Blog Tour: The Shadow of Your Smile by Susan May Warren

Posted by on January 27, 2012 1 Comment

Welcome to the blog tour for Susan May Warren’s The Shadow of Your Smile!

Sometimes love requires a little forgetting … Come back to Deep Haven and find out what’s been happening in your favorite quaint hamlet. If you’re new to the Deep Haven series – this is the perfect book to start with – each book in the series is a stand alone story.

Note: I am not finished with the book yet, so stop back next week for my full review.

About the book: 


A beautiful blanket of snow may cover the quaint town of Deep Haven each winter, but it can’t quite hide the wreckage of Noelle and Eli Hueston’s marriage.

After twenty-five years, they’re contemplating divorce . . . just as soon as their youngest son graduates from high school. But then an accident erases part of Noelle’s memory. Though her other injuries are minor, she doesn’t remember Eli, their children, or the tragedy that has ripped their family apart. What’s more, Noelle is shocked that her life has turned out nothing like she dreamed it would. As she tries to regain her memory and slowly steps into her role as a wife and mother, Eli helps her readjust to daily life with sometimes-hilarious, sometimes-heartwarming results. But can she fall in love again with a man she can’t remember?

Will their secrets destroy them . . . or has erasing the past given them a chance for a future? Read the story behind the story here: http://www.susanmaywarren.com/books/the-shadow-of-your-smile.

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About Susan:

Susan May Warren is an award-winning, best-selling author of over twenty-five novels, many of which have won the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, the ACFW Book of the Year award, the Rita Award, and have been Christy finalists. After serving as a missionary for eight years in Russia, Susan returned home to a small town on Minnesota’s beautiful Lake Superior shore where she, her four children, and her husband are active in their local church.

Susan’s larger than life characters and layered plots have won her acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. A seasoned women’s events and retreats speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you!. She is also the founder ofwww.MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice.

Susan makes her home in northern Minnesota, where she is busy cheering on her two sons in football, and her daughter in local theater productions (and desperately missing her college-age son!)

A full listing of her titles, reviews and awards can be found at: www.susanmaywarren.com.

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Find the Full Blog tour Schedule Here: http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13448479

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Susan is celebrating the release of The Shadow of Your Smile by giving away a prize pack worth over $200 from 1/9-1/28.

One grand prize winner will receive:

  • A $200 Visa Gift Card (Use that to rekindle a little romance, treat yourself to a spa day, snap up those shoes you’ve been eyeing, or purchase a few great books!)
  • The entire set of Deep Haven Books 

The winner will be announced on 1/30/12 on Susan’s blog, Scribbles! Just click one of the icons below to enter and tell your friends about Susan’s giveaway on FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

Enter via E-mail Enter via FacebookEnter via Twitter

 

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1 Peter Bible Study – Week 2

Posted by on January 22, 2012 Leave a Comment

I am participating in a Blog Tour through Kregel Publications for the Bible Study – 1 Peter: Finding Encouragement in Troubling Times by Sue Edwards.  Each week from January 15 – March 11, I will be blogging through my experiences with this study, posting my opinions and insights as I learn more about the book of 1 Peter.  I’m really excited to be participating in this study and am looking forward to what I learn over the next nine weeks!

Read my Week 1 Post.

About the Book**

The letter of 1 Peter was heard by women who knew times like these. This newest addition to the Sue Edwards Inductive Bible Study series digs into 1 Peter and takes a look at the stories of real women–past and present–to teach today’s woman how to stand faithful to God regardless of her trials, however severe.

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Week 2 – My Thoughts on Verses 1:13-2:3

God sets the standard for holiness and morality. These verses discuss a call to holy living. The notes in my study bible* state that “Our holy God expects us to imitate Him by following his high moral standards and by being both merciful and just.” Once we commit our lives to Christ, it is hard not to be tempted back into our old way of life. It is a constant struggle, especially when you live amongst non-believers (as I do), not to engage in behaviors and activities that you once did. I have to consistently ask God to help me through certain situations where I know I might be tempted to fall back into old patterns, especially gossiping and being judgmental of others. Peter tells us that we should be holy in everything that we do. I think that is extremely difficult in our sinful world. We must definitely strive to be holy, but know that even when we make mistakes, our Savior is there to forgive and to help us grow and learn from the experience. Because none of us are perfect. The only perfect One to have ever lived is Christ. And the more we lean on Christ, the more He helps us to become more holy and to become more like Him. We can lean on Christ by presenting our needs to him in prayer and by reading his instructions to us in the Bible.

In verses 2:1-2:3, Peter presents the concept of “spiritual milk”. In my initial read-through, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of this. My study note* says this: “The need for milk is a natural instinct for a baby, and it signals the desire for nourishment that will lead to growth. Once we see our need for God’s Word and begin to find nourishment in Christ, our spiritual appetite will increase, and we will start to mature.” Once I thought through this concept, I realized how true it is! I’m a fairly new Christian (about a year and a half) and I want to read my Bible now more than ever. I can’t get enough of it! I truly crave the nourishment that it provides me.

The questions Sue Edwards presents really allow me to think much more deeply about the verses we are studying. This week I was only able to focus on the Core questions, but I am really enjoying my study of 1 Peter. Join me next week for my thoughts on 1 Peter 2:4-10!

*Note: I use the Life Application Study Bible
**I received a free copy of 1 Peter: Finding Encouragement in Troubling Times by Sue Edwards for my participation in this blog tour.

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Review: The Heart of Memory by Alison Strobel

Posted by on January 20, 2012 2 Comments


The Heart of Memory
by Alison Strobel
Pub Date:  March 29, 2011
Publisher:  Zondervan
Author Links:  Website, Twitter, Facebook, Blog

Savannah expected to receive a new heart…but she didn’t expect to lose her faith.

When beloved Christian writer and speaker Savannah Trover becomes gravely ill, she has to face the sham that her faith has become. Days before her heart transplant, she vows to change her ways and renews her relationship with Christ. But when she awakens from the surgery, Savannah discovers that her faith has left her completely.

Savannah’s husband, Shaun, is concerned about his wife’s odd behavior—but even more concerned about the secret he’s keeping from her. If she doesn’t bring down their ministry, then he might, losing his family in the process. A stranger may hold the answer to Savannah’s recovery, but is Savannah strong enough to return to her old way of life? Can Shaun right his wrongs before word gets out? And do either one of them remember how to be who they once were—or who they want to be?

My Thoughts:

There is much to unpack in this deeply moving novel by Alison Strobel. Struggles of faith, financial issues, parent/child relationships, and human/God relationships. It’s all there and … it’s all life.

What I love about this book is that it comes across as real. Yes, it is Christian fiction, but it’s not all “high and mighty” CF, if that makes sense. This book depicts people who make mistakes, who screw up, but who ultimately find redemption.

Basically, the main character, Savannah, a well-renowned Christian author and speaker who travels the country constantly to the detriment of her family, finds herself flat on her couch nursing a health issue that she can’t kick. The doctors finally determine that the issue lies in her heart and she will need a heart transplant to survive.

But once Savannah receives the transplant, she realizes she no longer has her faith. You may wonder, as I did, how someone can lose her faith. It’s not like a set a car keys or your favorite shirt. Faith is something that is a part of who we are; once you find it, it becomes wrapped into your whole being. The author introduces a concept to explain how this could happen. It’s very interesting and invited me to explore the phenomenon more in depth outside the book. It’s a real thing that is reported to happen to organ transplant recipients, which is absolutely fascinating! It is not without controversy, of course, but it is an interesting concept, nonetheless. And, nope, I’m not going to tell you what it is! You’ll have to read the book to find out!

As Savannah is struggling to realize where her faith went, her husband is hiding his own secrets which could bring down their family and ministry if they ever came to light. Throw in a daughter who is angry at a mother who has been absent most of her life because of the ministry and you have a novel chock full of intense drama.

I love how the author explored each relationship. It felt real to me as the reader. I could buy into it. I didn’t feel like I was being preached at. I felt like I was reading about real people who are just like me. People who don’t do things right all the time, but who can find redemption through faith in Christ.

I can’t wait to read more by Ms. Strobel! I actually went to Amazon after reading this book and bought her book collection (hey they were all bargain priced at the time!). I’ve definitely found a fantastic new-to-me author that I can’t wait to explore more of.

4.5 out of 5!

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Weekly Reminder – Book Blogger Hop!

Posted by on January 20, 2012 1 Comment

Book Blogger Hop
Just a reminder to go check out the newly added links to the Book Blogger Hop this past week!  You don’t need to re-add your link if you added it last week – this is a MONTHLY Hop linky. And if you haven’t added your link yet, then go do it!

January Book Blogger Hop Linky

Have fun Hopping!

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1 Peter Bible Study – Week 1

Posted by on January 15, 2012 11 Comments

I am participating in a Blog Tour through Kregel Publications for the Bible Study – 1 Peter: Finding Encouragement in Troubling Times by Sue Edwards.  Each week for the next nine weeks, I will be blogging through my experiences with this study, posting my opinions and insights as I learn more about the book of 1 Peter.  I’m really excited to be participating in this study and am looking forward to what I learn over the next nine weeks!

About the Study:

1 Peter: Finding Encouragement in Troubling Times offers study questions with three different levels to fit our lifestyle. We can pick and choose from which levels we would like to answer questions each week, depending on our schedules. I love the flexibility of this study. I know that, for me, some weeks are definitely going to be busier than others, so I will need to focus on the basic “core” questions in those weeks. But for weeks when I am not as busy, I can tackle the “digging deeper” or possibly the “summit” questions.

  • “Core” questions provide a basic understanding of the text, but offer an in-depth Bible study with a minimum time commitment.
  • “Digging Deeper” questions will challenge you to learn more about “the history, culture, and geography related to the Bible.” (p. 9)  In this level, you will also look up additional passages/verses for added insight.
  • “Summit” questions “grapple with complex theological issues and differing views” (p. 9). You may be prompted to create essays or charts, or use a Greek-English text.

During the course of this study, I plan to focus on the “core” and “digging deeper” questions, as time allows. I hope that these levels will allow me to really dig into the book of 1 Peter and mine every detail about Peter’s life that I can. Being a fairly new Christian, I have not yet read 1 Peter nor do I know too much about Peter’s life. I know that he was a disciple of Jesus. But not much more than that.

Week 1:

Once I started reading through 1 Peter and answering the “core” questions, I began learning a great deal about who Peter was. The “core” questions are in-depth and provide a way for me to think about the verses in a new way. They offer a way to apply my present day life to the way things were back in the days Peter lived, adding meaning and relevance to the study. Here are some things I learned about Peter:

  • Jesus predicted that Peter would deny knowing Him three times (Luke 22:31-34)
  • Peter denied knowing Jesus three times (Luke 22:54-62)
  • Peter was later forgiven by Jesus (John 21:15-23)
  • He was commissioned to lead Jesus’ followers (John 21:15-23)
  • Peter was imprisoned and released (Acts 4:1-21)
  • Peter was imprisoned again (Acts 12:1-5) and miraculously escaped (Acts 12:6-19)

Peter faced many hardships. but through it all, he maintained faith in Jesus. I mean he actually KNEW Jesus! He tells us in verses 4-5 that we have a “priceless inheritance – and inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.” (1 Peter 1:4-5, NLT)  How awesome is that? God has reserved an inheritance just for me – and you – just by trusting Christ! Peter’s words offer much encouragement that even though this life may be difficult at times, I can rest in the assurance that my priceless inheritance is waiting for me someday. Thank you, Jesus.

I’m really excited to keep going with this study, so I hope you will join me in this journey. See you next Sunday for next week’s 1 Peter post!

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