Blue Ridge Sunrise by Denise Hunter

Denise Hunter

ISBN: 97800718090500

Publisher's Synopsis:

Former free spirit Zoe Collins swore she’d never again set foot in Copper Creek or speak to the man who broke her heart. But return she must when her beloved Granny dies, leaving the family legacy to Zoe—a peach orchard nestled at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

When Zoe returns home with her daughter and boyfriend Kyle, she finds that she’s the only person in town who doesn’t expect her to give up the life she’s established far away from Copper Creek. Everyone believes she was born to run the orchard, but how can she make it her home after so many years?

Cruz Huntley never quite got over his first love, Zoe Collins, the little sister of his best friend Brady. Not when she cheated on him during their “break,” not when she took off to parts unknown with good-for-nothing Kyle Jenkins, and not even now—five years later.

As life-changing decisions and a history with Cruz hang over Zoe’s head, tensions rise between her and Kyle. Even as she comes to terms with the shifting relationships in her life, Zoe still isn’t sure if she can remain in Copper Creek with her new responsibilities . . . and her first love.

"... almost smell the peaches,

ripe to harvest. Feel the fuzzy skin and taste the sweet

juicy flesh. She'd spent every spare hour at 

the orchard..."

MrsK's Review:
Even though Zoe is trying to keep it together for Granny's funeral, everything seems so unreal. Coming back to Copper Creek isn't easy. With many thoughts coursing through her, Zoe must try to find a balance with all of those she once knew. Kyle had stayed at the hotel with her daughter Gracie. Even though Kyle was being some what supportive, Zoe knew that some things weren't exactly good between them. 

Cruz couldn't keep his eyes off of Zoe. When Zoe spotted him, his heart "seized up." How could she be going through this alone? Sometimes it takes only a moment to rekindle what once was. Unfortunately, that moment comes the minute Kyle chooses to hurt Zoe and scare Gracie. Now Cruz will find a way to protect both of them, whether Zoe accepts him back in her life or not.

Blessings can come in so many ways. Sometimes it can be someone having your back. Often times, it is a gesture of friendship. Many times it can be a "helping hand" when you are restarting your life. For Zoe, it all begins which Granny's leaving her the peach orchard. This will be her opportunity to walk away from her singing career, Kyle, and her past. Truth will be the only obstacle. As life unfolds, most of us must find the inner strength and determination to move forward. Zoe will need faith to take this leap.

With characters that are truly simple, yet, completely complex you will recognize the strength and the hope. Even when we take a leap of faith to begin again, we still face challenges. This story provides the promise that "faith" is the ingredient in which one finds their way home.
Enjoy,
MrsK 

"She'd made decisions that had changed the course of her life....

God specializes in recovery of the lost."

A story that is more real than fictional.
Proof that life can change and... 
all things lost can be found.

Meet the Author:

Denise Hunter is the award-winning author of more than 30 novels, including "The Convenient Groom" and "A December Bride", which have been made into Hallmark movies.
Denise writes heartwarming, small-town romances. Her readers enjoy the vicarious thrill of falling in love and the promise of a happily-ever-after sigh as they savor the final pages of her books.

Denise and her husband live in Indiana, where they raised three sons, and are currently enjoying an empty nest. In 1996, Denise began her first novel, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she's been writing ever since. Her books contain a strong romantic element, and her husband says he provides all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!

"I received this book from the Fiction Guild for this review."

I Can Only Imagine for Little Ones by Bart Millard

Bart Millard

ISBN: 9781400322015

Publisher's Synopsis:

I Can Only Imagine asks questions a child might ask and invites families to wonder together: What is heaven like? What does God do? What would it be like to spend a day with Jesus? Children will see that although experiencing the glory of heaven may be far off, we can enjoy a friendship with Jesus every day - right here on earth.

"The more imagine, the more I wish I knew."

MrsK's Review:

Given the impact of the song, "I Can Only Imagine," I was very excited for the opportunity to review this sweet book. Any opportunity we have to plant the seeds of our Lord is a chance to discuss a faith that will model a lifetime of choices for our children.

This story is beautifully crafted with delightful illustrations in which the child is asking questions about his relationship with Jesus. Just what will it be like in Heaven? Will Jesus play with the children? What does God think is fun? 

With each page, you have the opportunity to "imagine" with your child. This book requires a perfect location for snuggling up. The discussions are only limited by the number of times you snuggle and read. Sweet moments of lovingly helping them know the Love of Jesus will be the best moments of your day or evening.

Blessings,
MrsK

 A gift of love.
A seed planted and watered with each reading.
A beautiful gift for every baby shower!

Meet the Author:

Bart Marshall Millard is an American singer and songwriter who is best known as the leader of the band MercyMe.

 

God's Blessing Day by Day: Daily Devotional for Kids

Johnny Hunt, editor
ISBN: 9781400311306

Publisher's Synopsis:

One of the greatest gifts - and greatest challenges - of raising children is introducing them to the ways of God. As parents and grandparents, we want to impart our faith to the children we love so dearly, and it can feel more difficult than ever in the fast-moving, instant-access culture in which we find ourselves.

God’s Blessing Day by Day,compiled by Johnny Hunt and more than 50 pastors and church leaders, is the perfect way to build faith through gratitude.

This easy-to-understand, child-friendly devotional is the perfect way to engage your family. Each devotion is written on topics children care about and includes great prayers and takeaways that will spark conversation as the timeless Word of God instructs and inspires your children.

Impart a deeper connection with the Lord in your children, help them establish healthy habits of devotion and prayer, and equip them with the tools they need to grow their faith.

God is my Helper

PS 121:2

"Do you know that God loves to help you?

He's a good Helper to have because He can do anything!..."

(segment from Week10, Wednesday pg.58)

"Dear God, every day I need Your help for many things.

Thank You for helping." (prayer on pg.58)

"My God is big enough to help me with

any problem."

(memory banner on pg.58)

MrsK's Review:

Ok, so when this review package came, this mother... grandmother... teacher... librarian never made it down into my work station. The minute I opened the covers of this devotional, an excited request for the grandchildren went out into the front room. 

These devotionals are not just child friendly, the scripture passages and its teachings are so supportive for moments of discussion and sharing. The illustrations help smaller children look and listen (can you say cute, sweet, and tender).

The format is perfect for any day of the week that you choose to read, which in this reviewer's opinion is perfectly matched for the little one who might just be picking which devotional to read because of an illustration connection. Each devotion gives the author's name and city and state, which speaks volumes to children about the vastness of His faithful.

A must own for all young families and grandparents!

Gift this one... you will be passing on God's word by planting

seeds into our future generations,

MrsK

 "Exceptional!" MrsK

"It's good! It helps you know more about God. The pictures are really cute."

Riley Ella

"I wish I would have waited before I bought a different devotional.

This one makes understanding easier for kids from ages 4-9.

I like that it has a little prayer at the end,
plus a key phrase for them to memorize.
The illustrations just make it extra special!"

Brie (Riley and Gabriel's mom)

Meet the Editor:

God’s Blessing Day by Day is a trustworthy devotional compiled by renowned pastors and church leaders. Edited by Johnny Hunt, former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, this devotional is the perfect way to introduce your children and grandchildren to a legacy of faith.

Tommy Nelson link.

The Orphan's Wish by Melanie Dickerson

Melanie Dickerson

ISBN: 978-0-7180-7483-8

Publisher's Synopsis:

From the streets to an orphanage in a faraway kingdom, Aladdin has grown up alone. Until he meets Kirstyn. With a father who is the duke of Hagenheim and a mother who is the patroness of the orphanage where Aladdin lives, Kirstyn is a member of the most powerful family in the land . . . and way out of his league. Despite the difference in their stations, Aladdin quickly becomes Kirstyn’s favorite companion for taking walks in the forest, and their childhood friendship grows along with them.

Through his scrappy skills, intelligence, and hard work, Aladdin earns a position serving in the duke’s house. But he knows it isn’t enough to grant him his one desire: Kirstyn’s hand in marriage. If he hopes to change his station in life and feel worthy of marrying Kirstyn, he must leave Hagenheim to seek his fortune.

But once Aladdin leaves, no one is around to protect Kirstyn, and the greedy men desperate to take advantage of her father’s wealth take notice. Now, more than Aladdin’s background stands in the way of the future he’s worked so hard to obtain. His only hope is to rescue Kirstyn and somehow manage to win her hand as well.

"You're a thief, and you'll never be anything but a thief."

MrsK's Review:

In 1401, Aladdin's life changes. Mustapha enters his life and appears to be a welcoming guardian. Right away Aladdin knew that Mustapha's ways were not what his mother would want for him. It took one kind hand, a small loaf of bread, and a promise about a place called Hagenheim to bring Aladdin "away from the bazaar and away from his Arab homeland."

For the past few years, Aladdin has been learning a new language, as well as the ways of a scribe at the Hagenhiem Cathedral. While on an outing to the Hagenheim Castle, Aladdin sees the "girl angel." His introduction to Lady Rose and her daughter Lady Kirstyn will once again change the path of his life. In all the he has learned, he recognizes that Hagenheim is a "safe place full of families who were kind to each other. And so, for now, his life would be centered around his daily learning, his walks with Lady Kirstyn, and becoming the best steward for the castle's orphanage.

Yet, by the time 1414 arrives, Aladdin awakened to the revelation that he would need to make a fortune for his future to become his reality. Although leaving Hagenhiem would bring a heaviness to the hearts of those who have given him a life beyond his imaginings, he had to fulfill his quest or he would never be able to ask for the hand of the one whom already held his heart. 

With Aladdin's decision to leave, Lady Kirstyn's heart would become burdened beyond the edge of its brokenness. The heaviness "...seemed to foretell evil happenings." How would she overcome the long separation from her dearest friend? Will it be possible for her to focus her attention on the needs of the orphans at Hagenhiem? Over time, would Aladdin even want to return to Hagenhiem or her? 

Aladdin's story-line weaves a reader's emotions in and out of bear attacks, jealous heirs, kidnappings, and killings. Those characters which will tug at your heart will know a victory that is priceless. Those characters of whom ill-got-gains is their "soul" focus will be held accountable. 

Melanie's "gifted" talent for re-telling our most beloved tales continues to enthrall, captivate, and endear her readers. These novels are crafted for the generations of readers beyond our place in time!
MrsK

"God, please let me asleep."

An adventurous quest... 
A spirited tale... 
An endearing ever-after victory...
Delightful!

Meet the Author:

    Melanie Dickerson is a New York Times bestselling author, a two-time Christy Award finalist, two-time Maggie Award winner, Carol Award winner, two-time winner of the Christian Retailing's Best award, and her book, The Healer's Apprentice, won the National Readers Choice Award for Best First Book. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Romance Writers of America (RWA). Melanie earned a bachelors degree in special education of the hearing impaired from The University of Alabama and has worked as a teacher in Georgia, Tennessee, and Ukraine. She lives with her husband and two children in Huntsville, Alabama.

The Lost Castle by Kristy Cambron

Kristy Cambron

ISBN: 9780718095468

Publisher's Synopsis:

A thirteenth century castle, Chateau de Doux Reves, has been forgotten for generations, left to ruin in a storybook forest nestled deep in France's picturesque Loire Valley. It survived a sacking in the French Revolution, was brought back to life and fashioned into a storybook chateau in the Gilded Age, and was eventually felled and deserted after a disastrous fire in the 1930s.

As Ellie Carver sits by her grandmother's bedside, she hears stories of a castle . . . of lost love and a hidden chapel that played host to a secret fight in the World War II French resistance. But her grandmother is quickly slipping into the locked-down world of Alzheimer's, and Ellie must act fast if she wants to uncover the truth of her family's history.

Sparked by the discovery of a long forgotten family heirloom, Ellie embarks on a journey to French wine country to uncover the mystery surrounding The Sleeping Beauty--the castle so named for Charles Perrault's beloved fairy tale--and unearth its secrets before they're finally silenced by time.

Set in three different time periods--the French Revolution, World War II, and present day--The Lost Castle is a story of loves won and lost, of battles waged, and an enchanted castle that inspired the epic fairy tales time left behind.

"Crumbling walls were rare, beautiful things."

MrsK's Review:
Within every quest is a journey that should lead you beyond what you have accepted into what could be a discovery within your soul. For Ellie, her quest for her Grandma Vi would bring her to the place where one life took a different path and her life would begin. Staying at the estate house on the grounds of the Sleeping Beauty Castle in France, Ellie is blocked from any entrance to the ruins. Titus Vivay is the only one who could get permission for her to go beyond the gate. His grandson Quinn is not supportive, yet Ellie is determined to uncover the truth before her Grandma Vi can no longer recognize her.

In 1789, Aveline receives news that would change her engagement party into a horrifying path of death and destruction. Once Aveline awakens, Robert the master winemaker for the Duc et Vivay estate will oversee her recovery. He must keep her hidden, there is too much unrest from the revolt and she was still being sought.  

In 1944, SS guards were searching for any enemy. Bombings, ruins, scarcity of food and deep distrust would lead Viola into the forest of Loire Valley, France. Julien discovers Viola in the ruins of the chapel, where ever he leads her only prayer and faith can ensure her safety. Anywhere will be safer than where the SS patrols. 

As charming as a Fairy Tale. As intriguing as an espionage novel. As lovely as a French landscape. This story entwines the lives of three generations of women as they love, survive, and journey beyond their era into your imaginings.
MrsK

"A whisper of stories, hushed for generations,

drew Ellie like a string had been tethered to her heart."

A journey of hope...

Meet the Author:

  JESUS girl • Wife • Momma/3 boys • Vintage-inspired Author @TNZfiction & Bible studies @ThomasNelson • Friend to coconut mocha lattes #VerseMapping #storyroads

"I received this book from the Fiction Guild for this review."