"The kind of inspiration that is relevant to us all: how to find God's grace as we stumble through this life"

Lonely Girl, Gracious God

Review by Kimberly at Drinkin From My Saucer 

As most of you know, I love to get free things.  :)  A few weeks ago, I was offered Lonely Girl, Gracious God by Lauri Khodabandehloo to review.  Though I was reluctant to start reading another book this summer... the crooked cover kept beckoning me to open it up.  ((The old adage: Don't judge a book by it's cover kept coming to mind.))  Finally, I opened it up!  Immediately, Lauri's honesty cut to my core.  I couldn't put it down!  Every feeling is shared.  Every thought captured.  She has opened up her heart and revealed the innards of a mother who struggled to find God's promise. This book is an inspiration.  Not all in it turns out as sunshine and rainbows kind of inspiration, but the kind of inspiration that is relevant to us all: how to find God's grace as we stumble through this life.  I can wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who wants a look into a beautiful example of God's unending grace.

About the Author: After raising three children on her own, Lauri found that God heard her prayers, and He answered them in His timing and in His way with the birth of Lauri’s fourth child Farema. Before Farema, Lauri didn’t really understand that there were disabled people.  But today, Lauri lives a life full of compassion for other people.  Today, she ‘sees’ people she never saw before...she sees the hurting people on the streets, or the drug addict, she sees those who need help.  She now is keenly aware of people with disabilities, autism, and the developmentally challenged, and she has a deep desire to help those that are just learning for themselves that their child has a disability. In Lonely Girl Gracious God, Lauri tells how she came to fully trust God in ALL things, and how her life was changed because of God’s gift of patience given to her, wrapped as a beautiful daughter named Farema.

 

About the book: It didn’t take long to learn that Farema was not like the other girls.  And, later, in finding her daughter was autistic, Lauri found she had no other choice but to be patient.  Without her newfound patience given to her by God, Lauri would not have been able to win the battle.  You see, you can not win a battle with a child with autism-they cannot deviate-they do not know anything different. 

From the moment of her birth, Farema was not like her sisters. She didn't respond normally to sounds or the touch of a hand. She was different. Embrace this mother's deeply personal account of tragedies and triumphs, along with joys and sorrows of raising a child with the devastating disability of autism. 

When lives have been turned upside down and we have nothing left to cling to, God offers amazing grace to find encouragement and authentic hope in the face of overwhelming confusion and grief.

I received a free review copy of "Lonely Girl, Gracious God" in exchange for my honest review. 

You can purchase the book: Amazon  Barnes and Noble  Christian Book 

"Maximal Reserve has all the ingredients: conspiracy, drama, suspense, crooked politicians, and even a little romance."

Book Review: Maximal Reserve 

Review by Bonnie at Grandma Bonnie's Closet

 

If you enjoy books with a christian base then you are sure to enjoy Maximal Reserve. I was given the chance to review the book Maximal Reserve by Bring It On! Communications. I do enjoy fiction and thrillers so I was happy to have the chance to read and review this book.

The story is about Philip Channing, a brilliant geophysicist/computer science guy. Philip is hired by Axcess Energy Company to work on a top secrete project. The story takes Philip over the Atlantic in a helicopter hopping from oil rig to oil rig and finally landing on a research ship in the Atlantic ocean. This is where Philip will look deep into the oceans depths farther than most have ever seen. The story takes its reader on a wild ride of espionage and terrorism.

My View: Maximal Reserve has all the ingredients of a great  fictional book conspiracy, drama, suspense, death, crooked politicians, and even a little romance. I like to see the character in a story portrayed with average human abilities. Now, what I mean by this is the character should be human like and not be able to leap over tall buildings, read minds or have x-ray vision. Although Philip is portrayed as having a brilliant mind his character was believable. He had to fight like any real person might have to under such circumstances.

I would recommend this book to my friends to read with a warning that the book has many technical details and explanations that might be a little distracting to some readers. Over all I give the Writer a 10 out of 10 for such a great story.

Author: Sam Batterman
ISBN: -10: 1-935265-52-0
Publisher: Deep River Books
Date published: 2011
Price: $14.99

"To read more reviews like this one, 
go to Tell Us The Truth Reviews!"

*I received a free copy of this book for review from Bring It On! Communications. There was no monetary exchange & the above opinions are solely my own.*

"I...found a lot of practical ways to help turn my insecurities into a wonderful new life that I can live for God."

Sand to Pearls

Review by Brenda at Brenda's Handmade

I'm a book reviewer for Bring It On Communications, and the latest book I was sent to review was, Sand to Pearls, written by Heidi McLaughlin. Heidi is a teacher, mentor, and a great inspiration to women. The book was published by Deep River Books in 2011.

Sand to Pearls is a great book about "making bold choices to enrich your life." It's about how our insecurities can hold us back from the wonderful future that God has planned for us. The book has 13 Chapters and each chapter covers a different topic that women often get stuck in. These topics are obligations, sabotaging ourselves, friendships, resentment, blended families, buyer's remorse, comparing ourselves to others, fears, regrets, shame, panic, and careers. The author shares personal stories and examples in each chapter and how to move past the area you're stuck in. She also quotes from other books, which give wonderful encouraging, inspiring words to help you move forward in your life. Every chapter has a section about how to make choices that enrich your life that are very practical and helpful. Also, every chapter ends with a section entitled, "Stop and Ask God To Help You Change Sand to Pearls." Each "s" is a scripture, "t" is thanksgiving, "o" is observation, and "p" is prayer.

I really enjoyed this book and  found a lot of practical ways to help turn my insecurities into a wonderful new life that I can live for God. One of my favorite things I learned was in Chapter 6 " Broken or Blended." Although, I've been married to my one and only husband for 16 years, I still found something great in this chapter. It talks about how your husband can't meet all of your emotional and spiritual needs, that God is the one to look to in order to meet all the empty places in our hearts. This really spoke to me - and I think reminding myself to turn to God will take a lot of pressure off my husband and make our marriage happier. Another thing I liked was in Chapter 12 "Panic or Prayer." It suggests to say a prayer to God, thinking of words that describe him using every letter of the alphabet. What a great challenge!

I was furnished this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

If you want to read this book yourself, the ISBN numbers are: ISBN-10 1-935265-43-1, ISBN-13 978-1-935265-43-6. You can find it at amazon.com on sale for $2.53! What a great price! You can also contact Heidi McLaughlin on her web page.

"I ended up wanting to take my time and soak and savor the messages God was speaking to me through Mai’s writings."

The Son In My Eyes: Seeing the Light Of Jesus In Vietnam
Review by Andie of Ours + His + Mine = Nine


Mai Spencer with Dixie Phillips
978-1935265665
Deep River Books
2011
$14.99

The Son in My Eyes is first and foremost a beautifully inspirational testimony of Mai Spencer’s life. I was captivated from the start by her recollections of her childhood growing up as a young Buddhist girl in Vietnam. My heart was spoken to and encouraged as the author wove the memories of her rather dramatic life into the pages of this book; stories of her poverty and struggle to provide for extended family, surviving Agent Orange exposure, the loss of children and more all unfold between its covers, yet even the tragedies can’t keep her from sharing peace, hope and the promises of God.

I loved the way scripture is fluidly included. I started out with the intention of reading this book from cover to cover in just a day or two. Instead, I ended up wanting to take my time and soak and savor the messages God was speaking to me through Mai’s writings. This book brought a sort of reawakening to my heart of the passion I once had for missions. I would be happy to read more from this author as the book truly touched me. I believe this book is a good example of “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Coming from someone who grew up reading fiction and humor, especially science fiction or westerns this would not have been the first book I pulled from the shelf due to its peaceful, quiet beauty. Even so, The Son in My Eyes did not disappoint.

I think the back cover sums it up well when it calls this book “an amazing testimony of tragedy and loss…[which] speaks to the broken-hearted and brings hope to the hopeless...”

I recommend this book be added to your nightstand, or at least your wish list. I pray it touches your heart and leaves an impression just as it has my own.

 

"The Son in My Eyes" is available through Amazon.com and Deep River Books.

I received a complementary copy of this book to read for the review from Bring It On! Communications. All opinions are completely my own.

"A story that sweeps you right up and keeps you turning the pages as fast as you can...Highly Recommended."

Book Review: Maximal Reserve

Review by Beckie at By the Book

Petroleum engineer Phil Channing has only been employed a week when he uncovers the largest oil reserve in history. Using the research of a recently murdered friend, Phil discovers the secret to drilling for it lies in lava tubes under the Dead Sea. But will this knowledge throw off the world’s balance of power? 
Sam Batterman grew up in the 1980′s with a pocketful of quarters to play video games in one hand and a stack of computer magazines in the other. He holds a Computer Science degree from Bob Jones University and works as a Software Engineer in Southeastern Pennsylvania with his wonderful wife, Susan, and his two kids, Samantha and Parker. He teaches Computer Programming at a Christian school and enjoys seeing kids get excited about the technology he loves so much. Sam’s first novel, Wayback, has become the best seller for Deep River Books. Sam and his wife serve at Valley Forge Baptist Temple in Collegeville, PA.

My Impressions:
Sam Batterman had me with the first chapter of his newest book, Maximal Reserve.  The action starts with a life or death chase scene and really doesn’t let up until the end of the story.   Phil Channing is a recent Masters graduate looking for the perfect job to combine his years of research with his goal to make a difference in the world.  Joining the research team at Axcess Energy is a dream come true — a dream that quickly becomes a nightmare.  Faced with killers determined to stop the research findings — the world’s largest petroleum source — from being made public, Phil and his fiancee, Lisa must be smarter and quicker than their assailants.  The stakes are high — the economic balance of the world, and there are enough shady characters, corrupt politicians and professional assasins to make the most dedicated fan of action and suspense keep reading.

I love a story that sweeps you right up and keeps you turning the pages as fast as you can.  Maximal Reserve is that kind of story.  I even liked all of the scientific theories that were put forth in the book as background.  Now, I am definitely not a scientific person (I graduated from college without any math and only 2 semesters of science), but Sam Batterman made this part of the book fascinating and easily understood.

So if you want a fast-paced suspense novel with enough questions to get you thinking about what our government, corporations, and scientists are really up to, pick up a copy of Maximal Reserve.

Highly Recommended.
(I received a copy of Maximal Reserve from Bring It On! Communications in return for an honest review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

"This book is a must-have for every family. Your child will have a better understanding of David and Goliath after reading this book."

Review by Tiffany at Fabulous Finds


Title: Smoothie Rock-A-Teller: On The Whopper Stopper
Author: Dr. Gerald Mittmann
ISBN: 1935265784
Publisher: VMI Publishers
Illustration by: Gregory Cannone
Release Date: September 1, 2011

Smoothie Rock-A-Teller: On the Whopper Stopper is the first book in a series of nine where rocks retell biblical stories from their point of view. In this book the rock’s name is Smoothie and he retells the story of David and Goliath. My soon to be 4-year-old was immediately enamored with the beautiful, colorful illustration that were used throughout this book. The author of this book came up with really fun ways to refer to different characters in the book. For example people are referred to as talking-walk-abouts and fish are referred to as wiggle-movers. My daughter really liked that but sometimes I would have to remind her I was referring to people and fish.

I think this book is a must have for every family. Your child will have a better understanding of David and Goliath after reading this book. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series. The Rock-A-Teller Family know how to tell a good story. This book definitely gets my seal of approval.
This book is rather long, 52 pages broken into 5 chapters. Each night I would read a chapter to my little girl and when we reached the end of each chapter we would go over the questions for review and say the little prayer as well. I really like this book, it’s throws a new twist on old Bible favorites. I plan to take this book and donate it to my daughter’s Christian school. I know a lot of children will really enjoy this book.

You can purchase this book from Amazon or the Deep River Bookstore for 13.99$
“To read more reviews like this one, go to Tell Us The Truth Reviews!”

I was sent a copy of his book for free for review. I was not monetarily compensated to give a positive review. Thanks to Bring it On Communications for the free book.

"I was captivated by the way the author wove this mystery around Disney facts and trivia"

Review by Kat at Reviews From the Heart

Who hasn't heard of Walt Disney, Disneyland, The Magic Kingdom or anything related to Disney in general?

Some of us have grown up with Disney in some form or another for most of our lives and know what dreams can do for those of us willing to dare to live them.

Farren Rales is one of the chief Imagineers working for the Magic Kingdom and when he calls Grayson Hawkes, a pastor of Celebration Community Church and asks him to meet him at the Gamble House. The Gamble House is a piece of property that is now part of the National Historical Society and is the inspiration come to life of Snow White's cottage from Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

It's late at night for a secret meeting with Farren and Hawkes as they wander around the inside of the cottage learning about Disney's fascination for details within a story. He leaves Hawkes with a gift, an old key that he claims is the Key to the Kingdom. When he looks up to inquire more about what the key means, Farren has vanished into the dark of night.

As Hawkes leaves the cottage, he learns that he is not the only one in the park at night. Running for his car, he barely manages to escape with his life. When Farren fails to show up for work, his secretary grows worried and returns Hawkes calls since he was the last person to see him. Not knowing what to do or where Farren is, he gets worried and believes that the clues to what is happening lie within the Magic Kingdom and what exactly that key will unlock.

Now Hawkes finds himself in a Disney-like National Treasure scavenger hunt, unlocking riddles that lead him to more clues within the Animal Kingdom, The Disney Resort, and Epcot Center with a stuffed Pal Mickey that becomes activated with hidden sensors located throughout the park guiding him to the next clue.

What he will ultimately discover is the Disney Magic may be more real than we have been led to believe and perhaps there is a whole lot more reality mixed in then we know.



I received the mystery novel, The Key to the Kingdom by Jeff Dixon, compliments of Bring It On Communication for my honest review. Being a huge Disney fan since I was a child, my child-like wonder has never left and I was captivated by the way the author wove this mystery around Disney facts and trivia that most of us walk by in our day to day visits of the park and never give it a second thought. Do tunnels really exist below the park? Is Walt Disney really sealed in a cryogenic cylinder waiting for a cure for cancer? Is there really a Snow White Cottage in Port Orange, Florida and inspired Disney to create Disneyland?

Who knows until you read this book and decide for yourself is this really fiction or perhaps a Disney magic way of covering up the secrets of the park! I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars and now it has a place of permanence in my personal library because the kid in me, still believes in magic!

For more information about this book, the author or where to purchase your copy of this book, click on the links below:

The Key To The Kingdom by Jeff Dixon

You can also find out more secrets on Facebook by clicking here.