Review of Love Riot: A Teenage Call to Live with Relentless Abandon for Christ by Sara Barratt

Before starting this book, I had heard it was a combination of Crazy Love and Do Hard Things. I totally agree with that assessment. I’d even throw in Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman. Though intended for youth, I, as a mom, youth worker and author, found the book to be fantastic! Parents and Youth Workers need to get this book and read it with your kids/students. There is fantastic discussion questions included at the end of each chapter. Brett & Alex Harris wrote Do Hard Things as older teens back in 2008. Ms. Barratt’s message is in the same vein as that book of teens not only getting off the bench and rejecting low expectations, but also making a choice to be Christ followers. And to become not just a Christian in name but in heart and in deed. 

But don’t take my word for it. Read some of the quotes that I found most impactful.

“The church isn’t made up of perfect people but forgiven people.”


“Being a picture-perfect Christian might build our egos, but being a Jesus follower isn’t about building our egos but building His kingdom.”

“He meets us where we are and says we’re never too far gone. He turns a mess into a message, a failure into a conqueror, an outcast into a child of God.”

“I’ve learned my comfort zones may feel safe, but in reality, they’re a prison keeping me from fully following Christ.”


“Friends can lift you up or pull you down. Choose friends that challenge you to read your Bible, pray for you, and inspire you to follow Jesus.”

“We keep on creating little pockets of heaven on earth when we offer grace instead of wrath. Forgiveness instead of hatred. Purity in a world of impurity.”


“My prayer for our generation is that we fall deeply in love with Jesus and grow passionate about the gospel. I pray He sweeps us off our feet with the beauty of His sacrifice and sets a fire in our souls to share Him with others.”

Though intended for youth, this young lady convicted me, taught me and inspired me. This is a must read for this current generation.

Buy a Copy Today. Releases everywhere 5/5/2020. 

Amazon

BN

Christianbook

I received an ARC from the publisher and this is my honest review.

Book Review: Woman of Sunlight by Mary Connealy

This is Book 2 in Mary Connealy’s Brides of Hope Mountain series. I only just finished Book 1 (Aiming for Love) 2 weeks ago, and I was so excited to be able to review this next book as a part of Mary’s launch team. I did receive a copy of this book for free in an exchange for an honest review.

In this book, we take up with Mitch Warden and Ilsa Nordegren where we left off with them in book 1. These two characters were introduced in the first book, and they continually butted heads. In the next book, their interactions quickly change and before you know it, they are married out of an issue with propriety and on an adventure of their own in Chicago shortly after the 1871 fire.

Because this is a story of marriage of convenience, we get to see Mitch and Ilsa fall in love. They find themselves on a honeymoon that includes Ilsa comically figuring out the modern world (since she’s lived her entire life on top of Hope Mountain with only her sisters as company) in the midst of murder attempts, kidnappings, shootouts, and carriage chases through the city. The last portion of the book is very exciting and you will be on the edge of your seat. A honeymoon is a time for a married couple to bond together and that’s exactly what happens with Ilsa and Mitch. Who knew a honeymoon could be fraught with such danger and mayhem! 

The Brides of Hope Mountain is indeed a series. There are plot elements that continue from book to book. The focus just changes from each book depending on who the main point of view characters are. In book 1, both of the major problems are introduced. One problem is solved in Book 2 and the rest I imagine will be resolved in book 3. It would be wise to start at the beginning in book 1 and continue with all three books. You’ll be glad you did.

Woman of Sunlight is an enjoyable and amusing story. It contains characters to care about and root for, an engaging plotline and in the end it will leave you with a warm, feeling to combat the troubles we are currently battling in the world today.

Book Review: Aiming for Love

I’m always up for a Mary Connealy novel. She writes historical romantic comedies with cowboys, and this was no exception. I actually came to this novel because I was chosen to be a part of her launch team for the 2^nd book in this Brides of Hope Mountain series. So, to catch up, I got a copy of Book #1: Aiming for Love. I love Mary’s books and was so excited to take part in reading and reviewing this series!

This novel takes place in Colorado in 1873 up on the top of Hope Mountain. The three Nordegren sisters live alone on top of that mountain and have never known life in the lowlands until the Warden family, through their own urgent needs, breaks into their peaceful and isolated existence. 

Each book will focus on one of the Nordegren sisters. Book #1 is Josephine’s book. Jo (as she is known by) is a curious young lady and finds her way into the camp of Dave Warden. She gets captured actually, and Dave can’t understand how a young lady can live all alone up in these mountains. These two characters were great together. It doesn’t take long for the feistiness between them to grow into curiosity, then respect and finally love.

This is a Christian Fiction book. It is clean in content and language. And the Christian message is gentle yet foundational. In this first book, the scenario for the series is set up. Land grabbers forcing the Wardens off their land and the Nordegren sisters not knowing much about the world and secrets about their past. Don’t expect to receive all the answers to your questions about plot and characters resolved in Book #1.  I imagine more will be revealed on the big picture issues as the series continues. 

Mary Connealy’s books never fail to delight. I enjoyed reading Aiming for Love though it was not as lighthearted as some of her others. However, there are some more serious issues present in this story. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book which is setting on my bedside table. I love the last line of the book, but I don’t want to spoil you. Only know that it includes Aiming for Love and a mountain called Hope. Get this book. It won’t disappoint. 


Find it at your favorite bookseller.
 Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Christianbook

Studying Dickens in High School

(REPOST from 2014 from my Homeschool Weekly Journal Blog)

I know there are those who absolutely detest reading Dickens. And even though I am a certified bibliophile, I completely understand. Dickens has a style that can be confusing and offsetting especially to those new to classic literature and especially Dickens. On the other hand, his use of language can be absolutely beautiful.

As I planned my oldest son's high school literature course of study, I knew I wanted him to read a Dickens besides A Christmas Carol (that one he can practically quote by memory). Before 9th grade, I wrote down, David Copperfield and Great Expectations as possibilities to be included into one of his years of literature. My son (like his mama) is a writer of fiction. And I told him you have to read the greats if you really want to be a good writer. Dickens is one of those greats. What I love about Dickens is his characters. If you want to learn how to write characters, you have to study Dickens. Thankfully, my son actually enjoys watching Dickens period drama films. We've viewed many of them and so the next step is to read of few them in their entirety.

As I am now planning this coming year and we are doing World History, I decided we will do a World Literature course as well. This is a good time to add in Dickens. I went back to the two possible book choices I chose a couple years ago and I began to research which one would be a good fit for my dyslexic boy. Ultimately, I chose a title that I hadn't considered before but which is often taught in high schools around the country. A Tale of Two Cities. 

Why is A Tale of Two Cities usually chosen above others. Well, to begin with it is less complicated in story and in character and it's shorter. It's also a great way to get into a study of the French Revolution and not focus on just the facts but on the people and how it all came about. His French history coming from Thomas Carlyle. It is much more serious than the bulk of Dickens work, but it will definitely incite lots of great discussion. We'll also be viewing the 1989 miniseries as we go along.

Will we eventually get to David Copperfield and Great Expectations? I certainly hope so. There are great characters in there that he needs to study and will enjoy the journey of doing so.

The Comeback of the One-Room Schoolhouse

REPOST from HOMESCHOOL WEEKLY JOURNAL
(I am currently consolidating my homeschooling posts over to this blog.)

(Photo taken 2017 of the schoolhouse on the Ingalls Homestead property De Smet, SD)

As another summer comes to an end and fall lingers just around the corner, all teachers both at home or in the traditional classroom are faced with the daunting task of going back to school. This year our homeschool like many others had reached a point of growth when I had more than one child needing my attention. And the question I asked myself, as so many others have asked, ‘How can I do this?’ 

            I spent months during the previous spring reading and researching on the topic, and I kept coming back to the same idea whether from talking to fellow homeschoolers, or reading articles and books on the subject—The One-Room Schoolhouse. 

Really there is nothing cutting edge about this idea. It’s as old as American education—next to homeschooling that is. I just had to figure out a way to format my homeschool into the old fashioned one-roomed school house. Over a hundred and fifty years ago, the common method of schooling took place in a one-roomed schoolhouse. President Herbert Hoover, Alan B. Shepherd the first American in space and even Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales were all educated in a one-roomed school house. Obviously, they went on to achieve much. The practice must have its merits.

The main tenant of the one-room school house is to have all your children in one place and educate them all at once. That means you can schedule certain subjects like Bible, History, Science and even handwriting together. Then you schedule other subjects separately but in a way that keeps everyone busy. For instance, my oldest son does math on his own using a DVD system. While he’s busy with that, I teach my younger son phonics and reading. When I’m holding spelling lessons with one, the younger one is looking at a library book on his desk or using the chalkboard to phonetically spell words he’d read that week in his reading book. 

For me, the main problem with teaching two children simultaneously is that my sons are six years apart. How do you teach a first grader at the same time as a seventh grader? The answer—careful planning. Luckily for me, middle school is my forte. I taught it for several years before deciding to stay home and homeschool my own kids. Six years later, here I am teaching my own son those same history lessons.

Many homeschooling families have come up against this dilemma—how do I homeschool multiple children?  In fact, most of the families I’ve interacted with have three, six, nine children at home. What many of them end up doing is combining subjects and grades as much as they can and just adjusting the work for each level. They have older ones working with the younger ones. This not only frees you up to work with other children, but it also ensures that your older child really does understand the information as well as instructs your younger child. It’s a win-win.

If you’ve found that you are running around the house from child to child and are exhausted at the end of the day, the kids hate school and are working far too many hours the answer might be to set up your own one-roomed school house. In the end I found my kids loved it, I loved it and God is blessing our school.

Out today from Mary Connealy

I had the opportunity to be a part of the launch team for Mary Connealy's upcoming release, Woman of Sunlight.

I love Mary's books. If you love romantic comedy and historical cowboys in your Christian Fiction, you'll love her books too. I am currently finishing book 1 Aiming for Love. Book 2 A Woman of Sunlight released today March 3!!


Blurb:

After years of isolation on top of Hope Mountain, Ilsa Nordegren may finally be ready to leave. Raised to fear the world, Ilsa and her sisters never planned on coming down, but when the Warden family arrived in need, they had to help. And it may cost them everything.

Having made his fortune, Mitch Warden returned home and found the family homestead abandoned. In a land grab, a ruthless cattle baron had forced his family to escape up the mountain, and when he follows, the last thing he expects is to fall smitten to a black-haired woman who dresses like Robin Hood.

Warden is intent on helping his family reclaim their land, but doesn't realize the risks his past has brought. Dangerous men have tracked him, and rather than risk innocent lives, he's determined to end the danger. But that means a journey to the city--and when Ilsa insists on joining him, the mismatched pair suddenly find themselves on a venture they'll never forget.

Pick it up at your favorite retailer
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Christian Book
Target
Walmart
Apple Books
Kobo

Finding Your Inspiration

I'm going to be open and honest here. Lately, I've been feeling dried up creatively. I haven't written anything new in a couple of years. I have reworked old manuscripts or previously published works being republished--but nothing brand new. I feel very out of practice because like all skills it must be used and honed to remain sharp and proficient. 

I've decided to work on a project for a publisher that is due in May. And I am totally uninspired and lack motivation. So, today I went to God's Word for my inspiration. That's probably where I should have started. 

I'm going to plan, create and outline this short book from that starting point. I pray that God blesses this project. One of the things I learned when I started writing Christian fiction almost 14 years ago was how much you can affect your readers and their lives just through a story. (I am thankful for the precious emails from people I've received over the years.) Prayer always needs to be where you start with every writing project. Time to get back on the wagon and see where God takes this. Hope you all have a Happy Friday!