Review: God Gave Us You (Children's Book)

 by Lisa Tawn Bergren

Art by Laura J. Bryant

Absolutely delightful! What a wonderful way to answer the inevitable question that every child eventually asks: Where did I come from?

This sturdy children’s board book offers a beautifully illustrated story about a young bear cub who presents that very question to her mother. Mama’s wise, thoughtful answers are sure to build self-esteem and confidence in young listeners and/or readers, as each reply to Little Cub’s numerous queries reinforce the overall answer: You are a treasured gift from God.

God Gave Us You was the first of the charming God Gave Us books that originated in 2000. It now has the honor of being the first of those stories to be offered as a board book.  

Expertly illustrated animal characters make it attractive to young eyes; it is sized for easy handling by tiny hands; and the thick, board pages make it a sturdy option for less-than-delicate usage by little ones who have yet to learn how to properly handle a book.

Parents and children alike will love God Gave Us You. It’s sure to be a treasured keepsake and a basis for developing self-esteem in many, many curious kids.

• Purchase the book/find out more on the publisher’s site: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9780307729910
• Purchase the book on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/God-Gave-You-Lisa-Bergren/dp/0307729915/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1308683190&sr=8-1
• Check out books and the author’s facebook/blog/twitter and more at the author’s site: http://lisatawnbergren.com/
• Follow the author on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lisa.t.bergren
• Follow WaterBrook Multnomah on Facebook for contests, prizes and info about new releases! http://www.facebook.com/WaterBrook
• Join the publisher's Blogging for Books program for free books to review: http://www.bloggingforbooks.org

Gut-Wrenching Scenes in Fiction

Guest post by Michelle Massaro, Asst Editor for Clash of the Titles

This week COTT is focusing on gut-wrenching passages, which are some of my favorites! So it got me wondering, why do we so enjoy reading those scenes that tear our hearts out and end with an empty box of tissues?

Most of us already know about stress hormones and how they build up in the body, causing all kinds of problems. According to one article I read, emotionally-induced tears contain protein-based hormones as well as leucine enkephalin, a natural painkiller. So "a good cry" flushes all those stress hormones out of our system.

Well, the science is all fine and dandy but I still wanted some experiental answers. Here's what some of you had to say:

Diana Prusik: Tears are cathartic. There's nothing like a good cry during a touching scene . . except for a good cry followed by laughter. (Think Sally Fields' stellar graveside scene in Steel Magnolias. Poor Ouiser!) Something about reading or watching a scene like that feels emotionally cleansing.

Brian Heffron agrees: Catharsis

Barbara Robinson: Because a book has to touch us emotionally or it's nothing to us. It must evoke reader emotions. If I don't feel anything when I read a book, the book is not any good, and I wouldn't finish it.

Christine Lindsay: I think we need to cry as much as we need to smile and laugh. Although when we cry, it's because we are always reaching out for hope. That this sad situation will not remain, but that the sun will shine again. It's about hope.

Jessica Patch: God designed us to connect with others. The bible says rejoice when others rejoice and weep when others weep. We're built to care. We want to. Real life or fiction, we're drawn to it and good writing makes us feel like it's real even when it's not. 

Those are some great answers! What about you? Why do you love those gut-wrenching scenes? (Or if not, why don't you care for them?)

~ Connect with Michelle at her blog, Adventures In Writing.

Review: Daffodils

by Donna B. Snow 

A word from the author:

Do you honestly believe that people learn from their mistakes? I do. Well, at least some of them do anyway...  And do you believe that not all bad timing is a wrong choice? I certainly do.

So, do you believe in giving second chances—to someone who really hurt you...but someone you truly loved?

What did God say to Peter when he asked, “How oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times?”

Jesus saith unto him, “I say not unto thee, until seven times: but, until seventy times seven.” Matt 18:21-22

No, it’s not in our power to forgive that perfectly, infinitely, the way our Father does, but forgiveness is the answer. Without forgiveness, there is no love. Without love, there is no life.

So, I believe in giving second chances to the ones we love—and that’s what Daffodils is all about. 

My review of Daffodils:

The love of her life rejected her when she needed him most. Ten years later, he’s back and wants a second chance.

But Margaret Ellington is no longer the lovelorn young girl to whom Lukas North said goodbye even as she mourned the loss of her father. She’s a grief-stricken widow who harbors a tremendous amount of guilt for not having loved her husband enough. Peter was a good man, a beautiful soul, and he adored her. But Margaret’s heart had never been completely his, having already been lost to Lukas a decade before.

Margaret flees her life in Jamestown. Teaching in the same school where Lukas also teaches is too hard; memories of Peter in the house they shared are too vivid and painful. She starts over in a new town, with a new job, a new house…a whole new life.

But Lukas has no intention of letting her go this time, and Margaret finds herself reluctantly involved in a long-distance relationship. Slowly, she begins to trust again, and opens herself to the possibility that she might still have a future with the love of her life.

Can their blossoming romance survive the revelation that Lukas is hiding something from her?

This debut novel is an excellent showcase for the author’s talent. Daffodils is a sweet, touching story that makes the reader believe in love. Margaret’s heartbreak, sorrow, guilt—and cautiously re-emerging love—are expertly portrayed, tugging at the heart strings and tweaking the emotions. The pieces of the storyline come together, amidst a charming display of buds and blossoms, into a beautifully woven romance that won’t be easily forgotten.

COTT's Ellie Gustafson and The Stones

This week, COTT's Book Club is taking a further look at The Stones by Eleanor (Ellie) Gustafson!

Much of it is narrative, but when Ellie pens dialog, she does it with expertise. The things her characters say either crack me up or sober me with their depth of wisdom. Ellie is indeed a master at crafting compelling dialog.

The event that stood out to me the most during the second quarter of the book was David’s move from Hebron to Jebus (which he renamed Jerusalem). I’m not sure if I just glanced over it every time I’ve read it in Scripture or if there just isn’t much there, but it was practically new information for me. 

Ellie wrote a nail-biting account of the take-over of the city from the Jebusites. I never thought about who occupied Jerusalem before David or for how long. For those who haven’t read the book, the Jebusites had control of the city for hundreds of years before David decided he wanted it for his capitol. But that’s all I’m saying! You’ll have to buy the book if you want to find out exactly how David entered the highly-defended and, up to this point, unconquerable fortress.

Before the battle David addressed the troops. This is what he said:

“Look up, all of you, to the hill above Jebus, Mt. Moriah. Abraham brought his son Isaac from Beersheba to this place to sacrifice him in obedience to God’s command. He stood right where you’re standing now. He looked up in dread, yet set foot to the mountain, confident that God—somehow, in some way—would provide. And he did. As Abraham raised his knife, the angel of the Lord stayed his hand. So shaken he could hardly stand, Abraham looked around, and there in the thicket, caught by its horns, was the sacrifice God provided in place of Isaac.

“Abraham called the mountain, ‘The Lord will provide,’” David continued, “and we’ll hold to that word today. We’ll climb Mt. Moriah, and there Yaweh will provide. Here, in the name of the Lord, we claim that miserable shelf called Zion. It shall be cleansed of Jebusites and be forever known as Jerusalem, Mt. Zion, the Holy City of God.”

That passage deeply impacted me. Having grown up on the Thoene’s work, I’ve always been fascinated with Jerusalem, but Ellie took me back to the beginning and drew a thread through the centuries, through David and to Christ. Although you didn’t mention it, the reader easily draws the thread the rest of the way through to present-day and the ongoing struggle for God’s Holy City.

Our God is an awesome God! History is already written and he sees the big picture with perfect clarity. We can only hope to catch a glimpse.

Head over to COTT's Bookclub Blog, or join us on Facebook, to hear what the author has to say!

Have any of you visited Israel? If so, share your favorite part of the experience. If not, tell us the first place you’d want to see if you were told you’d be flying there tomorrow.

I hope you'll join us over at our Book Club headquarters for more conversations on this wonderful book And if you'd like to read along with us next month, make sure you pick up your copy of COTT champ, Delia Latham's, Destiny's Dream. We'll be discussing this fun romance in August!

Do something different...join a book club!

If your weekend is a true weekend...one in which you actually get to kick back, relax and enjoy yourself by doing exactly nothing if that's what you choose to do, then have I got an idea for you!

While you're resting on your laurels and wishing you had something to entertain you while you veg, why not take a little cyber-detour over to Clash of the Titles and check out the COTT Book Club? Take a minute or two to clue yourself in on the current month's discussion, which revolves around The Stones by Eleanor Gustafson. (You might need to backtrack a post or two...) Haven't read the book? That's okay - hop on in and join the fray anyway. This month offers plenty of subject matter that's open to even those who haven't read The Stones. If you're anything like me, however, you'll come away determined to pick up Ellie's book and see what all the fuss is about.

Follow me...

 

http://cottbookclub.blogspot.com/   

Interview: Lillian Duncan

I'm delighted to welcome a fellow White Rose Author to My Book Bag today. Here's Lillian Duncan, talking about her new release, Pursued:

Welcome to My Book Bag, Lillian! You're fairly new to White Rose Publishing, and I don't know a lot about you just yet - but I'm looking forward to becoming better acquainted. Let's start with basics: Where are you from?

I'm from a small town in Ohio. We're located about half-way between Columbus and Cleveland. When I say small, I mean small. There's one traffic light. I love living in a town where I know the names of the people I see on a regular basis, like the store owner, the librarians, and the pharmacist. And in fact it’s one of the themes in Pursued.

I love small towns too. I grew up in a little place like you're talking about - one traffic light, and everyone pretty much knew everyone else. It's not a bad way to live! :) Tell us when and why you started writing.

I know this is going to sound a bit strange, but I've always "made up" stories in my head when I was bored. Very detailed stories with characters and problems and happy endings. After two very specific events, it was like a light bulb went off in my head. Oh, these are the stories I should be writing down so I started writing that day and I haven't stopped since.

What makes you think that would sound strange? I thought everyone did that! Hmmm...maybe I'm a bit strange too. See, we've already found something in common. :D  So, how long have you been writing, Lillian? Did you ever feel like giving up?

I started writing 16 years ago when I was 40. Yikes, that makes me so...never mind. And absolutely, I wanted to give up many, many times. And in fact, I did give up many times but I always started up again. 

I don't know any writer who hasn't felt that way. The uncertainty of becoming a published writer can be frustrating and overwhelming at times to say the least. But if being a writer is your dream, you have to keep writing and waiting...and waiting...and...

But you persevered, and now you're a published writer. Tell us about your upcoming release.

Pursued is a story near and dear to my heart. I wanted to write a story that showed some of the differences between "big-city" and "small-town" living, but in the end those differences are only superficial.  The important thing is a person’s character not where they live or what they do for a job.

Amen! I couldn't agree more. Pursued is quite an interesting title. How did you come up with it?

The original title was Just An Old Country Boy but that didn't sound very suspenseful so I changed it to Pursued. In the story, Reggie is being pursued by an unknown killer, by the hero, and by God, so it made sense to me as a title.

Oh, Pursued is definitely more suspenseful! I take it Reggie is your heroine. Tell us about your hero and heroine.

My hero, Dylan, is a good old boy with a heart of gold who just wants to make life better for everyone around him.

Guest post by COTT Senior Editor, April W Gardner

Since we’re in the middle of Clash of the Title’s two week summer break, we thought we’d introduce you to the book club COTT has recently begun. All this month we’re delving into The Stones written by COTT champ, Eleanor (Ellie) Gustafson.

The Stones is a historical/biblical novel based on the life of Kind David. Most of us know how the story ends (wink), but Ellie presents the details in such a fresh and unique way that I find it’s almost as if I’ve never read the story before. It’s hefty reading, but I’m really enjoying it. Ellie’s prose is lovely and almost poetic. It’s enchanting. And the historical detail simply fascinates me. Actually, I’m quite in awe of all the research she’d done.

My favorite so far in the book is Abigail, David’s third wife. She was always one of my favorite female Bible characters. I think it’s rather romantic that saving her wretched husband’s life earned her the (future) king’s love. Her dead husband was barely cold in the ground before David took her to wife. Talk about making an impression!

Quite the colorful character in The Stones, she’s strong-willed (which wasn’t a gift in those days) and usually the cause for tension. But it’s generally because she’s fighting for what she believes God requires of them. David’s standing before God and the people is more important to her than her staying in his good graces, which she doesn’t lose for long anyway. David loves her too much.

Care for a tiny peek into her personality? Here she is chiding David for bringing booty home from the Amalekites he’s just raided and killed.

She says, “Did you consult Abiathar and the Urim and thummin to find out if you’re the man to do it? It seems to me you’re tearing off this ‘vengeance’ thing, when it’s the Lord’s business to—”

 “Enough, woman! You have a fine hand on my faults and don’t hesitate to say so.” (great line, by the way) The flare died quickly, and David sighed as he wrung a cloth and wiped his dusty face. “Abigail, Abigail, you don’t understand. We have our reasons. We—”

 “You mean Joab has his reasons. This was his idea, wasn’t it?”

 “Yes, and it’s a good idea.” His voice grew irritable again. “We must get Achish to trust us. Once he thinks we’ve made ourselves odious to the Israelites… And besides, I thought you’d like clothes and jewelry.”

 “They’re soaked in blood. I’d never wear them” (Wow. A scene with this feisty gal is always interesting!)

Historical/biblical fiction is my all time favorite genre, but I can’t help but wonder the entire time that I’m reading - Which parts are real and which are made up? In a book club setting, I get to ask the author questions as I’m reading. How fun is that?!

If you’ve ever had a question about the life of David, Ellie’s your gal. She will be available all month long at the Clash of the Titles Book Club to chat with her readers and anyone who would like to meet another of our amazing COTT Champs!

WANT TO BE A PART OF COTT STAFF?

Clash of the Titles, is on the search for a new staff member! If you are a writer who’s looking to gain exposure, connect with other authors, add bullets to you professional bio, and have a blast doing it, we would love to chat with you to see if we are a good fit. Please contact us for more details: contactcott(at)gmail(dot)com.

--April W Gardner is the award-winning author of  Wounded Spirits.

New Release: Buried Treasures

by Mary Manners

When Caroline flees Chicago following the brutal murder of her husband, the last thing she expects--or wants--is to fall for Matt Carlson, a builder with strong roots in the small town of Mountainview, Tennessee. She needs to focus on raising her six-year-old daughter and protecting both their hearts from ever being shattered again.

Matt is struggling with issues of his own...guilt over the death of his wife and the responsibility of raising a cynical teenaged nephew who is dropped on his doorstep, abandoned by Matt's alcoholic sister. He doesn't have time to fall in love, yet he can't help being drawn to the woman who is ready to defend her home--and her daughter--with nothing more than a fiesty attitude and a broom handle.

Can Matt's help and friendship convince Caroline to trust again...and when Caroline's daughter goes missing, will Matt be able to find the girl before it's too late and he loses everything he loves...again?

Available publisher-direct or through most online book sellers (i.e., Amazon.com).

Review: Awakening

 

by JoAnn Durgin

Back Cover Blurb:  

A God-fearing man. A God-seeking woman. For Sam Lewis and Lexa Clarke, it proves a combustible combination.

Lexa Clarke signs up for a TeamWork Missions summer assignment expecting adventure in a far-off, exotic country. Instead, she's sent to sweltering San Antonio to help rebuild homes destroyed by sudden flooding. She survives the four-hour bus trip from Houston, dust in the lungs, a flat tire, a tool-throwing incident and a spitting goat - not to mention an inquisition from a distractingly handsome cowboy - all before reaching the work camp.

TeamWork director Sam Lewis isn't sure what to think of his newest volunteer.  She's feisty, witty, and incredibly pretty, but looks more prepared to board a cruise ship than build houses. Burned by a past betrayal, he's got a job to do, a reputation to uphold. Sam can't afford to be distracted by a woman who attracts animals, defies his rules, finds trouble at every turn and questions God's purpose. But when she tumbles from the top beam of one of the houses into his arms, Sam suspects his life will never be the same.

During their weeks together in the TeamWork camp, Sam and Lexa learn the power of forgiveness and healing. Enduring a chain of incidents which challenge their faith, trust and growing relationship, they look to the Lord for guidance as together they discover a love greater than either could ever imagine. At the end of the eight-week work camp, Sam is committed to a year-long, dangerous overseas mission for TeamWork. Can Lexa trust the Lord enough to let him go? Will Sam safely return and keep his promise to meet her at the Alamo? 

You'll keep turning the pages of this sweeping romantic adventure. With great characters, plenty of humor, enough emotion to make you shed a tear or two, and an ending that'll have you cheering, Awakening will leave you breathless. Hold on tight. The adventures of Lewis and Clarke have only just begun!

My take:

The last thing Lexa Clarke expects when she signs up for a TeamWork mission project is to fall in love. But she hadn’t counted on the TeamWork director, Sam Lewis,  being such a handsome, hard-headed, sexy, frustrating, magnetic, loveable cowboy.

Look out, Lewis and Clarke…it’s a whole new adventure, featuring Sam and Lexa in a romantic escapade!

I won’t reiterate the entire storyline, as the back cover text lays it out quite well. What I will say is that Awakening is an absolute treat to read. The dynamics between Lexa and Sam are delicious—and relentless. The author knows how to paint attraction and sensuality into a relationship without crossing the line into “graphic” content. Sexual attraction is an undeniable part of any romance, and pretending it doesn’t exist makes a storyline stale and unbelievable. Kudos to Durgin for handling this situation with grace, finesse and unapologetic realism.

Snappy dialogue and vibrant characters keep the pages turning. A thread of suspense and a snippet of mystery perches the reader on the edge of her seat. Beautifully woven into the mix, a strong gospel message speaks to the heart and feeds the soul.

I highly recommend Awakening and look forward to other works by JoAnn Durgin.

COTT victory for Joanne Sher

Guest post by Michelle Massaro

The winner of this week's COTT battle is....

  

Joanne Sher!

Joanne joins the notable COTT Conquerors family as a pre-published author. Her writing passion is Biblical and historical fiction—paving rough roads with God’s presence. Joanne says her dream is to be able to submit to Clash of The Titles as a published author. We are confident that day will come.

Find her at http://www.joannesher.com/
 

Her winning excerpt came from her manuscript entitled Handmaiden to a Princess:

“Don't you have to leave now?” Mama took a sip of water and looked out at the sun. 

Rivka's eyes followed her mother's. The colors of the sunrise were already beginning to fade into the blue of the Israeli sky. Rivka nodded. “Good bye, Mama. Off to the gardens.” She half-jogged toward the next part of her morning ritual.

Rivka’s sandals flip-flopped on the dirt, her steps brisk and light. The scents of the lilies of the valley and hyacinths slowed her pace the closer she got. The grass before her, still touched with the last of the morning’s dew, slapped against the sides of her sandals. She stopped, closed her eyes, and took in a long, slow breath.

Aroma fit for royalty. 

Read the full excerpt, and that of her most worthy competitor, Mary Hall, here.  

Some reader comments:

I felt that excerpt 'A' was really good in that the little girl was so a part of the description.

I want to go walk in the garden! 

I felt the soil in my hands, and smelled the fragrance of flowers in the air. Lovely!

I could see and smell the flowers.

About her win, Joanne said:

WOW - I'm SO excited! What an honor. And what a FUN clash it's been. 

Like the other members of the COTT family of authors, Joanne and Mary both praised each other's work and exuded a Christ-like spirit throughout the competition.
 
Get to know Joanne through her interview with her COTT hostess, Gail Pallotta here.

Congratulations, Joanne! We can't wait to see you in print!

Join us at COTT for our next Clash. Vote for your favorite and be entered to win a free book. Have a book or theme suggestion? Send it in! Have you written the next blockbuster hit? Send us your 500 best words. We want to hear from you. 

BIO: 

Michelle Massaro is Assistant Editor for the literary website Clash of the Titles. She has written for The Write Conversation, Pentalk, COF Ministries, and Romantic Times. She and her husband of 16 years live in sunny So Cal with their four children. Above all, she is a follower of Christ Jesus, unashamed to stand upon the Word of God from beginning to end. Connect with her on her blog, twitter @MLMassaro, and Facebook.

Kylie's Kiss Blog Blitz, BOOK WINNERS

As promised, I have drawn FOUR winners from the comments left across the entire blog blitz.  

CONGRATULATIONS to:

Marianne from Lena Nelson Dooley's blog

Tinkertoot from Linda Wagner's blog

Linda Kish from Patty Wysong's blog

Carmen7351 from Elaine Cantrell's blog

It has been such a pleasure bouncing from blog to blog and chatting with everyone who stopped in. Thanks yet again to all of my hosts, and to all of their readers for making the Kylie's Blog Blitz a tremendous experience!

Review: Tender Touch

by Tanya Stowe

Tender Touch offers a sweet love story as well as a thought-provoking look at the impact a divine gift might cause in the life of an ordinary person. Lacy Butler’s ability to heal feels like anything but a gift to the young girl, who uses every means at her disposal to pretend it doesn’t exist.

Royce Darnell’s appearance in Lacy’s reclusive world sets off a chain of events that will change the girl’s life and capsize Royce’s well-ordered, carefully planned existence. How can he make Lacy see God in her gift? How can he convince her the healing in her hands is, indeed, a gift—not a curse?

There’s not a single dull moment as Royce is caught up in desperate measures to save the mining town he loves, the people who live there…and the beautiful mountain girl who has captured his heart. When God reveals to him a solution to Harperville’s impending demise, Royce knows he must obey God’s gentle nudging, even though that obedience will almost certainly destroy any chance of a relationship with Lacy.

Tanya Stowe has created an absolutely believable world peopled with amazing, true-to-life characters who seem almost capable of walking off the page and into a reader’s life. She handles the existence of the spiritual gifts with bold faith, calm assurance, and a tender touch of her own. Lacy’s struggle to accept her ability as a gift God expects her to give back to Him by using it His way will undoubtedly raise a number of questions in the minds of readers who might never before have considered the possibility of divine gifts being bestowed upon mere human beings.

I loved this book, and can say in all honesty that it is one of the best I’ve read in the past year…and possibly longer. Stirring and thought-provoking, it also contains a sprinkle of humor and a dusting of fun. Truly inspired writing! I wholeheartedly recommend Tender Touch, and look forward to my next chance to enjoy the work of this talented author.