Beyond Molasses Creek by Nicole Seitz - Book Review & Facebook Party

Beyond Molasses Creek

by Nicole Seitz


Three lives are bound by a single book . . .  

and the cleansing waters of Molasses Creek.

ABOUT THE BOOK: Having traveled to the ends of the earth as a flight attendant, Ally Green has finally returned to the Lowcountry to bury her father as well as the past. But Vesey Washington is still living across the creek, and theirs is a complicated relationship—he was once her best friend . . . and also part of the reason she’s stayed away so long. When Ally discovers a message her father left behind asking her to quit running, it seems her past isn’t through with her yet.

As Ally’s wandering spirit wrestles with a deep longing to flee again, a young woman on the other side of the world escapes her life of slavery in the rock quarries of Nepal. A mysterious sketchbook leads Sunila Kunari to believe there’s more to her story than she’s ever been told, and she’s determined to follow the truth wherever it leads her.

A deep current intertwines the lives of these three souls, and a destiny of freedom, faith, and friendship awaits them all on the banks of Molasses Creek.

ABOUT NICOLE SEITZ:

Nicole Seitz is the author of several critically acclaimed novels - The Inheritance of Beauty, Saving Cicadas, A Hundred Years of Happiness, Trouble the Water, andThe Spirit of Sweetgrass. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Journalism, and also has a degree in Illustration from Savannah College of Art & Design.

Her paintings are featured on the covers of her books. Visit her at @NicoleSeitz, Facebook andwww.nicoleseitz.com for more information. 

FABULOUS FACEBOOK FRIENDSHIP PARTY

Nicole and her publisher, Thomas Nelson, are celebrating the release of Beyond Molasses Creek with a Fabulous "Friendship" Campaign! Nicole will be traveling state-to-state on a virtual book tour {2/1-2/16} and then wrapping up the festivities with a fun Facebook Party on March 16th. AND ... she's giving away a Kindle Touch and some of her own beautiful artwork - see below for details. 

Nicole has woven a large story about faith, friendship and unexpected journeys. One reviewer has said that Beyond Molasses Creek is "a little like Eat, Pray, Love meets The Help".

Intrigued? Read the book and join us at the "Friendship"  Facebook Party! 

Join Nicole and friends on the evening of February 16th for a Facebook Author Chat Party. She'll be talking about Beyond Molasses Creek, throwing out some trivia and giving away great prizes - including a Kindle Touch, some of her beautiful artwork and a Book Club Prize Pack (10 copies for your book club/small group and a SKYPE chat with Nicole)! 

RSVP today!

Mark your calendar for 2/16/12 {5PM PST / 8PM EST} and come by for an evening of bookchat, making new friends and story sharing.

MY REVIEW:

I hesitate to write a review of Beyond Molasses Creek today. I feel that my words are not enough to describe the beauty of this book but I will do my best.

This is the first book I've read by the author Nicole Seitz. I was a little surprised at first with one of the character's values - Ally believed in stone gods to bless her. I kept turning to the back of the book to make sure that this is Christian fiction I'm reading. However, therein really lies the story. 


Ally Green, a 60 year old, well-traveled woman due to her profession as a stewardess, has brought home all sorts of things from the different places that she's visited. Many of those are different statues or sculptures of different gods. This is just one part of this character's many faceted personality.

Kunila Sunari, a woman of the lowest caste in Nepal, has been carving statues all her life. She knows nothing except hardship in her life, knowing that she and her family will forever be in debt to the person who "owns" them. 

Ally has been running away from home for much of her life. Now, she comes back to Molasses Creek to face the death of her beloved father and to see the one man that has affected her most of her life - Vessey Washington.

Kunila finally breaks free from the bonds of her family and the man who hold them slaves. She goes on an important trip to finally find out who she really is. 

What I've written about is only the tip of this story. Nicole Seitz has written a masterful work of art (if it can be called as such) in Beyond Molasses Creek. I've gotten to know each of the characters very well. I lived with their pain and their joy. I cried as they finally discovered their truths. This is a beautiful story of love, self-discovery, friendship and family. Though the references to God are subtle, it is still woven throughout the story so that you really see how God finally works things out for good. 

Find out what other people thought of this book, go here for more reviews.


Buy this book here:

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Four Letter Words by Dr. Bill Giovannetti - Book Review and Giveaway

Four Letter Words: Conversations on Faith's Beauty and Logic

by Dr. Bill Giovannetti

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Thou shalt tolerate every opinion... except the Christian's. Today's postmodern "prime directive" leaves many followers of Jesus tongue-tied. In the global village, isn't it unreasonable, and even dangerous, to suggest that the Bible has a monopoly on truth?

The church needs a new breed of Christ-follower. We need Christ-followers who are alert to today's touchy ideas, the truths that fire up more heat than light. We need Christ-followers who can make a clear case for the Bible's worldview; who are ready to help our friends think through their beliefs; who can recognize inconsistencies and challenge them; and who can do all of this with humility, confidence, humor, and love. For more information visit http://fourletterwords.org.

THE AUTHOR:

Dr. Bill Giovannetti is a professor at A.W. Tozer Theological Seminary and the senior pastor of Neighborhood Church of Redding. An experienced speaker and author, Bill informs the mind in ways that touch the heart. He enjoys life with his wife and two kids in northern California. For more information about Bill and his other books, visit  http://maxgrace.wordpress.com  and http://fourletterwords.org. 

Enter the Giveaway!

Bill is celebrating the new Kindle edition of Four Letter Words (for only $4.99)! He’ll be traveling coast to coast over the next few weeks on a virtual book tour and he's celebrating by hosting a great giveaway!

He'll be giving away two gift certificates to Amazon (in the amount of $50 and $25) and free downloads of his yet-to-be-released title, Recession-Proof: Living a God-Blessed Life in a Messed Up World.

Here’s the Scoop:
To enter to win these fabulous, earth-shattering prizes:

1. One $50 gift certificate to Amazon.com
2. One $25 gift certificate to Amazon.com.
3. Copies of Bill's yet-to-be-released title, RECESSION-PROOF: Living a God-Blessed Life in a Messed Up World.

Do 1 or more of the following:

1. Like Bill on Facebook Here.

2. Fill out this form to sign up for Bill’s updates (just a few a year!)

3. Everyone who purchases a Kindle copy of Four Letter Words (here:http://amzn.to/yfGLHP) AND joins my Facebook Author Page will receive an advance copy of my ebook: Recession-Proof: Living a God-Blessed Life in a Messed Up World and be entered to win one of the gift cards!

Winners will be announced on 2/15/12. You’ll receive the link for a digital copy of Recession-Proof on that date.

**If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

TO QUALIFY FOR THE CONTEST, PLEASE ENTER YOUR INFO HERE

MY REVIEW:

We are bombarded with so many different ideas every second of the day. Through television, internet, movies, and radios. Ideas conceived in the minds of people that seem right and true. If we are not careful, we may just accept these ideas as truth and not question it.

Four Letter Words: Conversations on Faith's Beauty and Logic shows us the history of most of those different spiritual beliefs in this day and age and counteracts this with the truth of the Bible. Dr. Bill Giovannetti does not mince words but discusses these beliefs fearlessly. 

Reading this book is a learning experience for me. Even though this book is geared for the teenage or young adult reader, it made even me begin to question my own thoughts and beliefs. The title itself: Four Letter Words, is already thought provoking and makes one think of that four letter word that's usually bleeped out on TV. However, these actually refer to the four letter word titles of each chapter such as TRUE, EVIL, OUCH, PAIN, DAMN. What I appreciate about the writer is that even as he dishes out the truth about the beliefs that challenge the Bible, he also offers up the Bible truths in a compassionate, easy to understand way so that you really get to know God better. 

This book is a guide for everyone as it talks about the Christian faith and other religious beliefs that surround us. I think it would be great for use in a Bible study group. As for my teenagers, I wouldn't just give them this book to read, I'd rather that we read it and discuss it together. This is the kind of book that you'll want to read through thoroughly, it's not just for one sitting.

If you would like to know what other reviewers thought of this book, go here.

Buy this book here:





Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

A Mile in His Shoes Starring Dean Cain and Luke Schroder - A Family DVD Review and GIVEAWAY!

A Mile in His Shoes

SOMETIMES MIRACLES HAPPEN WHEN YOU

LEAST EXPECT THEM AND LATE IN THE GAME.

Only a miracle can help baseball coach Arthur "Murph" Murphy (Dean Cain) and his losing minor league baseball team. As Murph sets out to recruit new talent for the team, he stumbles upon Mickey (Luke Schroder), a young farmer with an incredible pitcher's arm. However, Mickey's parents are reluctant to allow him to join the team because he has Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism. Murph convinces Mickey's parents that life in the minor league will benefit their unique son, but he doesn't realize just how much his new recruit will help the team's game and, more importantly, their spirit. Based on a true story, A Mile in His Shoes is an inspirational film that celebrates faith, determination and the power of friendship. (Taken from the DVD)

MY REVIEW:
I thoroughly enjoyed watching this inspirational movie about a baseball coach (Dean Cain),  and his new recruit Mickey (Luke Schroder). At the start of the movie, I wasn't really expecting much but I'm surprised that before the movie ended, I was watching it with mouth agape, excited about what the ending may be. 

Coach Murphy or Murph, as he is fondly called, faces the challenge of turning his losing baseball team into winners. He is pressured by the team's owner to make good and threatened job loss if the team doesn't improve. As he went on a trip one day to find a player that was recommended to him, his car ran into a ditch. Which was fortunate because there he met Mickey. He soon realized that Mickey has a special talent in pitching and speaks to his parents about recruiting him for the team. The parents tell Murph that Mickey has aspergers and is needed on the farm to work. But he successfully convinces them to let Mickey try out for the team. The team's acceptance of Mickey, their willingness to help him out, and Mickey himself overcoming many challenges, makes for a very nice, feel good and truly inspirational movie. 

In a family-oriented film like this, it's always nice to see values that are usually no longer made important in today's movie world. The value of friendship and accepting someone different was seen in the team's willingness to help Mickey out. Coach Murph showed that it is not only winning that is important to him, developing his team into better men and better players was more important. The relationship between Mickey and his parents is beautiful to watch, from the support and belief of his mother to the change in his father as he came to see his son's true capability. The best thing to watch is how Mickey was able to overcome the challenges that came his way. 


I highly recommend A Mile in His Shoes to all my readers. This is an inspiring movie meant to be watched by the young and old alike. 


Buy it here:

GIVEAWAY!!!

My sponsor, FlyPropeller, is letting me give away one copy of A Mile in His Shoes DVD. This giveaway is open to all my blog readers. Here are the mechanics:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

And the WINNER of Cooper and Me and the Winter Adventure is...

RHEEA!

A big THANK YOU to all those who joined my giveaway for 

Cooper and Me and The Winter Adventure

Rheea, kindly email me your mailing address. Expect to receive this in 6-8 weeks time as 

will be mailed from the US. 

Join my giveaway for Mornings with Jesus, a lovely devotional for women

 published by Guideposts - happening right now!

Mornings with Jesus 2012 - Daily Encouragement for your Soul by Judy Baer, Tricia Goyer and more - Blog Tour, Review and GIVEAWAY!

About the book:

"Be still and know that I am God.” is one of the most beautiful verses from the Bible, but it’s not easy to practice in this busy world. Mornings with Jesus will help you do just that—“be still” in Jesus’ beautiful and powerful presence. For those who are seeking a deeper experience in their relationship with Christ, Mornings with Jesus 2012 Daily Encouragement for your Soul offers a fresh perspective of who Jesus is (the Healer, the Son of God, the Comforter, the Good Shepherd) and what that means for day-to-day life. 


With a warm and friendly voice, 366 short devotional writings on the character and teachings of Jesus encourage readers to greet each day by drawing near to Him and inviting His presence into their day. Spend time with Jesus at the beginning of each day and experience His nearness and peace in a new way throughout the year. Each day’s selection includes: • a Bible verse • an entry based on Jesus: His words, miracles, and parables; His wisdom, compassion, and comfort; His mystery, power, divinity, and humanity • a “faith step” that will inspire and challenge readers to apply the day’s message to their lives. 

MY REVIEW:
When I signed up for this review, I was excited to receive Mornings with Jesus 2012 Daily Encouragement for your Soul. The combination of authors Judy Baer, Tricia Goyer, Gwen Ford Faulkenberry, Sharon Hinck, Keri Wyatt Kent, Erin Keelye Marshall, and Camy Tang had me looking forward to this devotional. I've read books by Judy Baer and Tricia Goyer before and I know that they are beautiful Christian fiction writers with deep insights into the Bible.

I've been using Mornings with Jesus 2012 Daily Encouragement for your Soul since I got it this year. This devotional was written by women for women and this is one of the things I appreciated - that this devotional had women as its target audience. It is specifically for use for this year as the date and day is prominently displayed at the top of each page. It is followed by a Bible verse to meditate on then a devotion by one of the authors. What is particularly nice is that the authors write about their own personal experiences which any woman can relate to. It is ended by a Faith Step which encourages the reader to take a step or an action today in relation to the day's devotion.

I was touched by one of the day's devotion this February when I was going through some deep times of doubt and despair thinking through the many mistakes I've made in my life. The verse for that day was in Isaiah 42:3 "A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out." Here, the writer - Sharon Hinch - shares about her wedding ring that was bent out of shape. Even if the shape of the ring hurt her finger, she never brought it to the jeweler for repair thinking that it might cost them a lot of money - money that was not available at that time. One day, she and her husband were walking at a mall when they chanced upon a jewelry store. They inquired as to how  much would be needed to fix the ring. The jeweler took the ring, slipped it onto a tapered post, and started tapping it gently. Soon enough, the ring was in the right shape and it didn't cost them a cent!

Sharon Hinch continues to share how she realized that even with her attitudes and habits, she was unable to bring it all to the Lord for fear of the pain that she will have to go through. But the Lord promises His children forgiveness and all sins are paid for.

This was very powerful for me because I, too, was the same as the author. I knew I had made many mistakes and I knew that I had to rectify those mistakes. I held back from the Lord for so many years because I was afraid that it will cause me pain. But the Lord's words are powerful in Isaiah 42:3, that He is gentle and will not break us. That "I can place my mistakes and failures into His hands and trust His gentleness."

Mornings with Jesus 2012 Daily Encouragement for your Soul will help you to know the Lord better as you meet with Him every morning! You can read more reviews of this devotional by clicking on this link:
http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13452857.

Read an excerpt from Tricia Goyer here.

GIVEAWAY!!!

Guideposts, the publisher for Mornings with Jesus 2012 Daily Encouragement for your Soul has generously sent me another copy to giveaway on this blog. I already have this extra book with me and one of you will be blessed to win this copy here. This giveaway is for PHILIPPINE RESIDENTS only. Here are the mechanics for this giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."