BLOG TOUR and GIVEAWAY: Jeremy's Christmas Journey by Scott Johnson

Author: Scott Johnson

Release Date: October 2012

Publisher: Cedar Fort

Genre: Spiritual Holiday

ABOUT THE BOOK

For Jeremy, Christmas is just another reminder that he'll never be able to enjoy the things that come so easily to other children. Then one night he has a dream that will change everything. Accompanied by stirring music, this story of finding faith and discovering the power of the Master Healer is sure to be cherished at Christmastime and all year long.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Author Scott A. Johnson spent most of his childhood in Utah, where he gained a love for creative writing. Recognizing his potential at a young age, his teachers and family encouraged him to explore his developing writing talents.

Scott continued to craft imaginative and original stories through his teenage years, including original short stories that are beloved by his family. He published his first book, "Nutrition: A Word of Wisdom," in 2009, and has published more than 200 health and fitness articles in various online and print publications.

Scott, his wife and four children reside in beautiful Utah County where they enjoy the mountains and outdoors. Scott is regularly asked by his children to share an original story, and he gladly obliges.

Tour Page

Blog Tour Schedule

November 1: The Book Bug - Kickoff + Giveaway
November 2: The Book Bug - Author Interview
November 5: Geo Librarian - Review, Interview, & Giveaway
November 5: LDS & Lovin' It - Review, Interview, & Giveaway
November 6: The Book Bug - Review
November 7: Bookworm Lisa - Top Tens List
November 8: Rachelle's Writing Spot - Author Guest Post
November 9: Monique's Musings - Review
November 12: Jinky Is Reading - Review
November 13: Brooklyn Berry Designs - Review
November 13: I Love to Read and Write Reviews - Review & Top Tens List
November 14: Debbie's Inkspectations - Review 

Book Trailer

CD Slideshow

Social Networking Links:

Website

YouTube

Purchase Links:

 Amazon

Barnes& Noble

CedarFort

REVIEW

I've spent some time thinking about just how to express my feelings about this book.  It had a huge emotional impact, which is remarkable for a story of just 60 pages.  I don't usually expect this kind of depth from such a short story. It undoubtedly comes from my own personal feelings about Jesus Christ.  As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons), I have a strong testimony of Jesus Christ and His standing as the Son of God.  At it's heart that is what this book is about, the life and healing that Jesus Christ brings.

Jeremy is a young boy struggling with the fact that due to a car accident he must live in a wheel chair rather than enjoying the snow like the other children. On Christmas Eve, after his family has read the Nativity Story, he goes to bed struggling with his bitterness and much doubt about whether Jesus really exists.  That night he has a dream where some of those whose lives were touched by the Savior testify of Him.  Each testimony is born through a song (the music is included on a CD or you may listen to it at the CD slideshow link above). The back of the book includes the music for each song. I found the songs particularly moving and powerful. Combine the music and the story and you have a very touching and powerful story about the healing that can come through faith in Jesus Christ perfect for sharing during the upcoming holiday seasons and for years to come.

For those who might be interested in learning more about Mormon beliefs, feel free to contact me or check out mormon.org.

GIVEAWAY

As part of the tour, Scott is generously offering a grand prize giveaway of a print copy of Jeremy’s Christmas Journey plus the CD.

To enter to win this prize, simply fill out the Rafflecopter form provided. (Each tour stop will have the same Rafflecopter form).

• Open from November 1 to November 21.
• Must be 13+ years of age to enter
• US mailing addresses only

Earn entries by doing any/all of the following:

• Leaving a blog post comment
• Listening to a sample of the CD on Scott's website (http://optimallifecoaching.wix.com/authorscott#!media)
• Tweeting about the giveaway (once per day) 

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BLOG TOUR and GIVEAWAY: Tears Water the Seeds of Hope by Kim Tews

 

TEARS WATER THE SEEDS OF HOPE: 

A Journey Across Three Continents ~ From the American Dream to Fulfillment and Joy

by Kim Tews

CrossHouse Publishing, 2012

ISBN: 978-1-61315-027-6

Inspirational Nonfiction

ABOUT THE BOOK

Tears Water the Seeds of Hope is the inspiring true story of a Midwest husband and wife that become disenchanted with the relentless pursuit of the American Dream and embark on a journey that spans six countries and redefines their values and lives. The story begins in a small town in Wisconsin and weaves its way through South and Central America as the couple gathers an army of supporters and establishes an organization to save the lives of children in the end stages of starvation in eastern Guatemala.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kim Tews was raised in Madison, Wisconsin and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, majoring in Economics. She and husband, Randy, pursued careers in real estate before beginning mission work together in Ecuador, South America in 2001. In 2005 they established the 501 (c) 3 non-profit Outreach for World Hope to save the lives of starving children in eastern Guatemala. The couple lives in Verona, Wisconsin with their three children, traveling back and forth to Guatemala frequently to facilitate the ongoing programs of Outreach for World Hope.

REVIEW

This book tells a tender story of love and service to the people of Guatemala. The author tells of how she and her husband came to found an organization to fight starvation in eastern Guatemala.  I love these kind of books because they remind me that there is still much goodness in the world.  After watching and reading the news that the media sends my way it is easy to see only the bad things happening in the world and the numerous challenges that must be faced. Stories like this one remind me that often quiet acts of service are being performed on a daily basis all around me, both close to home and far away. There are many like the Tews who chose to dedicate their time and resources to those who so desperately need it. 

The pictures included in the back of the book provide a fitting glimpse into the blessings and challenges that the Tews faced in their humanitarian efforts and the lives they have touched. I was especially touched by the story told in chapter 2 about how $25 dollars provided the money for antibiotics that saved a young boy's sight and how his father road 8 miles on his bicycle after working hard all day just to say thank you. If you are looking for an inspiring story about love and service, I heartily recommend this one.

EXCERPT

Chapter 1 - Wrecked for Life

The setting sun painted a backdrop of cotton candy pink clouds over the roadside bar and grill where we would soon hear our favorite acoustic guitar duo sing Jimmy Buffet songs. It was an idyllic Wisconsin summer night late in June of 2005. Under normal circumstances, I would have enjoyed the warm breeze and the glow of the festive colored tiki lights on the outdoor deck with the sense of carefree recreation that midwestern families enjoy when school is out and the days are longer. Randy shook his head, smiling as our two daughters took turns throwing harmless jabs at one another, each laughing hysterically at her own jokes. I felt as if I were watching the scene from a distance, fighting back tears as my mind returned to the children I had seen two days earlier in a squalid hospital in drought and famine-stricken eastern Guatemala—a scene that would change me forever and wreck me once and for all for the relentless pursuit of the American Dream. I was haunted by the forlorn faces of two children whose hopeless situation had laid the framework for the rest of my life.

The severely starved two-year-old boy was scarcely more than skin and bones. Hair was a luxury his body could not afford, as the nutrients available to him were barely enough to keep his vital organs functioning. His face was sunken and pale, the outline of his ribs and spine clearly visible through his thin layer of skin. He had been carried by his barefooted ten-year-old sister from El Volcancito, their remote mountain village several miles away, into the small town of Jocotan, in hopes that his life could be saved. The mother of the children was bedridden with a debilitating illness for which she could not afford treatment. My heart broke as much for the boy, barely hanging on and suffering miserably, as for the young girl, exhausted and saddled with the crushing responsibility of keeping her baby brother alive.

A frail little girl sat weeping on a tattered bench at the entrance to the facility, her body emaciated and her abdomen severely bloated, revealing the presence of parasites within her weak, trembling frame. She had been brought to the hospital for nutritional rehabilitation, and because she was four years old, and her mother had two smaller children to care for at home, she had been left alone. Lidia could not have understood why she had been left behind by her family in this unfamiliar place. She had been sitting on the bench since early morning waiting for them to return. In her hand she clutched what was probably her only toy, a comfort and reminder of home. The lump in my throat returned each time I recalled opening her tiny hand to find that she held a black plastic vulture.

Randy and I were married in May of 1993. During our early years together, we were blessed with two beautiful daughters and were pursuing careers in real estate, climbing the ranks among our colleagues in terms of sales volume. We purchased an enormous house on four acres, and although it was only four years old, we completely remodeled it to suit our tastes. With luxury vehicles and an ever-increasing income, we were living the American Dream. There was much to be thankful for, but something was missing.

Randy and I had both grown up near Madison, Wisconsin in middle class families, Randy’s Methodist and mine Catholic. We had attended Sunday services and believed in an all-powerful God, but faith and religion were not playing a major role in our adult lives. Having agreed as newlyweds to raise our family in faith, we dutifully attended services at a congregation near our home for seven years. But we eventually felt that we needed a change and in spring of 2000, we set out in search of a new church home. With no predetermined denomination in mind, we experienced a variety of church cultures, some too formal, some too weird, others seemingly insincere. We eventually stumbled across an Evangelical Free church on the west side of Madison, near our home in the suburb of Verona. I was surprised to find that instead of an organ and a choir, this church had a band that played upbeat contemporary Christian music on keyboards, guitars and drums. The young pastor spoke with passion, bringing the Bible to life by applying scripture to issues faced by the generations of the twenty-first century. It was at this church that our faith came alive.

Our new understanding of the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ and the resulting sense of love and gratitude we felt toward God, inevitably began to pose problems for us. We were embarrassed to invite our new Christian friends to our supersized home, and conflicts began to surface in our hearts about how our time and money were being spent. One of the many bedrooms in our home had been turned into my personal closet and was loaded with clothing and shoes, most of which I did not need. I had become so busy in my career as a Realtor that I began to feel like a gerbil on a wheel. My twelve-hour workdays did not leave room for the peace and joy I had heard should come with our newly authenticated Christian faith. One frantically busy day I decided to return phone calls while waiting in line for lunch at the McDonald’s drive through. When a voice came over the speaker saying, “Can I help you?”

I was so preoccupied that I mistook it for a phone call and said, “Hello, this is Kim Tews with the Tews Team Realtors”.

During the awkward silence that followed the kid must have been thinking, “Yeah, who cares? What do you want for lunch?”

That night I arrived home from work late in the evening to find our three-year-old daughter asleep on the couch clinging to a shirt I had worn the day before. When I asked Randy about the shirt he explained, “She said it smells like you, and she misses you.” 


LINKS

Amazon  

Barnes and Noble 

Outreach For World Hope (Author’s webpage)

Book Page on Author’s Site 

Facebook

Great Escape Book Tour – Tour Page For This Tour

GIVEAWAY

1. You must be over 13-years-old to enter.
2. Open to U.S./Canada only.
3. Winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen.

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BLOG TOUR and GIVEAWAY: River's End by Melody Carlson

RIVER'S END 

3rd in The Inn at Shining Waters series

by Melody Carlson

Abingdon Press, 2012

ISBN: 978-1-4267-1274-6

Adult Christian Fiction

Book provided as part of blog tour.

All opinions expressed here are solely my own. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

In the final story of the Inn at Shining Waters, Anna’s granddaughter Sarah is struggling to find herself. And in an attempt to escape her parents’ dysfunctional lives, Sarah travels away from all that is familiar. But her grandmother’s love and the pull of the river draw Sarah back. Still it’s not an easy journey to find the healing and forgiveness that’s needed to reunite and strengthen this broken family together again.

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Melody Carlson is one of the most prolific novelists of our time. With around 200 books published and sales topping 5 million, Melody writes primarily for women and teens. She’s won numerous honors and awards, including The Rita, The Gold Medallion and Romantic Times Career Achievement Award. Some of her books are being considered for TV movies and film. Melody has two grown sons and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband. When not writing, Melody likes to travel, bike, camp, garden, and walk her dog Audrey in the great outdoors.

Visit her website at www.melodycarson.com. 

Pick up your copy of River’s End at Amazon.

Pick up your copy directly from the publisher.

REVIEW

A tender story of family, love, and forgiveness told in a straight-forward manner. Anna is delighted when her granddaughter, Sarah, returns home after running away two years earlier. It quickly becomes clear however that while Sarah has returned to the Inn, she is not the same person she was when she left and she harbors great bitterness toward her mother for past neglect. While Anna knows that Sarah's mother has changed she has her work cut out for her in convincing Sarah of that. At the same time, things at the inn are becoming overwhelming and Anna wonders if maybe some changes need to be made.

I enjoyed reading about Anna and her family and the ups and downs of their lives. The thing I love about this kind of book is that the characters are regular people like myself, with their own challenges and problems. I like reading about how they face these challenges and find the faith and love to continue on even in the face of tragedy and the unexpected events in life that somehow manage to surprise us all. Books like this remind me that problems can be solved and challenges overcome. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy a book about love and loss, faith and forgiveness, and above all hope.

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BLOG TOUR: Band of Sisters by Cathy Gohlke

BAND OF SISTERS
by Cathy Gohlke
Tyndale House Publishers, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4143-5308-1
Christian Fiction
Book received as part of blog tour.
All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Maureen O'Reilly and her younger sister flee Ireland in hope of claiming the life promised to their father over twenty years before. After surviving the rigors of Ellis Island, Maureen learns that their benefactor, Colonel Wakefield, has died. His family, refusing to own his Civil War debt, casts her out. Alone, impoverished, and in danger of deportation, Maureen connives to obtain employment in a prominent department store. But she soon discovers that the elegant facade hides a secret that threatens every vulnerable woman in the city.Despite her family's disapproval, Olivia Wakefield determines to honor her father's debt but can't find Maureen. Unexpected help comes from a local businessman, whom Olivia begins to see as more than an ally, even as she fears the secrets he's hiding. As women begin disappearing from the store, Olivia rallies influential ladies in her circle to help Maureen take a stand against injustice and fight for the lives of their growing band of sisters. But can either woman open her heart to divine leading or the love it might bring?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR (Taken from Goodreads)

Cathy Gohlke is the two-time Christy Award–winning author of the critically acclaimed novels Promise Me This, William Henry Is a Fine Name, and I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires, which also won the American Christian Fiction Writers' Book of the Year Award and was listed by Library Journal as one of the Best Books of 2008.

Cathy has worked as a school librarian, drama director, and director of children's and education ministries. When not traipsing the hills and dales of historic sites, she, her husband, and their dog, Reilly, make their home on the banks of the Laurel Run in Elkton, Maryland. Visit her website at www.cathygohlke.com.

Q & A with the AUTHOR

1. What motivated you to write Band of Sisters?
 
I’ve always been fascinated by the abolition of slavery and the civil rights movement. But I was horrified to learn that there are more than twice as many men, women and children enslaved today than at the height of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. This book was born of a passion to end modern-day slavery, and most of all, to ask, “What can I do to help in a need so desperate?”


2. What research did you do?

My research began with human trafficking today and the fight to abolish modern-day slavery through books, the internet, and through organizations and individuals that are helping in various ways—raising awareness, rescuing, restoring and healing victims, tracking down and prosecuting predators, education of men and boys re. the human rights and intrinsic worth of women, safe houses, etc., and those who fundraise to assist organizations or individuals who are already doing these things.

For historical background I watched documentaries and read (books, old newspapers, archives) about the growth of old New York, the social conditions and desperation of the poor and of immigrants in particular, the disadvantages to those who did not speak English, the unique problems of women and children—the opportunities for and difficulties of making a living wage outside of prostitution, the threats made to women and their families to coerce them into sexual service, of their economic desperation without a male provider, of their few legal rights, and of the unfair treatment women received in court. Those studies led me to the development of the sweatshops, the growth, expansion and revisions of the settlement house movement, the work of Jacob Riis in making the abject poverty of thousands known to the public.

Learning of those conditions led to a special interest in Irish immigrants—their cultural and social strengths and weaknesses, their views of family, their aptitude for and reception in different types of employment in America.

My husband and I made two trips to NYC. From there we conducted research at Ellis Island, took several tours in the Tenement Museum, and bought more research books and maps, including more on the Triangle Waist Factory fire.

Once I knew my storyline, I mapped out locations of the story and trekked through Manhattan, exploring old sites, especially between Mid-town Manhattan, through Washington Square and the surrounding NYU area (including the site of the Triangle fire), the Bowery and the Lower East Side. As I walked, photographed the city, explored, and talked with residents, the voices of my characters erupted. I gladly followed their lead.

3. Your characters are strongly influenced by the question asked in Charles Sheldon’s classic, “In His Steps”—“what would Jesus do?” Why did you choose that book to help tell your story?

After all my research I knew I had the historical elements needed. What I didn’t know was the inner conflict of each character, or the answer to the all-important question: “what can I do to help in a need so desperate?”

I found my answer by confronting the question Sheldon posed in his very popular book of the time, “what would Jesus do?”

If we all truly do what Jesus would do, slavery will end. Jesus never exploited men or women—He uplifted them and showed them a path of hope, a new way of thinking and living. He never used children, or child labor for ease or gain—He blessed little ones, demonstrating their great worth. He never bought or sold babies to fulfill the bride “needs” of a one-child culture. He never bought or sold human organs, or fetuses, or body parts. He never lied to immigrants, never enslaved them, never threatened their families or loved ones or lives if they did not comply with His demands, never coerced or forced, never shamed or punished a single person into submission to His will. But in every way He set a moral compass, employed Divine compassion to the broken hearted and broken bodied, and held to account any and all who victimized others.

4. Human trafficking and the abolition of slavery is such a huge problem, let alone rescuing and restoring its victims. What can I do to help?

*First, learn all you can through reading and talking with individuals and organizations who have already joined the fight:

1. Google “human trafficking” to learn what is happening in the world.
2. Contact your local library, social services, churches or police force and ask what is being done in your community to raise awareness and prevent human trafficking. They can help you find books, organizations, and on-line information to educate yourself about:
• The crime (what is human trafficking and where in the world it occurs—you will be astonished)

• The people at risk

• The methods traffickers use to capture and enslave

• The tracking down, arrest and prosecution of predators

• The rescue, restoration, and healing of victims

• The fight to abolish slavery through legal means

• The education of men and boys re. the dignity and worth of women and girls

• Organizations and/or Individuals that are already working to do the above-**See my website at www.cathygohlke.com for a growing list of these sites. If you find more, please let me know so I can add them.

*Once you understand what organizations and opportunities are already in place, determine what you are able and equipped to do. That might include:

1. Work directly with one of these organizations, either in this country or in a foreign country
2. Validate, affirm, encourage and engage girls or women who are at risk or in the process of healing
3. Welcome strangers into your church as part of the church family
4. Take a rescued victim into your home or provide housing
5. Mentor a victim, or a girl or woman at risk
6. Help a woman find safe and gainful employment and/or child care
7. Help a woman applying for a job find appropriate clothing
8. Provide childcare and/or transportation when needed
9. Tutor a student, young or not so young and encourage hopeful options
10. Invite women or girls for a meal in your home or take them out for a meal or event, using the opportunity to reaffirm their worth
11. Provide assistance for medical care—practical or financial
12. Speak up when others make slurring or disrespectful comments re. women, immigrants, homeless, etc.—attitudes must change to make change last
13. Do not patronize stores, hotels, sporting events or other venues where you believe women or children are trafficked
14. Provide legal counsel, assistance or finances for same for victims
15. Write or speak out against trafficking

REVIEW

What a book! Heartfelt and complex, the book follows the experiences of two young Irish girls who flee their native home in search of freedom. I immediately felt a connection with Maureen, who despite the awful treatment she received at the hands of her village's landlord, still has spirit enough to try to save herself as well as her 13-year-old sister. Unfortunately like many immigrants before her, she found the reality of life in New York very different from what she'd hoped. Uncertain who to trust and with her faith in God depleted she discovers that she is not as alone as she thinks she is. Can she find the hope and courage to rise above the past and face the dangers of her present?

Not only is this book beautifully written, but it is so full of heart and hope despite the heart-wrenching circumstances of the main characters, Maureen and Katie Rose. I'm not sure what else to say, except that I loved the book and I highly recommend it.  The author does a fabulous job of re-creating the world of tenement housing of the early 1900s. This story is so believable and real, that I couldn't help but wish I could help the characters. The whole issue of modern slavery sickens me, and yet slavery has been around since Biblical times and remains with us today. There is much power in asking ourselves the question, "What would Jesus do?" Hopefully, reading this book will lead all of us to ask this question.

I hope to do some of the things that the author mentions above to help those who need a helping hand. While I don't have the means to help everyone, none of us do. I can help those around me, at school, at work, at church.  I feel stronger than ever the need to contribute to my church's ongoing efforts to help those around the world find the means to help themselves. I hope you feel the same.

Choosing Charity Blog Tour: Author Spotlight & Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the Choosing Charity Blog Tour. I will be sharing reviews, an author interview, and hosting a giveaway over the next four days.  But first the book, the last book in a trilogy including Finding Faith and Having Hope. Today, I'm introducing the author and presenting the giveaway. For each of the next three days, I will review all three books in the series, so be sure to check back. My review of Finding Faith can be found here.

CHOOSING CHARITY
by Terri Ferran
Bonneville Books, 2012
ISBN-13: 978-1462110650
LDS Fiction

With a new job, a husband she adores, and a life full of friends, Kit’s life seems pretty much perfect—well, aside from the fact that her husband is in school and way too busy for Kit’s liking. And of course she’s still dealing with the fall-out from her adoptive parents’ divorce.

But when Kit learns that her biological mother wants to meet her, she’s not sure how to react. What good could possibly come from getting to know someone who left you in a dumpster to die?

Exquisitely written and full of heart, Choosing Charity is a can’t-miss read that’s sure to remind you why Christlike love is the greatest virtue of all.

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT

Terri Ferran grew up in a small Colorado town that offered little in the way of entertainment. She escaped through reading (and later on a Continental Trailways bus), and although the town didn't have a library, she eagerly anticipated the coming of the Bookmobile and would check out stacks of books at a time.

She moved to Utah as a high school senior where she joined the LDS Church and met her husband, Tod. She dreamed of being a writer but took the safe route of becoming a CPA. She finally got brave enough to quit working in the world of numbers to pursue her dream of writing and also to spend more time with her children. Her first book, Finding Faith was published in 2007 and she is excited to be living her dream of writing in real life.

Terri still loves to read, but she can usually be found writing, doing laundry, dishes, running errands, napping, eating chocolate, or exercising (not necessarily in that order).

INTERVIEW

What's the story behind the story for these books? (I love finding out where the books came from and how they developed.)

Finding Faith is a conversion story with romance & humor mixed in. Like Kit, I joined the LDS Church when I was 17 and encountered major culture shock. When they told me I was getting baptized at the stake house, I thought steak house (e.g. Sizzler)!

Having Hope continues Kit’s story as she travels to Romania to serve the orphans there. Many of the Romania experiences came from my daughter’s journal from when she completed her practicum in Bucharest, Romania, working at an orphanage and children’s hospital.

Choosing Charity is the final book in the trilogy. Kit is contacted by her birth mother who abandoned her in a garbage can at birth and the reunion isn’t what Kit hopes for.

All three books deal with adoption issues. Three of my six children are adopted so it is a subject close to my heart.

What led you to choose the setting that you did? (I enjoy learning about great places I've never been to.)

I attended USU so Cache Valley was a natural setting for me to use in Finding Faith. In the Having Hope, my daughter recorded such vivid details in her journal that I felt I had been to Romania. Taking Kit to Ventura, California in Choosing Charity was like traveling back to the area where my husband and I lived for four years.

How did you become a writer?

I’ve always loved writing but considered it an unattainable dream. My fear always overrode my desire to put my work out there. Now I’m much more comfortable in my skin and what’s left of my mind, so it’s easier to show the world my babies—even if someone thinks they’re ugly!

What's the best thing that's happened to you since being published?

It’s amazing to see and hold the finished book for the first time. But the best thing is when readers take the time to write to me and share how the book touched them or inspired them.

If you could go anywhere in the known or unknown universe, where would you go?

I would love to time travel and stop at various historical places. Kind of like Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure; except without Bill and Ted, Genghis Khan, or actually bringing the people back. 

What's the best book you've read recently?

I’ve had to ground myself from reading for a while so I can get some writing done! I read all 35 of the Whitney Award finalists for the 2011 Whitney Awards (from February-April 2012) and that was a real treat for me. A couple in particular really stood out for me: Letters in the Jade Dragon Box by Gale Sears and With a Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo.

Website: http://www.terriferran.com/

You can purchase at: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Cedar Fort. 

GIVEAWAY

Rules:

1. Must be over 13.
2. Please enter only once.
3. Winner will be contacted by email and will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen.

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Blog Tour: A Glimpse of Heaven by JoAnna Oblander

A GLIMPSE OF HEAVEN: One Woman's Life-Altering Visit with God
by JoAnna Oblander
Hegemony, 2012
ISBN13: 9781599559766
ARC e-copy received for review in conjunction with blog tour.
All opinions expressed are solely my own.

 Through both personal and spiritual experiences, JoAnna Lynn Oblander guides us to a deeper understanding of our heavenly home. Shared within the covers of this book are experiences and insights that will remind you of God's great love for each of His children, His desire to be a daily part of our lives, and that each of us has come to earth to fulfill a unique and important purpose.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: (from Goodreads.com)

JoAnna Oblander is a Billings, Montana native who has been married to her best friend Greg for more than 33 years. She has been a small-business owner for most of her adult life and has served in several leadership positions. She is the mother of six children – two of whom were adopted from Russia and the adoring grandmother of 10 grandchildren (and counting). When she is not spending time with her family, she volunteers in the children's organization of her church. "Jo", as she is known to her friends and family, is passionate about Family, Whole Health (Whole Health is based on the premise that mental/emotional, spiritual and physical health are all key components to a person being truly healthy), and helping others create a life of joy and purpose based on the eternal truths that she witnessed and learned as a result of her visit to heaven.

JoAnna welcomes the opportunity to talk to groups, congregations, and organizations about:
• Whole Health
• Overcoming Depression
• The Plan of Life
• Believing in Who We Are and Our Capacity to Become/Being Who We are Meant To Be
• Natural Health and Healing
• Nutrition
• Making Real and Positive Life Transitions
• Strengthening our Relationship with Our Creator
• Adoption/Reactive Attachment Disorder

This book touched my heart in many ways and not just because I'm a member of the same church as the author.  Being an introvert myself, I know how hard it can be to share experiences and feelings with the world. It leaves one vulnerable. I admire the author for being so open when it was so hard for her to do so, something she admits in the book itself. I think the parts I related to the most were her internal struggles. Maintaining one's self worth in the face of a world that is so very focused on criticism and controversy is an on-going battle for many. While the methods that JoAnna uses to overcome depression will not work for everyone, they provide a feeling of hope, hope that such challenges can be overcome.

Still, the parts of the book that impacted me the most were the insights the author shares about God, Our Heavenly Father and how much He loves every one of us.  I appreciated that she shared her journey of discovery and pointed out the things that allowed her to gain these insights. The things she shares agree with so much of what I myself have come to know about our Heavenly Father and why he allows us to experience so many heart-wrenching things. For those who are struggling and need a lift, need help in finding their way, this book provides hope that there is always one door that can be opened by us, between God and ourselves.




For other thoughts on this book, see the book tour schedule here. And thanks for stopping by.