Sunday, March 31, 2019

Heidi Dru Kortman shares an important verse



I don't know if I'd call this a life verse, exactly, but it's been important to me since I found it during a Bible Study Fellowship lesson:

Micah 4:6-8. "In that day", declares the Lord, "I will gather the lame; I will assemble the exiles and those I have brought to grief.  I will make the lame a remnant, those driven away a strong nation. The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and forever. As for you, O watchtower of the flock, O stronghold of the Daughter of Zion, the former dominion will be restored to you; kingship will come to the Daughter of Jerusalem."

My cerebral palsy has always made me awkward (lame) in one way or another, and I've frequently felt on the outside of things. More an observer than a participant, but this verse appears to say that God values me.


Heidi Dru Kortman DTM
God's gifts and call are irrevocable.

Heidi Dru Kortman, a CWG Apprentice graduate, ACFW member since 2004, and Word Weaver member has published devotionals in various newsletters, and a collected volume of devotionals. Her poetry, flash fiction, and short stories have appeared in small magazines, and a website. She is applying herself to the task of writing smoothly polished fiction.






Saturday, March 30, 2019

Raindrops on Radishes

Raindrops on Radishes: A Christian Romance (Urban Farm Fresh Romance Book 6)












Friday, March 29, 2019

The Reconciliation

The Reconciliation


My thoughts:  THE  RECONCILIATION is a very sweet Amish romance. It was so nice seeing how Becky grew up and changed since she  was first introduced in a previous book and dear Atlee was just as sweet as sweet could be. I couldn't help but fall in love with him.  

THE RECONCILIATION is the third book in Ms. Simpson's series, but it does stand alone. Fans will also want to read The Promise and The Mending though.

If you love Amish romances you will not want to miss THE RECONCILIATION. 

I was  given a copy free. All opinions are my own. 



Thursday, March 28, 2019

Newness by Joanna White



Springtime is about starting things anew. Fresh flowers and plants freshly sprout after a cold winter. People often clean their houses and look forward to trying new things as the new year finally starts to settle in.

Since I have the honor of doing a guest post here on Laura Hilton’s blog, I thought I would talk about newness, because that in itself is what spring is all about. When I first wrote Hunter, writing was still a hobby. I was in high school and my mind was focused on so many other things; hanging out with friends, choir, doing my school work. Even what few times I thought about a potential career, writing was the last thing on my mind. Instead, I wanted to be an archaeologist.

Eventually, after I went to college online, I realized that writing was my passion and that I wanted to turn it into a career. Hunter and the rest of the Valiant Series was already fully written by the time I decided to step out and try something new.

I self-published it.

No, I didn’t earn very much money mostly because I didn’t know how to market myself or my books. Eventually, Hunter and the second book in the Valiant Series, Shifter, were both accepted by a traditional publisher called Ambassador International. That was a dream come true, but it wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t tried something new and took a chance by self-publishing first.

So this spring, don’t just sit back and wait for your dreams to come to you. Get out there and try something new. You never know what good can come from taking a bit of a chance.

Synopsis:


A reckless young woman named Averella does what no woman has ever done.
She disguises herself as a man and purposefully gets herself arrested and thrown into Zagerah. Her brother Gabriel was taken, and with his disease, he will not survive on his own. She has no idea what to expect inside the prison; all she knows is that once men get taken, they never come back.
The Hunters will find her.
Genetically altered to be faster and stronger than humans, the Hunters use their powers to find and kill every prisoner who enters Zagerah. The only ones who can defeat them, are in fact, themselves.
Jared is a Hunter. It’s all he’s known, all he remembers. He kills ruthlessly and without regret, one prisoner after another. When a new prisoner Dalex shows up, everything begins to change. Jared goes undercover to make Dalex and the other prisoners believe he is one of them, a prisoner himself.
No one knows the truth.
He will trick them.
Toy with them.
Then, he will kill them.

Link to pre-order:


My bio:

Joanna White earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing for Entertainment at Full Sail University. The Valiant series is her first published work, which first started off being updated on a website called Wattpad. She lives in the country of Missouri with her husband, where she continues to work on her other upcoming books. Writing has been a passion since she was ten, when she wrote her first book. Ever since then, writing has become her life outside of her family, God, and being a nerd.



Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Of Fire and Lions





Of Fire and Lions



The Old Testament book of Daniel comes to life in this novel for readers of Lynn Austin's Chronicles of the Kings series or Francine Rivers' Mark of the Lion series.

Survival. A Hebrew girl first tasted it when she escaped death nearly seventy years ago as the Babylonians ransacked Jerusalem and took their finest as captives. She thought she'd perfected in the many years amongst the Magoi and the idol worshippers, pretending with all the others in King Nebuchadnezzar's court. Now, as Daniel's wife and a septuagenarian matriarch, Belili thinks she's safe and she can live out her days in Babylon without fear--until the night Daniel is escorted to Belshazzar's palace to interpret mysterious handwriting on a wall. The Persian Army invades, and Bellili's tightly-wound secrets unfurl with the arrival of the conquering army. What will the reign of Darius mean for Daniel, a man who prays to Yahweh alone? 

Ultimately, Yahweh's sovereign hand guides Jerusalem's captives, and the frightened Hebrew girl is transformed into a confident woman, who realizes her need of the God who conquers both fire and lions.
 


My thoughts:  OF FIRE AND LIONS is Ms. Andrews' newest biblical fiction and fans of this genre will devour it. 

Biblical fiction is not my favorite genre, I find it changes the way I look at the Bible and I am not sure if  how much of the story is fiction.  However, Ms. Andrews is a very talented author, the story is engaging and hard to put down--even for me, a non-fan! Her characters come to life on the page and as the reader, I  care.

If you love biblical fiction, you will love OF FIRE AND LIONS.

I was given a copy free. All opinions are my own.  


Tuesday, March 26, 2019

The Warrior Maiden



The Warrior Maiden

(Hagenheim #9)






Mulan isn’t afraid to pretend to be a son and assume her father’s soldier duties in war. But what happens when the handsome son of a duke discovers her secret?
Mulan isn’t afraid to pretend to be a son and assume her father’s soldier duties in war. But what happens when the handsome son of a duke discovers her secret?

My thoughts (Reviewed by Jenna):  THE WARRIOR MAIDEN is a very engaging book, but I can't help noticing the similarities to the Disney movie Mulan. The heroine. Mulan, decides to cut her hair, dress like a man and join the battle in place of her dead father. 
Once there, she is immediately thrust into battle, and forced to "prove her worth" by joining an archery contest, where she meets prince charming, who is unaware of her true identity, (?) and hates her for besting him. inevitably, she gets hurt, and has to tell him her secret. I will say, he handles it pretty well, considering. He keeps her secret well until the enemy overhears their conversation. This is where the action picks up, and they start taking turns saving each others butts. overall, this is a very engaging book, and I devoured it in a day and a half. I am a big, big fan of Melanie Dickerson, and I highly recommend this book. five stars.

I was given a copy free. All opinions are my own.


Monday, March 25, 2019

To Win Her Heart


To Win Her Heart 

(Within the Castle Gates Book 2)

Blurb: A deathbed promise puts one man at odds with the desire of his heart while one woman’s duty to family may cost her everything she’d ever dreamed of.

Despite Emma Richards' fanciful dreams growing up in the shadow of King Arthur’s castle and the manor on the cliff, the orphan is now trapped inland serving her wealthy cousins with no hope for her own future.

Sir Grayson Wentworth spent his years at Cambridge dreaming of the Cornwall coast and wishing he could return to the happy days of his youth. Called home to his father’s deathbed, the young baron soon learns he has inherited a title, a neglected estate, and a betrothal agreement he knew nothing about.

When the new Lord Danvers travels to execute the last matters of his father’s will, he finds himself promised to one woman and falling for another. Can he keep his vow to find a wife and win her heart? Or will honor be sacrificed in the name of love?

If you like historical romance set in the pre-Regency era and rooting for the underdog in a love triangle, then you’ll love this next installment of the Within the Castle Gates series by Candee Fick. Get it today and start your journey to the Cornwall coast in the height of the smuggler’s reign.

My thoughts: TO WIN HER HEART is a winsome pre-Regency set  in Cornwall.  I loved getting to know Grayson and Emma and watching them renew their acquaintance and fall in love.  

With Emma's uncle marrying off his daughters - all bethroyed the same night - and Emma basically a servant in the household, she is desperate for escape, but where will she go? Grayson wants to marry the woman he loves but is bound by a previous agreement he foolishly signed.  Is there a happy ever after in the forecast?

I was literally  on the edge of my seat the final few chapters as secrets, lies, and deceit came to  light with glimmers of hope.  I had to see how it would end.  Some things I guessed, some were surprise twists . 

This is a book NOT to miss. A new release by Candee Fick.  

I was given a copy free. All opinions are my own. 


 
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Bio: Candee Fick is a multipublished, award-winning author. She is also the wife of a high school football coach and the mother of three children, including a daughter with a rare genetic syndrome. When not busy writing, editing, or coaching other authors, she can be found cheering on the home team at sporting events, exploring the great Colorado outdoors, indulging in dark chocolate, and savoring happily-ever-after endings through a good book.



Sunday, March 24, 2019

His Giving Hands by Heidi Dru Kortman




Text: Isaiah 34:17

“He allots their portions; his hand distributes them by measure (v.17a).

            This is another of the hard verses. God gives us our portions. Whether by direct act or permission, God controls what happens in our lives.

Some of our disabilities arrived with us at birth, some disabilities are the by-products of disease, and other disabilities are the result of actions we took. As human beings, we would rather think of God as the source of all good blessings, and it is rare that we would count a disability among those.

            It may be that we are completely dependent on caregivers. If so, an attitude of thankfulness and praise, for them and toward God—may be a tremendous influence on their lives. If we can do things for ourselves, thankfulness that God has placed these limits on our difficulties, and given us opportunities to contribute to his kingdom is appropriate. Responding to our situations with humor and patience will make us more appealing to non-disabled people, and we will have more opportunities to witness about God’s loving care.

            Though our God allows us to be limited, he also grants creativity and inspiration. Without his guidance, there would be no prosthetics to substitute for malformed or missing limbs, we could not contrive our own methods of accomplishing tasks, and no one would train assistance dogs. We would be without the help of therapists or surgeons, who can solve some of our problems with their skills.

            Most of all, God has given us Jesus, the ultimate gift, who supplies us with acceptance as God’s children and sustains the existence of the entire creation: “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven” (Heb. 1:3). Through him, we can say with Paul, “I can do all things through him who gives me strength” (Phil. 4:13), until the day that he comes to “transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Phil. 3:21).

            Prayer:

            Lord, we have learned, by sometimes bitter experience that you allot us a portion of difficulty and pain. Yet, in Your mercy, there is also relief and opportunity. You understand how easy it is for us to react with sinful impulses. We ask you to forgive us, and transform us, to the praise of Your Son’s glory. Amen.


Heidi Dru Kortman DTM
God's gifts and call are irrevocable.

Heidi Dru Kortman, a CWG Apprentice graduate, ACFW member since 2004, and Word Weaver member has published devotionals in various newsletters, and a collected volume of devotionals. Her poetry, flash fiction, and short stories have appeared in small magazines, and a website. She is applying herself to the task of writing smoothly polished fiction.






Hope – A Supernatural Abstraction #Devotional by Laura Poole

  Hope – A Supernatural Abstraction   “Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words.” ~...