Paisley Rabbit and the Treehouse Contest by Steve Richardson, Illustrated by Chris Dunn

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• Age Range: 6 - 10 years
• Grade Level: 1 - 4
• Series: Paisley Rabbit (Book 1)
• Paperback: 38 pages
• Publisher: Impossible Dreams Publishing Company (March 1, 2018)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 097864221X
• ISBN-13: 978-0978642211

About the Book:

Can a lone girl rabbit with the odds stacked against her surprise Jimmy and the other animals to win the big treehouse construction contest? 

When the school year starts out, Jimmy Squirrel, whose dad owns the biggest construction company in the city, challenges a close group of friends to a treehouse contest. To everyone's surprise, Paisley Rabbit, who has never touched a hammer or a nail and has no one to help her, joins the contest as a long shot to win. 

But as things heat up, Paisley shows she has some tricks up her sleeve. A delightful tale of defying the odds and believing in yourself that, alongside playful illustrations, kids will want to read over and over.

My Thoughts:

Paisley Rabbit and the Treehouse Contest is a very engaging and imaginative story about woodland creatures building tree houses for a contest.  You have the bully, the outsider, and all the types found on a school playground.

The story is well written and entertaining as the animals all make their plans for their individual treehouses.  The contest is Paisley's idea, but she doesn't seem like she's building her own.  The other animals give her a hard time, but she's got her own plans.

Her little bunny brother is sick, and needs a kidney transplant.  Children with serious health concerns or family members who are seriously ill will have a character they can relate too, which makes the story even more special.

The illustrations are gorgeous and rich in detail, combining with the story to make the perfect combination. Dunn's depiction of the treehouses are outstanding, some of the best I've ever seen.

This is a children's book I highly recommend.  Paisley Rabbit and the Treehouse Contest gets 5 stars from me.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher with no services promised in exchange.

Until the next page turns,

Deena

Snap! By Gary Small, M.D., and Gigi Vorgan

Book Details:

Book Title: SNAP! Change Your Personality in 30 Days
Authors: Gary Small, MD, Director UCLA Longevity Center and Gigi Vorgan
Category: Adult Nonfiction, 224 pages
Genre: Self-Help / Personality / Health, Mind & Body
Publisher: Humanix Books
Release date: January 9, 2018
Tour dates: Feb 5 to 23, 2018
Content Rating: G

Book Description:

New York Times bestselling author Dr. Gary Small’s breakthrough plan to improve your personality for a better life!

Experts in psychiatry and psychology have long believed that our personalities are essentially set from early childhood and remain consistent throughout life. However, the latest scientific research contradicts this long-held assumption. New compelling evidence indicates that we can change our personalities – either on our own, with the help of a therapist, or a combination of the two – and meaningful personality change can be achieved in a snap! – as quickly as 30 days. These groundbreaking findings have shattered the false belief that we are locked into our negative personality traits – no matter how much they hinder our potential happiness and success.

As you read SNAP! you will gain a better understanding of who you are now, how others see you, and which aspects of yourself you’d like to change. You will acquire the tools you need to change your personality in just one month – it won’t take years of psychotherapy, self-exploration or re-hashing every single bad thing that’s ever happened to you. If you are committed to change, this book will provide a roadmap to achieving your goals and becoming a better you.

From New York Times bestselling author, head of the UCLA Longevity Center, and expert in neuroscience and human behavior, Dr. Gary Small, a practical look at the key components of personality development and tools and techniques for bringing the positive aspects of your personality to the forefront so you can become more successful, attractive, happier, and psychologically healthier.
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Buy the Book:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble

Humanix Books

Add to Goodreads

About the Authors: 

Gary Small:
Dr. Gary Small, (Los Angeles, CA) is a professor of psychiatry and director of the UCLA Longevity Center* at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior. His research, supported by the NIH, has made headlines in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. Scientific American magazine named him one of the world’s leading innovators in science and technology. Dr. Small lectures internationally and frequently appears on the Today Show, Good Morning America, PBS, and CNN. He has written six books, including the New York Times best seller, The Memory Bible.

Gigi Vorgan:
Gigi Vorgan (Los Angeles, CA) has written, produced, and appeared in numerous feature films and television projects before teaming up with her husband, Dr. Gary Small, to co-write The Memory Bible, The Memory Prescription,The Longevity Bible, iBrain, The Other Side of the Couch, and The Alzheimer’s Prevention Program. She lives in Los Angeles with Dr. Small and their two children.

Connect with the authors: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Youtube 

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5 Word Prayers by Lisa Whittle

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (October 3, 2017)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0736970711
• ISBN-13: 978-0736970716

About the Book:

Prayer Doesn't Have to Be Intimidating

Do you find yourself saying the same things to God over and over again? Does a thriving prayer life feel completely out of reach?

Maybe all it takes to open up to God is five little words. Each entry in this forty-day devotional will provide you with a simple five-word prayer, a corresponding Bible verse, and thoughts to encourage you in your communications with your heavenly Father. The short prayers in this book include...

• I need You desperately today.
• Set my burdened heart free.
• Help me to forgive myself.

The strength of your prayers lies in your heart intent, not your word count. Discover a new joy in your conversations with God!

My Thoughts:

Don't be fooled by the size of Lisa Whittle's book.  This may be one of the most important books you'll read this year, or ever.  I've talked with so many believers who've struggled with prayer and communicating with God.

Whittle discusses her own personal struggle, and then launches into forty 5 word prayers that pack so much meaning into just a handful of words.  Each prayer is followed by a devotional, and each reading is about 2 or 2 and 1/2 pages in length.

With the culture changing rapidly and so much disheartening news all around us, "5 Word Prayers" will definitely encourage you and give you hope.  Plus, and most important, it will get you praying in a way that quite possibly will be the most meaningful way ever.

"5 Word Prayers" is available in bookstores now.  I'm giving this book my "for such a time", my highest award.

Until the next page turns,

Deena

The Redeeming by Tamara Leigh

• Series: Age Of Faith
• Paperback: 340 pages
• Publisher: Tamara Leigh; 1 edition (November 12, 2015)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1942326068
• ISBN-13: 978-1942326069

About the Book:

IN THE EYES OF THE CHURCH AND MEN, HERS IS NO SMALL SIN.

Lady Gaenor Wulfrith is a woman scorned. And King Henry’s pawn. After three broken betrothals, she is ordered to wed her family’s enemy, a man she has never met and has good reason to fear. Faced with the prospect of an abusive marriage that will surely turn worse when her sin is revealed, she flees her family’s home with the aid of a knight—a man who could prove her ruin.

Christian Lavonne, the only remaining heir to the barony of Abingdale, has thrown off his monk’s robes—and God—to administer his lands. Determined to end the devastation wrought by his family’s feud with the Wulfriths, he agrees to marry his enemy’s sister, a woman no man seems to want. When he learns she has fled with a knight who has broken fealty with the Wulfriths, he pursues her, knowing that when they meet his own sin will be revealed and he will be as much in need of redemption as the woman who may carry another man’s child.

My Thoughts:

Wow...what a story!  "The Redeeming" is the most intense of Leigh's "Age of Faith" series.  These medieval novels are rich and lush with details that are just mind-boggling.  Leigh truly did her homework--I had to look a few of the words up to make sure I knew what I was reading about!

This one is also the most passionate.  Lady Gaenor doesn't come to her groom pure as the driven snow, and Christian isn't the most patient of men, inflicting more harm and hurt that compassion and hope.  Time and life together combine with the faith of the couple to soften hearts and prove stronger than any life changing choices they've made.

I'm extremely late to this party of reading, so I have a few more novels to go before I exhaust the wonder of this outstanding historical series.  A slight warning to readers: there is passion between men and women, but it is tasteful.  The faith element is there, but flows organically and isn't overt.

Thank you to all of my reading friends who've been exclaiming over Leigh's "Age of Faith" series, finally pushing me to see what all of the hype was all about--and proving to be true!  I'm giving "The Redeeming" my "oh, the feels!" stamp of approval.

Until the next page turns,

Deena

Kill Shot by Susan Sleeman

• Series: White Knights (Book 2)
• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: FaithWords (February 6, 2018)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1455596493
• ISBN-13: 978-1455596492

About the Book:

Suspense and romance combine in Susan Sleeman's thrilling new novel about an FBI agent who must team up with a beautiful therapist to stop a killer with a deadly new weapon.

Some fears haunt you forever....

As the ballistics and weapon's expert for the FBI's special task force nicknamed the White Knights, Rick Cannon has known the Department of Defense was developing self-steering bullets. Rick feared these smart bullets--which have one hundred percent accuracy that can turn even a novice into a lethal sniper--would eventually end up in the hands of the wrong people. But since the ammunition was still in the development stage, he figured they had plenty of time before that happened. He was wrong. Dead wrong.

Until they become reality.

When a homeless vet is killed with a smart bullet, it's clear that the ammunition has been stolen, and the Knights are called in to find the thief and stop the killings. But they aren't the only ones desperate to find the killer. Therapist Olivia Dobbs is well known for her success in counseling military veterans with PTSD. When she discovers one of her clients moments after he is murdered, she becomes both the FBI's prime witness, and suspect. 

Despite the mutual attraction that immediately sparks between them, Rick can't--no he won't--let Olivia interfere with his investigation. But when the sniper trains his rifle on her, Rick must recall all the skills he learned as a Marine sniper to make sure the next bullet fired isn't a kill shot that takes Olivia out.

My Thoughts:

I've always enjoyed Susan Sleeman's novels, but this one was far more than enjoyable--it was chilling in its rich and authentic detail.  "Kill Shot" is a thrill ride from the first page until the final page turns.  Just the thought of a real life scenario like the one Sleeman lays out in her novel sent shivers through my mind.

Both Olivia and Rick were well developed characters and I connected with them both very quickly.  When all evidence points to Olivia being involved, for a brief moment I wondered about her guilt myself!  The story is solid, the scenario is plausible, and the characters are realistic.

Out of all of Sleeman's series', I love her "White Nights" series more than any other, and that's something, because Sleeman is on my 'must read' list.  Don't miss "Kill Shot", and do yourself a favor and pick up "Fatal Mistake" as well.

I'm giving "Kill Shot" my "packs a punch" stamp of approval, and sending my thanks to FaithWords for my complimentary copy with no services promised in exchange.

Until the next page turns,

Deena

A Handful of Flowers by Kimberly Rae Jordan

• File Size: 3121 KB
• Print Length: 114 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Three Strand Press (January 15, 2016)
• Publication Date: January 15, 2016
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC

About the Book:

This Christian romance novella of 34,000 words is the first book in The Callaghans & McFaddens series from author Kimberly Rae Jordan. 

When Emily McFadden first met Steve Callaghan, her only goal had been to gain his permission for his son to come over to play with hers. When she realizes that he is in need of help caring for his four sons, she decides to see if he’d be interested in making a deal. She’d help him with his boys, and he’d help her with the repairs to her aging house. Steve makes it clear he’s not in the market for a wife which is just fine with her. She has her own reasons for not wanting to get involved romantically.

Steve has no interest in a relationship after having dealt with his ex-wife and her rejection of their boys. However, he finds himself drawn to Emily as she showers his boys with love in the same way she does with her own four children. But is it just gratitude or something more? Is it possible that God has a different plan for their families than what they’d thought they wanted?

My Thoughts:

"A Handful of Flowers" is a sweet romantic novella by Kimberly Rae Jordan.  I was browsing for something refreshing to read and stumbled across her "The Callaghans & McFaddens" series, and decided to purchase the prequel.

I'm so very glad I did.  The story was most definitely a romance, but not sappy or overly sweet.  Emily is raising her four children alone after her husband is killed in action while serving overseas, but she's never had peace about the loss.  Steve is raising his four children after a painful divorce and relocation.  When Emily's oldest son starts up a friendship with Steve's, the families connect.

The interactions between the children was fun, and at times hilarious.  But the emotion Jordan floods into her story is powerful and at times I had to pause to wipe away tears--it's hard to read through waterworks!  The romance flowed naturally, and the faith did as well.  The blended family scenario is a bit idealistic, but hey...it could happen!

I enjoyed "A Handful of Flowers" so much I downloaded the next book as well, so be watching for that review coming soon.  For now, I'm giving this one my "one to watch" with a sprinkle of "oh, the feels!" awards.

Until the next page turns,

Deena

Hidden Currents by Christy Barritt

• File Size: 4828 KB
• Print Length: 259 pages
• Publisher: River Heights (January 14, 2018)
• Publication Date: January 14, 2018
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
• Language: English

About the Book:

You can take the detective out of the investigation, but you can't take the investigator out of the detective.

A notorious gang puts a bounty on Detective Cady Matthews’s head after she takes down their leader, leaving her no choice but to hide until she can testify at trial. But her temporary home across the country on a remote North Carolina island isn’t as peaceful as she initially thinks. 

Living under the new identity of Cassidy Livingston, she struggles to keep her investigative skills tucked away, especially after a body washes ashore. When local police bungle the murder investigation, she can’t resist stepping in. But Cassidy is supposed to be keeping a low profile. One wrong move could lead to both her discovery and her demise.

Can she bring justice to the island . . . or will the hidden currents surrounding her pull her under for good?

My Thoughts:

Christy Barritt is back with a brand new series featuring a detective on the run after an undercover assignment puts her life in danger.  Going undercover with the notorious DH-7 gang, she ends up taking risks that could cost her everything--including her life.

She goes into hiding on secluded island Lantern Beach--so secluded that it takes an extremely long drive and two ferry trips to find the place.  No one will find new resident Cassidy Livingston, as long as she can keep her cover in place.

But when a dead body washes up on the beach and the local authorities are bungling the investigation, she finds a way to 'help' find the clues to solve the case.   Her investigation takes her to, um, interesting spots on the island...

...like a fruit stand built from an old van, a diner run by a chemistry expert with wacky food combos that are surprisingly good, and a bubble gum pink ice cream truck with a mysterious mind of its own.

Why won't the residents of the island buy ice cream from her truck?  Without the tourists, Cassidy wouldn't be able to make a living selling her frozen treats.  New neighbor and retired Navy SEAL Ty Chambers is interested in learning more about Cassidy...

...but she's not very open and revealing.  When he joins forces with her to find the perpetrator behind the body on the beach, can he learn more about Cassidy or will the Hidden Currents of her secrets take them both under?

Intense, witty, and difficult to figure out the perp before the story ends...that's what you'll find with a novel by Christy Barritt!

Hidden Currents gets four out of five stars from me!

Until the next page turns,

Deena

Devotions for the Hungry Heart by Shellie Rushing Tomlinson

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Shiloh Run Press (January 1, 2018)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1683224329
• ISBN-13: 978-1683224327

About the Book:

This simple little book of story-based devotions will change your world, one day at a time.

"Whether you have a healthy craving for more Jesus, or the barely discernible taste for a relationship with Him that seems beyond your reach, the glorious truth is that God put that hunger in your heart in the first place, and He is more willing to fan that flame than you or I could ever be."
--From the Introduction

Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, the Belle of All Things Southern, is back with a devotional guide for the Jesus-hungry heart. Grounded in scripture and offered in the author’s signature storytelling style, this devotional invites you to God's table for a continual feast. With six prominent themes including Sharing, Needing, Celebrating, Praying, Surrendering, and Being Intentional, you'll be challenged and encouraged to develop God-honoring traits in your spiritual life.

A delightful companion book to Tomlinson’s Hungry Is a Mighty Fine Sauce, Devotions for the Hungry Heart features a bonus full-color insert featuring more than a dozen mouthwatering recipes plus photos. You're guaranteed to find nourishment for your body as well as your spirit!

My Thoughts:

I absolutely love Shellie Rushing Tomlinson's wit and sense of humor, so I was excited to pick up a copy of "Devotions of the Hungry Heart".  May I just say the design and cover of this book is absolutely gorgeous!   In fact, this would be a wonderful gift for, say, Valentine's Day!

Each devotional reading is about two pages long, and packed with humor.  Shellie's got some wild stories to tell, and every one of them is true--which makes them even more entertaining.  If you're seeking a solid and personal relationship with God, this is the devotional for you.

I'm giving "Devotions for the Hungry Heart" four out of five stars.  And the tag line slays me every time I read it: Chasing Jesus Six Days From Sunday!  To that I say, you go, sister-girl!

Until the next page turns,

Deena