Rattled by Trish Berg

I have the priviledge of introducing Rattled by Trish Berg.  This is a great book to give as a gift to those expecting babies.  I’m going to give my copy to one of the pregnant teens at school.  Hopefully, she will learn from the book and apply that knowledge.  

 

Product Description
Welcome to the Adventure of Motherhood

Clutter? Chaos? Exhaustion got you down? You must be a mom. And you’re not alone. Perhaps you thought you had it all together…then your baby was born and your world was turned upside down. If new motherhood has you filled with doubt, guilt, and confusion, Trish Berg wants to offer companionship, hope, and help–plus a lot of humor along the way.

With practical advice and scriptural reminders, Berg presents two pillars of motherhood: Keep it simple and keep it biblical. Relax as you learn that every mom shares your stresses, challenges, and “Aagghh!” moments. In the midst of sleep deprivation and Cheerio dust, you’ll learn to savor the simple joy and privilege of mothering.

 

Review
“Trish Berg’s advice will turn you from rattled to relaxed. Her solid tips and sense of humor make Rattled the perfect book for new moms.”
- Tim Bete, author of In the Beginning...There Were No Diapers and Guide to Pirate Parenting

“Honest, informative, humorous, well-researched, encouraging, and practical are some of the words describing Rattled. We can never have enough high-quality childrearing books and Trish Berg has outdone herself in this modern manual on capable, competent parenting in the first year. I recommend it.”
- Brenda Nixon, speaker and author of Parenting Power in the Early Years

“This precious book comes straight from the heart.  It's personal stories, humor and excellent tips and insights kept me reading ... and smiling ... nodding in agreement.   Thank you, Trish, for this most wonderful gift to first year mothers.” 
- Michele Steinhauser, author and Founder of Club M.A.W. ~ Encouraging, Equipping and Connecting Mothers and Wives

“Rattled is the perfect resource for an overwhelmed new mom.  Trish Berg has broken down helpful information into bite-sized portions — perfect for a mom who desperately needs encouragement and practical help but only has moments of time to read.  Trish has provided something for everyone — practical tips, humorous stories, and advice from a mom who’s been there.”
- Glynnis Whitwer, Senior Editor Proverbs 31 Ministries, author of work@home: A Practical Guide for Women Who Want to Work at Home

“Trish Berg has crafted the perfect mommy manual-- engaging, informative, encouraging and best of all-- without a hint of intimidation or guilt-producing rhetoric! All first-time mommies in my circle of friends will receive this gem as a gift as soon as they return home from the hospital or adoption agency!”
- Karen Ehman, National speaker for Proverbs 31 Ministries and Hearts at Home, author of A Life That Says Welcome  and The Complete Guide to Getting and Staying Organized

“Baby's first year is amazing, thrilling, sweet--and completely discombobulating! With Trisha Berg's help, though, new and new-again mommies can navigate the ups and downs of their precious one's babyhood with savvy, a sense of humor, and spiritual growth.”
- Lorilee Craker, author of nine mommy books, including We Should Do This More Often and Date Night in a Minivan: Revving Up Your Marriage After the Kids Arrive

“Kind, sweet, and funny–these words describe both this book and its author. Trish Berg knows first-hand both the fun and frustrations of motherhood, and her heart of encouragement shines through these pages. Rattled offers new moms some wise advice tempered with refreshing honesty, and reminds moms to keep their sense of humor while offering practical ways to connect with the God who loves them.”
- Keri Wyatt Kent, author of Breathe: Creating Space for God in a Hectic Life, and God's Whisper in a Mother's Chaos

About the Author
Trish Berg is a columnist for The Daily Record newspaper in Ohio, and InspiredParenting.net. She is a part-time college instructor, and a fulltime wife and mom. She has published articles in Today's Christian Woman, MOMSense, Parenting-New Zealand , and P31 Woman. She has been a guest columnist on CBN.com, and was a contributing author in Mom, You Make a Difference. Having earned her MBA in marketing from John Carroll University, Trish now lives with her husband, Michael, and their four children on their family farm in Ohio.

 

Check out her website at http://www.trishberg.com/

 

 

Go get the book at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1590529138

 

Broken Angel by Sigmund Brouwer

The second book this week from the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is Broken Angel by Sigmund Brouwer.  This is a post-apocalyptic book that reads like Fahrenheit 451 and Anthem by Ayn Rand.  We see a world where basic human freedom is at stake and what people are willing to do to grasp that freedom.  This novel will keep you going up until the very last.  Many people have read it in one sitting.

 

About the Book
Her birth was shrouded in mystery and tragedy.
Her destiny is beyond comprehension.
Her pursuers long to see her broken.
She fights to soar.

In the rough, shadowy hills of Appalachia, a nation carved from the United States following years of government infighting, Caitlyn and her companions are the prey in a terrifying hunt. They must outwit the relentless bounty hunters, skirt an oppressive, ever-watchful society, and find passage over the walls of Appalachia to reveal the dark secrets behind Caitlyn’s existence–and understand her father’s betrayal.

In this engrossing, lightning-paced story with a post-apocalyptic edge, best-selling author Sigmund Brouwer weaves a heroic, harrowing journey through the path of a treacherous culture only one or two steps removed from our own.

About the Author
Sigmund Brouwer is the author of eighteen best-selling novels for children and adults. His novel The Last Disciple was featured in Time magazine and on ABC’s Good Morning America and his newest book is Fuse of Armageddon. A champion of literacy, he teaches writing workshops for students in schools from the Arctic Circle to inner city Los Angeles. Sigmund is married to Christian recording artist Cindy Morgan, and they and their two daughters divide their time between homes in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada and Nashville, Tennessee.

 

Go get the book at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1400070325

 

 

 

Embrace Me by Lisa Samson

This week the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Embrace Me by Lisa Samson.  This novel has a powerful message and you will find yourself lost in the world of the two main characters - Drew Parrish, a former pastor, and Valentine, a girl with a disfigured face.  The characters and relationships are real and we can’t help but learn about ourselves and come to a deeper understanding of Christ.

 

About the book:

Biting and gentle, hard-edged and hopeful . . . a beautiful fable of love and power, hiding and seeking, woundedness and redemption.

When a "lizard woman," a self-mutilating preacher, a tattoed monk, and a sleazy lobbyist find themselves in the same North Carolina town one winter, their lives are edging precariously close to disaster . . . and improbably close to grace.

 

Go get the book at:  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1595542108

 

 

 

Healing Promises by Amy Wallace

This week the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Healing Promises by Amy Wallace.  Once again, I’m bragging on a Louisville Cardinal.  I guess God will let me know if that is really a sin.  (Amy, I’m just joking, but if He does reply in the affirmative, I’ll let you know so you can change your colors to blue.)  My wife and I both loved Ransomed Dreams and so we came to Healing Promises with high expectations and Wallace delivers.  The book is hard to put down and you really care about the characters and what they are going through.  The story picks up where Ransomed Dreams left off, but you don’t have to read the first one to know what’s going on.  However, I can’t imagine you’ll read Healing Promises and not want to read the first book in the series.  We can’t wait for book number three due out next spring.

 

About the book:

Facing a new threat When FBI Agent Clint Rollins takes a bullet during a standoff, it might just save his life. But not even the ugly things he's seen during his years working in the Crimes Against Children Unit could prepare him for the overwhelming powerlessness of hospital tests revealing an unexpected diagnosis. If only Sara weren't retreating into doctor mode...he needs his wife now more than ever. Frozen in fear Sara Rollins is an oncologist with a mission--beating cancer when she can, easing her patients' suffering at the very least. Now the life of her tall Texan husband is at stake. She never let the odds steal her hope before, but now the question of God's healing promises is personal. Can she hold on to the truth she claimed to believe? Faith under fire As Clint continues to track down a serial kidnapper despite his illness, former investigations haunt his nightmares, pushing him beyond solving the case into risking his life and career. Clint struggles to believe God is still the God of miracles. Especially when he needs not one, but two. Everything in his life is reduced to one all-important question: Can God be trusted? MailScanner has detected a possible fraud attempt from "www.defendersofhope.com" claiming to be Visit www.DefendersofHope.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the author:

Amy Wallace is the author of Ransomed Dreams, a homeschool mom, and a self-confessed chocoholic. She is a graduate of the Gwinnett County Citizens Police Academy and a contributing author of several books, including God Answers Moms’ Prayers and Chicken Soup for the Soul Healthy Living Series: Diabetes. She lives with her husband and three children in Georgia.  You can learn more about Amy at http://www.amywallace.com/

You can also check out her blog at http://peek-a-booicu.blogspot.com/

You can buy the book at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1601420102

 

If you haven’t read the first one and want to get it, then go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/159052747X

 

Sincerely, Mayla by Virginia Smith

Another book to introduce this week is Sincerely Mayla by Virginia Smith.  This is the second novel my wife has read by Smith.  Her writing is fresh and her characters real.  About half way through the book my wife was worried about the homosexual characters and where the book was leading, but her fears were squashed.  I won’t say anymore, so as not to ruin the book.  The novel has many good, strong messages and it is a recommended read.

 

About the book:

Will Mayla Strong’s life ever resemble normal? Just as she settles into a great place with God, everything else falls apart. In the course of a single week she loses her job, wrecks any chance at a relationship with Pastor Paul, gets the cold shoulder from her friend Stuart, and learns that Lindsey—the teenage sister of her late friend Alex—needs a place to stay. What good is being a control freak if nobody will do what you tell them?

 

Taking advantage of her newfound “vacation time,” Mayla flees to her grandmother’s house in Florida. But one by one, her problems follow . . . literally. In this touching sequel to Just As I Am, quirky Mayla Strong comes face-to-face with the responsibilities and joys of friends and family. As she tries to help her loved ones, Mayla begins to realize that God has all the answers—the trick is letting go long enough for Him prove it.

 

About the author:

Virginia Smith is a writer of humorous novels, a speaker, a snow skier, a motorcycle enthusiast, and an avid scuba diver. Since leaving her twenty-year profession as a corporate director, she has written numerous books, including her debut, Just As I Am (Kregel Publications, March 2006) and Stuck in the Middle (Revell, February 2008). An energetic speaker, she loves to exemplify God's truth by comparing real-life situations to well-known works of fiction, such as her popular talk, "Biblical Truth in Star Trek."

 

Endorsements for Sincerely, Mayla

Sincerely, Mayla is an honest book touching many issues young adults face today. Smith writes vibrant characters and tackles taboo subjects with grace and intelligence. She helps readers understand the beauty and complexity of every human being, pierced or not.

 

—Mary E. DeMuth

Christy Nominee, Watching the Tree Limbs

 

“If Mayla stole your heart in Just As I Am, she’ll own it in Sincerely, Mayla. Juggling unemployment, unrequited love, and shepherding a runaway teen takes hilarious and poignant turns in Mayla’s quirky hands. Throw in a visit to the grandmother she hasn’t seen in thirteen years, and readers will savor a rich dish of laughter, tears, and life-lessons sure to leave a permanent mark.  

—Jill Elizabeth Nelson

Author of the To Catch a Thief series

 

"Virginia Smith has crafted another winning story with SINCERELY, MAYLA. Once again, Mayla Strong leads a cast of characters who will live in your heart long after the last page has been turned. Anyone who doubts that the Lord can use even the most unique among us will have a change of heart after reading this endearing novel."

—Kathleen Y’Barbo

Author of BELOVED CASTAWAY and LOUISIANA BRIDES

 

“In Sincerely, Mayla, Virginia Smith gives a graphic depiction of hating the sin but loving the sinner, just the way Jesus would. In the process, Mayla develops a greater spiritual awareness of her own shortcomings. This is a book that all Christians should read.”

—Lena Nelson Dooley

award-winning, best-selling author of Minnesota Brothers,

Carolina Carpenter Brides, and Montana Mistletoe.

 

"Becoming part of Mayla's challenges, frustration, and resolutions totally grabbed my heart . . . Mayla's character is developed very realistically, as we experience her mind being transformed into a new creation."

—Jacqui Markowski

Client Services, Pregnancy Resource  Center of Salt Lake City

 

 

Go get the book at:  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0825436923

 

Get Just as I Am at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0825436931

 

Other books by Virginia Smith:

Murder by Mushroom  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/037344253X

Bluegrass Peril http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0373442726

Stuck in the Middle http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0800732324

 

The Warriors by Mark Andrew Olsen

The Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is celebrating its 100^th blog tour this week with the introduction of The Warriors by Mark Andrew Olsen.  This book was a late arrival, so I haven’t gotten very far into it, but so far it is just what one would expect from Olsen.  It is very exciting and if you love the supernatural, like I do, this is one of the best series going right now.  So, I hope you will jump in and get lost in this electrifying novel.

 

Book Description
A failed recon mission deep in the tunnels of Afghanistan has provoked a demonic onslaught that had been brewing for centuries. The mission's sole survivor is reformed black ops assassin Dylan Hatfield, and he once again teams up with Abby Sherman, now at the helm of the Watchers, an ancient spiritual force. Uncovering and preventing a secret wave of death whispered across cyberspace and threatening to be unleash against civilization will require another level of spiritual power and expertise--the Warriors.

Journeying across the Alps of Europe through the multilayered history of warfare in the unseen world, Dylan and Abby uncover an age-old stone engraving that rouses the church's Warriors to action, placing them dead center in one of the fiercest spiritual battles of their time!

And once again they are reminded: This is all part of a vast and perpetual war, a war beyond all human conflicts, one that has engulfed heaven and earth since before the dawn of history....

Abby Sherman is headed back to Israel, where a Watcher, the Sentinel of Jerusalem, lies dying. In her last breaths the old woman tells Abby of an ancient document prophesying humanity's full-scale entry into the ongoing conflict between armies of heaven and fallen angels.

Dylan Hatfield has decided to answer a summons from his old boss and join a secret operation, its mission to reconnoiter the Afghani tunnel complex from which Osama bin Laden escaped in 2001. What he discovers sears his very soul and likely will end his life.

Abby learns of the peril facing Dylan, and she sends out a call for intercession on his behalf. Her frantic email message sets in motion a series of harrowing events, propelling the two on a new mission and quest--one where the stakes are the lives of millions!

Packed with high-octane action, featuring exotic international locales, with characters in a clash against spiritual "principalities and powers" with eternal consequences, The Warriors is a story that will enthrall, enlighten, and engage its readers.

About the Author
Mark Andrew Olsen, whose novel The Assignment was a Christy Award finalist, also collaborated with Tommy Tenney on bestsellers Hadassah and The Hadassah Covenant. The son of missionaries to France, Mark is a graduate of Baylor Unive rsity. He and his wife, Connie, live in Colorado Springs with their three children.

 

To learn more about the novel go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/076420274X

 

If you want to check out Olsen’s other novels, the links are below.

 

The Assignment - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/076422817X

 

The Watchers - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764228188

 

Hadassah - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764229435

 

Hadassah Covenant - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764203371

 

Rescued - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764202006

 

 

The Big Picture by Jenny B. Jones

This week the CFBA is introducing The Big Picture: A Katie Parker Production, Act 3 by Jenny B. Jones.  I gave this to my wife to read and she was surprised that it was a young adult book.  I wasn’t sure if she would finish it, since it wasn’t her normal reading genre, but she loved the book.  She loved the character and the journey.  This is a great book for young adult girls.  This series should be picked up by high school libraries.  I know I’ll be talking to mine.  It’s good to have real-world fiction with a Christian worldview.

 

About the book:
Katie Parker is having a bad day. After leaving the drive-in, where her imploding love life was the main attraction, Katie arrives home to a surprise guest. Her mother, a former convict and recovering addict, wants to take Katie away from her family, friends, and church. Now Katie's life will be changed by a series of dramatic choices as she struggles to understand what family and home really means.

A Katie Parker Production series offers teen girls real-world fiction balanced by hope and humor. The Big Picture helps us realize that the difficult chapters in our journey are only part of God's big story for our lives.

About the author: 

Jenny B. Jones is the author of A Katie Parker Production series. Though now an adult, she still relates to the trauma and drama of teen life. She is thrilled to see her writing dreams come true, as her previous claim to fame was singing the Star Spangled Banner at a mule-jumping championship. (The mules were greatly inspired.)

Jenny resides in Arkansas, where, as a teacher, she hangs out with teens on a regular basis.

Go get the book at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1600062083

 

If you’re like us and need to catch-up by reading the first two books, here are the links:

 

In Between: A Katie Parker Production Act 1 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1600060986

 

On the Loose: A Katie Parker Production, Act 2 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/160006115X

 

Learn more about Jenny B. Jones at http://jennybjones.com/