And the winner is....

I know you've been holding your breath, waiting for the big announcement. Congratulations to Erin of Life with the Websters! Please email me your shipping address at erin dot rushforth at gmail dot com, so I can get the prize package mailed off to you! Happy Monday, everyone!

Giveaway!!!

Who among us does not enjoy the thrill of winning something? I can tell you, I love that feeling. Wish it happened more often:) 

From now until February 27th, you have the chance to win a free copy of Charlene Baumbich's Divine Appointments. Here's my quick summary of the plot, taken from my book review:

Get ready for a quirky, heartwarming story of change. Josie is a fiercely independent and wildly successful career woman. Her year consulting in Chicago is almost up, but things are not going as planned. An unexpected friend, hot flashes, unquenchable thirst, and a strange snow globe put Josie on an unforeseen path. Divine Appointments will tickle your funny bone and make you double-check your priorities.

The prize package also includes a natural clean burning wax candle (the wax can be used as massage oil/lotion, according to my aesthetician), and a Princessa Berry Cool Lip Color Brush. Beautify your lips, light your candle, and read away!

Here's how to enter the giveaway. You can get up to 6 entries; please leave a separate comment here for each entry:

1. Rate my review of Divine Appointments at Blogging for Books.You can also just scroll down on my blog to the end of the review and rate it here.

2. Follow my blog.

3. Rate my other 8 reviews. A word of warning: sometimes the Blogging for Books site is a bit slow. You can find all my reviews on my blog, too.

4. Blog about my giveaway and link back to this post.

5. Facebook or twitter about my giveaway and link back to this post.

6. Email 7 friends about my giveaway with a link to this post.

The winner will be chosen on February 28th and announced here on my blog. Let the fun begin!

Thanks to Blogging for Books/Waterbrook Multnomah for providing the book part of the prize package. Thanks to Carol Bly for providing the lip brush and candle.

Divine Appointments by Charlene Ann Baumbich

Get ready for a quirky, heartwarming story of change. Josie is a fiercely independent and wildly successful career woman. Her year consulting in Chicago is almost up, but things are not going as planned. An unexpected friend, hot flashes, unquenchable thirst, and a strange snow globe put Josie on an unforeseen path. Divine Appointments will tickle your funny bone and make you double-check your priorities.



One of the opening pages of the book quotes Jeremiah 17:7-8:

Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD
And whose trust is the LORD.
For he will be like a tree planted by the water,
That extends its roots by a stream
And will not fear when the heat comes;
But its leaves will be green,
And it will not be anxious in a year of drought
Nor cease to yield fruit.

Divine Appointments light-heartedly addressing the droughts of this life and the inevitability of change. As we see in the story, jobs, health, and even our lives are temporary. It is interesting to see how the characters respond to the changes they encounter; for example, Barb prays and reaches out to encourage those around her, Marsha channels her anger into writing, and Josie retreats into herself, at least, at first. Ultimately, the challenges each faces refine them and move them onto new pathways for the future.

It took me a number of chapters to warm up to the characters here, and I admit to a few moments of utter disbelief, but by the second part of the book, I was thoroughly engrossed in the story. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever worked in an office, felt lonely, or wanted to make changes in their life.

You can download and read the first two chapters of Divine Appointments here.

Ramblings and confessions, followed by a review of When the Soul Mends (Sisters of the Quilt, Book 3)

Yes, I really am crazy enough to have read this entire book tonight, after I put my baby to bed. Yes, I did just finish the second one this afternoon. Yes, I know my kitchen is a mess. Yes, I also know that I have been in a Christian romance rut. It was thrilling when my Blogging for Books rating kept moving up, so I looked at the library to see what else I could review. I got all the way up to 9 out of 1412 bloggers for the year, AND even though I just joined, my lifetime rating is sitting at 16 out of 5105 bloggers. This is the sort of absurd affirmation I crave! No one rates my dishwashing or my meals. The only adult who recognizes it does so mostly as a favor to me when I bring it up, "Notice anything different around here?" He'll pause, look around, and put on his praising voice. "Wow, Erin, it looks like someone has spent some time working on the dishes." Now on to the book review.

Hannah has finally established a new life for herself - a potential husband, a satisfying career path, and meaningful studies - away from the Amish home she fled two years ago. A desperate phone call from her younger sister begging her to return turns the order of her new life upside down. As she confronts her parents, her siblings, her former fiancé, and her past, she learns lessons of humility, of forgiveness, and of healing which alter her present forever.

Of the three books in the trilogy, I found this one the most difficult to put down. I give it a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 and recommend it to anyone who likes a happy ending.

When the Morning Comes (Sisters of the Quilt, Book 2)

Cindy Woodsmall has done a fine job with this second novel, continuing the story of Hannah, who fled her Amish upbringing and the unfair judgments of her father to begin a new life with her aunt. Though I found the beginning of the book to be choppy, there seemed to be more continuity by the middle. I was happy to see some softening and regret from one of the harsh characters in the first book. Kudos to Ms. Woodsmall for writing believable banter - some of my favorite pages were mainly conversation. Overall, a sequel which does its job of keeping the reader hooked!

When the Heart Cries (Sisters of the Quilt, Book One) by Cindy Woodsmall

Hannah Lapp is 17 and questions her place among her family of Old Order Amish. She loves her family, but sometimes feels stifled by her father’s strict governance. When Hannah accepts the marriage proposal of her secret beau, Paul, who is a Mennonite, she knows that her relationships with her family will change forever. Over the next months, Hannah injustly suffers physical brutality, betrayal, and deep loss. Thanks to a few trusted friends, her own strength, and hope from a voice within, she emerges from tragedy determined to find her path.

I enjoyed this book, although it took me through quite a range of emotions. The harsh, inflexibility of Hannah’s father stung me, making Hannah’s courage and her triumph over misfortune all the more inspiring.

This is a terrific popcorn book, the kind you read to get away from your own life and troubles, great for a plane, the bathtub, or just a relaxing afternoon. I give it 3.5 stars out of 5.

God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa Tawn Bergren, art by David Hohn

Society bombards us with messages about Christmas, from the stores that put out the Christmas merchandise right after Halloween, to the advertisers who would have us believe that we must spend a lot of money in order to celebrate. Lisa Bergren combats those messages in this warm and thoughtful picture book. She asks and answers many of the questions that children have about Christmas and Santa, presented in the context of a family preparing for their holiday celebration.

When her daughter expresses curiosity about Santa and Christmas, Little Cub's mother takes her on a winter trek to "find God and see how He gave them Christmas". Together, they climb mountains, take in the Northern lights, visit glacial waters, watch a beautiful glowing star, and wonder at a tiny flower growing in the snow. Along the way, Little Cub's mother teaches her about God's majesty and power, and His great love for each of us in sending His son.

On one page, Little Cub asks, "Did God give us Santa?" Her mother wisely answers, "Santa Claus reminds us about many good things like generosity and care. But it is God and Jesus that we celebrate most come Christmas." On another, her mother teaches her that "Jesus is a present for everyone, grumpy or happy, mean or kind. God gave us all Christmas." The pages are full of simple, faithful teachings that children can easily embrace.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to remember the message of the Savior at Christmas.