Pages

29 November 2016

Diana's Review Of 'Such A Hope' By Sondra Kraak

Such A Hope by Sondra Kraak

Such A Hope By Sondra Kraak
Trail House Publishers, Oct. 2016

Reviewed By Diana Flowers
~5 stars!~
(No spoilers!)
A Compelling Must Read!

Seattle, Washington Territory - 1871

In Such a Hope, author Sondra Kraak has spun a powerfully emotive tale of a young woman's quest to find a sense of belongingset against the backdrop of the tree blanketed landscape and grandeur of the Cascade Mountains.

Spending her entire life growing up on the seat of a wagon and assisting her father's successful freighting business, Anna finally returns home to their cabin in Seattle. Her father's death has devastated her, and she longs to find camaraderie in her community and a chance to fulfill the calling God has placed on her life...the desire to pray for the sick. Two stalwart, handsome men enter Anna's lifeone the passionate, zealous Michael, who encourages Anna to use her miraculous gift in his revival meetings—the other, Tristan, an enigmatic and intimidating farmer her father had befriended. But praying for healing comes with a high price and ugly rumors begin to surface about Anna's spiritual gift and her property. Both men must learn to surrender their plans for the future in different ways—a sacrifice neither is sure he is willing to make. 

I accidentally "stumbled" upon Sondra Kraak online and she was one of the best discoveries I have ever made. I was entranced by the cover of her new book, Such a Hope, and the blurb intrigued me as well! Tackling the subject of laying on of hands and miraculous healing took alot of courage and Ms. Kraak did so with finesse and wisdom...addressing the question as to why some people get healed and others do not. The multifaceted main characters were admittedly admirable, but not infallible. And ooh, the romantic tension almost stole my breath away! 😯Sondra Kraak is an amazingly talented author, and I anxiously await the next book in the Paths of Grace series! Be sure to order your copy of this emotionally stirring story of passion, forgiveness, and redemption today!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

This book may be purchased through AmazonB&N, and BAM.

GIVEAWAY: Sondra Kraak has generously offered a paperback copy to one blessed commenter (US entrants only!) For contact purposes should your name be drawn, please be sure to leave your email addy written (at) and (dot) to protect yourself against spammers.


27 November 2016

Interview with Lucette "Lucy" Nel

Author Lucette "Lucy" Nel

CFP: Please welcome Lucette "Lucy" Nel!  Lucy is a fellow Pelican Book Group author (White Rose imprint) who lives in South Africa. She has a Christmas release, The Widow's Captive, with Pelican's Christmas Extravaganza, which has become an annual event with brand new Christmas romances in ebook form. We appreciate your willingness to share your testimony of overcoming with our readers. 

Thanks so much to Overcoming with God for asking me aboard!

Would you tell us about the one of the most difficult things in your life you have had to overcome, with God’s help?
I’m an introvert. In all honesty, doing this interview has me all jittery. It’s like that meme I saw on Pinterest: 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“What is the worst sentence in the history for an introvert?

 -- Tell me a little about yourself.” 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

LOL.
But because I want to be a writer, that’s something I need to work ‘against’. 

As a writer, I need people, and I need to connect with people. That is one of my biggest struggles, and if not for God, I wouldn’t have been able to do it. For me, it IS an endless battle, a constant reminder that I need the Lord.  And coffee!

What passages in the Bible have been most helpful to you in those times?
Philippians 4:13 For I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (NLT)

How has prayer helped you to overcome?
It is a million little things. Knowing that God understands my babble, my flawed prayers, and even the ones I can’t utter aloud, make it easier to face people, even when it’s only on social media.

What helped you get through or helped you cope with this difficulty?
I don’t know if it’s something I will get through. I don’t think it’s like you wake up one morning and decide you’re not an introvert anymore. So I cope with it by sharing what’s going on in my head and heart with the Lord and to those people closest to me.

Disability friendliness: Is this release available in audio format or do you have any other works available on audio?  Do your e-books have audio capability? Do you have any in large print? 
The Christmas Extravaganza series are only available as an eBook. ☺


In this latest work, do you have any topics useful for bibliotherapy, or therapeutic influence through reading about a disorder or situation?  
My hero and heroine struggles with guilt and shame. My hero, Jonah Hale wrestles with the need to prove himself worthy to the town’s residents. He put his own life in danger in order to gain other peoples approval.



MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR WRITING!!!
Thanks, Carrie!



Lucy's Social Media Links:

Bio: Lucette "Lucy" Nel is a coffee addicted work-in-progress daughter of the Lord Almighty. She's a mommy to a rambunctious toddler and wife to her best friend and real-life hero. Along with three spoiled Pugs, they make their home in Gauteng, the smallest of nine provinces in South Africa.

During the day, she's a bookkeeper. At night when the world sleeps, she delves into her passion, creating interesting characters in historical settings.

She's a member of American Christian Fiction and her dream came true when she recently signed a contract with Pelican Book Group for her Christmas themed novella, The Widow's Captive.

One of her favorite quotes about writing is by C.S. Lewis: You can make anything by writing.


Her favorite verse is Philippians 4:13: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Giveaway: We're giving away an ebook copy to one of our readers! Answer this Question to enter:
As a newbie author I’d like to know what persuades you as a reader to pick up a story by a new and unknown author.

24 November 2016

BE THANKFUL by Teresa S. Mathews

For all our followers who may not know, I have had a pretty tough year, of course losing my sweet husband Carlton to cancer in May 2015 and then I had to have surgery this past July. Surgery went well except I had complications and was back in the hospital twice in less than 6 weeks after the surgery. With all that was going on, I had put off having my mammogram done for about 2 years, thankfully I didn't put it off this year. 

I went in October and a couple days later I received a call-back that they had found an area that required a closer look. I went back in and after another mammogram the Radiologist came out to tell me what he saw was going to require a biopsy. On Oct. 13th I had the biopsy and on the 14th I received a call telling me I had DCIS; Ductal Carcinoma In Situ. Some doctors call it a cancer contained in the duct or ducts, others consider it pre-cancerous. Either way it requires a lumpectomy and afterward it requires radiation treatments and an estrogen blocking medicine to be taken for approximately 5 years, perhaps longer.  

On October 21st, when the surgeon took out the DCIS and he also took out a small margin around it to make sure there was no invasion cancer. This was sent to the pathologist and when he looked at it under the microscope he saw a very small (1.3mm) area that was found to be HER2 a very aggressive and fast growing cancer. 

Fast forward to the Oncologist visit, she said I had not one but two very different cancers that needed to be addressed. Since HER2 was the more aggressive type she addressed it first. She told me she had NEVER seen this type cancer found so tiny before.  All I could say was Praise God! She wanted to take a few days to decide if we needed to go the traditional route of aggressive chemo with an added medicine called Herceptin. She held my hands and prayed with me before she left the room for GOD to give us wisdom and if there was anything we couldn't see in my body for GOD to put it under the Blood of Jesus. What a wonderful blessing to have a Christian doctor that first and foremost consults with the Great Physician.

After a couple days she called me back and asked if I would be agreeable to her saying no to the chemo but yes to the radiation. I told her I was at peace with her decision because of how she took the time to consider if the risks outweighed the benefits with the chemo. So I will be starting radiation treatments sometime in the next couple weeks. 

Right in the middle of the cancer scare, I got the call that my mom had passed away.  It was a shock but I am at peace knowing she is now enjoying the splendors of Heaven. All of this has made me think about a lot of things but most of all I have thought of the goodness of GOD and how all of this could have been a lot worse. I try everyday to thank Him for all He has done for me and my family. Below is a poem I wrote as a reminder to myself to always be THANKFUL!!

BE THANKFUL

When there comes a time that life gets hard, 
Or troubles come your way.                                                                                  
When everything seems to close in on you                                                                  
And you don’t know what to say.

BE THANKFUL

When the doctor gives you that dreaded news,                                           
You never want to hear.                                                                                    
No matter that it makes you afraid,                                                               
And you shed many a tear.

BE THANKFUL
                                                                                                                        
When life gets hard and things go wrong                                                                 
And you don’t know what to say.                                                                               
Hold your head up high, take a breath,                                                                     
And tell Him “Lord, I thank you for this day.”
                                                             
BE THANKFUL

Thankful His love, Thankful for His Son,                                                          
Thankful for His kindness to each and every one.

Thankful for His Blessings that come every day.                                                 
Thankful for the things that come to brighten up our way.

Even be thankful for the things that you don’t understand,                                   
Those are the things that make you hold more tightly to His Hand.

©Teresa S. Mathews 2016


In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 
1 Thessalonians 5:18

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM THE
OVERCOMING WITH GOD
BLOGGERS!

20 November 2016

Thankful for our Bloggers!



Thanksgiving will soon arrive! I have so much to be thankful for. I've been blessed with a good husband and two amazing kids (not to mention my sweet Grand Dog!) I am walking again, Praise the Lord!!! We have had safe travels on the road trips we've taken. This past year I've had an abundance of book contracts with one of my favorite publishers -- Barbour Publishing and with some of my favorite authors!!! One of my upcoming releases is a novel, that is a book of my heart, set in one of my favorite places on earth -- Mackinac Island! And for many years now I've been so blessed to have Diana Flowers and Noela Nancarrow blogging with me here on Overcoming With God blog! 

We're about to start our "Barbour-Palooza" month on Overcoming With God blog, where I will have Barbour backlist books, and some new ones, as giveaways over the next six weeks. Vickie McDonough and Erica Vetsch will be sharing with us and we were blessed to have Susan Page Davis also visit us recently on the blog!
Noela Nancarrow, International Contributor 
Sadly, we'll be saying goodby to our Aussie Angel, Noela Nancarrow, and in the new year to our Senior Reviewer, Diana Flowers.  But I have been very thankful and grateful to both of these amazing reviewers! 

We'll be celebrating with them, before they leave the blog. We're praying for the very best for both of them both in physical and spiritual health!




What are you grateful for this year? What changes do you have ahead in your life?

17 November 2016

Diana's Review Of 'Finding Margo' By Jen Turano

Finding Margo By Jen Turano
Finding Margo By Jen Turano
Gilead Publishing, November 2016

Reviewed By Diana Flowers
~4.5 stars~
(No Spoilers!)


From Guccis To Amish?

Jen Turano pens a rollicking, but suspenseful tale of a pop star's journey from the glitz and glamour of California, Gucci handbags, Dolce & Gabbana jeans, and bodyguards—to the quaint, but secretive Amish town of Millersburg, with its pretty flower boxes in the windows, gleaming white farmhouses with wraparound porches, red barns, and ducks?...yes, ducks! 😏

International pop star, Margo Hartman, has had it. She needs a break from grueling tours, paparazzi, her controlling mother, and literally runs away. A nasty encounter with a duck (yes, you read correctly) necessitates a trip to the vet in the Amish town of Millersburg, where she meets Dr. Ian St. James and his brother-in-lawthe hunky Sheriff's deputy, Brock Moore. Brock is working undercover on a case for Ian and realizes that Margo is not who she appears to be either...as she continues to try to hide her superstar identity. She bears an uncanny resemblance to a local Amish woman and her crazy periods of deja vu raises all kinds of questions, as sights and scents make her feel as though she has been to this small town before. But why does this make her a target for a killer? As Margo and Brock begin to draw closer, he is determined to find answers—for both their sakes.

I have heard that Jen Turano is known for her quirky characters and unusual storylines and now I have the facts. It's all true! 😛 What a delightfully unique tale with Gabby, the waddling duck, a feisty heroine who frequently shares witty quips with the hero, and a wacky mother who would drive me bonkers...interweaved with a heartrending Amish theme. However, the story lacked the romantic tension that I so love, and the only real attraction I saw towards Brock from Margo was a little bit of heart-racing, comforting hand holding, and the way his muscles rippled when he moved. I liked them, too, but...😉 Nevertheless, the conclusion was satisfactorily passionate and I especially loved that mysterious last sentence leading me to excitedly believe there's a sequel cominghopefully Ian St. James's story! A delightful, amusing, mysterious, tender, heartbreaking must read!

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley in the hopes that I might write a review, but was not required to do so. I received no monetary compensation for this review.


This book may be purchased from Amazon, CBD, BAM, B&N, and your local Christian bookstore.

GIVEAWAY: Jen Turano has generously offered to give away an autographed copy of Finding Margo to one blessed commenter! (US entrants only.) For contact purposes be sure to leave your email address written (at) and (dot) to protect yourself from spammers.

15 November 2016

Noela reviews THE SILENT SONGBIRD by Melanie Dickerson

The Silent Songbird
The Silent Songbird
Thomas Nelson (November 8, 2016)

Reviewed by Noela Nancarrow
5 Stars *****

An Enchanting Happily Ever After

There’s just something about Melanie Dickerson’s fairy-tale inspired tales that without fail sweeps me far, far away on a fanciful journey of the imagination and heart. Each and every book is a cherished must-read in which I long to visit and lose myself in! The Silent Songbird being no different, flew me back to 1834 to Hertfordshire, England, where an enchanting journey was just beginning..

The beautiful songstress Evangeline is ward to King Richard and spends much of life sequestered away within Berkhamsted Castle for her own protection. When the King demands she marry his advisor, the predatory Earl of Shively, the red-haired beauty escapes the castle’s confines in disguise and joins up with Westley le Wyse and his party of travelers setting out for their village.

Evangeline discovers a whole new world outside the castle—one of freedom and beauty, hardship, and toil. How will the once-sheltered maiden endure the taxing work of a maid in Westley’s village? There are many amusing and tense moments when one wonders if and when all will fall apart. 

Having easily fallen for the handsome, kind, and courageous Westley, Evangeline is burdened… for part of her disguise is a pretense to be mute. If her secrets are revealed, not only will she have betrayed Westley with her lies but she might be hauled back to the castle, for who would want to defy the King knowing he was searching for her? Evangeline’s new world however, is about to become even more fraught with dangers as revenge, murder, and a sinister plot comes to light. Will there be songs again in this brave but gentle maiden’s future?

Author Melanie Dickerson knows how to bring to life some of the most enchanting characters, like the sigh-worthy, compassionate hero with sky-blue eyes and the plucky, perceptive, and innocent heroine. Together, the sparks fly in this sweet as molasses, toe-curling, romantic medieval adventure! Faith threads such as trusting in God’s loving-kindness and forgiveness, are deftly interwoven within this beautiful and memorable happily-ever-after tale!


*Thank to the Publisher and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Berkhamsted Castle Where The Lovely Evangeline Spent Most Of Her Years Growing Up Inside The Castle Walls

You may find this book for purchase at these and other places: AMAZON; CBD; B&N; BAM

GIVEAWAY: We have a hardcover copy of Melanie Dickerson's 'The Silent Songbird' for giveaway!! (US only) Leave a comment on this review to enter, and please include your email using (at) and (dot) to protect against spammers.


13 November 2016

Never—ever—give up by Marianne Evans

Author Marianne Evans

CFP: Marianne Evans is a fellow Pelican author. She has multiple new releases. Marianne is also a Michigander! She writes in the Inspirational Contemporary category.


Never—ever—give up 

Need a bit of encouragement today? Let me tell you about the moment I became a ‘Professional Writer.’

I had written a contemporary romance. After writing 'The End,’ I was excited to see where an attempt at publication might lead. Within weeks I learned about Romance Writers of America (RWA). From there, I discovered they had a chapter in Detroit.

Sign me up!

Soon after joining the chapter, I found out Greater Detroit RWA would be hosting it’s bi-annual conference, Tapping the Source. I couldn’t wait. There would be break-out sessions where I could learn from talented and successful authors as well as a critique session where an agent would read ten pages of my manuscript (pre-submitted so she could read and comment beforehand) and deliver one-on-one feedback within a group of eight or so fellow authors.

That’s when reality set in.

My critique session began. To put it politely, my submission was slaughtered. Her concluding words were, “This will never get published, but at least you can say you wrote a book.”

Yeah. I have no idea how I held it together during the lunch break that followed.

From there, the decision was mine. I could roll over and quit. I could surrender a dream, or I could get busy making my publishing dreams come true, no matter what that agent had to say.

I joined a critique group. I attended workshops and conferences. I networked with other writers and discovered I wasn’t alone. The pathway to publication is paved by broken hearts that mended…and persevered.

20+ books later (and the book that agent soundly bashed became my second sale to Kensington Publishing) I’m glad I stayed true to the call God gave me, the dreams He placed in my heart to create a ministry meant to uplift, encourage, and highlight the greatest gift of all. Love.

BLURB

Country music bad boy Chase Bradington is on the comeback trail. Fresh from rehab for alcohol addiction, and transformed by the power of Christ, Chase is battling to rediscover the music he loves and a career he nearly ruined. Then he meets up and comer, Pyper Brock, and instantly sparks ignite.

Pyper knows of Chase’s reputation, so despite a rampant attraction to the handsome and talented icon, she soundly dismisses his romantic overtures. Decades ago, her father, in a drunken rage, tossed her and her mother onto the streets. No way will Pyper make the mistake of falling for a man whose done battle with the bottle.

What happens when Chase’s quest to win Pyper’s love breaks down chains of resentment and eases the long buried wounds of her childhood? And what happens when Pyper’s father shows up in Nashville, clean, sober and seeking a chance to apologize?

Can Pyper follow a pathway to peace when it comes to her father? Can she fully trust Chase? Above all, can a sin damaged past be released in favor of forgiveness?


EXCERPT

They convened in the great room. When Amy crossed the threshold, Chase watched her run gentle fingertips against the edge of the fireplace mantle, where silver-framed photos rested. For a time she lost herself in family snapshots, formal portraits of Zach, Pyper…
And within her eyes crested an ocean of sadness that twisted his stomach, because he didn’t think they were going to like what he had to say.
“Excuse me for being torn between two sides here, but I don’t think you should have treated him so harshly. Why are you painting him with the lines of a brush that’s decades old? What right do you have to do that? It’s not fair, and it’s not worthy of the people standing in this room—the one’s I’ve come to know and care for so much.”
Pyper crossed the room, headed for her mother’s side, but she drew up short and stared at Chase. Zach stood not far away, brows furrowed, arms crossed, gaze pinging from one person to the next as he visibly attempted to sort things through.
Tyler stepped into the tense and building void. “Chase, you’re right to be loyal to him. I don’t discount the ways he helped you find your way, but I need you to hear us out on this. You need to understand that—”
“No. There’s no need for an explanation. I get it. You’re all about second chances; you’re all about redemption; you’re all about that feel-good, all-encompassing word forgiveness, right up to the point when it involves someone who’s hurt you deep. Well, I know Mark far better than you, and I respect him. He worked hard to overcome. I can relate to that struggle because life forced me to walk his same walk. He’s a troubled, flawed man who tells me he’s working hard to be what he needs to be, what he wants to be. I had my doubts about his arrival, and I know how he hurt y’all. But after his witness today, after the way he accepted his cross with grace and humility, I feel he deserves a chance. Why did you lash out at him without knowing thing-one about the demons he’s slain?”
“Demons!” Pyper rounded on him. “The demons he’s slain? Chase, that man is a wrecking ball! Any demons he faced, he brought on himself!”
“Absolutely, and those demons will lurk over you as well, Pyper—over all of you—if you storm off and refuse to give him the time of day. That kind of judgment I don’t want or need. It’s toxic, unfair, and it certainly isn’t Christian.”
“Chase!”
Pyper’s cry mixed pain and anger; the realization registered then evaporated.
Temper erupting, he pressed forward through lightning strikes and storm clouds he could taste in the air. “The man you hate so much—and don’t even try to hide from that truth—is the man who helped me, and nothing but God led Mark Samuels to Nashville. If you can’t see that, then you don’t understand all the words you use about seeing His hand in our lives, and recognizing His actions, His interventions.”
Pyper’s eyes filled, and Chase rebuked the resulting stab of pain.
“That damaged man found healing; that damaged man repented and worked hard to restore himself. I’ve learned a lot from his journey, and he pulled me scratching and clawing from a black hole. I’m sorry for what he did. Truly I am.” His gaze roved Pyper’s precious face, then moved to Amy. “What he did to you and your mama is reprehensible, but you should look at who he is now.” Chase focused on Tyler and Zach as well. “All of you need to see his redemption rather than his past. He’s covered by grace. He’s loved. He’s forgiven. Right?” His gaze landed square on Pyper’s bewildered face. “Just. Like. Me.” He invaded her space. Fire burned in his chest, stirring an all-over ache as he strove to drive home his point. “Or do you believe Jesus would leave an honestly repentant man cowering in the sand, covered by sin?”

PURCHASE LINKS

BIO
Marianne Evans is an award-winning author of Christian romance and fiction. Her hope is to spread the faith-affirming message of God’s love through the stories He prompts her to create.
Readers laude her work as “Riveting,” “Realistic and true to heart,” “Compelling.” Her Christian women’s fiction debut, Devotion, earned the Bookseller’s Best Award as well as the Heart of Excellence Award. Hearts Communion earned a win for Best Romance from the Christian Small Publisher's Association. She is also a two-time recipient of the Selah Award for her books Then & Now and Finding Home.
Marianne is a lifelong resident of Michigan and an active member of Romance Writers of America, most notably the Greater Detroit Chapter where she served two terms as President. You can connect with Marianne at www.marianneevans.com.

SOCIAL CONNECTIONS

Twitter: MarEvansAuthor

GIVEAWAY: An ebook copy of Forgiveness. Leave a comment about perseverance to enter!

Google Analytics