Join Becky Wade for a Facebook Party May 5

A female bodyguard plus her star NFL client plus danger equals a great recipe for romance! Her One and Only, book four in Becky Wade's Porter Family novels, releases May 3. To celebrate, Becky is hosting an author chat party on her Facebook page on May 5 at 5 PM PDT/8 PM EDT. Join Becky for an evening of book chat with other bookworms and prizes.


Plus a portion of all pre-sales and sales the release week of Her One and Only will be donated to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. For more details on how to purchase a copy, click here.

About the Book
After ten years in the NFL, super star Gray Fowler is accustomed to obsessive fans. But when Gray starts receiving death threats from a stalker, his team hires an executive protection agency to guard him until the culprit is caught. Dealing with bodyguards 24/7 is a headache, especially when one of them is a young, beautiful woman. How can a female half his size possibly protect him better than he can protect himself?




Dru Porter is a former Marine, an expert markswoman, and a black belt–none of which saved her from disaster on her last assignment. In order to rebuild her tarnished reputation, she’s determined to find Gray’s stalker and, since relationships between agents and clients are forbidden, avoid a romantic attachment between herself and the rugged football player with the mysterious past.




Yet every secret that leads Dru closer to the stalker also draws her closer to Gray. As the danger escalates, they’ll survive only if they can learn to trust their lives — and their hearts — to one another.




Learn more and purchase a copy.

Two Fun Sticker and Activity Books

The Berenstain Bears Bear Country Fun Sticker and Activity Book (Berenstain Bears/Living Lights) 

Paperback 

March 8, 2016

by Jan & Mike Berenstain (Illustrator)

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
• Grade Level: Preschool - 3
• Series: Berenstain Bears/Living Lights
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Zonderkidz; Act Csm St edition
• ISBN-13: 978-0310753360

The Berenstain Bears come to life in The Berenstain Bears Bear Country Fun Sticker and Activity Bookthat fans are sure to love! Join the whole Bear family in creative and interactive fun with 32 pages of age-appropriate activities such as word finds, mazes, puzzles, coloring pages, and colorful reusable stickers that are sure to please. Features Mama, Papa, Brother, Sister, Honey, and their friends from Bear Country.

Wild About the Bible Sticker and Activity Book 

(Adventure Bible)

Paperback 

April 5, 2016

by David Miles (Illustrator)

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
• Grade Level: Preschool - 3
• Series: Adventure Bible
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Zonderkidz; Act Gld St edition
• ISBN-13: 978-0310754053

The Adventure Bible comes to life with puzzles, activity pages, and 50 reusable stickers in the newWild About the Bible Sticker and Activity Book. Featuring Bible time heroes and their adventures, activities are fun and engaging and will entertain as well as teach young children about familiar stories in the Bible.

Heroes and adventures include Creation, Noah, Moses, Esther, and the parable of the Lost Son.

My thoughts:  These activity books are fun for preschoolers and early elementary students. They have tracing letters, matching, sticker fun, mazes, word search and other puzzles as well as coloring pictures. Great for a car trip, quiet time activities or for doing at Grandma's house. Great books for kids. Recommended. 

Major Christian Organizations Partner to Launch Africa Study Bible

 Kickstarter Campaign Planned to Help Raise 1 Million for 100,000 Study Bibles

“The Africa Study Bible is a project that has almost unprecedented ability to positively influence the body of Christ in Africa, perhaps more than other single continental-wide project in the history of Christianity.” --Dr. Danny McCain, University of Jos, Nigeria Wheaton, IL –

Millions of English-speaking Africans know and love Christ, but for many, God’s word is hard to grasp. With nearly every full evangelical study Bible written from the viewpoint of the United States and United Kingdom, Africans have lacked a resource that connects with their unique experience, hindering discipleship. But that is about to change as major Christian organizations, led by Oasis International, are joining together to launch the Africa Study Bible (ASB), a six-year, cross-continental effort that has produced the first study Bible developed by Africans for Africans.

“With the ASB, we’re bringing the power of Scripture to Africa in a new and culturally relevant way,” says Dr. Matthew Elliott, president of Oasis, publisher of the ASB. “Under the leadership of an 11-member editorial board of scholars from across Africa, we’ve brought together 350 writers and editors from over 40 African countries, representing 50 denominations. This is an unprecedented project that will impact the global church.”

With the editorial nearly complete, Oasis, with the support of its partners, is inviting fellow Christians to join with them in helping get the ASB into the hands of Africans. With a goal of raising one million dollars to print the first 100,000 copies, Oasis is seeking private donors as well as launching a Kickstarter campaign, which begins April 18 and runs through June 16. Contributors to the Kickstarter campaign have the opportunity to receive incentives ranging from artwork prints to limited Italian leather editions of the ASB as well as all-expense paid trips to the launch of the ASB in the United States and in Africa.

“Our goal is to have the first run of the ASB available in Africa by the end of 2016,” says Elliott. “We already know of more than 100 million people in denominations and movements in Africa whose leaders want to use the ASB for discipleship so there is a lot of anticipation throughout the continent.”

Designed to grow the faith of African church members, teach them to evangelize their communities, and apply a biblical worldview to their society, the ASB uses the New Living Translation and includes 2,400 plus features such as application notes, stories and proverbs, touchpoints that link Africa and the Bible, learn notes that explain basic theology, and major theme articles that apply the Bible to key issues.

Oasis plans to initially release the ASB in English with French and Portuguese translations in development. Oasis is also developing a full-featured app of the study Bible. To support the effort, Oasis is partnering with Tyndale House Publishers to create the study Bible. Other participants include Campus Crusade for Christ, International, Willow Creek and Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit, IFES (International Fellowship of Evangelical Students), Scripture Union, Africa Leadership, TransWorld Radio, Moody Broadcasting, Center for Early African Christianity, PJA (Publications pour la Jeunesse Africane), MMD Global, The Livingstone Corporation, InSight Books, Urban Ministries Inc., and the Association of Evangelicals in Africa, with additional participants being added on a regular basis.

“We have seen the hand of God in amazing ways throughout the development of this project,” says Elliott. “In the words of our supervising editor, Dr. John Jusu, the content of the ASB is bubbling up from the cultures of Africa. The biblical truth is percolating through our own cultures and stories to create a rich and textured tapestry that Africans can claim as their own.”



Dr. Matthew Elliott serves as president of Oasis International and project director for the Africa Study Bible. Oasis International serves areas of the English-speaking world where people lack access to affordable Christian literature and the Bibles needed to mature in their faith. In these countries, the measure of annual incomes is often in hundreds, not thousands, of dollars. The great needs of Africa, in particular, drive Oasis to concentrate on this continent, where the Church is experiencing significant growth yet printed resources are scarce. Matthew earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and master’s degree in New Testament at Wheaton College, as well as a Masters of Theology and a Doctorate of Philosophy in New Testament Studies from University of Aberdeen (Scotland). He was ordained at College Church in Wheaton, Illinois under Dr. Kent Hughes. He is the author of Faithful Feelings: Rethinking Emotion in the New Testament (InterVarsity UK/Kregel) and Feel (Tyndale House). Matthew, his wife, Laura, and three children reside in the Chicago area. For more information on Oasis and the Africa Study Bible, visit www.oasisint.net or www.africastudybible.com



Africa Study Bible Kickstarter Rewards Breakdown Category Reward

When you give $5 or more to this amazing project you will receive a thank you shoutout on our Twitter and Facebook pages AND a special preview of the Africa Study Bible (ASB) book of Genesis!

 When you give $15 or more to this amazing project you will receive: - A social media thank you - ASB Genesis preview PLUS you will also receive a 5x8 reproduction of an Africa Study Bible inspired Tim Botts artwork! See his work at www.timbotts.com

When you give $25 or more to this amazing project you will receive: - A social media thank you - ASB Genesis preview - 5X8 ASB inspired artwork PLUS you will also receive the complete Africa Study Bible in digital form through our App!

When you give $40 or more to this amazing project you will receive: - A social media thank you - ASB Genesis preview - 5x8 ASB inspired artwork PLUS you will also receive your very own advanced hardcover copy of the Africa Study Bible!

When you give $100 or more to this amazing project you will receive: - A social media thank you - ASB Genesis preview - 5X8 ASB inspired artwork - The full ASB app PLUS you will also receive the advanced limited edition genuine bonded leather Africa Study Bible!

When you give $500 or more to this amazing project you will receive: - A social media thank you - ASB Genesis preview - 5X8 ASB inspired artwork - The full ASB app PLUS you will receive the limited edition, premium luxury, edge-lined goatskin leather Africa Study Bible!

When you give $1,000 or more to this amazing project you will receive: - A social media thank you - ASB Genesis preview - 5x8 ASB inspired artwork - The full ASB app - The limited edition, edge-lined goatskin leather ASB PLUS you will receive two limited edition, numbered, matted and framed prints of Africa Study Bible inspired Tim Botts artwork!

When you give $3,500 or more to this amazing project you will receive: - A social media thank you - ASB Genesis preview - 5x8 ASB inspired artwork - The full ASB app Africa Study Bible Kickstarter Rewards Breakdown - The edge-lined goatskin leather ASB - The two original matted and framed ASB inspired artwork PLUS you will receive an ALL EXPENSES PAID TRIP to the USA dedication of the Africa Study Bible hosted by Moody Broadcasting in Chicago!

When you give $10,000 or more to this amazing project you will receive: - A social media thank you - ASB Genesis preview - 5x8 ASB inspired artwork - The full ASB app - The edge-lined goatskin leather ASB - The two original matted and framed ASB inspired artwork PLUS we will BRING YOU TO KENYA for the launch of the Africa Study Bible and a safari!

Song of Silence

Song of Silence

by Cynthia Ruchti    Contemporary Fiction Abingdon Press  Music taught Lucy love and beauty. Could silence teach her hope? Lucy and Charlie Tuttle agree on one thing: they're committed to each other for life. Trouble is, neither of them expected life to look like this. While Charlie retired early, Lucy is devoted to a long-term career . . . until the day she has no choice. Forced to retire from her position as music educator in a small Midwestern K-8 school, Lucy can only watch helplessly as the program her father started years ago disintegrates before her eyes. As the music fades and a chasm separates her from the passion of her heart, Lucy wonders if her faith's song has gone silent, too. The musical score of her life seems to be missing all the notes. When a simple misstep threatens to silence Lucy forever, a young boy and his soundless mother change the way she sees---and hears---everything. My thoughts: SONG OF SILENCE  is Ms Ruchti's latest book. Realistic, at times like this about a school cutting budgets, eliminating music and the arts and the teacher forced into early retirement--whether she wants it or not. In this case, she did not. And Lucy struggled greatly, falling into depression, despite her wonderfully supportive husband and children.  While impeccably written, timely, and with realistic characters, I found the overall tone depressing for me as a reader. I guess that's a sign the author did a fantastic job conveying the emotions if she depresses the reader, but most people (myself included) we don't read to get depressed. Life does a good enough job on it's own. Thank you very much.  I have read all of Cynthia's books so far and loved most of them (with the exception of one) and now this one is joining that one. Not my favorite. That said, Ms. Ruchti is an extremely talented author and I applaud her for tackling this tough topic and writing it with such style.  3.5 stars.  Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1RAajD2

Meet the Author

Cynthia Ruchti is the author of the critically acclaimed Where the Morning Glory Blooms and They Almost Always Come Home. After 33 years as writer/producer of the daily 15-minute radio broadcast, The Heartbeat of the Home, Cynthia served a two-year term as president of American Christian Fiction Writers and currently serves as ACFW's Professional Relations Liaison. In addition to writing novels, devotionals, and magazine articles, she speaks for women's events and writers' conferences. Cynthia and her plot-tweaking husband live in Central Wisconsin, where she creates stories of Hope-that-glows-in-the-dark. Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest   Blog Tour Schedule Landing page: http://litfusegroup.com/author/cruchti As the music fades and a chasm separates her from the passion of her heart, will Lucy's faith song go silent, too? Find out in Cynthia Ruchti's new book, Song of Silence. The musical score of her life seems to be missing all the notes. When a simple misstep threatens to silence Lucy forever, a young boy and his soundless mother change the way she sees—and hears—everything. Celebrate the release of Song of Silence with a blog tour and giveaway. Two winners will be chosen!

One grand prize winner will receive:

A copy of Song of Silence

A $150 Visa cash card

One second place winner will receive:

A copy of Song of Silence

A music-themed prize pack filled with goodies hand-picked by Cynthia

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry! The giveaway ends on May 9th. The winners will be announced May 10th on Cynthia's blog.

Q & A with Kara Isaac and giveaway!!!

 Kara is very graciously offering a copy of Close to You as well as a $10 Starbucks giftcard and a mug to one commenter. To enter, answer the question below and leave contact information. 

Tell us about Close To You:

Close To You is a romantic comedy about a disillusioned academic-turned-tour-guide and an entrepreneur who knows nothing about Tolkien who meet on a Tolkien themed tour of New Zealand. I’m so excited that my debut novel is set in my native story and really hope readers love its themes of second chances and not allowing the mistakes of the past to define your future.

Will we know what happens to your character after the end of the book?

YES! I love this question because I often want to know what happens to characters I’ve come to love after that last wonderful “happily ever after” scene in a romance novel. I’m thrilled that Jackson and Allie return as secondary characters in Can’t Help Falling, which releases in October, so readers get to be part of the next stage of their story from a slightly different perspective.

What is your current work in progress?

I’m currently in copy edits for Can’t Help Falling. Set in Oxford, England, it’s a story about an elite rower who has has his Olympic dreams shattered by injury and a tabloid journalist trying to atone for a story she wrote that had tragic consequences. Like Close To You has a Lord of the Rings theme, Can’t Help Falling has a Chronicles of Narnia one.

What would be your dream vacation?

I love travel and have done quite a lot of it as part of my professional life but have never had the opportunity to do a big trip with my family. My dream vacation would be exploring a great city like New York or Rome with a willing grandparent or two to help look after our two pre-schoolers so my husband and I can sneak off for our own fun occasionally!

What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?

Fear. Like all writers, I spend most of my writing time by myself staring at a screen and wrestling with imaginary people. When the magic happens there is nothing like it but a lot of the time it’s just about showing up and putting anything on the page, knowing you can work with something but you can’t work with nothing. When you’re creatively struggling it’s easy to let fear in. Begin to believe you’re a fraud. That the book that got you a contract was a fluke and you don’t have another good one in you. That you’re going to let down your publishing team and readers. I have to keep reminding myself that God didn’t open all the doors to me receiving a book contract to leave me alone now.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Oh wow, there are so many things I wish I knew when I started on this writing journey almost eleven years ago.

I would probably start with write what you love, don’t chase the current craze. It’s tempting to want to follow whatever the current “it” genre is but publishing trends come and go (I finished my first novel, which was chicklit, right on time for the whole genre to be declared dead and all editors wanting historicals!) I’m a big believer than when you’re writing in a genre that you love it shows on the page.  Having said that, also be open to trying new things. I started writing chicklit and it took me a few years to discover that my true happy place is romantic comedy.

The second thing I would say would be find a writing community. Writing can be a very lonely pursuit and most of us need people who understand the craziness that trying to put thousand of words on a page can entail. I have five close friends who I met through ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) years ago before any of us were agented and contracted. We’ve seen each other through the best times and the worst, in life and in writing. I’m pretty sure I would have give up on the crazy publishing dream long ago if it wasn’t for these amazing women cheering me on, believing in my stories, and talking me off the ledge when it all starts to feel impossible!

If someone else were sitting at your desk right now, what would they see?

If they were sitting at my day job desk it would be all very boring I’m afraid. A desktop computer, large sets of files and lots of paperwork related to the project I’m working on at the moment. The government department that I work for has been in a constant state of change recently and my team has just had our fourth location move in fifteen months and I haven’t even gotten around to putting up my usual family photo that travels with me.

When I’m writing I don’t have a desk. I write on my laptop which lives on a tray that was originally designed for TV dinners! My usual writing spots are in bed or on the couch. I’m writing this sitting in bed and looking at the collage of family photos that sits on the wall and into the open door of a closet that desperately needs a spring clean!

What’s on the horizon for you?  What will you be writing next? 

I’ve just started brainstorming the story of one of the secondary characters from Close To You, Katriona McLeod. She returns to her roots in rural Australia and the finds herself working on a reality TV show trying to find the perfect wife for the one guy she’s never gotten over J

To enter the giveaway, answer this question: 

Which country would you most like to visit and why? J

Tell us about the giveaway you’re offering.

An autographed copy of Close To You travelling all the way from lovely New Zealand Starbucks card for 10.00 and a mug

Where can readers find you online?

I love to connect with readers online! They can find me at www.karaisaac.com, on Facebook at Kara Isaac – Author and on Twitter @KaraIsaac.

Bio

Kara Isaac lives in gorgeous Wellington, New Zealand. When she's not working her day job as a public servant, chasing around a ninja preschooler and his feisty toddler sister, she spends her time writing horribly bad first drafts and wishing you could get Double Stuf Oreos in New Zealand. She loves to connect on her website, on Facebook at Kara Isaac - Writer and Twitter @KaraIsaac

A Dream of Miracles

A Dream of Miracles

by Ruth Reid    Amish Fiction Thomas Nelson  Amish widow Mattie vows never to love again . . . until a suspicious outsider with a shadowy past comes crashing into her fragile world. Mattie Diener can barely keep it together. A young Amish widow and mother of two young children, she faces the lingering heartbreak of lost love, her son's mysterious illness, and a torrent of accusations that threaten to undo her. Bo Lambright is a fast-rising social services investigator whose high-society mother won't rest until she finds his Mrs. Right. Despite Bo's worldly success, the raw ache of a shadowy past and a series of unsettling dreams have left him reeling. When Mattie and Bo cross paths, all signs point to disaster. Yet as they face a crucible of trials and tragedies together, longings begin to stir that seem destined only to end in more heartbreak. Is a miracle possible---not only of healing but of forbidden love? What secrets lie in Bo's dreams? And will Mattie find the courage to face her uncertain future . . . or will she simply run away? My thoughts:  A DREAM OF MIRACLES is the latest book by Ms. Reid. As a pharmacist, wow, she really out did herself in this book with her medical knowledge. This book is about every mother's worst nightmare, a horror story of social workers stepping in and a doctor intent on destroying a woman's life.   Set in the UP on the shores of Lake Superior it is in one of my favorite places in the world. I would've like to have known what ended up happening to Bo's boat.  Ms. Reid, if you read this review, inquiring minds want to know. :)  Ms. Reid has brought angels and visions back into her writing and has written a story that no one will call predictable.  I give it five stars for impeccable story telling, realistic characters, and tackling tough topics that need to be addressed.  Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1S7DC2v

Meet the Author

Ruth Reid is a CBA and ECPA bestselling author of the Heaven on Earth series. She's a full-time pharmacist who lives in Florida with her husband and three children. When attending Ferris State University School of Pharmacy in Big Rapids, Michigan, she lived on the outskirts of an Amish community and had several occasions to visit the Amish farms. Her interest grew into love as she saw the beauty in living a simple life. Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest   Blog Tour Schedule Landing page: http://litfusegroup.com/author/rreid When a suspicious outsider with a shadowy past comes crashing into Amish widow Mattie’s fragile world, can she learn to love again? Find out in Ruth Reid's new book, A Dream of Miracles. When Mattie and Bo cross paths, all signs point to disaster. Yet as they face a crucible of trials and tragedies together, longings begin to stir that seem destined only to end in more heartbreak. Is a miracle possible—not only of healing but of forbidden love? What secrets lie in Bo’s dreams? And will Mattie find the courage to face her uncertain future . . . or will she simply run away? Ruth is celebrating the release of A Dream of Miracles with a Kindle Fire HD 6 giveaway (details below) and an author chat party on May 3!

One grand prize winner will receive:

One copy of A Dream of Miracles

A Kindle Fire HD 6

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on 5/3. The winner will be announced at A Dream of Miracles Facebook party. RSVP for a chance to connect with Ruth and other fans of Amish fiction, as well as for a chance to win other prizes!

RSVP today and spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway via FACEBOOK, TWITTER, or PINTEREST and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 3rd!

The Atonement

---

The Atonement  Paperback, ebook, audible   March 29, 2016 by Beverly Lewis Paperback: 336 pages Publisher: Bethany House Publishers  ISBN-13: 978-0764212482 From the Back Cover Jah, Lucy thought. Tobe would have known what to say. "But what would he say to me if he knew the truth?" she murmured into her hands, leaning on the desk. Alas, that was something she could not afford to find out. The Atonement  The mistakes of the past haunt Lucy Flaud, now twenty-five and beyond Amish courting age. Instead, Lucy focuses on volunteering in both the Plain and fancy communities of Lancaster County. Yet no matter how hard she strives, she never feels she's doing enough. Then her father strikes up an unexpected friendship with an Englischer in search of a simpler way of life. Lucy forms a connection of her own with the thoughtful young man even as she rejects courtship with her longtime Amish friend. Is it too late to embrace redemption . . . and the power of love? My thoughts: THE ATONEMENT is Ms. Lewis' latest. Not really a romance (despite the back cover copy), this is more women's fiction. The romance is very back burner.  Written in many different points of view, it includes Lucy's, her married sister's, Marty's, her father, Christian's, and others.  Some parts of the story were very confusing and I went back and read them twice, three times, sometimes not understanding anyway. I couldn't relate to these characters.  Very slow, this is not the Beverly Lewis book of years gone by. Seems she's lost her edge.  It also seems Ms. Lewis was trying to mimic other Amish authors with some of the themes included.   3 stars.

Wonders of Creation Coloring Book

Wonders of Creation: Illustrations to Color and Inspire 

Paperback 

March 22, 2016

by Zondervan 

• Age Range: 8 and up 
• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan; Clr Csm edition
• ISBN-13: 978-0310757399

Wonders of Creation explores the wonders of our created world though detailed black-and-white illustrations—each one ready to be filled with the hues of your imagination. From amazing Eden-esque gardens to the creatures God made that still ramble through our world, this ninety-six-page book offers hours of coloring inspiration and relaxation for any age.

My thoughts: WONDERS OF CREATION coloring book is a great book to have around -- my fourteen year old daughter and my twenty-three year old son both pick it up to color in it. A great way to pass the time, calm down and de-stress, and create beautiful pictures of art. Great as a coffee table book, for an anytime gift, for nursing homes, hospitals, and even prisons. If someone you know loves coloring, then pick up a copy of WONDERS OF CREATION. Recommended for children and adults!