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A Sound Among the Trees by Susan Meissner

Marielle Bishop is sure she is doing the right thing when she agrees to live at Holly Oak with her new husband despite the fact that the home belongs to dead wife's grandmother. Moving from the arid southwest to the humid south carries it's own challenges, but nothing compares to the challenges Marrielle faces when confronted with ghosts from the past.

Adelaide Page doesn't believe in ghosts but she is haunted by the idea that Holly Oak holds a grudge against her great-grandmother, Susannah Page for her traitorous acts against the South during the Civil War. The events from her more recent past seem to confirm that a curse has been unleashed on the women of Holly Oak.

After uncovering the myriad tales of Holly Oak, Marrielle realizes she must find the truth about the homes past in order to live at peace with her future.

Different. Innovative. Edgy. I found the cover of the book fascinating and the title intriguing, but the real lure for me was the talk of ghosts. Most Christian fiction shies away from such topics, but Susan Meissner delved in with both feet and created a scintillating tale within a tale. I really enjoyed the quirky southern characters and the rich history brought out in the story. 

For more information on the life and times of Susan Meissner, click here. She is every bit as sweet as she looks in her photo. As a Colorado Christian Writer's Conference attender, I participated in her fiction critique group and learned so much.

Just another thought from the tub,

Lori Poppinga

The Christian Writer's Market Guide 2012

A "must have" for writers of every persuasion, The Christian Writer's Market Guide 2012 contains lists of contests, e-books, book publishers, magazine publishers, conferences, workshops, groups, and self-publishers along with the necessary information authors need to make important decisions on where to send their manuscripts, proposals, queries, and ariticles along with groups and other organizations that can help a writer hone his craft. I have been getting The Christian Writer's Market Guide for years and have found it invaluable. When I saw The Christian Writer's Market Guide was available for review, I jumped at the chance to not only get one for free, but to tell other writers about this fantastic resource.

With just a turn of the page, I can find publishers who are searching for what I am writing and get ideas on which magazines would be the best fit for the article I am currently writing. Yes, much of this information is on-line, but without specific direction, I'm sure I would never stumble across many of the smaller publishing houses listed in this comprehensive review. Jerry Jenkins has done a great job compiling the information and double checking for accuracy. All of the websites I have gone to have been up and running and the information on the site correlates with what is in the book. If you are an author wondering how to get started in the Christian writing market, The Christian Writer's Market Guide 2012 is a must have for your library.

Jerry Jenkins writes prolifically. For more information on The Christian Writer's Guild and other Jerry Jenkins projects, click here.

Just another thought from the tub,

Lori Poppinga

A Whisper of Peace by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Set in the wilds of the Alaskan frontier, Lizzie Dawson has finally had enough of life in exile from her mother's tribe and decides to sell her dogs, close up her cabin, and head for California and a new life with her father. Only one thing is holding her back...her promise to her mother to make peace with her grandmother. A perfect moose hide presents itself for the peace offering, but will it be enough.

Clay Selby and his step-sister, Vivian, know they are called by God to deliver his message to the Athabascans. Clay arrives with a number of theories and the example his dad set for him as a missionary himself. Armed with the Word of God and a strong work ethic, nothing seems impossible for Clay...until he comes across a situation that wasn't covered by his dad.

How can he reach a whole tribe who remain bitter against one of their own? Can he refuse to befriend one young woman to reach many? Or will all of his hard work come undone when he does what he knows is right?

You'll just have to read A Whisper of Peace to find out the answers to those questions. More great historical fiction from Kim Vogel Sawyer. For other great reads by Kim Vogel Sawyer, click here.

Just another thought from the tub,

Lori

A Wedding Invitation by Alice J. Wisler

 

Have you ever been in the wrong place at the right time? Well that's where Samantha Bravencourt finds herself when she attends a wedding where she knows absolutely no one.  Between the handsome man she meets there and the reconnection with friends from her time at a refugee camp in the Phillipines, Samantha begins to wonder if the stranger wedding wasn't meant to be for more reasons than she cares to contemplate. Is this an opportunity for a new future or chance to revisit the past and try out a new ending?

A Wedding Invitation is a sweet tale of family commitment, trying new things, and forgiving those from your past to make a way for future relationships. Wisler creates a believeable world in which Samantha, her mother, a couple of good looking men, her quirky Aunt and her Aunt's ultra quirky housemates, work together to help Samantha find her chance for true love. 

For more information on why Alice writes, click here.

Just another thought from the tub,

Lori

Big Book of History

The Big Book of History is "A 15-foot fold-out time-line from Creation to Modern Computers." The hardcover protects a huge fold-out time-line that aligns facts from history with Biblical information providing a congruous chart of historical data. From the Great Flood to The Code of Mammurabi along with the Key Rings and Hidden Cities, MasterBooks has taken fascinating facts from both the Bible and History (which are one and the same) and shown how they correspond to dates in time. My kids have had a great time pulling out the time-line, laying on the floor and reading through each of the interesting articles including but not limited to: Smallpox~a deadly history, Boo! Who? 200-900 A.D., the First Olympics, and Who Discovered the World was Created on a Sunday. While the time-line leaves out many dates, the important ones are present and the format is easily understood by children ages 7-12. Cardstock pages are durable and will withstand many viewings. If you are looking for a great starter time-line for your children, this would be a great one to invest in.

The World of Animals and The World of Science

WOW! The beautifully colored pages, wonderful photography, and fascinating facts engaged my children from the minute they opened the book. The World of Animals is broken down into 8 chapters: A World Full of Animals; Simple Animals; Worms, Snails, and Starfish; Insects and other Arthropods; Fish; Amphibians and Reptiles; Birds; and Mammals. There are numerous sub-headings under each chapter containing graphic photos and detailed information. The page layouts include insets with special details along with overall facts about the topic. This book is unlike any encyclopedic work I've seen so far. Brightly colored and attention grabbing details made this a popular book in our home.

Another fascinating book with scintillating facts, World of Science grabbed my kids attention with the not only the information, but the fun science experiments contained at the end of the book. Any time a book goes beyond informing to educating, not only are my kids hooked, but so am I. Personal involvement helps kids learn first hand. I was amazed at the number of experiments included in this book ranging from wind and water to radio waves and magnetism. Detailed drawings and well-worded instructions make the experiments not only look fun, but are actually doable! This 250+ page book is a great addition to any home educators library.

Just another thought from the tub,

Lori