Review: God's Crime Scene for Kids by J. Warner Wallace and Susie Wallace with Rob Suggs

About:

Hone your reasoning skills as you investigate evidence in the universe to determine the most reasonable cause for everything we see in creation.

In this companion to Cold-Case Christianity for Kids, Jason uncovers a mystery in his grandmother's attic. He and his friends, Hannah, Daniel and Jasmine, enlist the help of Detective Jeffries at the Jr. Detective's Academy. Along the way, they develop the skills needed to investigate the mystery and the evidence of God's existence. The cadets learn logical-thinking skills as they examine the contents of a mysterious box and the vast universe.

In God's Crime Scene for Kids, real-life detective J. Warner Wallace shows kids ages 8 to 12 what skills are needed to solve Jason's mystery, and at the same time looks at evidence in the universe that demonstrates God is the creator. Ultimately, kids will learn how to make their own case for God's existence.

Learn more and purchase a copy here.

My Thoughts:

Coming on the heels of Cold-Case Christianity for Kids, in God’s Crime Scene for Kids author Wallace challenges kids again to investigate God’s design in the universe. This book talks about how there is too much intelligence in the universe; it is too fine tuned for it to have come into existence from nothing. Siting examples such as an empty nest that was made by an intelligent creature to withstand falling apart if it were to fall to the functions of a motor designed by human intelligence. Such forces as chance, accidents, or even gravity do not have the ability to put together or make anything out of nothing. This book investigates that everything that is made now that we see, is made by animals or people and obviously begs us to answer the question as to why that would have been different from the beginning.

With cartoon illustrations that draw the reader in and make the author points easier to understand and easier to grasp the concepts taught; makes this a great book for kids to understand science from a creative point of view. Also the theme of making the kids detectives and looking at the information from a detective standpoint makes for an interesting read. I think these books would be fun to read as a stand-alone or as a great addition to a science curriculum.

I received a copy of this book for free through Litfuse Publicity. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the authors:

J. Warner and Susie Wallace have been training young people in the church setting for over a decade. J. Warner is a cold-case homicide detective who has been featured on Dateline, FOX News, Court TV and other crime-related television shows. A former atheist, he is the author of "Cold-Case Christianity: God's Crime Scene," "Forensic Faith," and "Cold-Case Christianity for Kids." He has a master's degree in theology and is the founder of ColdCaseChristianity.com. Susie has a master's degree in speech pathology and co-writes (and edits) all the kids books in this series. J. Warner and Susie have four children and live in southern California.

Find out more about J. Warner and at http://www.coldcasechristianityforkids.com.

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Reviewed with Bubba

Review: Egypt's Sister by Angela Hunt

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Chava, the Jewish daughter of a royal tutor, vowed to be faithful to her childhood friend Queen Cleopatra. But after they argue, Chava is ripped from her family and her privileged life and sold into slavery. When she finds herself alone in Rome, she must choose between love and honor, between her own desires and God’s will.

My Thoughts:

Egypt’s Sister by author Angela Hunt is a rich historical read that we are given a front row seat to watch as the events of the rise of the Roman Empire take place. We take this journey with Chava a young Jewish woman who has grown up as the best friend of Urbi (future Cleopatra) in Alexandria the center of knowledge and education. I would say that this is a coming of age story that shows the growth and maturity of Chava, as she watches the world around her and the world that she thought she knew change so abruptly that it was frightening.

Chava is at first a very naïve and stubborn young lady in her views and her opposition to marriage that her father so wants her to do. She is also very loyal to her best friend, Cleopatra, so much so that she forgoes the whole idea of marriage to anyone so that she may be at Cleopatra’s side and her beck in call. I considered this rather foolish of her, understanding the whys but I just felt that she was very narrow minded in her conclusions. The author did an excellent job at showing her growth especially after all she had to endure. We also get a look at what being a friend to a very powerful political person would look like. There is great betrayal and hardship that Chava must endure yet she meets some of the most powerful men of that time; Julius Caesar, Octavian, Marc Antony, and Agrippa.

There was much to process as I read this book; the history I was familiar with but the author really shined a new light on the brutality of the ruling Triumvirate that was very frightening. This was a gritty, lush historical that focuses on the time of history and the set up for when the long awaited Messiah would arrive into the world. And as always, I appreciated the author’s notes on what was real and what was fiction.

A quote from the book that has really stuck with me is found on pg. 265 by Chava: “I kept thinking of something I once read from Euripides: “Those whom God wishes to destroy, he first makes mad.”

I received a copy of this novel for free from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own. 

Review: Chasing Secrets by Lynette Eason

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When a photo leads investigators in Ireland to open a cold case, bodyguard Haley Callaghan and her client are now in the cross-hairs as they race to find what links the past to their future.

My Thoughts:

We have now come to Haley’s story in this impressive and my favorite romantic suspense series with a truly unique theme- a group of bodyguards made up with some really tough women, with the exception of Charlie the only male team member. This was another jam packed, action and adrenaline filled episode of the Elite Guardians. I have read this series from the start and each story is unique with the very high value of the team and their familial like relationships with each other.

Haley, in my viewpoint, was always ready to do what was asked and no matter the danger stepped in. We get to have her story this time and what makes her tick. Hailey’s love for the underprivileged kids and her wanting to keep them off the streets giving them opportunities for a better life really gave a softer edge to her tough as nails personality. She has always been the team member with the secrets that surrounded her. We finally get to know those secrets along with uncovering Haley’s past that she was not entirely aware of. There definitely was a lot going on and along with Haley, the mystery really kept us all on our toes with all these threads that seemed unrelated yet Haley had to watch her back at all times.

We also get to meet Steven, Quinn’s new partner and a possible love interest for Haley, who is dealing with deep issues concerning forgiveness and hate. I have highly enjoyed this series and I wish this was not the end. I hope that in the future we get Charlie’s story and I bet the new bodyguards have some interesting tales to tell as well. Kudos to the design team on these amazing covers; they are my favorite for a suspense series. So much personality packed into each one.

I received a copy of this book for free from Revell. I was not required to give a positive review and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

Review: Sweetbriar Cottage by Denise Hunter

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From the bestselling author of The Convenient Groom (now a beloved Hallmark Original movie), comes a story of unconditional love and second chances.

My Thoughts:

Sweetbriar Cottage by author Denise Hunter was a powerful read on abuse, infidelity, and forgiveness, ultimate forgiveness. Noah and Josephine have gone through a very painful divorce and both thought that part of their lives was finished. However, due to a missing signature they found out they were still married to each other. Thus begins a bitter and painful look at their past and a possible hopeful look into their future.

I really enjoyed the whole stranded in a cabin during a freak snowstorm plot line. I was really rooting for these two to make amends and get back together. They still loved each other, but they covered up that love with a lot of bitterness and blame. This was not a lighthearted read but there were moments that did have me giggling.  I liked the lesson of unconditional love in this novel. It was eye opening and really showed true to life that even though we should love no matter what, as humans that can be difficult if not impossible. We are not able to fill the place of God’s love in another and that was an important lesson for this couple to learn. This is my second favorite Denise Hunter novel (The Convenient Groom still sitting in top place).

I received a copy of this novel for free through the Fiction Guild. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

Review: Unraveling by Sara Ella

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Sara Ella returns with this exciting follow-up to Unblemished as Eliyana continues her journey towards the throne while she tries to figure out her relationship with Ky and how it might be connected to the Callings.

My Thoughts:

Okay, okay, okay. How should I even begin? How about, ahhh! Eeep! Augh! Sob.

Sniffle, all right now that I’ve got that off of my chest I shall begin to try to do Unraveling justice. This book was wonderful. Everything I anticipated as a sequel of Unblemished, and then some. Em/El has really grown as a character and it was fun seeing her try to be queen and master her Mirror abilities. I didn’t like Joshua in the first book, but this book actually makes me pity him… and hate him all the more. I know, confusing right? And then there’s Ky. Ah, yes Ky. Well let’s just say that Ky is flippin’ awesome, totally romantic, and heart meltingly sweet and leave it at that. Oh, and just so we’re clear. He’s. Always. Right. The end. Got it?

Aaaand moving on… This book had me chuckling, sniffling, chewing my fingernails, and trying to force my heart back down my throat. And as for the ending? Sigh, yes the ending. Even though I suspected certain things were going to happen after I heard the title of the next book, I was still totally not prepared for what happens, nor how this book ends… or maybe I just wasn’t ready for the book to end. Period.

This is me after finishing the last sentence. Closes book, takes deep fortifying breath, stares blankly at the wall. Crowe. Now what? Gets a bright idea and goes to reads synopsis for next book. Blinks, forgets to breathe, reads it again. What the bleep, Ella? Looks up, sees release date. Holy Verity. Does that- does that really say May of 2018?! But that’s- that’s *pauses and counts fingers* ten months away! Wails. Withers. Dies.

I. Cannot. Wait. Until. Then.

I received a copy of this book for free through the Fiction Guild.  I was not required to post a positive review and the views and opinions expressed are my own.

Reviewed by Nicki

Review: Jane of Austin by Hillary Manton Lodge

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Just a few years after their father’s business scandal shatters their lives, Jane and Celia Woodward find themselves forced out of their San Francisco tea shop. The last thing Jane wants is to leave their beloved shop on Valencia Street, but when Celia insists on a move to Austin, Texas, the sisters pack up their kid sister Margot and Jane’s tea plants, determined to start over yet again.

But life in Austin isn’t all sweet tea and breakfast tacos. Their unusual living situation is challenging and unspoken words begin to fester between Jane and Celia. When Jane meets and falls for up-and-coming musician Sean Willis, the chasm grows deeper.

While Sean seems to charm everyone in his path, one person is immune – retired Marine Captain Callum Beckett. Callum never meant to leave the military, but the twin losses of his father and his left leg have returned him to the place he least expected—Texas. 

In this modern spin on the Austen classic, Sense and Sensibility, the Woodward sisters must contend with new ingredients in unfamiliar kitchens, a dash of heartbreak, and the fragile hope that maybe home isn't so far away.

My Thoughts:

Jane of Austen by Hillary Manton Lodge was a contemporary retelling of Sense and Sensibility that taught you all about tea and Texas. I especially liked her quotes of the same at the head of every chapter (tea for Jane and Texas for Callum). The author did an excellent job of making characters generally described as unlikeable, loveable- and the others were purposely kept as annoying as ever! It was also interesting to see the familiar story unfold in contemporary ways, with young women trying to start over the family business, a too-charming musician, and an injured former Marine. There was lots of wry humor and lessons on how to properly prepare tea thrown in too. For a non- Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen retelling, I heartily recommend this book.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Reviewed by Jes

Review: Imagine The Great Flood by Matt Koceich

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About the Book:

The ocean swirled around the boy and pulled him down with unrelenting power. Heavy water churned and tugged at his flailing body like unseen hands yanking him into the watery depths. The fight was finally over. Even though he’d tried to stand up to the enemy, the waves were about to swallow him whole.

 

The last thing ten-year-old Corey remembers (before the world as he knew it disappeared) was the searing pain in his head after falling while chasing his dog Molly into the woods. What happens next can't be explained as Corey wakes up and finds himself face-to-face with not one but two lions! 

 

Join Corey and experience the excitement. . .the wonder. . . the adventure. . .as the epic story of Noah’s ark comes to life.

My Thoughts:

I am very excited that there appears to be a new series for kids on the horizon. The new series is entitled Imagine which pulls kids into a story to experience what it might have been like during a Biblical event. There are other series like this that have intrigued my children to experience different time periods and important timeline events. I like that this one focuses on Biblical events. This particular one was about the Great Flood.

My 12 year old son read this one in an afternoon. There were some things in the story that were unfamiliar to him so he and I were able to pull up scripture and see just what the Bible says. After reading this book he was curious to ask questions and learned some interesting tidbits from the Bible he was not aware of. I will pass this on to my other boys and hope they find just as much enjoyment. Looking forward to more books like this to expand my kids knowledge of the Bible in an enjoyable and imaginative way.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway: The Return by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Book

Book title: The Return
Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher
Release date: Sept 1, 2017
Genre: Amish

In a wild country, the true cost of love may be more than they can bear

Beautiful and winsome, Betsy Zook never questioned her family’s rigid expectations, nor those of devoted Hans—but then she never had to. Not until the night she’s taken captive in a surprise Indian raid. Facing brutality and hardship, Betsy finds herself torn between her pious upbringing and the feelings she’s developing for a native man who encourages her to see God in all circumstances.

Greatly anguished by Betsy’s captivity, Hans turns to Tessa Bauer for comfort. She responds eagerly, overlooking troubling signs of Hans’s hunger for revenge. But if Betsy is ever restored to the Amish, will things between Hans and Tessa have gone too far?

Inspired by true events, this deeply layered novel gives a glimpse into the tumultuous days of prerevolutionary Pennsylvania through the eyes of two young, determined, and faith-filled women.

My Thoughts:

In The Return, author Fisher’s third in her extraordinary series Amish Beginnings, we are once again reunited with Bairn and Anna and their family. Felix and Hans have both grown up as some years have passed, and Bairn is now the minister. This story focused on Anna and Bairn’s daughter, Tessa and newly arrived from Germany, Betsy.  We are treated to Anna’s and Felix’s voices as well as the story is told from their viewpoints.

As the story goes, we start with a bit of a tangled love mess. Tessa is in love with Hans and Hans is in love with Betsy. However, Betsy is taken captive during an Indian raid on her home and Hans has become a man driven by grief and determination to get her back. In the meantime, he and Tessa grow closer together.

We the reader are taken with Betsy on her journey through captivity and the author writes vividly the emotions and feelings that young Betsy is experiencing.  The ruthlessness of the massacre to the trading to an Indian family of sisters where she is made to feel at home and even loved. In her captivity Betsy meets Caleb, a half breed and a captive slave and forms a bond of friendship that changes her view of life.

This story vividly portrayed how different and how difficult it was for the Amish, Mennonite, other settlers, and the Indian tribes to get along. The difficulty to reconcile their differences and live in peace when they viewed religion, rights, and land so differently. This was a read full of angst, grit, and determination as these young ladies tried to live in a harsh and difficult world that many times went against their beliefs. I appreciated the author’s notes on how much of this story was true and again I stand amazed at all the pioneers and what they endured in the wilderness of America.

I received an e-copy of this book for free. I did purchase a paperback for my keeper shelf. I was not required to post a positive review and the views and opinions expressed are my own.

About the Author

Suzanne Woods Fisher is an award-winning, bestselling author of more than two dozen novels, including Anna’s Crossing and The Newcomer in the Amish Beginnings series, The Bishop’s Family series, and The Inn at Eagle Hill series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace and The Heart of the Amish. She lives in California. Learn more at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and follow Suzanne on Twitter @suzannewfisher.

Guest Post from Suzanne Woods Fisher

The Three Sisters’ Garden: Corn, Squash & Beans!

Corn was a new food to the immigrants to the New World, introduced to them by Native Americans. Soon, it became an essential part of their daily diet, in one form or another. Growing it brought yet another new discovery: companion planting in the form of the Three Sisters’ Garden.

According to Iroquois legend, corn, squash and beans were three inseparable sisters who only grew and thrived together. 18^th century Native Americans wouldn’t have understood the science behind why companion planting worked, but they knew it did. Beans, like all legumes, have bacteria living on their roots that help them absorb nitrogen from the air and convert it to a form that plants can use. Corn, which requires a lot of nitrogen to grow, benefits from the legumes and provides a pole support for the beans to climb. Low growing squash leaves shade the soil and prevent weed growth. Their sharp and prickly leaves deter pests. This tradition, of planting corn, beans and squash in the same mounds, became a sustainable system to provide long-term soil fertility among Native American tribes that farmed.

The wisdom of planting Three Sisters’ Garden was adopted by the immigrants, including our own Betsy Zook from The Return. Betsy learned of the technique while a captive among a tribe of Indians and later, after she had been returned to the Amish, shared her knowledge with Anna and Bairn.

Have you ever considered growing a Three Sisters’ garden? All you need is the right kind of seeds, a mound of dirt in a sunny spot, and to not forget to water. Mother Nature will do the rest.
Suzanne Woods Fisher is a bestselling, award-winning author of novels about the Old Order Amish. Her interest in the Plain People began with her grandfather, who was raised as a Dunkard (German Baptist) on a farm in Pennsylvania. Suzanne loves to connect with readers! You can find her on-line at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com

*Images courtesy of Dream Home Improvement

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Blog Stops

August 1: Quiet Quilter

August 1: A Baker’s Perspective

August 1: Remembrancy

August 2: Bigreadersite

August 2: lighthouse academy

August 2: Zerina Blossom’s Books

August 3: Genesis 5020

August 3: Book by Book

August 3: Blogging With Carol

August 4: Seasons of Opportunities

August 4: Chas Ray’s Book Nerd Corner

August 4: Carpe Diem

August 5: Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses

August 5: DEE’S QUILTS & BOOKS

August 5: Jeanette’s Thoughts

August 6: Artistic Nobody

August 6: Just the Write Escape

August 6: Locks, Hooks and Books

August 7: A Reader’s Brain

August 7: Pause for Tales

August 7: Splashes of Joy

August 8: Bibliophile Reviews

August 8: Christian Bookaholic

August 8: Live.Love.Read.

August 9: Blossoms and Blessings

August 9: Mary Hake

August 9: Simple Harvest Reads (Spotlight)

August 10: For the Love of Books

August 10: The Fizzy Pop Collection

August 10: A Simply Enchanted Life

August 11: The Power of Words

August 11: Karen Sue Hadley

August 11: Neverending Stories

August 12: Cafinated Reads

August 12: TinaTruelove

August 12: Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations

August 13: God’s Little Bookworm

August 13: Southern Gal Loves to Read

August 13: Connie’s History Classroom

August 14: Vicky Sluiter

August 14: By The Book

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Suzanne is doing an 

amazing giveaway from August 1 through 14! 

Check it out:

Four winners will receive one of the prizes below:
An Amish Gift Basket and a copy of The Return
Amish popcorn sampler and a copy of The Return
The Amish Beginning 3 book set series
One grand prize winner will receive:
An iPad Mini


You can enter at Suzanne's website:

http://suzannewoodsfisher.com/contests/

or on her Facebook page

Review: The Captivating Lady Charlotte by Carolyn Miller

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Her heart is her own—but her hand in marriage is another matter

Lady Charlotte Featherington is destined for great things on the marriage market. After all, as the beautiful daughter of a marquess, she should have her pick of the eligible nobility hen she debuts. She, however, has love at the top of her list of marriageable attributes. And her romantic heart falls hard for one particularly dashing, attentive suitor. Sadly for Charlotte, her noble father intends her betrothed to be someone far more dull.

William Hartwell may be a duke, but he knows he was Charlotte's father's pick, not the young lady's own choice. And the captivating Lady Charlotte does not strike him as a woman who will be wooed by his wealth or title. While she has captured his heart, he has no idea how to win hers in return--and the betrayal and scandal his first wife put him through makes it difficult for him to believe that love can ever be trusted. His only hope is that Charlotte's sense of responsibility will win out over her romantic notions.

Can a widowed duke and a romantically inclined lady negotiate a future and discover love beyond duty? Will they be able to find healing and hope from the legacy of grace? Poignant and charming, this is another beautifully written, clean, and wholesome Regency romance from Carolyn Miller.

My Thoughts:

I very much enjoyed author Carolyn Miller’s debut and first novel in her series and I have enjoyed how her second book, The Captivating Lady Charlotte, just built onto her regency world. This story focuses on Charlotte, who is the cousin of Lavinia. Charlotte is just beginning her season and is captivated herself by the attention that she is receiving from all the young and old men alike, trying to win her affections. Her fancy is caught by a man that her family will not approve of and they have approved a man who Charlotte is less than thrilled with.

This story really showcased the different culture and time and how young women of means were treated and the expectations of their situations in society. An obedient daughter, Charlotte will follow her parent’s rules regardless of where her heart lays or her true wishes. This was a beautiful story of love and I dare say submission and what can come of it. Not that Charlotte’s parents were that great, but the man who asked for her hand in marriage was a different story. He listened to her and cared about her thoughts and feelings of him and life in general.

We are reunited with beloved characters from the previous books and I found it refreshing how author Miller continued their story. Spiced with a bit of sadness and danger, this story will long stay with me and I really look forward to a certain character (I have somewhat disliked in the previous book) and her story next. I will say that how the author set up the first few chapters, in which we meet the main characters, was quite memorable to me. Beautiful covers, lyrical titles, and exceptional stories on the inside make this Regency series one for the keeper shelf.

I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions expressed are my own.