worked together to put you in a position to be able to create this series?

Since I’ve been a professional freelance editor for several years, I’m able to edit the submissions I choose to use, polishing them without losing the author’s unique voice. And since I’ve been teaching and speaking at writers’ conferences across the country, I’ve connected with several authors at all levels, including well-known best sellers. So there are a lot of people I can personally ask about submitting to the books in this series. And I’ve developed a strong social media presence, so I can get the word out to other writers as well.

What other books have you written?

I wrote Proofreading Secrets of Best-Selling Authors, to help writers and editors learn how to proofread manuscripts for typos, inconsistencies, and errors in punctuation, usage, grammar, and spelling, according to the industry-standard guidelines.

What do you do besides write?

Read, of course. And go to movies. I also love to travel with my husband. We visit our out-of-state relatives (when they’re not visiting us—which happens often since we live in Southern California). We also enjoy going jet skiing, and camping in our RV.

Can you share some of the names of the authors who have contributed stories to the devotional?

Absolutely! 21 Days of Joy has chapters written by well-known, best-selling novelists, including Deborah Raney, Lynette Sowell, Mary DeMuth, Sherry Kyle, and New York Times best-selling author Cindy Woodsmall. There are also stories by writers you may not have heard of. At the end of each chapter is an author bio that gives some background information, and usually the author’s website. So if you really like a story in the devotional, you can find out what else that author has written. You may just find some new names to add to your favorites list.

And if you haven’t read much Christian fiction, this devotional will give you a small taste of several different authors and genres, without having to commit to reading an entire novel. You might just discover that you actually love Christian fiction!

Where can people purchase the books?

They’re available online at Amazon, ChristianBook.com, Barnes & Noble, and other websites. If you go to FictionDevo.com, you’ll find several links that will take you directly to the ordering pages for all of the books in the series. You can also find them at many Christian bookstores and Barnes & Noble stores.

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, April 28

Blossoms and Blessings, April 29

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 30

Janices book reviews, May 1

Captive Dreams Window, May 2

Mary Hake, May 2

Jeanette’s Thoughts, May 3

Moments Dipped in Ink, May 4

Simple Harvest Reads, May 4 (Guest post from Mindy Houng)

Bibliophile Reviews, May 5

Carpe Diem, May 6

A Baker’s Perspective, May 7

Bigreadersite, May 7

Artistic Nobody, May 8 (Spotlight)

Margaret Kazmierczak, May 9

proud to be an autism mom, May 10

Beck to Basics, May 10

Aryn the Libraryan, May 11

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kathy is giving away a hardback copy of 21 Days of Grace and an eBook copy of 21 Days of Joy to two winners!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/cc8e

Presumption and Partiality Spotlight

About the Book

Title: Presumption and Partiality

Author: Rebekah Jones

Genre: Historical Christian Fiction

Release Date: November 27, 2017

Among the cotton fields and farmland of Gilbert, Arizona in the early years of the Great Depression, Mr. and Mrs. Bailey live a simple, but happy life with their five daughters on a cotton farm. When the wealthy Richard Buchanan moves to town, bringing his family, a friend, and a desire to learn about cotton, Matilda Bailey is convinced that he is the perfect candidate to marry her eldest daughter, Alice.

Richard is cheerful, friendly, and likable. His friend Sidney Dennison doesn’t make such a good impression. Eloise Bailey decides he’s arrogant and self-conceited, but when Raymond Wolfe comes to town, accusing Sidney of dishonorable and treacherous conduct, Eloise is angered at the injustice of the situation.

When the Buchanan household leaves town, Alice must turn to the Lord and face, perhaps, her most difficult test in trust, while Eloise takes a trip to visit her friend and may well discover a web of deceit that she doesn’t really want to believe exists.

Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Author

Rebekah Jones is first and foremost a follower of the Living God. She started writing as a little girl, seeking to glorify her King with her books and stories. Her goal is to write Bible-Centered, Christian Literature; books rich with interesting characters, intricate story lines, and always with the Word of God at the center. Besides writing, she is an avid reader, songwriter, pianist, singer, artist, and history student. She also loves children. She lives with her family in the Southwestern desert.

Guest Post from Rebekah Jones

Why is he a Navajo?

I’ve had more than one person ask me why I chose to make Sidney Dennison, the “Mr. Darcy” of my novel Presumption and Partiality, a Navajo Indian.

When I commenced planning and research for placing a retelling of Pride and Prejudice in the 1930’s United States, I found myself drawn to the desert of Arizona rather early on. Specifically, the tiny farm town of Gilbert. I knew, however, that few rich people lived in that area; certainly not enough to create social rifts large enough to recreate the social differences of the original novel.

I experimented in my head with a few different ideas, but the idea of Sidney as a Native American came to me one day and just clicked. I knew that I couldn’t fully pull off a Navajo who lived on the reservations. As much as I researched, I couldn’t quite get the feel. Yet, a man whose ancestry included a white man as a grandfather, who lived outside the reservations, though with relatives who clung to some of the old traditions, I thought I could do.

I used to wish I were an Indian, in part because I wanted to have great tracking skills, live in a tee-pee, possess superb bow and arrow abilities, and I wanted to ride a horse. True, most of that did not enter a 1930’s novel, despite my Navajo cowboy, because the eras are different. Though, Sidney did get a horse. Or technically, several.

Further, something about the silent, good-looking Indian appealed to me, much as I tend to shy away from writing about handsome and beautiful people, since they feel so common in fiction. The minute I began imagining the man with his Navajo ancestry, he just felt perfect.

By the end, Sidney turned out to be one of my favorite characters. (I can’t ever pick just one in my novels.) I think I made a good choice and I hope my readers will agree!