Blog Archives

When the Heart Heals: New book by Ann Shorey

2/21/2013

    I receive all kinds of Christian romantic fiction to review here on Joy In Our Journey. Some of it is well written and clean; some of it is well-written, and some of it is clean...

    Do you know what I mean?

    It's difficult to find Christian historical fiction that is written in a worthy manner, crafted by a literary artist, and still presentable so we're comfortable with our junior high or high school-aged daughters reading the books.

    In When the Heart Calls, Ann Shorey has combined many hours of research about the antebellum time period - following the Civil War - with a gentle love story. Not just about the love between a man and a woman, but about the love between God and those who are hurting - emotionally and spiritually, and in need of a lot of tender, loving care.

    Here's a quick summary of When the Heart Calls:

Courageous and unconventional, Rosemary Saxon served as a nurse during the Civil War, a service that has caused most women in town to regard her as unfeminine and even downright vulgar. Although she would like to put that part of her life behind her, she needs to support herself. She takes a nursing position with Dr. Elijah Stewart, but whenever they are together, they always seem to do or say the wrong things. When someone threatens Rosemary, will she find the courage to stand, or will she leave town - and Elijah - forever?

Since it had been some time since Ann's first book was released in the Sisters At Heart series, I decided to go ahead and read book 1 first. I just love this series! These two books very clean, appropriate, and written so well that I could hardly put them down! They covered several topics about post-Civil War times of which I wasn't aware, so I found that to be very interesting.

Christian historical fiction author, Ann Shorey

While I haven't spent a lot of time with Ann, she is known throughout my church to be a gentle soul, one who offers a smile and a kind word to everyone. Her books are just like that, full of gentleness, healing, and a kind word.

Ann Shorey is having a giveaway! Click below on the photo graphic to learn more about the giveaway and enter the contest!

Giveaway ends March 7, 2013 @ 11:59 pm (PST). Winners will be selected Friday, March 8, and announced on Ann Shorey's website.

I received one copy of When the Heart Calls in exchange for my honest review of this book. No other compensation was provided.

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Fool Moon Rising: Children's Book Review

2/20/2013

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I love-love-love children's books! One of my favorite classes in college, to become an elementary level school teacher, was my children's literature class, taught by the college's head librarian, who was also my boss. Fun to look at the depth and wisdom found between the covers of so many children's stories.

Fool Moon Rising is a children's story based on the following verse from First Corinthians 4:7 (the Bible):

What do you have that God hasn't given you?
And if everything you have is from God, why do you boast as though it were not a gift?

In Fool Moon Rising, the moon has decided to tell a tale of his pride - but in the end, learns to be humble by recognizing from where his power comes.

Publisher's summary:

Fool Moon Rising tells the tale of a crime of cosmic proportions: the moon, blinded by pride, fails to see the source of his abilities—the light provided by the sun. He boasts of his ability to shine, to change shape throughout the year, and to swell the sea. One day, overwhelmed by a piercing ray of sunshine, the moon repents of his pride and changes his ways. From that point on, he is happy to reflect the sun’s light.

The author/illustrator team:

Kristi and T. Lively Fluharty

Kristi and T. Lively Fluharty live in Prior Lake, MN, with their five daughters.
T. Lively (Tom) is an illustrator whose artwork has appeared in numerous publications. Kristi holds a BA in technical journalism and currently homeschools their children, teaches Sunday school, and teaches swimming lessons.

What I thought:

Pros:

Mr. Fluharty's artwork is amazing. Not only is it beautiful, but it's humorous and fun!
The gentle approach to showing children their own pride, and explaining boasting, is needed for everyone reading this book, including mom and dad (and me).
After the story is finished, two pages in the back of the book share some random "outer space" facts for children to learn about.
I would have enjoyed seeing a children's explanation of how the moon causes the waves and tides to "do their thing." But this book does open up a world of discussion that can take place since some of the cosmic concepts aren't explained.

Cons:

The text of the poetry was a bit weaker than I'd hoped to read. I guess I was just expecting a bit more creativity combined with strength in the text.
One of the pages of artwork could possibly frighten a small child. My girls thought it was creepy, but other reviews I've read have mentioned that their little 2-, 3-, and 4-year-old children loved the entire book and have begged to have it read to them numerous times. So maybe it's just my family that thinks this! Here's the page, just so you'll have an idea of whether or not it would freak out your littles. (It's a big 9" x 10" illustration, just so you know.)

Fool Moon Rising's website contains a preview of the book, screensavers and wallpapers, a little bit more about the author and illustrator, and sketches and paintings by the illustrator.

Have you ever had a children's storybook impact you as an adult? Which book was it?

I received one copy of Fool Moon Rising in exchange for my honest review of this book. No other compensation was provided. Learn more about Crossway Publisher's latest books on their book blog!

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Picture Perfect: Christian Fiction Book Review

2/18/2013

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Book summary of Picture Perfect

Known for her contagious humor and cast of quirky characters, Janice Thompson gives her fans more of the bridal business drama in a brand-new series all about those long-suffering people who make beautiful weddings happen. Picture Perfect is the first in the new series and brings our favorite character, Bella, back in a big way, while introducing new characters readers will love. Fans will laugh out loud as they experience this breezy and entertaining novel from a great storyteller.

Feisty wedding photographer Hannah McDermott has dealt with her share of difficult brides. But none can compare to the ultimate Bridezilla she's dealing with now. Still, she's trying desperately to impress Bella Neeley, Galveston Island's most sought-after wedding planner, so she can take the top spot in Bella's list of recommended photographers--a spot currently occupied by her arch-rival, Drew Kincaid. What she doesn't count on, however, is falling head over heels for the competition!

Joy In Our Journey's review ~ by Julieanne's friend, Jan:

    Picture Perfect by Janice Thompson is a quirky, interesting book about a wedding photographer who lives in, of all places, Galveston Island. Hannah has two problem people in her life. The first is David Kincaid, who is her competition. David has two strikes against him. He is a very attractive male, and he is a Kincaid.

    Why is this a problem?

    Well, it seems as if there is a hundred-year feud between the McDermott and Kincaid clans, and Hannah is a McDermott. Also, David is a very good and very good looking successful photographer.

    Hannah also has a long time thorn in her flesh, named Jacquie Goldfarb, who has just moved back to town. Jacquie has moved back to town, and seems to want Hannah's friendship! What's that all about? How is Hannah going to keep her business going and deal with these troublesome people without losing her business or her mind?

    The book was fun to read, but rather light on plot. Also, a little too much was made of the "TV and movie stars" that just happened to be very friendly and need the services of the wedding photographer on the island.

    I enjoyed the Irish sayings at the beginning of each chapter and the information about Galveston Island. Picture Perfect by Janice Thompson is great for a quick light read on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

Picture Perfect is available as of February 2013 at your favorite bookseller - from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

I received one copy of Picture Perfect from Revell Publishers in exchange for my honest review of this book. No other compensation was provided.

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A look back onto our Valentine's Day - sugar free!

2/18/2013

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    Looks delicious, right? I'd love to say that we enjoyed these beautiful Valentine's Day frosted heart cookies for Valentine's Day this year...but we didn't.

    I've looked forward to these special Valentine's Day treats ever since my mom began making them when I was around 5-6 years old. Each of the children, as well as my dad, would get a delicious homemade cookie decorated with homemade heart-shaped "peppermint patties" on them.

    When I became a teacher, I would make smaller versions of these heart cookies for my students. They loved 'em, as you could imagine! Drool...beg for more...more drooling.

    That's why students are all required to bring one box of Kleenex to school on the first day. The Kleenex fiasco started all because of my cookies that made the students drool.

    After I got married to my own Valentine, Elmer, I began making a heart-shaped cookie for him. And what to do with all that extra cookie dough but to share the cookie love with my co-workers!

    Of course, our children have received these giant heart-shaped cookies every year since they were probably around two years old. (I'm pretty sure that Elmer and I ate most of their cookies each year, especially when they were very small, so they wouldn't truly be eating that much sugar.)

    Some of us would take tiny bites from the cookie throughout the day - and week, while someone else would eat half of it in one sitting.

    Okay, that's just gross. So I'm not going to identify who used to do that.

    But this year was different. We're in a different place in our lives - and in our health.

    I'm pre-diabetic, and while I'd still love to enJOY these delicious cookies - drool, drool - that just can't happen anymore.

    I've been on a quest to find a low-carb, sugar-free "sugar cookie" recipe to use for Valentine's Day. I was pretty skeptical about finding a recipe that would taste good and be relatively good for us at the same time.

    Guess what? I made some sugar-free cut-out cookies! And they were actually very, very delicious! I'll be making this recipe again, when time and the grocery budget allows.

Low Carb, Sugar Free "Sugar Cookies"

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter or coconut oil (or 3 Tbsp. of each)
3 cups blanched almond flour
1/2 cup gluten-free flour (you can use millet flour or your own gluten-free flour of choice)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
4 Tablespoons xylitol
4 Tablespoons erythritol
1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon pure stevia extract powder
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

    In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together blanched almond flour, gluten-free flour, and sea salt.

    Optional: With a clean coffee grinder, blend xylitol and erythritol together for 10-20 seconds until powdered. Allow it to settle back into the coffee grinder before removing lid.

    In a separate larger bowl, cream powdered xylitol, erythritol, and unsalted butter and/or coconut oil together until fluffy and smooth. Add in egg yolk and vanilla, and beat well.

    Beat in dry ingredients until dough comes together. (Add a tad more vanilla if dough seems too dry to come together.) Then, shape the dough into two balls. Wrap dough balls in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour. The dough won’t hold together as well if it isn’t chilled long enough.

    Roll out the dough between two sheets of wax paper or parchment paper, peeling off the top sheet and flipping the dough over on to the other sheet as it is rolled out. Flipping the dough and peeling off the top sheet - every few strokes that the dough is rolled with your rolling pin - helps to prevent the sheet of dough from sticking to the paper.

    Once the dough has been rolled to 1/4“ thickness, cut it into shapes with cookie cutters and bake them on an insulated cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. With this particular sugar-free, gluten-free dough, it's okay to gather your scraps and reroll the dough to make additional cut-out cookies.

    If you prefer thin, crispy sugar cookies, roll the dough out to 1/8" thickness. Store baked, cooled cookies in the freezer for the perfect crisp texture. No need to even thaw!

    Bake cookies at 325° F for 13-15 minutes, or until the edges turn golden brown. (Optional: if desired, bake two sheets of cookies at the 1/4 and 3/4 positions in your oven; rotate and switch the pans of cookies halfway through baking time.)

    I discovered that I had baked the cookies a bit too long when baking the first tray. However, this dough is far more forgiving than regular sugar cookie dough! The cookies still tasted delicious and were moist despite their slightly darker color than I would normally prefer.

    Let cookies rest on lined cookie sheet for a minute or so after removing them from the oven; then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container.

    Makes 18 three-inch heart shaped cookies; each cookie is under 3 net carbs and is only 83 calories, a far cry from the giant heart-shaped giant cookies I used to make. I'm not even going to go there - as to how many calories and carbs were in those giant heart-shaped cookies!

I decided to attempt to make some kind of sugar-free chocolate frosting for these cookies. Well, we came pretty close to having a good recipe. Two of us liked it, and two of us didn't - so I didn't spread some of the cookies with chocolate frosting. Didn't want to make the frosting haters cry!

While Kelsi and I did like the frosting, we also had to get used to it. It still has a slight taste of the alternative sweetener taste from time to time, which isn't my favorite thing. But it's definitely much better than the first few sugar-free frosting recipes I've tried!

Low-Carb, Sugar-Free Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

This will make enough frosting to cover one two-layer cake, or 18 three-inch cookies. 7g net carbs

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon erythritol, powdered in a coffee/nut/spice grinder
1/4 cup xylitol, powdered in a coffee/nut/spice grinder
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Ghirardelli works well and seems a bit less                 bitter than some of the other brands; Hershey's will also work well)
1/4 cup half and half or coconut milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 pinches (1/8 tsp. total) of sea salt
NuNaturals pure stevia extract powder, to taste, or a few drops of NuNaturals liquid         stevia drops

    Cream the butter in a small bowl until fluffy. Powder erythritol or xylitol in a coffee grinder or Magic Bullet for a minute or two, until powdered. Let sweetener settle in grinder before opening the top. Stir powdered sweetener into butter with a spatula; beat until smooth. Slowly blend in the cocoa powder, vanilla, and sea salt. Beat in the half 'n half and egg yolk, if using. Add stevia, starting with 1/8 teaspoon. You’ll probably use less than 1/4 teaspoon. Just keep tasting and adjust sweetness to your liking.

Brittany (13) and Kelsi (15)

My Valentine, Elmer (married 18 years!)

So, here we are, sitting down to a beautifully simple Valentine's dinner at home! Brittany grilled some grass-fed sirloin steaks from the freezer (her first time to grill, ever, and they were delicious. Thank you, Brittany!) I made some sauteed brussels sprouts to go alongside Dreamfields penne pasta (low-carb) with a low carb alfredo sauce....and grape tomatoes on the side. Splurge!

I hope your Valentine's Day was a nice day spent with the people you love. While I do wish our day could have included other loved ones who live far away, we made the best of it and enJOYed it in our low carb/healthy style of eating journey my family is on.

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We're helping to give away a new Kindle (ends Feb. 18th)!

2/17/2013

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The "Discovery Saga" Scavenger Hunt!

cover not included

    If you haven't already seen this on my website, I was one of 10 bloggers selected to help promote a new Amish fiction book called Goodbye to Yesterday by Wanda E. Brunstetter...and help giveaway a brand new Kindle!

    As part of the promotion, each of the ten of us hid a clue word on our blog post in capital letters. After visitors to our blogs wrote down all ten clues in capital letters, they were to combine them into a question. The answer to the question is found in the free download of chapter 1 of this new book (see link below to download and read Chapter 1).

     After entrants compile the question and read the short chapter to find the answer to the question they compiled, they are to send the question and the answer to the gal in charge of the promotion. A drawing will be held of those entrants who had the question and answer correct.

     I thought I'd remind you about this, because on my blog post, I've linked to each specific page on the 10 blogs so it makes it really easy to find the clue word in capital letters. It took me about 4-5 minutes altogether to collect the 10 clue words. I wanted to try it out, even though I'm ineligible to enter the giveaway, just to see how difficult it would be.

     One of the clue words is a one-letter word that is capitalized, so it's trickier to spot. Another clue word appears below the book review of one of the bloggers. But it still took a total of about 5 minutes.

    I couldn't quite figure out the question by combining the 10 words together, so I wrote them down on little scraps of paper and scrambled them around until I had a sentence (question) that made sense.

     The answer is easy to figure out once Chapter 1 is read (free download link is also on my page for the PDF version of it).

    If anyone wants to go to the 10 blogs and write down the clue words, then unscramble them into a question, and then read the chapter quickly and find out the answer, you have until Monday (midnight), February 18th to enter the giveaway. I don't know that this is Pacific time; I wasn't told that, so you should probably assume you'd need to have this done by 9 p.m. Pacific time just to make sure you get your entry in on time.

     Because a lot of the bloggers didn't link to all 10 specific pages, I'm assuming that not a ton of people are going to enter the contest. I thought it would be easier to link to all of the 10 pages so you wouldn't have to hunt on people's blogs to try to find the correct blog post in order to write down the clue word.

     Here's the link to the directions on my website plus the direct links to the 10 blog posts from the other bloggers, plus the link to the Chapter 1 download.

http://www.joyinourjourney.com/1/post/2013/02/the-discovery-saga-scavenger-hunt -\and-kindle-giveaway.html

I hope one of you wins the Kindle! Wouldn't that be fun? :)

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Rebekah: Christian Historical Fiction book review

2/12/2013

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When her father dies and she is left in the care of her conniving brother Laban, Rebekah knows her life has changed forever. Her hope for the future is restored when she falls in love with her cousin Isaac, and their relationship starts strong. But marital bliss cannot last forever, and the birth of their twin sons marks the beginning of years of misunderstanding, disagreement, and betrayal. The rift between them grows wider and wider until it is surely too deep to be mended. And yet, with God all things are possible.

author Jill Eileen Smith

In this second installment in the Wives of the Patriarchs series, Jill Smith uses her story-telling skills to paint a fictional portrait of the wife of Isaac, and mother of Jacob and Esau. Always remaining true to Scripture, this novel fills in the blanks to show us what may have been. Jill Eileen Smith is the author of the bestselling Michal, Abigail, and Bathsheba, all part of The Wives of King David series, and of Sarai, book 1 in the Wives of the Patriarchs series. Her writing has garnered acclaim in several contests. Her research into the lives of biblical women has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times. Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan.

Joy In Our Journey's review of Rebekah

Twins. I'm an identical twin, so of course the story of Jacob and Esau in the Scriptures has always appealed to me. I just knew that Joy In Our Journey had to review this book since so much of it would revolve around - twins!

    This is a fictional but Scripture-based story, written in such a way as to fill in the many gaps of what is sparsely told in the Bible. We are not really given many details from the Bible concerning Isaac and Rebekah, though theirs has always been a beautiful love story due to the way God ordained their paths together.

    Although this story provides some extensive background on both Rebekah's and Isaac's childhood and young adult lives, as imagined by the author, the main body of the story is of the conflict between these two over the eventual fate of each of their sons, Esau and Jacob. The great love between Rebekah and Isaac is constantly alluded to and their conflicts and ability to forgive come up over and over. It is easy to imagine that all of this is quite true, but of course, much of it has to be credited to the author's imagination and her guidance by the Holy Spirit. It does make a compelling story to read, and all of it could quite possibly be true!

    This is an emotional story, one that can easily be felt within the reader. It brings tears at times because there is so much truth in it. Many times, the reader is surprised by the truths that become evident concerning marriage and trust in a marriage partner. The reward of true love is related over and over. The feelings that parents have for each of their children and the conflicts they feel over what will eventually happen to these children is easily acknowledged by anyone who is a parent. It is comforting to see how Isaac and Rebekah finally accept one another's views of their conflicts and how they eventually resolve them.

    A great story which compels one to go back to Scripture and read what is written there!

Coming up on Tuesday, February 19th:

Jill Smith will be the featured guest on a Live interactive Video Chat Session sponsored by “Shindig” on Tuesday, February 19th at 7:00 pm EST!! It’s free to attend, and you can meet Jill and ask any questions you have for her! Go here to RSVP and find out more details about this event.

Join best-selling author Jill Eileen Smith as she presents ten facts and/or possibilities you might not know about the Patriarch Isaac's wife, Rebekah. Do you have a question about the people in the Bible you've always wanted to ask? Jill will take questions about biblical characters, biblical fiction, and about any of her books in the Wives of the Patriarchs or Wives of King David series. So please, plan to join them!

Rebekah is available as of February 2013 at your favorite bookseller - from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

I received one copy of Rebekah in exchange for my honest thoughts about this book. No other compensation was provided.

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The Discovery Saga Scavenger Hunt and Kindle Giveaway

2/12/2013

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Julieanne

I am SOOOOOO excited!

Ten bloggers, including Joy In Our Journey, have been selected to be a part of the Goodbye to Yesterday / Discovery Saga online scavenger hunt to give away a beautiful, brand new Kindle! Yes - you read that correctly!

For full details on the hunt and how you can participate (and possibly win an Amazon Kindle) please go to http://www.facebook.com/notes/the-discovery-saga-by-wanda-e-brunstetter/the-discovery-saga-scavenger-hunt/578312088851156

Email subscribers will want to click back to the original posting to view the links to the giveaway clues.

    First, I've just got to let you know about Goodbye to Yesterday, Part 1 of 6 of The Discovery (A Lancaster County Saga). At 121 pages in length, the only thing that would have made this book even BETTER would have been to extend it to around 400-500 pages! (But that's what Parts 2-6 are for, right?)

    I enjoy reading books about the Amish culture, even when they are fiction works. While I enjoy my life very much with my family and the way of living we have chosen, there are some aspects of the Amish lifestyle that are delightfully sweet and beautiful.

    Goodbye to Yesterday was like this - sweet and beautiful. Except for how it ended - in a very hard spot in which to end a book. I can't wait to receive the other parts of the book to read!

    Much of Part 1 (Goodbye to Yesterday) focuses on the recent marriage of Luke and Meredith Stoltzfus. Their love and concern for each other is just delightful. The little things they do for each other to say "I love you" with their actions is such a good example for all marriages. Meredith loves to prepare delicious meals for her husband, considering this a way to bless him rather than looking at meal-planning and preparations as drudgery like so many modern wives consider cooking. Luke is quick to make certain that things are working well on their property. He wants their home to be safe and free of maintenance worries so his wife can easily go about her daily tasks.

    There are many aspects of their marriage that are an encouragement to me - as well as a few reminders that we need to continue to make our marriage a priority despite how busy we may be. If you enjoy reading Amish fiction, you'll enjoy Goodbye to Yesterday by Wanda E. Brunstetter.

Here's how to enter the online scavenger hunt giveaway for a Kindle:

    Visit each of the 10 blogs (see direct links below to each blogger's specific blog post regarding this online scavenger hunt) and gather the keyword you find at each blog. (Notice that the clues will be in all CAPS!)

    At the end of the hunt, you’ll have ten words. Unscramble the words to form a question about what happens in Goodbye to Yesterday, book one of the Discovery Saga. (The answer to the question can be found by reading the sample chapter here on our Facebook page).

    Email the question and your answer to keri@handlebarpublishing.com with DISCOVERY SCAVENGER HUNT in the subject line by midnight on Monday, Feb. 18. All correct answers will be put into a drawing. One winner will be selected to receive a free Kindle e-reader, loaded with Wanda Brunstetter favorites--including the second installment in The Discovery Saga: The Silence of Winter.

You are here already!

Happy hunting for the ten clue words!

Okay, Discovery Saga scavenger hunters—this is the end of the hunt. Unscramble all your keywords to form a sentence, and figure out the answer. (The answer to the question can be found by reading the sample chapter here on their Facebook page). If you don't have a Facebook account/page, then you'll find the sample chapter here (below).

Email the question and your answer to keri@handlebarpublishing.com with DISCOVERY SCAVENGER HUNT in the subject line by midnight on Monday, Feb. 18. All correct answers will be put into a drawing. One winner will be selected to receive a free Kindle e-reader, loaded with Wanda Brunstetter favorites! Thanks for participating and good luck!

Click here to read Chapter 1 of the Discovery Saga!
File Size:	102 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

I was provided with one copy of Goodbye to Yesterday in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was provided.

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Win a free Amazon Kindle with this fun, online scavenger hunt!

2/6/2013

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    Who's interested in a fun, online scavenger hunt that could possibly win you a Kindle?

    Yesterday, February 5th, began the Discovery Saga Online Scavenger Hunt!

    Each day - for the next 10 days - there will be a different blog that posts about the hunt with a clue word (in capital letters). All you need to do is collect the clue words and follow the directions given on the last day!

    One of the greatest things about winning this giveaway is that the Kindle will be filled with Wanda E. Brunstetter's books! This scavenger hunt is in honor of the newly released book, Goodbye to Yesterday, the first book in The Discovery Series by Wanda E. Brunstetter.

    If you are ready to play along, you can start off with the first blog at Mudpies & Tiaras! It will only take a brief amount of time each day to find the clue word. Just jot it down on your calendar or a piece of paper, and save it until the last blogger of the ten of us shares the last clue and the final directions.

    For full details on the hunt and how you can participate (and sign up to win an Amazon Kindle) please go to http://www.facebook.com/notes/the-discovery-saga-by-wanda-e-brunstetter/the-discovery-saga-scavenger-hunt/578312088851156

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The Solomon Bunch: Kid-friendly DVD giveaway

2/5/2013

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I'm always on the lookout for family-friendly movies that are fun and also teach an important lesson. Even though my girls are growing older - in junior high and high school now - we still have fun watching children's movies on occasion.

The Solomon Bunch is the story of five children who set out to learn as much as they can as children in order to avoid making mistakes as adults. They turn to the writings of Solomon, the wisest man who every lived, in order to learn everything they need to know. The subsequent journey is a bumpy ride filled with mistakes and adventure. And boy, howdy, do the adventures get a bit on the wild side! They learn so much. The friends ultimately discover many valuable life lessons including the harm that comes from judging others and the importance of always doing your best.

The Solomon Bunch - OFFICIAL TRAILER from slingshotpictures on GodTube.

    The Solomon Bunch focuses on the meaning of Proverbs 18:13 - “He that answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame unto him,” but the children don’t fully understand it until they discover their own mistake in judging what they thought was a criminal plot. It is definitely a family-friendly movie just because it's told from the children's point of view, giving some great laughs. The Solomon Bunch will be a great opener for families to talk about the difference between being smart and being wise, and the danger of assuming something is true - when it may not be.

    To go along with the movie, the producers have created a study guide to help your children learn more about Solomon as well as including some fun activities related to the movie.

    Let's giveaway three copies of The Solomon Bunch to some of our readers on Joy In Our Journey.com!

Use the Rafflecopter form, below, to enter the giveaway in the various methods of entry you wish to use. Leaving a comment in the "comments" section, below - but not clicking on the Rafflecopter form - will not be considered a method of entry...just so you know. I will be validating the winning entry, to confirm that the entrant completed the requirements of the giveaway method he or she chose. If you choose to enter one of the entry methods by subscribing to an email subscription from Joy In Our Journey, please check your email inbox/spam folder for a confirmation email from Joy In Our Journey/Feedburner to confirm that you have indeed signed up as a free subscriber. You'll need to click on that email link to confirm that you are now a subscriber. Email subscribers will want to click back to the original post to enter the giveaway.

This giveaway will end on Friday, February 22nd, 2013 at midnight (Pacific time).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was provided with one DVD copy of The Solomon Bunch in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was provided.

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Frozen Footprints: a Christian Suspense/Teen Thriller giveaway

2/3/2013

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Email subscribers will want to click back to the original post to enter the giveaway.

I've only read one thriller/suspense novel in the past. Thriller/suspense/horror isn't really my cup of tea. But when a Christian publisher suggested a few years ago that I consider reading and writing a book review of a Christian suspense novel, I thought, "How bad could it be?" So I went ahead and signed up to review the book. Ugh. Worst mistake ever - in book-reading, for me, that is. It was too graphic and explicit, page after page. I wished I'd never signed up to read the book.

Therese Heckenkamp contacted me recently about reading and reviewing her newly published book, Frozen Footprints. She mentioned that it was a suspense. My gut reaction was, "No!" But I asked her to email me with passages from her book from the two most graphic scenes. After reading through her second email, I agreed to read and review her book.

Author Therese Heckenkamp

Therese Heckenkamp, author of Past Suspicion and Frozen Footprints, was born in Australia but grew up in the United States as a homeschooled student. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband and two children and is currently working on more Christian suspense novels from a Catholic perspective.

New release by Therese Heckenkamp!

    Frozen Footprints is written with characters that are believable and realistic. Even the sick, twisted Abner is insanely realistic. At first, it was hard for me to relate to the main characters, though. I related to the TWIN component in this book, because I'm an identical twin, but the wealthy, rich family is a completely different world than from where I come, so it took me a little while to get involved in the characters' ways of thinking and lifestyles. Some of the descriptive phrases seemed a bit overdone or overthought. But then - the story of a kidnapping and uncaring grandfather began to pull me in.

    I read Frozen Footprints in a few hours. Yes, it was suspenseful, a type of story I wouldn't normally read. But it was not overly graphic, gory, or descriptive where it shouldn't be. It did contain swearing (the d**n word 3x), but no other inappropriate language or content that I wouldn't let my teen daughters read - and I'm picky about things like that.

    My only regret about reading this book? It ends just a bit too soon. After all, I don't get to read if...oh, I shouldn't tell you, because it will be a spoiler. Maybe this will be the lead-in to a second book in a series!

    Frozen Footprints is written from a Catholic perspective. If you are not Catholic, I don't think you'll find this offensive. I'm not of the Catholic persuasion, yet I didn't feel uncomfortable reading Frozen Footprints.

It's time for a giveaway!

    Therese Heckenkamp, the author of Frozen Footprints, is letting me give away one copy of her new book for one of my readers! Frozen Footprints will be best enjoyed by teen readers or adult readers who also enjoy YA/teen books. For this particular giveaway, teens may enter to win a copy of this book as long as they are 15 or older and have received permission from their parents to read this book should they win. This book giveaway is open to U.S. entrants only, however, due to the cost of international shipping.

    Use the Rafflecopter form, below, to enter the giveaway in the various methods of entry you wish to use. Leaving a comment in the "comments" section, below - but not clicking on the Rafflecopter form - will not be considered a method of entry...just so you know. I will be validating the winning entry, to confirm that the entrant completed the requirements of the giveaway method he or she chose. If you choose to enter one of the entry methods by subscribing to an email subscription from Joy In Our Journey, please check your email inbox/spam folder for a confirmation email from Joy In Our Journey/Feedburner to confirm that you have indeed signed up as a free subscriber. You'll need to click on that email link to confirm that you are now a subscriber.    Email subscribers will want to click back to the original post to enter the giveaway.

    This giveaway will end on Sunday, February 16th, 2013 at midnight (Pacific time).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was provided with one copy of Frozen Footprints in exchange for my honest review of this book. No other compensation was provided.

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Hi! I'm Julieanne!
You'll find me in the kitchen
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I am SOOOOOO excited!

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New release by Therese Heckenkamp!

It's time for a giveaway!

​​Hi! I'm Julieanne!You'll find me in the kitchen​trying new Trim Healthy Mama recipes, loving God, and carrying out that love as I bless my husband and teen daughters. ​

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Hi! I'm Julieanne!
You'll find me in the kitchen
trying new Trim Healthy Mama recipes, loving God, and carrying out that love as I bless my husband and teen daughters.

Find
Joy In Our Journey on:

Search
Joy In Our Journey