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Archive for March 30th, 2017

God’s Easter Miracles: Adventures of the Sea Kids

Posted in 5 Star Books on March 30, 2017| Leave a Comment »

My Book Tour - God's Easter Miracles Book Tour Banner

God's Easter Miracles Book Cover

 

  • Publisher:GLM PUBLISHING (February 1, 2017)
  • Language:English
  • ISBN-10:0997332514
  • ISBN-13:978-0997332513

ABOUT THE BOOK:

 

Paul, Jimmy, Brian and the whole town witness God’s Easter miracles in this unique story. God’s Easter Miracles highlights God’s love and provision to His children. The lessons learned are not only about Jesus’s resurrection, but also awareness of treating children with Autism with love and respect, and taking care of God’s creations.

As in previous books, God’s Easter Miracles establishes characters that children can relate to, while capturing their imagination and touching their hearts in a loving way. Written in a fun and endearing way, God’s Easter Miracles also provides interactive entertainment by including hidden symbols for children to locate throughout the book.

 

PURCHASE GOD’S EASTER MIRACLES ON AMAZON.COM

 

Lee Ann Mancini Author PhotoABOUT LEE ANN MANCINI

Lee Ann Mancini’s desire is for children to begin to know and love Jesus from an early age. This passion led her to seek out books for her own children that portrayed an active relationship with Jesus in a relatable way. She knew communicating God’s truth through captivating words and compelling illustrations is a crucial part of establishing that foundation.

An adjunct professor at South Florida Bible College and Theological Seminary, Mancini holds a master’s degree in Christian studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School as well as Knox Theological Seminary. She holds a board position with the Florida Authors and Publishers Association and the Alexandrian Forum and maintains memberships with organizations such as the Christian Small Publishers Association and the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association.

Mancini is an active member in her local community, visiting schools to share the Adventures of the Sea Kids series with children, as well as speaking to women’s groups about the redemptive power of the Gospel represented through the types of brides of the church. Learn more about Mancini and the Adventures of the Sea Kids at glmpublishing.net.

My Review

5 stars

Paul, Jimmy, and Brian are at Sunday School when the teacher surprises them with an Easter Egg hunt. She also included three special eggs that would give the kids a special treasure. The kids go on the hunt and Jimmy ends up with two special eggs. Paul, who has autism, did not find an egg and is not taking this news well. Miss Linda asks Jimmy to give one of his special eggs to Paul but Jimmy says that is not fair. Miss Linda explains how it was not fair for Jesus to die for our sins and ask him to pray for an injured child and about the special egg.

This is a cute kid’s book that teaches children about why Jesus died for us. That the best way to show him we love him is to care for each other. This is a great way to teach children to think of others. It also has some beautiful illustrations that just draw you into this wonderful underwater world.

The one thing that I have to say that I didn’t like about this story was the teacher asks Jimmy to give his special egg to Paul. I understand that this is to keep the peace. My issue that it also shows Paul that he can throw a fit and get what he wants. It was also an opportunity to teach children to be gracious even if they didn’t get what they wanted.

This is part of the Adventures of the Sea Kids, which I didn’t know. I think this is a great story for kids and I think that it would be worth looking into the other books of this series.

I received God’s Easter Miracles from My Book Tour for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.

God's Easter Miracles Book Cover

God’s Easter Miracles Character Interview with Jimmy

Background: In God’s Easter Miracles, Jimmy’s character accepts Christ in his heart.

Q: I understand you have accepted Christ in your heart! How wonderful! What did you think of Jesus before you accepted him into your heart?

A: I knew Jesus was special because my mommy and daddy prayed to him. And every Sunday we went to his house and it’s called a Church. But, I really didn’t know Jesus. But He gave me a new heart!!

Q: How did Jesus give you a new heart?

A: Well, I went to Sunday school, and Miss Linda hid some Easter Eggs. I found the two special eggs!! So I got two prizes. Paul wanted one, and Miss Linda asked me to share. I didn’t think it was fair that I had to share with Paul when I found them not him! Miss Linda said it wasn’t fair that Jesus died for my sins. I went home and I felt bad. I didn’t know Jesus did that! So I asked Jesus to help me to be a good boy and be like him. The next morning, I woke up and I felt happy to give one of my eggs to Paul. It made me feel good to share it with him. Jesus changed my heart. He made it nicer! And because I believe in Jesus, I will live in heaven, forever! Mommy said heaven is so beautiful and her and daddy will be there too!

Q: Do you pray to him now that you believe in him?

A: Well, at night, I used to pray to him, but I didn’t really feel anything. But NOW when I pray to Him I feel He is listening to me and I love Him.

Q: Why do you love him?

A: Because he loves me, silly!

Q: Do you tell other kids about Him?

A: I told my baby brother and my friend, Bobby, who lives next door. I told them that Jesus was a real man who is God. They didn’t know, so they were surprised. I like surprising people, it’s fun!

Q: How did Paul feel when you gave him your egg?

A: He was SO happy! He was crying before when he didn’t get one. You know what He did?

Q: What did Paul do?

A: He gave his egg to Lenny who was in the hospital. Lenny was hurt. I prayed to Jesus for Lenny to get better. You know what happened then?

Q: What happened then?

A: Jesus gave Lenny a miracle! He was all better and could go home. Jesus gave me a miracle of a new heart and Lenny a miracle of being all better!

Q: Did you have a fun Easter?

A: It was the best Easter of all! I got lots of candy in my eggs and a chocolate Easter bunny, but the best gift was getting a new best friend. You want to know his name?

Q: What is his name?

A: Jesus, silly!

Giveaway

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Regeneration

Posted in 4 Star Books on March 30, 2017| 4 Comments »

Regeneration
by Stacey Berg
on Tour March 13-April 1, 2017

Book Details
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published by: Harper Voyager
Publication Date: March 14th 2017
Number of Pages: 384
Series: Echo Hunter 367, #2
Purchase Links:

Synopsis:

The Church has stood for hundreds of years, preserving the sole surviving city in a desert wasteland. When Echo Hunter 367 is sent out past the Church’s farthest outposts, she’s sure it’s a suicide mission. But just when she’s about to give up hope, she finds the impossible – another thriving community, lush and green, with a counsel of leaders who take her in.

Wary of this new society, with ways so different from the only life she’s ever known, Echo is determined to complete her mission and bring hope back to the Church. She’s unsure who she can trust, and must be strong and not be seduced by their clean, fresh water, and plentiful energy sources. If she plays her cards right, she may even still have a chance to save the woman she loves.

Read an excerpt:

Echo Hunter 367 studied the dying woman in the desert with grudging admiration. The woman had walked long past what might reasonably be expected, if that lurching stagger could be called a walk. When she couldn’t walk any more she had crawled, and after that she had dragged herself along, fingers clawing through sand until they clutched some purchase, body scraping over rocks and debris, heedless of the damage. Now and then she made a noise, a purely animal grunt of effort or pain, but she forced herself onward, all the way until the end.

I smell the water.

Desperate as the woman was, she had still been cautious. Though an incalculable distance from any familiar place, she still recognized danger: the wind-borne sand that scoured exposed skin clean to the bone, the predators that stalked patiently in the shadows for prey too weak to flee. The cliff edge that a careless girl could slip over, body suspended in space for the briefest moment before her hands tore through the thornbush, then the long hard fall.

Echo jerked back from that imagined edge. It was her last purposeful movement. From some great height, she watched herself collapse in the sand. One grasping hand, nails torn, knuckles bloody, landed only a few meters from the spring’s cool water, but she never knew it. For a little while her body twitched in irregular spasms, then those too stilled. Only her lips moved, cracking into a bloody smile. “Lia,” she whispered. “Lia.” Then she fell into the dark.

For a long time there was no sound except water trickling in a death rattle over stones.

Then the high whine of engines scattered the circling predators. Pain returned first, of course. Every inch of skin burned, blistered by sun or rubbed raw by the sand that had worked its way inside the desert-proof clothing. Her muscles ached from too long an effort with no fuel and insufficient water, and her head pounded without mercy. Even the movement of air in and out of her lungs hurt, as if she had inhaled fire. But that pain meant she was breathing, and if she was breathing she still had to fight. With enormous effort she dragged open her eyes, only to meet a blinding brightness. She made a sound, and tasted hot salt as her lips cracked open again. “Shhh,” a soft voice said. “Shhh.” Something cool, smelling of resin and water, settled over her eyes, shielding them from the glare. A cloth dabbed at her mouth, then a finger smoothed ointment over her lips, softening them so they wouldn’t split further when she was finally able to speak. Lia, she thought, letting herself rest in that gentle strength until the pain subsided into manageable inputs. Then she began to take stock.

She lay on something soft, not the rock that had made her bed for so many weeks, although her abused flesh still ached at every pressure point. The air felt cool but still, unlike the probing desert wind, and it carried, beyond the herbal tang, a scent rich and round, unlike the silica sharpness of sand she’d grown so accustomed to. Filtered through the cloth over her eyes, the light seemed diffuse, too dim for the sun. Indoors, then, and not a temporary shelter, but a place with thick walls, and a bed, and someone with sufficient resources to retrieve a dying woman from the desert, and a reason to do so. But what that reason might be eluded her. The Church would never rescue a failure.

Unless the Saint commanded it.

She mustered all her strength and dragged the cloth from her eyes. She blinked away grit until the blurred oval hovering above her took on distinct features, the soft line of the cheek, the gently curving lips. Lia, she thought again, and in her weakness tears washed the vision away. She wiped her eyes with a trembling hand.

And stared into the face of an utter stranger.

Excerpt from Regeneration by Stacey Berg. Copyright © 2017 by Stacey Berg. Reproduced with permission from Harper Voyager. All rights reserved.

Stacey Berg

Author Bio:

Stacey Berg is a medical researcher who writes speculative fiction. Her work as a physician-scientist provides the inspiration for many of her stories. She lives with her wife in Houston and is a member of the Writers’ League of Texas. When she’s not writing, she practices kung fu and runs half marathons.

Visit Stacey Berg on her Website, Goodreads Page, and on Twitter!

Tour Host Participants:

Visit the other stops on this tour for reviews, interviews, guest posts, and more great giveaways!!

http://www.linkytools.com/basic_linky_include.aspx?id=276419

My Review

4 stars

Echo Hunter 367 is a clone that has been sent out past the furthest reaches of the Church and although she thinks this has become a suicide mission she finds another community. This community seems to be better off than her current one with its clean water and green grass. But things are not always better on the other side of the fence. No matter what happens, she does still have a mission from the Church. But she sees a possible way to help the woman she loves.

This is the second book in a duology and I do recommend reading Dissension, book one first. I was not completely lost but I think it would have helped reading Regeneration. I loved this world and how it was described. It appeals to the dystopian lover in me.

Echo is not really a hero and is hard to even really like her. She was created to follow orders and not care about the people yet she has someone she loves and is trying to do everything that she can to take care of her. It made following her hard since how can she have no regard for people as a whole yet be willing to do anything for her lover.

I love the whole dynamics of the community. You have those that are willing to accept Echo and others that are weary of her. You also have a group of people that has done what they can to survive and it gives them a different outlook.

This is a really good story. I didn’t expect the ending and I still don’t think I like it. But I am interested enough to purchase the first book in this series to figure out what I missed.

I received Regeneration from Providence Book Promotions for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.

Giveaway!!

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Providence Book Promotions for Stacey Berg and Harper Voyager. There will be 3 winners of one (1) eBook copy of Dissension by Stacey Berg. The giveaway begins on March 13th and runs through April 4th, 2017.

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