The Keeper, Blog Tour and Facebook Party info And Prizes

Book Reviews, Litfuse 3 Responses »
Jan 042012

Imagine wondering if your father is going to live from day to day. You have already lost your mother and as the eldest in the family, it has fallen to you to make sure that things keep running. Your next oldest sister is in charge of the cooking, your brother is mentally disabled. Add on a crazy uncle, a fiancé with cold feet and the annual visit from the Bee Man and you have The Keeper by Suzanne Woods Fisher.

Spring has sprung at Windmill Farm. The fruit trees in the orchard are getting ready to bloom, the first of the produce is coming in from the garden and Julia Lapp is happily planning her wedding to Paul Fisher. Until the day that Paul comes to her and tells her he wants to postpone the wedding….again. Julia is left wondering what is going on and decides to blame the Bee Man as he has just shown up for his annual visit with his famous brown bees. Last year when he came to town he talked several of the young men of the community into postponing or canceling wedding plans then, along with Paul for the first time. This time, he’s done the same thing.

While Julia is left to pick up the pieces of her relationship with Paul again, she has to deal with her father’s coming passing. Amos knows his time is short, his heart is failing quickly. There is the option of a heart transplant, but he refuses to even consider it. The family has tried and tried to get him to consent to be placed on the waiting list to no avail.

Life is falling apart on so many fronts for poor Julia. How will she cope? Just as she is resigning herself to what all she is to do and is responsible for, her brother decides that he is in love with a neighbor of a different Amish sect. This may have been ok, except for the fact that Menno is 17 and has the mind of a six year old.

Then the day arrives when Uncle Hank announces he has word from an Amishwoman in Ohio who wants to come out and take care of the family. Fern arrives and is quite the force to be reckoned with…With her militaristic ways and stringent guidelines, how will anyone cope? Will Julia find a way to convince Paul to go ahead and keep their wedding date? How long will Amos survive? And will Menno find a life for himself despite his disability?

This book started out very well. The characters were believable for the most part. And I found myself being dragged into the story. However, about part way through I started to kind of  feel bulldozed. Things got a bit beyond my ability to see past the realm of probability. I absolutely did not like how the issue of Amos’ heart transplant and Menno’s romantic feelings were taken care. I felt cheated with the resolution and topics that were brought up were dealt with in a way that there was no way to come to grips with the issue or to finish truly hashing it out.

It was a nice little love story and a lovely break from reality for me to read.

About Suzanne:
Her interest in the Amish began with her grandfather, W.D. Benedict, who was raised Plain. She has many, many Plain relatives living in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, and travels back to Pennsylvania, as well as to Ohio, a couple of times each year for research.

Suzanne has a great admiration for the Plain people and believes they provide wonderful examples to the world. In both her fiction and non-fiction books, she has an underlying theme: You don’t have to “go Amish” to incorporate many of their principles–simplicity, living with less, appreciating nature, forgiving others more readily– into your life.

When Suzanne isn’t writing or bragging to her friends about her first new grandbaby (!), she is raising puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind. To Suzanne’s way of thinking, you just can’t take life too seriously when a puppy is tearing through your house with someone’s underwear in its mouth.

Suzanne can be found on-line at: www.suzannewoodsfisher.com.

Suzanne is hosting a ”honey of a giveaway”during the blog tour for The Keeper! During 1/3-1/17 you can enter to win an iPad2 from Suzanne and connect with her on January 17th at The Keeper Facebook Party!

During the giveaway one Grand Prize winner will receive a Prize Pack valued at $600:

To visit the other blogs on the tour for The Keeper, go here.

And if you want to go buy your own copy, feel free to go here (I do not get any kickbacks for you clicking this link as I am not an Amazon Affiliate at the moment.)

I was given a copy of The Keeper by Suzanne Woods Fisher as a part of the Litfuse blogging group. All opinions are mine and mine alone and no other compensation was received.

Posted by Crissyanna at 9:44 PM

The House of Hope, a Book on Obedience

Book Reviews, Faith, Litfuse No Responses »
Nov 152011

Ordinary people are called to serve and extraordinary God. We see it time and time again throughout the Bible. We hear of the missionaries of long ago who traveled to faraway places with the expectation of dying on the field and knowing that communication with loved ones would be very difficult if not next to impossible.

Today, a lot of people think they can’t be used of God. I know plenty of people who refuse to hear what God wants them to do with their lives because it doesn’t fit into their preconceived notions of what God wants for us (I think it is safe to say that we all fall into that trap at various times in our lives, myself included).

The House of Hope is the story of a couple who chose to follow God, no matter what it cost them personally.

Robin and Joyce Hill were living quite the life as expatriates in China. They had everything they could need or want and were set to leave China as Robin’s term was up for the office he was in. However, when it was close to time to go, they couldn’t let themselves leave. God orchestrated several encounters through their church to plant the seed of helping orphans who have no other hope of living a life of any sort. So, instead of leaving China, they got a small apartment and twelve years ago took in their first foster child with special medical needs and Hope Foster Home was born.

And God moved. Time and time again He provided the Hills with new places to live, larger facilities, people to work with them, networking opportunities in the global medical community (Joyce is an M.D.) and finances to take in more and more children.

Robin and Joyce were obedient. That is all God asks of us. It doesn’t matter to Him who you are or what you think you can and cannot do. He just simply expects obedience and will equip you for the task at hand.

The House of Hope is the story of obedience. Elisabeth Gifford tells the Hill’s story with such respect and love for what they do. It feels like you are there in China with these precious children. The book made me want to take them all in and love on them. My heart broke for these children and what they have been through, yet I rejoiced in love and care they are receiving from the Hills and their staff and the many volunteers who come and help and those who donate medical treatment, money and other resources.

The Hills have loved “the least of these” selflessly for the last eleven years. Because of them, these children have the hope of a future. Many have been adopted into their forever families and others have been loved on into the arms of Jesus. These children are being given a hope and a future because the Hills obeyed.

About The House of Hope: One couple’s powerful ministry to some of China’s most vulnerable children
Robin and Joyce Hill lived in a gated community in Beijing. Their family’s life was marked by luxury and the security of Robin’s job as an engineer. Then one day, as members of their church, they had a chance to tour a state-run orphanage. Haunted by the needs of the children they saw there, for the next four years they tried to help the institute in meaningful ways.

In 1998 the Hills planned to leave China, but instead felt a sudden call from God on their lives. They left their gated community–reserved for only non-Chinese residents–moved their family into a small apartment miles outside of Beijing and immediately began to take in foster children.

They took in any child, but especially those that needed extra care—terminally ill children that couldn’t receive care elsewhere, and those that needed complicated and expensive surgeries that the Hills soon began to coordinate and sometimes pay for out of their own savings.

What began as Hope Foster Home is now New Hope Foundation. As they continue their work, the Hills enjoy support from major corporations and high-profile philanthropists as well as the trust of the Chinese authorities. The Hills’ story is an inspiring example of God’s care and provision for those whom society does not value. Learn more about Hope Foster Homes here:http://www.hopefosterhome.com.

“I strongly support Robin and Joyce Hill’s New Hope Foundation which is saving so many orphan lives in China. Read this amazing story of God’s grace and accept the challenge to make a difference!”
–Steven Curtis Chapman

“I had the privilege of going to China and witnessing the work that God is doing through Robin and Joyce Hill. They are wonderful servants of God who lovingly care for the ‘least of these.’ I hope that many will read this book and consider their example.”
–Francis Chan, author of Crazy Love
About Elisabeth Gifford: Elisabeth Gifford is a journalist who has written for the London Times and the Independent Newspapers. She lives in Kingston, England, and teaches children with dyslexia.

I want to encourage everyone to read this book. Even if you aren’t interested in China or orphans, it is a good study on a life of obedience. Which is a life we should all be striving for.  Also, November is Adoption Awareness Month. Please, take a moment to at the very least pray for these precious children and consider what else you can do for them.

100% of the proceeds received through the sale of this book go to help fund the work at Hope Foster Home. How awesome is that? You can visit Hope Foster Home’s website to learn more about the work being done.

About the Giveaway!

The publisher is sponsoring a $50 “GET / GIVE” GIVEAWAY: One winner will receive a $50 Amazon.com gift certificate for themselves AND $50 will be given in the winner’s name to Hope Foster Home.

To enter all you have to do is send a tweet (using #HFH) about The House of Hope or share about it on Facebook!
If you tweet we’ll capture your entry when you use #HFH. If you share it on Facebook or your blog, just email us and let us know (ckrumm@litfusegroup.com). Easy.
Not sure what to tweet/post? Here’s an idea:
TWEET THIS:  Couple gives all to rescue babies in China! 100% proceeds go to #HopeFosterHome http://ow.ly/7qR3e RT 4 $50 to @amazon & $50 to #HFH

(must use hashtage #HFH to be entered)
FACEBOOK THIS: The House of Hope: One couple abandons a comfortable life to rescue abandoned children. Robin and Joyce Hill have helped over 1300 Chinese orphans with severe medical problems. Purchase a copy for everyone you know – the book is a gift that gives a gift. 100% proceeds to help support the work at Hope Foster Home! Learn more here: http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13438821 Share this for a chance to get a $50 Amazon.com GC and $50 in your name to Hope Foster Home! Click For Details.
To see what others on the blog tour had to say, CLICK HERE.

I was given a copy of The House of Hope by Elisabeth Gifford as a part of Litfuse Publicity Group. All opinions are mine and mine alone and no other compensation was received.

Posted by Crissyanna at 9:13 PM

A Most Unsuitable Match

Book Reviews No Responses »
Oct 202011

I first discovered the talents of Stephanie Grace Whitson while browsing through my local library stacks about a year ago. So I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review her book A Most Unsuitable Match.

Taking place in 1869 and 1870 in the upper class suburbs of St Louis and points west, this was a welcome diversion into a time period I can only conjure up in my mind with the aid of history books and such.

Fannie was born into privilege. She lived in a very nice area of town, had a housekeeper for most of the work, a groundskeeper for the outside and everything she could ever want or need. Well, at least she was lead to believe she had everything.

Much to her society’s chagrin, she keeps turning down a prospective suitor due to her distaste of him. Well, everyone except for her best friend and Hannah, the housekeeper. Most everyone thinks it would be a most suitable match while she insists it would be quite unsuitable.

When her mother dies, she inherits the family’s fortunes. Or as the case turns out, misfortunes. Turns out, her family is about broke, there is no money for anything extra and even perhaps the salaries of the groundskeeper and Hannah. Upon hitting a brick wall with the family’s banker Fannie takes matters into her own hands after finding out that her mother had an identical twin sister. Fannie insists on going out West to find her and seek answers from her. Turns out, her Aunt Eddie had written many letters over the years but her mother hid them all from her. In fact, the discovery of the letters is quite the shock to Fannie who had no clue she ever had an aunt, let alone her mom had an identical twin sister.

Hannah decides to go West with Fannie and the adventure begins. Fannie finagles passage on a steamer headed West piloted by a man who is supposed to be the best at navigating but is the crudest man she’s ever met. The trip is fraught with danger and accidents happen. Fannie meets Samuel Beck onboard the steamer. He is a mysterious man who is searching for his lost sister. After several events, Fannie and Samuel find themselves headed West together, both in search of relatives.

Will they find their relatives? Will they survive the trip? Will hopes be dashed? Will the answers to their questions be answered or will they end up with more? Will Fannie and Samuel end up together? For according to society, that would be a A Most Unsuitable Match considering  the fact he has nothing. Or does he have everything?

This book was a riveting read. I loved the pace of the story, and I never knew what was going to happen as I flipped each page. In fact, I had a few surprises as I read when I can normally see what is coming. I loved it.

I received a copy of A Most Unsuitable Match from Bethany House in exchange for my review. All opinions are mine and mine alone and no other compensation was received.

Posted by Crissyanna at 10:28 PM

The Sweetest Thing

Book Reviews No Responses »
Oct 192011

I love history. I love to read historical fiction. So it was with my excitement that I got The Sweetest Thing by Elizabeth Musser to review. I am fascinated with the Depression Era as that is when my grandparents were born and I thought this was going to be a terrific book.

I don’t want to give the book’s entire plot away. Which this is going to be hard…Perri’s world is shattered within the first chapter. She lives in a well-to-do family and was quite accustomed to pretty much getting whatever she wanted, attending the best school and being quite the little socialite. Her neighbors take in a niece who’s poor. Mary Dobbs comes from a totally different world. One where faith is supreme, and you give what you have to those who need it more than you do.

The two girls become friends, but can their friendship survive through their drastically different lives? Can Mary Dobbs keep her faith as Perri finds hers?

Honestly, I had to struggle to finish this book. I kind of felt like the characters were forced to come alive. And personally, I thought the plot was way too far fetched. The first chapter deals with extremely difficult issues (well, the whole book does) and you have no time at all to get to know any of the characters and form a sort of relationship with them before tragedy strikes. In a way, the book felt abrupt. I found it hard to relate to any of the characters and really ended up not caring how things turned out in the end.

This book wasn’t for me personally. However, the fact that I got it to read the week of our tornado may have clouded my thoughts on the book as I was already dealing with the emotional upheaval of living in a disaster zone and things in real life looked bleak enough. Real life happenings can cloud perceptions towards anything, including books of fiction.

I received a copy of The Sweetest Thing by Elizabeth Musser from Bethany House for the purposes of this review. All opinions are mine and mine alone and no other compensation was received.

Posted by Crissyanna at 10:28 PM

Zombie Church, A Review

Book Reviews, Church, Litfuse No Responses »
Oct 062011

About Zombie Church:

A creative, entertaining approach to resurrecting the undead church.

There is something missing in the church today. Stuck in a rut of routines and rituals, the church is caught up in doing what it is “supposed to do” but is lacking the true essence of what it is supposed to provide: life. Real faith–and a real relationship with Jesus–is not about playing by the rules, attending services, and praying before meals. Real faith is more than religion.

Believing there is a way to breathe life back into the church, Tyler Edwards adopts a contemporary and entertaining metaphor–zombies–to highlight and challenge the problematic attitude of today’s believers.

Written for the discouraged, disenfranchised, and anyone unsatisfied with their same-old church routine, Zombie Church challenges readers to turn away from hollow religious practices, which characterize “zombie Christianity,” and turn toward a radical relationship with Jesus.

While other books have addressed legalism in the church, this is the only book that effectively capitalizes on a popular entertainment genre in order to diagnose and correct the problem. Realizing that even his own church is part of that problem, Edwards has written an accessible and often humorous book that will help believers change the Spirit-draining (or life-draining) habits that stop them from achieving a full, fulfilling life in Christ. Order a copy here.

Link to buy the book: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0825424593/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=sprightly-20&camp=213381&creative=390973&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=0825424593&adid=1XBB9CNE5N30WACVQ3DX

About Tyler Edwards:

Tyler Edwards is the lead pastor at Cornerstone Christian Church in Joplin, Missouri, where he works to help people learn how to live like Jesus, love like Jesus, and look like Jesus—so they carry out the mission of Jesus to the world. He graduated from Ozark Christian College with bachelor’s degrees in both Biblical Literature and Christian Ministry. He has written articles for Lookout Magazine, spoken at various campus ministry events in Missouri, and served overseas in Mbale, Uganda.

Tyler loves cheesy horror films. He is particularly fond of movies like Dawn of the Dead, The Signal, and 28 Days Later, where zombies run wild and threaten to infect an entire town. Connect with Tyler on Facebook.

My take on the book:

What do you imagine when you think of zombies? For me, I think of evil, of something not edifying and a genre of books and movies that really have no place in the Christian’s life. Never would I picture the church in the context of zombies.

Tyler Edwards, however, thinks that the church is full of them. Not the flesh eating, un-dead creatures prevalent in today’s horror films and books. But of people who go through the motions, not making an effort and turning the Church into something that isn’t living, breathing or being relevant. I will agree, that the American Church has grown increasingly apathetic in recent years especially and some hold to ideas that are not biblical in the least. I have been in several like that over the years. I’m sure a lot (if not most of us) have been to a church like that at some point in our lives.

This book does have several good points. Yes, a good many churches in this country are apathetic and dying. They aren’t reaching the lost, and really aren’t dong what we are called to do (love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength Mark 12;30).

To an extent, this book is just preaching to the choir. And a very limited one at that. With the reference to zombies, I’m not sure that most would be apt to pick up and read this book. I was leery to do so as I don’t feel that is a genre that deserves my attention with my worldview and I’m sure that a lot of others will be turned off by the title alone. There are many other books on the market today addressing the sins of the church, and this just adds to it. At least Edwards took the final few chapters to say what he thinks the solution is unlike some other books on the market. I would add to his solution of basically loving on people and being the hands and feet of Christ that we do need to hold ourselves and each other accountable. As Christian brothers and sisters, we do need to hold each other accountable for our choices and do call each other out on things that we observe to be wrong. That would also help to keep us from slipping down the slope of laziness (hey, someone else will go and do that….) to apathy (as iron sharpens iron…Proverbs 27:17).

You don’t have to take my word for it, go see what others on this blog tour have to say for themselves here.

The publisher is sponsoring a $50 Amazon.com giveaway!

To enter all you have to do is send a tweet (using @litfuse) about Zombie Church or share about it on Facebook!

If you tweet we’ll capture your entry when you use @litfuse. If you share it on Facebook or your blog, just email us and let us know (info@litfusegroup.com). Easy.

Not sure what to tweet/post? Here’s an idea:

TWEET THIS: Zombie Church by Tyler Edwards – a fair-minded & tenderhearted critique of the churchhttp://ow.ly/6Nv05@litfuse RT for $50 to @amazon

FACEBOOK THIS: Don’t miss Edwards – a fair-minded and tenderhearted critique of the church. http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13424384 Written for the discouraged, disenfranchised, and anyone unsatisfied with their same-old church routine, Zombie Church challenges readers to turn away from hollow religious practices, which characterize “zombie Christianity,” and turn toward a radical relationship with Jesus. Share this for a chance at $50 to Amazon.com

I was given a copy of Zombie Church by Tyler Edwards by the Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my reading it and posting a review. All opinions are mine and mine alone and no other compensation was received.

Posted by Crissyanna at 10:40 PM
Older Entries
© 2012 Created For Home