Remembering Christmas

By: Dan Walsh

http://www.revellbooks.com


In this story we are introduced to Rick Denton who has been living life the way that he pleases and with no one to answer to.Things take a turn for Rick when he receives a desperate call from his mom asking him to please come and help run the family store as his stepfather is seriously ill and she really needs his help. Little does Rick know that what started out as a short term job turns into weeks worth of work as his stepfather takes a turn for the worse. Rick has to come to terms with the things of his past and must also look deep inside for the new him if he wishes to achieve the happiness that awaits him in the future.



Dan Walsh has done it again and I am once again very pleased with the story that he has written. I think that many of us who have been through some of the things that these characters have faced will really get a lot of insight from this story. I especially love the message of Faith in this story and the Belief that no matter the situation God has it all in control. We must all learn to have faith in God and to believe that if He has said something in his word that he will fulfill it to the letter. There is no problem to hard for God and no situation that he can not turn around and make it into a blessing. There are a lot of people out there who wonder and ask the question, Why is this happening to me? Sometimes the Lord allows things to happen to us not because of any particular thing that we have done but as a wake up call to others who may be around and watching how we handle things. Everything that happens to us can be used as a testimony to show others the way to God and that he is but testing our faith and commitment to him.


Available September 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

The Christmas Shoppe

By: Melody Carlson

http://www.revellbooks.com/



In this story we are introduced to Susanna Elton who is working as the city manager of Parrish Springs ans she has just completed the sell of a building in town to Parrish Springs newest citizen, Matilda Honeycutt. Little does Susanna realize that this one step will completely alter not only her life but that of Parrish Springs and its residents as well. Matilda is an eccentric older woman who really gets the town in an uproar when she opens her business with what they see as little more than junk and all without the proper permits required by law. Add to the mix angry business owners and a councilman out to line his own pockets and you have a recipe for disaster. Matilda, however has a special magic all her own and begins to reveal to certain people what it is that they really need in each of their lives.

I really enjoyed reading this story although it did take me a while to get into the rhythm of it. I really liked how Matilda was a lady who did not care about what others thought about her and that she set out to achieve a certain purpose and was not afraid to go for it. I loved how she took what other people saw as just junk but it touched the lives of different people. This story brings to life the saying that one man's trash is another man's treasure. This story also shows how important it is to really look deep inside ourselves and see what it is that we really need and what better time to put this into practice than this holiday season. We must all learn to forgive, be patient, open our hearts, and realize the true meaning of the holiday season. Pick up this book and follow along with the citizens of Parrish Springs as they begin to realize that things are not always as they appear.

Available November 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group

The Measure of Katie Calloway

By: Serena Miller



http://www.revellbooks.com/



In this story we are introduced to Katie Calloway who has survived the rigors of the Civil War in Georgia only to have to deal with a husband who is abusive and having a hard time dealing with the loss of his family home. Fearing for her life and that of her brother who she is taking care of after the death of their parents Katie grabs a few of her belonging and flees what is left of her husbands home. Can Katie build a new life for her and her brother or will he husband succeed in his plans for her?



Robert Frost owns a lumber camp and is in need a cook that can help him feed his men since the cook that he had broke his arm in a fight. When Robert meets Katie and gets a taste of her cooking he knows that he has found the perfect cook for his camp. The only problem is that he is not sure if Katie will be able to handle the demands that will be placed on her as cook and how she will handle the isolation and being the only woman around.



I really enjoyed reading this novel and I really admired Katie's inner strength and her willingness to venture into the unknown to save not only her life but that of her brother as well. I think that there are several people who can learn a lot from Katie about when to say enough is enough in an abusive relationship. This is especially true in relationships where kids are involved. It is up to the adults in the relationship to put the welfare of the child above that of their feelings for the abusive person. Katie was able to tap into her inner core of strength and to create a new life for her and her younger brother and was able to make the best out of her situation.



Available October 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Deeply Devoted

By: Maggie Brendan

http://www.revellbooks.com/




In this book you will meet Catherine Olsen who is leaving her home and everything that she knows to become a mail order bride. After the death of her parents in a tragic accident she alone is left to care for her two sisters but she is also dealing with another tragedy from her past as well. Catherine is also dealing with the fact that she has kept certain secrets from her future husband and is trying to determine when to break the news. Can she over come the tragedy of her past and find love in the arms of her new husband or will she loose her one chance at love and happiness?


Peter Andersen can't wait to pick up his future bride when she arrives but is shocked to find that she is not alone. As they get to know each other Peter becomes worried that he won't be able to support both Catherine and her sisters. He also becomes worried that he will not be able to keep his wife happy as he is a simple farmer and she is use to a life of luxury. Add into the mix that his mother is none to happy to find her plans for his future interrupted and you have a recipe for trouble. Can Peter over come his mother's suspicions and open his heart to find the love of a lifetime? Pick up this story and find out what happens when these two worlds collide.



I really enjoyed reading this book and was touched by the tragedy that Catherine has suffered and how it still haunts her life. There are many people today who are still being plagued by things that happened to them in the past and it still causes problems in their lives today. One of the biggest things that people do wrong is that they keep things bottled up and hidden inside and it festers inside until they can no longer function. If the person you are with truly loves you then they will love you no matter what you have done in the past. The important thing is to learn from the mistakes of the past and to move on in to the future with the knowledge that you will not let it happen again.



Available September 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

A Heart Revealed

By: Julie Lessman


http://www.revellbooks.com/



In this story we are introduced to Emma Malloy who has left Dublin and an abusive husband ten years ago for a fresh start in America. In this time Emma has drawn closer to God and has found completeness in running her own business and in taking care of those that are close and dear to her heart. During the past ten years that she has spent in Boston she has drawn close to the O'Connor family and she has become really good friends with Sean O'Connor but she is afraid to look any further at her feelings due to her refusal to break her vows to her husband.



Sean O'Connor is a confirmed bachelor who refuses to give any thought to finding the right woman and settling down in wedded bliss. So it comes as no surprise when his sisters and their husbands conspire to trick him into catching the garter at his sister's wedding. Sean is dealing with a lot of secrets from his past and has a hard time moving on from some of the terrible things that happened to him and has spent his life trying to make up for them. When the loss of his job causes him to help Emma in her store he begins to realize that Emma could be the type of woman that could make him change his mind about remaining single. Can Sean and Emma learn to forgive themselves and move on from the sins of their past? Pick up this story and find out.


I really enjoyed reading this story and it kept me hooked until the last page was read and even then I was looking for more. There are so many great points in this story that I will only be able to pick out a few to expound on in this review. First and foremost I really loved the theme of forgiveness that was shown throughout this whole book. Not only did the characters have to learn to forgive each other but they also had to learn to forgive themselves for the things that they had done wrong as well. Like Emma and Sean there are a lot of people that feel that because they have done wrong in the past that they don't deserve to be forgiven and to find happiness in their lives. We are all human and have done wrong but we should learn from the things that we have done wrong and change them so that we have a chance at a better future. I also liked how the author showed how forgiveness and compromise should work in a marriage. When you marry someone you don't look to change them but you look to find a middle ground that will make each person happy. The biggest thing is to remember to communicate and to compromise when troubles arise. Put pride aside when needed and admit when you are wrong because silence and anger can cause more harm to a marriage but if you look deep and remember why you married that person and always PUT GOD FIRST things will work out for your good. Pick up this book and let God talk to you through the characters and the words found within.


Available September 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group

Blue Skies Tomorrow

By: Sarah Sundin


http://www.revellbooks.com/



This is book three in the Wings of Glory series and we are once again introduced to those Novak brothers and this story is about Raymond Novak. In this story Raymond is more interested in being a pastor than joining the army but the more that he hears about the great things that his brothers are doing and the sacrifices of other men that are serving their country the more he begins to feel that he is missing out on something great and he sets out to prove to himself and others that he is just as good as his brothers.

We are also introduced to Helen Carlisle who's husband was killed in action during the war and she is left alone to raise their son. Helen sets out o fill her time volunteering and also uses it as a way to escape her true feelings. She has been hiding a terrible secret and is afraid that she will slip and give it away.

When these two meet up sparks begin to fly and there new found attraction will be put to the test. Can Helen over come the secrets of her past and find a lasting love that will surpass all her expectations or will she let the secrets from her past destroy her chance a t love? and can Raymond survive his tour of duty during the war and find his true calling before it is too late? Pick up this amazing story and find out what happens to these two people.


I really really enjoyed reading this Story and catching up with all of the Novak brothers that we meet in the first two stories. I loved the message in this story of forgiveness and the message of moving on from the past and not getting lost in what happened. I also like that Raymond began to realize that he did not need to compete with his brothers and that what he was doing was just as important as what they did fighting in the war. Many people today get so caught up in trying to do what others are doing that they forget to look at the good that they are doing. God made all of us unique and equipped us all to handle certain tasks. There are also a lot of people who are walking around today caring scars from thing that were done to them in the past and they are letting it cause them problems today. We must all learn to forgive those that have done wrong to us, not for them, but for us so that we can move on and have greater hope in the future.


Available August 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

The Colonel's Lady

By: Laura Frantz

http://www.revellbooks.com/

In this novel we are introduced to Roxanna Rowan who is heading to a Kentucky fort to reunite with her father who has been serving with the army there. Little does she know the hardships and trials that she will face thanks to her decision to leave the safety of Virginia and brave the wilds of Kentucky. To make matter worse She receives the terrible news that her father was killed but a few days before her arrival to the fort. Can this brave girl hold up under the strain of the loss of her father and the struggles of fort life?

Next we are introduced to Colonel Cassius McLinn who has been placed in charge of the men and women who reside at the fort. When he meets Roxanna he fills a great need to take care of her because he feels a great responsibility for the death of her father. Felling a need to help her he offers her the chance to feel in the job that her father held by writing letters for him to certain people. The more together that they spend the sparks begin to fly between them but one terrible secret threatens to ruin it all. Can these to people over come the harsh trials and the deep secret that separates them and find lasting love? Pick up this exciting story and find out.

I found this novel to be an exciting page turner that kept me hooked until the last page was read. Each character in this story faces several trials that they must over come and there is a great bases of faith and prayer being the answer. Also there is a great part that forgiveness plays in this story as Roxanna must forgive the Colonel in hopes of finding the chance at true love and happiness and the Colonel must forgive himself for something that happened that was beyond his control.

Available August 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.