I am consistently amazed at Ms. Kirkpatrick’s historical fiction books. They not only bring to light the person they are written about but many social and cultural differences in that time period.
I had never even considered all photography in the early 20th century involved until I read this book. Jessie Gaebele was a bit of a modern woman in the sense that she wanted more than anything to pursue a career in photography. Women just didn’t do that; they weren’t supposed to have careers at all! Even though she still lived at home under the watchful eye of her parents, she managed to follow her dream. I believe her confidence and poise came from her all-consuming love of taking pictures.
In that era it was a bit more than just grabbing a Polaroid or digital camera. I had never considered how dangerous it was until I read about Jessie. The chemicals used to process the pictures were toxic not only to touch but the fumes were poisonous too. Photographers often suffered from chemical poisoning that made them very ill and ultimately dementia and organ failure. In addition to the chemicals there was the danger of explosions and fires from the flash powders that could kill or maim. Given how protected women were during this time, you can understand how bold Jessie’s pursuit was! This doesn’t even take into account that she was only 15 years old at the time!
Her opportunity came when she is hired as an assistant to Mr. Bauer of Bauer Studios. She would gain experience and knowledge to hopefully someday open or studio. Although she was young she proved herself a quick learner, talented and responsible. I learned right along with Jessie as she apprenticed. I never thought of how the only lighting they hand was natural light from windows, or how skilled one would have to be to pose subjects considering this.
Her new job brought her face to face with something she had never dreamed of; she became emotionally attracted to her employer. Matters were further complicated because he was not only married (albeit very unhappily to a petty nervous wife in fragile health) but he was also 26 years older than Jesse! Before long Mr. Bauer returned that attraction. This was not a sordid tale as one might think. It is a beautiful story of having self-control in the face of strong, sinful temptations and staying true to God rather than giving into fleshly desires. Her close family’s intuition and God’s convicting hand kept Jessie from straying. The author was very tasteful in handling this.
The book is made even more exciting because it is based on the life of Jane Kirkpatrick’s grandmother who was a photographer during that time and even owned her own studio! The vintage pictures placed at the beginning of various chapters were so special. They were actually taken by the author’s grandmother! I always look forward to Jane Kirkpatrick’s books. They are in a league of their own!
Be sure to go to http://www.jkbooks.com/ and check out more of Jane Kirkpatrick’s wonderful books! I received this book free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Ann Spangler’s books are always a feast for the eyes and the spirit! I absolutely love this book and it will remain in my library to be used throughout the years. It is a wonderful 17 week Bible study that helped me dig deeper! I always want to improve my prayer life and get to know my Heavenly Father better, and this book definitely helped.
Each chapter is divided into 5 days, Monday through Friday. On Mondays you will be introduced to a specific attribute of God. Included will be Bible study with questions. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays, there will be devotions guiding you in praying for the characteristic of God that week. Suggestions on the 5 parts of prayer (Meditation, Praise, Thanksgiving, Confession, and Petition) are given. These are to get you started on personalizing your prayer time. Fridays cover promises in scripture associated with God’s attribute. At the end is a section called, “Continued Prayer and Praise” with more scripture references you can use for your weekend study and prayer.
It is easy in this day and time to unconsciously develop wrong ideas about God. Our society is saturated with them. Satan has made sure. By studying the truth of Who He is, we are not only drawn closer to Him but also more grounded in biblical truth. The more we get to know anyone, especially those who are good, the more we love them and want to be with them. It is no different with God. He is the most important relationship in our lifetime to develop. That is exactly what this book puts you on the road to doing.
I found the format not only user friendly, but it also motivated me to spend time in the Word and study. The abundant scriptural references back up the truths Ms. Spangler shares. Quotes of famous Christians and the author’s personal anecdotes added to the lessons.
Ms. Spangler is one of my favorite non-fiction authors. Her talent for not only sharing God’s principals, but also helping the reader see the application to their life is a true gift. You can’t get a bad book from Ann Spangler! An exceptional book from an exceptional author!
I received this book free from the author. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Please visit Ann Spangler’s website and see many more superb books she has written at: http://www.annspangler.com

I have mixed reviews about this book. It is the story of a young boy named Brian who was born blind and deaf. The author alludes that God wants to show Brian how much he loves him, so He sends him a dog from heaven to help him. The dog is told that if he does a good job, God will send more dogs to earth.
On the positive side, this is an absolutely gorgeous hardback book with outstanding and colorful illustrations. They captured the emotions of the dog and the people in the story to the point that one couldn’t help but be touched. I also liked that there were reading pages and pages with only pictures. This would allow the child to add his or her ideas to the story.
On the not so positive side, I understand the book was fictional, but I have trouble that it depicts dogs as being sent from heaven by God for specific jobs. There were other parts that also concerned me. It conflicts greatly with what scripture says. A small child is not able to separate truth from untruth in many ways. They even believe fairy tales. To impart imaginary and false information about God and His Word to a youngster is not acceptable to me. I see it as a sacrilege to that which is holy.
I even thought it might be okay to read the book to a child if it was made clear ahead of time what parts are fact and what are fiction. But after much consideration I don’t think I could, as I feel it would be disrespectful to put God in that light.
This was such a shame and the book has so many wonderful things going for it. I think it is great that 100% percent of net profits from book sales goes to charities that train and support therapy dogs. It was clear that the author has a big heart for therapy dogs and those that need them to have a better quality of life.
I received this book free from the publisher through theBookCrash.com book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive, review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR Title 16, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
This book was provided to me by Kendall Neff Publishing.

This book checks all the boxes for being a great book for preschoolers! It is never too early to start teaching little one’s Bible stories. This is an excellent introduction to the story of Noah’s ark for small hearts and minds.
The characters are sweet and engaging. The bright colors add to the attractiveness and attention grabbing quality of the book. The children love rhyming words and they retain more information when it is presented in this way. The story does an outstanding job of conveying the bare bone basics of Noah’s story.
I have yet to see a child that is not delighted with interactive books. This one accomplishes that in two ways. First at the end of the paragraph on each page the child is asked the question, “Guess Who”. After a reading it a few times, they will enjoy being able to give the answer. (I promise you they will be asking to read this book many times!) Second there is a flap with the picture/answer hidden behind it. My grandkids absolutely love flap books.
I appreciate the sturdiness and glossy finish that will enable the child to look at the book alone. It will also be easy to clean the pages. A book you will want to give young children you know. I think it would make a great baby shower gift and addition to a church nursery.
I received this book free from Kregel Publications. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own

The Berenstain Bears have long been a classic favorite in our home, with my children, grandchildren, and even me! The wholesome stories with wonderful character lessons and the entertaining illustrations can’t be beat.
I was excited to see there was now a Christian series, but also somewhat skeptical when I learned the books were by Stan and Jan’s Berenstain’s son, Mike. How could he ever live up to his parents’ talent? What a pleasant surprise! The quality is still the same! In fact, I can’t tell that his parent’s didn’t write it. I read the book to my biggest book critic, my 9 year old granddaughter. She of course was immediately interested when she saw it was a Berenstain Bear book!
The story line involves a common problem in schools today, bullying. One group pitted against another with all the tension and arguing that follows. Brother and Sister Bear are with neither group but friends with everyone. It finally escalates to the point that even the parents got involved during a school play. Squire Grizzly, Mayor Honeypot and Preacher Brown had to step in. The preacher reminded everyone what the Bible said about peace, and the fight ended.
As it should be, the Bible was the foundation of not only Brother and Sister Bear’s conduct, but in the end everyone’s. My granddaughter immediately related to the problems the cubs faced at school and shared things she had experienced in her school. The questions at the end of the book sparked a lot of conversation about how to deal with bullying in her life God’s way. There were also 2 fun activities related to being a peacemaker. Another Berenstain classic you will want to add to your personal library!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Sex trafficking has been around for a long time and in many countries even our own but it is growing by leaps and bounds. The number of children becoming victims has risen at a frightening rate. I wanted to read this book to know what we as a nation and families are truly up against. What I learned was surprising.
Ms. Rosenblatt very tastefully and discreetly shared her heartbreaking story of being a casualty child sex trafficking. I gained even more insight by her telling her story through her eyes as a child, their confusion, vulnerability, and innocence. Her account is one of courage and strength. She was drawn in 3 times and with the Lord’s help escaped.
This sordid business has been fueled by youth having unlimited access to the internet in emails, Facebook, private chatrooms cell phones and texting. These tools have made it easy for the traffickers to prey on our kids. I also learned that they look for certain characteristics in children they target. This means boys and girls, some as young as the age of 9, but the average age is 12 – 14 years.
She said they seek out children that are from homes of abuse, neglect, unstable marriages, and unsupervised in their activities and friends. The recruiters offer a child the love, attention, listening ear, and concern they lack and crave. After securing the child’s trust, promising them the family they always wanted, they kidnap them and force them into being sex slaves. The children are held there by force, fear, addiction to drugs and even a twisted sense of loyalty, thinking their pimps are the only ones that care about them.
This is not a mere autobiography; it goes much further. The author accepted Christ as her Savior at a Billy Graham crusade when she was 12. Just 1 year before her first involvement. Burned into her mind and heart from that night was Mr. Graham saying, “Remember this: God will never leave you or forsake you.” God was to speak this to her many times in the years to come when she did not know what to do or where to turn.
I saw a beautiful testimony of God’s love and personal involvement our lives. No matter how far we go into sin, or distant we become to the Lord, He still loves us and seeks to draw us back to Him. God never gave up on her. She shares how He rescued her and set her life on track to serve Him. She went on to go to college and obtained a PhD in conflict analysis and resolution. In addition she earned a LLM graduate law degree in intercultural human rights. The author works close with the FBI and Homeland Security to intervene and free children. In government she initiated laws to reform the labels place on trafficked youth that made them the criminals. She also established contacts with Christian groups to help children saved with physical, emotional, and many other needs to heal and live a normal life.
Every person, not just parents, that has children in their life they love and care about needs to read this book! No one can say “it won’t happen to us.” This book is a wakeup call not only to what is happening but also to the need to be very involved in our children’s lives. An excellent book!
I received this book free from Revell, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive, review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Being a teacher, writer, mother, and grandmother I have been sharing stories for years. Not only to entertain but also to teach values. Young and old alike love a good story. The impact of a well told story can have a impact those listening. I was excited to read this book, because I want to do the best job possible with those whose attention I have but for a short time.
I appreciated the author showing me how to share without notes. I have a tendency, especially if the account is to teach, not just share a personal experience, to use way too many notes. I don’t want to miss a point but then I fall into the trap of relying on the notes and not letting my presentation flow. Having his 14 exercises in an outline form made to easy for me to start practicing and improving. His red flag not to memorize stories and the reasons against it showed me some things I had not thought of before.
He described Jesus as the Master storyteller, because He knew His audience and adapted the His message to them. Mr. Walsh warns us not to make the mistake of not knowing our audience. This will enable us to modify what we are sharing to different age groups and genders as the all process what they hear in different ways.
When we present a story, we usually think of the people just hearing us. The author points out that we should stimulate all 5 senses to appeal to our listeners. They don’t want to just listen to our story; they want to experience in every way and become a part of it. A list of 7 tools we need during our talks are included and explained, and these you don’t have to go out and buy!
My favorite part is the 3 chapters on telling Bible stories. This is the most important type of story we can convey. We are doing the Lord’s work and sharing His message. These times can have far reaching, eternal influence on those we talk to. This book was not only motivating but also very helpful. I am eager to implement the things I learned!
I received this book free from Moody Publishers, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive, review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

50 Things You Need to Know About Heaven
By Dr. John Hart
Most people are curious about Heaven and what eternity will be like, especially after someone they love has gone on. The author does a wonderful job of addressing 50 questions that are usually asked about Heaven. Some of them I hadn’t even thought of.
I liked the way the table of contents had the questions listed so I could go directly to the ones that interested me most right away. It will also make it easier if you want to use the book as a reference. He not only covers what Heaven is, but misconceptions about it too. I was impressed and how well he discussed most of the subjects in just a few pages. Not only was there a lot of scriptural references to back up what he was sharing, but there were even more verses at the end each one for further study and reading. I enjoyed the interesting illustrations, some of them personal ones, that he used throughout the books.
There were only two things that I did not like about the book. One was the many Bible translations he used, 14 to be exact. For me it made answers disjointed and harder to read. I easily remedied that by using my own Bible and looking up each verse, and that definitely wasn’t a bad thing at all! Secondly I felt a few of his answers were more his speculation than Bible truth. In those incidents, the Bible references did not match up with his explanation. All in all, this book was a pleasure to read and made a wonderful Bible Study. I think it would be great to use in teaching a Sunday school class.
I received this book free from Bethany Publishers, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive, review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Other cultures fascinate me, especially their family traditions, structures, and day to day life. I have often wondered what it would be like to be transplanted into the society of another country totally unlike mine. I was able to experience this through Ms. Enslin’s very interesting biography. Even more of a bonus to me, it was through the eyes of a woman.
Elizabeth loved anthropology and her burning desire was to live in Africa and do research among the women there. When she fell in love with Pramod Parajuli at Stanford University, she never dreamed she would find herself in Nepal living with his family. It is one thing to go and study people in a foreign country, but it is quite another to become an intimate part of them as a family member. I learned so much about the Hindu faith and culture. She was a brave and adaptable woman, both emotionally and physically.
While his family lovingly accepted her, their strict Hindu practices kept her at arm’s length in some areas of their lives. She is not pure enough to help with meals or even remove a pot from the stove that is boiling over. If she did the meal would have to be thrown out and remade. Yet in other areas she must follow the guidelines as a daughter-in-law and family member consistent with their society.
Upon arriving she knew little of the language. She also had to deal with very crude living conditions, no indoor plumbing, appliances, heating or air-conditioning, monsoons. Add to this experience being pregnant!
She and Pramod decided to move into the loft in the barn over the livestock for more privacy. Their only access was a narrow ladder. Their room had the added company of scorpions, spiders, not to mention the aroma of the buffalo below. It was here she went into labor. Complications necessitated she be taken by a hospital several miles away. In unsanitary conditions with limited medical help she gave birth to a small baby boy.
After that she was thrown into raising a child in this Brahman civilization. This gave yet another personal viewpoint, I have rarely seen written about. She adjusted beautifully. I personally would have been terrified in every way. I cannot begin to explain the many facets of life in Nepal that Ms. Enslin’s book thoroughly reveals.
I learned not only about the family and the Hindu faith, but also about political conditions past and present, the life of the women, responsibilities, hardships, their viewpoints on life, recreation, and more. You really do want to read this book!
I received this book free from FBS Associates, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive, review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Too often I have approached life’s crises and frustrations like a Sumo wrestler. I am going to overcome whatever I face and continue to juggle all the plates of responsibility in my life. Of course it never worked that way and I resorted to accusing myself of being a substandard Christian, wife, mother, pastor’s wife. In reality, my view was not . . . well reality! I was doing it in my own strength and leaving Christ out! Without Him I can do nothing!
This book helped me look back in the past, in the present and the future, take a deep full breath, and exhale. It shed light on the fact that I am sometimes my own worst enemy. The devil doesn’t have to do a thing because I will take the stick of guilt and failure and beat myself! Add to that the extra challenges we face and life can literally squeeze the breath out of us . . if we let it. By not stepping back and letting go, we not only devastate ourselves but we also drag all that baggage into the next day, and the next until we are so overwhelmed we feel like we are suffocating.
I appreciate Ms. Tankersley’s being so open, transparent, and vulnerable in sharing her story. Not that I want anyone to have problems but hearing that someone else struggles makes me feel not as alone. In old movies when the woman got hysterical, someone would slap her across the face to get her attention. I guess you could say her book was a good slap in the face. It made me step back, yes breath, and really look at what I have done. Best of all she helped me turn everything back to God. To realize the love and help He is waiting to give me. He is my strength and solution. Sometimes we are so caught up in our “moments” that we need someone to remind us of the Truth. The scripture than came to mind, that sums up the authors message is 2 Chronicles 20:17. Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, . . fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.
I received this book free from Revell Publishing, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive, review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.