Possession-Pay Now or Lose Everything!!!

I love great mystery novels! Possession is a great mystery novel by Rene Gutteridge, an author that I had never heard of but has quickly became one of my favorites! The book is about Vance Graegan, a retired detective that was an investigator in the D.C. Sniper case. The case has affected him badly and put a great strain on his marriage. He and his wife decide to move to California to open up a deli, his wife Lindy's dream. They hire movers to take their possessions to the new home and that is when everything falls apart.

The Graegan's were looking to start a new life but are torn apart by these movers that have their "Possessions". The movers start demanding money from them first of all because the home they move to is too far away from the curve. Vance signed a contract without reading the fine print which stated that if the house was over a certain distance there would be an additional fee. The Graegan's know that they got scammed but are lost in how to handle the situation. And just when you blink your eyes something else happens to keep you intrigued. Their little boy Conner never loses faith that things will work out...a lesson that the Graegan's will learn also.

I was so captivated by this book that I could not sleep! It made me think twice about just signing along the dotted line...I will definitely be reading the fine print from now on. I would highly recommend it, along with any other books by Rene Gutteridge as I am sure they are just as great! I can't wait to read more by her.

This book was provided to me by Tyndale Publishers free of charge. The opinions in this review are my own and have not been influenced.

The Power Based Life Book Review

I was recently given the opportunity to review a book called The Power Based Life written by Mike Flynt. Mike Flynt was a football player that the movie Friday Night Lights was based on. This book, however is not about his football career. This book is about realizing what you are born to do. The author uses his personal accounts of how he got through his challenges by giving accounts from his personal life. I love the quote used in this book - "The two greatest days in our lives are the day we're born and the day we realize what we are born for." It is about discovering what you truly love and getting out of a job that causes you nothing but frustration.

Mike Flynt offers twelve strategies on how to tap into your personal strengths. These twelve life strategies teach you to strengthen your body, mind, and spirit as you become the person God created—and then find the work that you were designed to do. He helps give you the confidence to go after your goals and your dreams. I think that the strategy that I found most interesting is for the body: Sow in Health, Reap a Longer Life. This section of the book was intriguing to me because of my medical background. I realized how much truth really came from this...that if you take care of your body you can have a longer life. Our nation is becoming less and less active everyday. It gave me the encouragement to get out and play with my children more.

This book is about defying the skeptics and reaching your goals. I thought about my dreams and the decisions I have made in life and how I could start working towards my passions in life. I would rate this book 5 stars and recommend it to everyone who is not passionate about their life, that is just content and going with the motions of life.

This book was provided to me from Thomas Nelson Publisher as part of their Booksneeze blogger program. All opinions are my own and have not been influenced.

Hatteras Girl by Alice J. Wisler

Hatteras Girl by Alice J. Wisler

I am one of those lovers of a mystery. Hatteras Girl by Alice J. Wisler kept me guessing what what going to happen in this wonderful book about a girl named Jackie who is near 30 and has been unlucky in love. She dreams of marrying a wonderful, honest man and of owning The Bailey House, a bread and breakfast that she grew up visiting as a young girl. The Bailey House holds many special memories for her but has been closed for some time and she desperately wants to get more information on purchasing it.

Jackie has been set up on numerous blind dates to which she has never had a second date with. She works for Lighthouse Views, writing articles about local business owners. She happens to do an interview with Davis Erikson, whom has knowledge of The Bailey House owners and whom she is instantly attracted to. The attraction seems mutual, the couple start dating. Jackie thinks that she has finally found the answer to all of her prayers, a good man and an opportunity to get the bread and breakfast, but there are mysteries surrounding The Bailey House that Jackie has trouble finding answers to. Davis doesn't appear to be the man that she thought he was. Jackie is on the verge of losing her dreams. Yet, this author throws in a wonderful twist that I was very pleased with.

This is one of those books that I didn't want to put down until I finished it. One of those books you sit up all night reading. I would recommend this as a great read and will be sure to pass this one along to my friends!

This book was provided to me free of charge from Bethany House Publishers for review purposes only. The opinions in this review are my own and have not been influenced. Thank you Bethany House for providing me with a great book! 

Amy Inspired by Bethany Pierce

Amy Inspired by Bethany Pierce

I have to say that it’s rare that I find a book that I don’t care to finish reading the end, but this is one of those books. I put it down for a few weeks and forced myself to finish it. I thought that I would be able to relate to the main character, Amy, whom is an aspiring writer who has tried repeatedly to get her work published only to see everyone around her achieving their dreams. She has recently come out of a relationship and finds herself full of doubts about anything in her life. She shares a place with her friend whom invites a stranger, a man named Eli, to live with them for a short time which turns out to be longer. Amy finds that she has an attraction to Eli.

The writer, Bethany Pierce, is apparently a very educated woman with the large words that she uses. However, the words don’t flow very well and I found myself getting lost and losing interest in the book almost immediately upon starting it. The book is also considered a Christian book, which I had trouble getting the connection also. Yes, there were references to Christianity yet the characters didn’t seem fit the Christian profile that I was expecting. I was very disappointed in reading this book. I don’t really recommend it as a good read. Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for providing this book to me free of charge because I would have been upset had I actually went out and bought it.

This book was provided to me by Bethany House Publishers free of charge for review purposes. The opinions are my own and were not influenced.

Unto The Hills-A Daily Devotional by Billy Graham

Unto The Hills-A Daily Devotional by Billy Graham

I have never read any of Billy Graham’s published writings and was anxious to get this Daily Devotional. This book offers a day by day scripture, thought, and prayer that are truly a blessing for any Christian. While reading the thought for the day, I was able to reflect on my life and find guidance in God’s word. The words are easy to understand and give you a peace that God will always be there for you though any circumstances you face in this world. This is a wonderful book to look to each day for an inspiration.

Billy Graham has a true blessing in teaching about God’s word. He puts the words together beautifully in this devotional. I will have this on my nightstand with my bible for a daily read. The prayer at the end of each day is a nice thing to have. Some people tend to not know what to say when they are praying and these prayers are of things that we wouldn’t normally think of as something we need to pray for. For instance, a prayer thanking God for providing you with possessions but asking him to guide you in how you use them and not worship them. This is just an example of the wonderful prayers Billy Graham provides. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, Christian or Non-Christian!

This book was provided to me free of charge from Thomas Nelson Publishers for review purposes. The opinions are my own and have not been influenced.

Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball by Donita K. Paul

Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball by Donita K. Paul

What a wonderful book to read during the holidays! Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball by Donita K. Paul was a nice mixture of romance, mystery, and magic. I loved this book and couldn't put it down until I was finished reading it!

Cora Crowder is out looking for the perfect Christmas gift when she runs into her co-worker Simon Derrick at an odd little bookstore. They both buy books and that is when the magic starts. In the books that they bought from the store, there are invitations to a Christmas Ball. When Simon discovers his ticket, his sister who has Down syndrome, wants to go to the ball with him and live out a fairy tale. Cora tries to throw her ticket away but the ticket keeps mysteriously reappearing. There is no information available on how to purchase another ticket so Cora decides that she is not going to go. Simon attempts to go back to the bookshop to buy another ticket but somehow he can’t find the street, it’s as if the street disappeared.

While discussing the findings, Cora offers to give her ticket to Simon so that he can take his sister. He gets Cora to go with him and his sister to go to the mysterious little street to buy attire for the ball. It is then that the matchmakers learn of Cora not having her ticket…the ticket was meant for Cora, not the sister. So they arrange for Cora to get another ticket. Many things keep interfering with Cora’s plans yet everything keeps leading her back to Simon Derrick. This was a wonderful book that I would highly recommend. It is set at Christmas time but this book would be a pleasure to read at anytime.

This book was provided to me free of charge from Waterbrook Press for review purposes. The opinions in this review are my own and were not influenced.

Within My Heart by Tamara Alexander

Within My Heart by Tamara Alexander captured my heart from the start. Rachel Boyd is a widowed woman who has two young sons she is trying to raise on her own. Her late husband had dreams of raising them on the ranch and she is struggling to fulfill his wishes. With cattle dying due to the winter months, she finds herself losing more and more money. She finds herself wondering if it is worth it to work so hard to honor her husbands wishes, a wish that was completely different from her own.

Dr. Rand Brookston is new to town. Rand doesn't have a proper building for a medical clinic and makes many house calls with dreams of opening a clinic in the future. Rand and Rachel's paths cross when Rand starts taking care of someone very close to Rachel. The town of Timber Ridge is behind times on technology and Rand has to decide to perform a new surgery on this patient. If he succeeds, he would gain the trust of the town, but he fails....

This was a great, intriguing book. The mystery and love story kept me up all night reading to find out what was going to happen. Being in the medical field as I am, I was impressed that Tamara Alexander did her research and was accurate in her writing. This was the first book I have read by her and I can't wait to read more! I would highly recommend this book. If you are interested purchasing this book, please check out this link: Within My Heart (Timber Ridge Reflections, Book 3)

I was provided this book free of charge from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions are my own and have not been influenced.