Showing posts with label i read with audra. Show all posts
Showing posts with label i read with audra. Show all posts

Thursday, February 27, 2020

BOOK TOUR: The Ishmael Covenant (Empires of Armegeddon #1) by Terry Brennan

Ishmael-Covenant
BOOK INFORMATION
Genre: Christian Mystery and Suspense

  • Series: Empires of Armageddon (Book 1)

    • Paperback: 320 pages
    • Publisher: Kregel Publications (February 18, 2020)
    • Language: English
    • ISBN-10: 0825445302
    • ISBN-13: 978-0825445309

    Synopsis: His marriage in tatters and his career ruined by lies, Diplomatic Security Service agent Brian Mullaney is at the end of his rope. Banished to Israel as punishment by his agency, he's assigned to guard a US ambassador and an insignificant box. Little does he know that this new job will propel him straight into a crisis of global proportions.

    Inside the box is a messianic prophecy about the fate of the world. And a dark enemy known as The Turk and the forces of evil at his command are determined to destroy the box, the prophecy, and the Middle East as we know it. When Ambassador Cleveland gets in the way, his life and his daughter's life are threatened--and Mullaney must act fast.

    Now agents of three ancient empires have launched covert operations to secure nuclear weapons, in direct defiance of the startling peace treaty Israel and its Arab neighbors have signed. And a traitor in the US State Department is leaking critical information to a foreign power. It's up to Mullaney--still struggling with his own broken future--to protect the embassy staff, thwart the clandestine conspiracies, and unmask a traitor--before the desert is turned into a radioactive wasteland.

    Fans of Joel C. Rosenberg, Steven James, and Ted Dekker will relish the deadly whirlpool of international intrigue and end-times prophecy in Ishmael Covenant--and will eagerly await the rest of this new trilogy.


    Review: This is a fascinating story with several ties to current events. It is the first book in a trilogy, and I am already looking forward to reading the next two.

    The characters are very well-written and realistic. I felt invested in all of the main characters and their circumstances. I also like that each new section is headed by date, time and place. It helps to keep things in perspective, as some circumstances are occurring at the same time.

    Be sure to read the author's notes at the end of the book. I found them to be very enlightening.

    Rating: Five stars

    About the author

    Terry Brennan is the award-winning author of The Sacred CipherThe Brotherhood Conspiracy, and The Aleppo Code, the three books in The Jerusalem Prophecies series. His latest release, Ishmael Covenant is the first in his new series, Empires of Armageddon.

    A Pulitzer Prize is one of the many awards Brennan accumulated during his 22-year newspaper career.
    The Pottstown (PA) Mercury
    won the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing for a two-year series published while he led the team as the newspaper’s Editor.

    Starting out as a sportswriter in Philadelphia, Brennan became an editor and publisher for newspapers in Pennsylvania, Illinois, and New York and later moved to the corporate staff of Ingersoll Publications (400 newspapers in the U.S., Ireland and England) as Executive Editor of all U.S. newspaper titles.

    In 1996, Brennan transitioned into the nonprofit sector, spending 12 years as VP Operations for The Bowery Mission and six years as Chief Administrative Officer for Care for the Homeless, both in New York City.

    Terry and his wife, Andrea, now live in Danbury, CT.


    More on Brennan can be found at www.terrybrennanauthor.com. He is also on Facebook (Terry Brennan) and Twitter (@terrbrennan1)

    Giveaway
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    Wednesday, November 14, 2018

    Into the Deep: Diving Into a Life of Courageous Faith by Lauren Gaskill

    Into-the-Deep-blog-tour-graphic
    BOOK INFORMATION
    Genre: ChristianChristian living, women's issues, spiritual growth, religion and spirituality 
    Paperback: 240 pages

    • Publisher: Abingdon Press (November 6, 2018)
    • Language: English
    • ISBN-10: 1501869744
    • ISBN-13: 978-1501869747

    Into-the-Deep-cover
    Synopsis: 
    Develop enduring faith for the turbulent waters of life.

    Following Jesus doesn’t guarantee sunny skies and smooth sailing. In fact, the waters of life are often tumultuous, crashing over us. Sometimes we can feel that we’re drowning in a sea of confusion, division, frustration, complacency, or disillusionment. We need more than a shallow faith to survive these deep waters.

    Into the Deep is an invitation to dive headfirst into a life of courageous faith. With endearing warmth and authenticity, Lauren Gaskill shares how she and others have learned to swim with Jesus in the deep waters of life—facing challenges such as anxiety, depression, and chronic illness—only to discover a more authentic, enduring faith that cannot be shaken by circumstances. In addition to examining the character of God and the lives of women and men of the Bible who chose to dive deeper with God, she provides practical examples and tools that help us take our faith to the next level by learning to make decisions by faith alone, control our reactions to overwhelming situations, and live a life rooted in love.

    Get ready to exchange fear and frustration for the boldness, courage, and holy confidence that lead to a life of deep faith and joy!

    Review: This is a fabulously well-written book that you can read on your own or use as a group study. If you want to know how to discover a deeper, more authentic faith in God, this is the book for you. The author uses stories from her own life, as well as the lives of men and women in the Bible to show how deep, courageous unshakable faith is possible. I highly recommend this to everyone!

    Rating: Four stars

    About the author
    Lauren-GaskillLauren Gaskill is an author, speaker and host of the Finding Joy podcast and Finding Joy Ladies Night Out events. After being diagnosed with an incurable connective tissue disorder, Lauren made it her life mission to encourage others to fight for faith and find joy — no matter what life’s circumstances might bring.

    Gaskill is a storyteller who believes stories are powerful and loves how God uses them for His good. She writes and speaks to motivate and inspire others to experience abundant life in Christ. She is particularly passionate about encouraging women to fight for faith and go deeper in their relationship with Jesus. Gaskill also writes and speaks about what it looks like to walk with Jesus through pain and suffering.

    She lives in Raleigh, NC with her husband and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.



    TOUR SCHEDULE
    Walking In The Light11/6/2018
    Anita Ojeda11/6/2018
    Feeling in Red11/6/2018
    this chattanooga mommy saves11/6/2018
    Book Reviews From an Avid Reader11/7/2018
    Grace Space Christian Coaching blog11/7/2018
    Julie Arduini: Surrender Issues and Chocolate11/8/2018
    Natalie Walters11/8/2018
    Meagan Davenport11/9/2018
    SK Bell Blog11/9/2018
    Inklings and Notions11/10/2018
    Julie Danielson11/10/2018
    PamelaBlack11/10/2018
    Rachel's Reading11/11/2018
    This Is Me11/11/2018
    Back Porchervations11/12/2018
    Courage. Hope. Love.11/12/2018
    Jen Howat11/13/2018
    Book Babble11/14/2018
    A Beautiful Inheritance11/14/2018
    Once Upon a Storyville11/14/2018
    A Peace of Mind11/14/2018
    Genesis 502011/14/2018
    Happily Managing a Household of Boys11/15/2018
    snidbits11/15/2018
    Texas Book-aholic11/16/2018
    Faithful Acres Body Soul Spirit11/17/2018
    Edits and Reviews by Leslie11/17/2018
    The Little Friar11/18/2018
    Blogging About Everything!!!11/18/2018
    The Writer's Tool11/19/2018
    Mommy Ramblings11/19/2018
    Thoughts on Books11/19/2018
    Veronica's 'Views11/19/2018
    God is Love11/20/2018
    Deep Imprints11/20/2018
    EnchantedExcurse11/20/2018
    Rachel Dawn Writes
    Melinda Means

    Wednesday, October 17, 2018

    Gathering Of Sisters by Darla Weaver

    weaver-blog-tour-graphic
    BOOK INFORMATION
     Paperback: 272 pages
    • Publisher: Herald Press (September 25, 2018)
    • Language: English
    • ISBN-10: 1513803379
    • ISBN-13: 978-1513803371

    Gathering-of-Sisters
    Synopsis: Spend a day with sisters.
     
    Once a week Darla Weaver bundles her children into the buggy, hitches up her spirited mare, and drives six miles to the farm where she grew up. There she gathers with her four sisters and their children for a day with their mother. In Gathering of Sisters, Weaver writes about her horse-and-buggy Mennonite family and the weekly women’s gatherings that keep them connected. On warm days, the children play and fish and build houses of hay in the barn. In the winter, everyone stays close to the woodstove, with puzzles and games and crocheting. No matter the weather, the Tuesday get-togethers of this Old Order Mennonite family keep them grounded and centered in their love for God and for each other, even when raising an occasional loving but knowing eyebrow at each other.
     
    The rest of the week is full of laundry, and errands, and work that never ends. But Tuesday is about being sisters, daughters, and mothers.
     
    Hear straight from Amish and Mennonite people themselves as they write about their daily lives and deeply rooted faith in the Plainspoken series from Herald Press. Each book includes “A Day in the Life of the Author” and the author’s answers to FAQs about the Amish and Mennonites.

    Review: This is a lovely book. While it offers a peek inside a Mennonite family, it also just shares the love of family, period. It brought back memories of my own childhood in southeastern Ohio, spending time at my grandparents home with aunts, uncles, and cousins--sharing meals, playing, talking, and knowing everyone there truly cared about you.

    Thanks to the publisher for sharing a copy of this book with me, and thanks to Darla Weaver for sharing her family with all of us.

    Rating: Four stars

    About the author
    Darla Weaver is a homemaker, gardener, writer and Old Order Mennonite living in the hills of southern Ohio. She is the author of Water My Soul, Many Lighted Windows, and Gathering of Sisters. Weaver has written for Family Life, Ladies Journal, Young Companion, and other magazines for Amish and Old Order Mennonite groups. Before her three children were born she also taught school. Her hobbies are gardening and writing.

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