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Tuesday, January 2, 2018

New Book Release - Your Goal Setting Guide to a More Successful Life

Now is the perfect time to pick up this planner from Amazon from award-winning author Pamela Carmichael.




Reflection Questions to Prepare for your New Living Success Year!
This is a very exciting time of the year for me! I love this time of celebration but also see it as a time for reflection, thanksgiving, and planning. During the year-end season and even before, I take time to look ahead to the New Year. I start this process by spending a few minutes reviewing the past months.
In my Make Your Year a Living Success Goals Workbook I have a section called, “What Made the Year Great (Or Not So Great)?” I use these questions as a time to celebrate the past, give thanks to God, say goodbye to the ugliness of the past and pave the way for a good future. The intention of this exercise is not the dwell on failures or shoulda coulda's but learn from the past and do things differently going forward.
Ask yourself the following questions to help you review the previous year:
1.      What am I most happy about in the past year?
2.      What kind of sweet surprises did I experience?
3.      Three things that I am most grateful to God for doing in my life.
4.      What new dream or goal did I achieve?
5.      Looking back, what would I have done differently?
6.      Where did I let fear hold me back from accomplishing a goal I had?
7.      Are there any regrets or disappointments that I keep rehashing and need to let go of?
8.      Is there any unfinished business that I need to resolve? When will I do it? (E.g.    relationship resolution or forgiveness, apologies, goals not yet achieve,           decluttering, financial reviews, etc.)
9.     What new and inspiring people did I meet?
10.   Who would I like to get closer to in the coming year? (Remember, you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Choose wisely!)
Apart from answering myself these question, I write a letter to the Lord. Every December 31 morning (or a few days before the year-end), I would rise up earlier to spend time with the Lord and to do write this letter. Usually, I would focus on what I am thankful for. But often I would recall some of the events of the year and write how I saw the Lord working in these times for my benefit. Through this writing, there would be pauses to verbally express thanks, to wipe the tears from my eyes and to just bask in the presence of God.
Apart from the questions above, consider taking some time out to write a love letter to God to honour Him for all He is done in your life in the previous year. Through this, you will see how much you have grown over the past months and be motivated to keep moving forward towards your upcoming life plans.
As you write the answers to these questions and/or write a love letter to God, you’ll experience joy and gratitude even at the small stuff.

When you’re done, leave a comment below and share a little of what you’d love to accomplish in the New Year.

*~*~*~*

I have been looking for a workbook like this since I saw the Dragontree Journal on Facebook. But as a Christian, the Dragontree Journal is too New Age-y for me. When Pam Carmichael asked me to review her workbook, I jumped at the chance to compare it to another new Christian journal I had just purchased.

The reflections are very personal and Christ-oriented, which is what I was looking for. It also has organizers, metacognitive visualizers to think, brainstorm, and be productive. I love that Carmichael reminds the user to leave room for God to intervene in your plans with his plan. Perfect!  She also has Goal sheets that she reminds the 
I'm very thrilled with this product, better than the one I had purchased.
~Diane E. Tatum, Amazon Reviewer


*~*~*~*~*


PAMELA CARMICHAEL is a financial services professional with over 18 years experience. In her Christian walk, the burning question to God has always been: Why do Christians struggle with finances? With a desire to see Christians grow in the area of personal financial management, she wrote "Financial Empowerment: Realign Your Finances to God's Will". She hopes that you will grow and become financially empowered as you apply God's principles to your personal financial management strategies. You can visit her website at http://www.pamelavcarmichael.com/

Friday, December 8, 2017

Book Review for Carol Round Grow Confidently in Your Faith devotional


Growing Confidently in Your Faith
A lifelong journey to becoming more like Jesus
Carol Round

c. 2017
ISBN-13: 9781975751487
$12.95 Print

52-week Devotional Workbook


Buy on Amazon US 

About the Book
This 52-week devotional, organized by month and theme, is designed to be used with a journal. Each Monday, you will find a devotional followed by questions for reflection. I suggest you read the devotional on Monday and scan the questions at the end. On the following days, work at your own pace, continuing to reflect on the questions and journaling your answers. You may need to reread that week’s devotional before answering the questions. You can complete the questions in one sitting or spread them out over the week. The choice is yours.

Lisa Lickel’s review
This interactive devotional works more like a study guide. The author takes you through a year-long commitment designed to show the reader that be a Christian is more than a name, more than church going, even more than a lifestyle. Growing in Christian faith is never finished. It is an ongoing process filled with reflection and wonder and joy and grief with every breath.

The book is divided by month with catchy titles such as Renew, Recommit, Rejoice in January; Feed, Focus, Flourish in July, or Eliminate, Enlist, Enrich in August. For each week in the month, Round focuses on a passage of Scripture and offers a reflection. She challenges the reader to seek out a unique way to stretch and grow our faith, with Follow Through statements and questions according to the monthly theme. Round offers personal reflection, examples, and demonstrations to encourage readers to continue to live more Christ-like.

Keep a notebook handy and commit to spending a few moments every day with this book. After a year, growing in faith will surely become a habit. Good gift!

About the Author
CAROL ROUND, self-syndicated columnist, Christian author and inspirational speaker, began her journey with the Lord in October 2001 when she admitted her need for His guidance. Since that time, she has sought a deeper relationship with Him through reading scripture, Bible study and the personal discipline of keeping a daily prayer journal.

Saturday, December 2, 2017

Book Review of Seventh Dimension - The Door: A Young Adult Fantasy, Book 1 - FREE on Amazon Kindle

I found this review of my book Seventh Dimension - The Door by a book reviewer/blogger, and I loved his review, so I'm sharing it here on my blog. 

Glenn Haggerty's website is Christian Books for Tweens and Teens, and he reviews a lot of Christian books. You can check out his website for his favorites, and if you have a Christian YA book you would like for him to review, you can contact him on his website. 




At fourteen, Shale Snyder has a secret clinging to her like a gob of cotton candy. Someone is stalking her. Or is that in her head? After a run-in with her nemesis, Judd, and a suspension by school officials, her only friend, Rachel’s parents forbid them spending time together. Alone, she follows a strange puppy into the woods behind her apartment into a beautiful garden with talking animals. However, wicked underlings drive her from the garden into a land far away and long ago. There, she meets a boy, Daniel, a wicked stepmother from another dimension, and eventually her real father. Although Daniel is kind, an alter ego, also resides in her new home to torment her. As the adventures unfold, Shale must confront demons within and demons without, and find answers that are bound up with the mysterious personage that the animals call “The King.”
"The Door" is an account of a young girl coming of age, exploring romantic feelings, finding deliverance from bondage and spiritual enlightenment. This story has cuddly animals,
horrific creatures, and interesting characters woven into a transformational journey. Another fun read.


Friday, December 1, 2017

The Prescience YA Fantasy series continues with Lorilyn Roberts

Seventh Dimension - The Prescience: A Young Adult Fantasy (Seventh Dimension, #5).

FREE OFFER! - read the interview below to see terms.
The Prescience 
By Lorilyn Roberts
Inspirational Young Adult Fantasy

Print: $14.95
EBook: $.99
November, 2017

Buy on Amazon

About the book:
Seventh Dimension – The Prescience, A Young Adult Fantasy, is the fifth book in the Seventh Dimension Series that combines contemporary, historical, and fantasy elements into a Christian “coming-of-age” story. When bombs fall on Jerusalem, Shale and Daniel rescue an orphan and return to the first century. Amid supernatural tribulation, they hope to unravel the mysterious disappearance of Daniel’s father and the goal of the New World Order. When multiple realities collide, God reveals once again time is an illusion until the appointed times.

Lisa Lickel's review:
This is so far my favorite of the series. Although you do want to know what went before, it’s not necessary in order to immerse yourself in this story’s possibly real near future—the big one, where no one survives. The series takes a contemporary young lady, Shale, on journeys back in time, mostly to the biblical time of Christ where she experiences life in the first century AD. She meets and falls in love with a young man whose family is involved in the time portals responsible for these adventures. Shale and Daniel are on an ever-increasingly amazing rush toward the biblical end times.

Daniel knows he’s one of the special chosen, the 144,000 Jews of the book of Revelation, who will make the final stand against evil. He’s in love and wants to marry Shale. Problem, besides needing to find his father who may or may not be part of the events, is that the chosen are men who have not been with a woman—unmarried, or virgins. He needs to respect his calling, as well as Shale. This leads to a new phase in their relationship as they travel back to biblical times and other traumatic eras to unravel family secrets.

Temptation, more chariot racing, supernatural powers, good guys, bad guys, scary guys, and time dancing all make this thrilling next-to-last edition of The Seventh Dimension series a great inspirational read.

Told through multiple viewpoints, The Seventh Dimension series is geared for Young Adult readers, but anyone will enjoy the books. The Prescience is part of a series.



An interview with Lorilyn Roberts:
Question:  You’re near the end of the Seventh Dimension Series. Share with us some of the challenges and joys of writing a series.

Lorilyn:  The joys far outweigh the challenges. I’ve enjoyed spending the last five years with these characters talking to me in my head. The overarching story compelled me to search for answers to questions that arose as the series progressed. I wanted everything to be as historically accurate as possible. Many afternoons and evenings were spent reading the Bible and Christian nonfiction books, and I’ve watched dozens of YouTube videos about hard-to-understand topics like the Book of Revelation. Young people who read a lot have probably read scores of books about vampires, dragon slayers, and witches. I wanted to raise the bar. I wanted realism in my series, but I also wanted a taste of fantasy because that opens possibilities.

Writing the Seventh Dimension Series has allowed me to explore far more than could be covered in just one book. With only The Howling left to complete the six-book series, I’m looking especially forward to finishing it. I believe the ending will capture the reader’s heart, mind, and imagination. I never thought when I wrote the first book, Seventh Dimension – The Door, that I would end up writing six in the series. God kept showing me insights and great plotlines, so I just kept writing.

Probably the biggest challenge has been keeping track of what the two protagonists knew and when they learned it. Three books have been written from Shale’s POV and three will have been written from Daniel’s POV when the sixth book is finished. So they learned different things at different times and interpreted things differently from each other. So I’ve had to go back and re-read chapters along the way to make sure my memory was accurate. When I do that, I’ll find something that I think could have been written better. So I never quit editing my own work, even after the book is published, and that drives me crazy. I want my writing to be perfect, but there probably has never been a perfect book written except the Bible.

Question: Do you have a favorite scene in The Prescience?

Lorilyn:  I have one scene that’s particularly special to me. It’s a garden scene where Shale and Daniel are waiting in the train. The scene comes from something in my own life. When I was seven, my adoptive father wanted to take me on a train trip to see the fall colors in the North Georgia Mountains, but the train never left the station because of a broken coupler. Through the years, from time to time, I would think about that train trip that we never finished, wistfully longing that someday we would. Then, when I was thirty-seven, Gene was diagnosed with a brain tumor that we knew he wouldn’t survive. Through a series of events God orchestrated, we had the opportunity to make that train trip shortly before he went to heaven.

While the scene in the book has no direct correlation to that, the broken coupler happens in the story, and what Shale learns through waiting is something God has been trying to teach me my whole life. I’m just a slow learner. Because it’s such an unusual scene, I think readers will remember it long after they read the book. At least I hope so.

Question:  You’ve been through a life challenge while working on this story. Has your experience changed your writing style?

Lorilyn:  Absolutely. I wrote the first couple of chapters at the end of December 2016 and was diagnosed with breast cancer the first week in January. I wrote like crazy through January and February to get the first draft completed before my surgery on February 22. All I could think about was if I didn’t survive the surgery, I wanted the story to “live on.” I was still consumed with it after my surgery because I didn’t quite get the first draft completed, and then when I got to ninety thousand words, I realized I couldn’t complete the story in one book. It would have to be stretched into two. So I slowed down and began editing, editing, and editing—and finally relaxed. I began to realize God wasn’t in a hurry for me to complete it. He wanted me to make the most of each day, rest in His arms, so to speak, through my treatment, and give Him the glory for every trial I encountered along the way.

I remember many, many years ago, when I was about ten, I read a book that I’ve never forgotten. I can’t remember the title or the author, but the plotline was about a young girl who was in a hurry to grow up. She got her wish and grew up really, really fast, but she regretted it in the end because she missed out on so many things.

As I’ve gone through this last year, I found I couldn’t rush the treatments. I had to take each day as it came, and make the most of it. If I wasn’t up to writing, I didn’t feel guilty. If I couldn’t blog as much, which I definitely couldn’t, it was okay. So I’ve learned, I think, to be more patient, to take my time, not work as much, get more sleep, and spend more time with friends and family. I love to write, and it draws me near to God when I do, but God wants me to find my joy in Him completely. I can’t do that if I’m in a hurry all the time. That means taking the time and not living under compulsion to accomplish something every single minute of the day. Psalm 46:10 says: “Be still and know that I am God.” God made me slow down, and to be honest, I think it’s made me a better person. I have more defined boundaries.

Instead of captioning seven days a week, I now caption only five and a half. I’m on a daily reading schedule to read through the Bible in a year. I went to see a movie with my prayer group, the first one I’ve been to in at least five years. My daughters and I have gone to three theme parks in the last couple of months. I’m learning how to live again and not work all the time. How does that translate into writing? I think it makes me more productive when I do write. I’m not so tired and not so drained. It’s hard to be creative when you’re working night and day, seven days a week.

Question:  Can you share a hint about what we might expect for the next book in the Seventh Dimension Series?

Lorilyn:  The final book, Seventh Dimension – The Howling, is written from Daniel’s POV and takes place in the future. All the characters that have been introduced in the previous books will make an appearance, including the animals. The fate of all the main players will be revealed, and the reader will be left with much to ponder as he contemplates his own future. I also promise this:  The ending will be glorious!

Question:  What are you reading now?

Lorilyn:  Currently I’m reading Gone Missing from Emma Right’s Dead Dreams Series, and when I finish that, I want to read The Landlord by Cheryl Colwell. I’ve read books by both Indy authors and like their style of writing. If readers have authors they love who write suspense, mystery, or fantasy, I hope they will leave their recommendations in the comments section below. If I see one I decide to pick up on Amazon, I’ll send him or her a free coupon for a Kindle copy of Seventh Dimension - The Prescience as a thank you. 


About the author:
Lorilyn Roberts graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Alabama in 1993 with a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Humanities/Social Sciences. She won an award for "Outstanding Senior Project" upon graduation for her coursework that was done at the Institute of Holy Land Studies in Jerusalem. Ms. Roberts received her Master of Arts in Creative Writing from Perelandra College and is a graduate of the Institute of Children's Literature. Follow her Facebook Fan Page, https://www.facebook.com/LorilynFanPage/, and visit her website, http://www.lorilynroberts.com


Tuesday, November 28, 2017

That Special One - New Release From Nike Chillemi, Amazon 5-Star Review and Excerpt

Amazon 5-Star Review

Nike Chillemi’s departure into New Adult Contemporary Christian Romantic Suspense with THAT SPECIAL ONE rings emotionally true on two levels. 

First, it is a satisfying page-turner for any new adult looking for a well-written romantic suspense. Ivy Chalmer’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior are authentic and reflect what most college-age NA's relate to and believe important in today’s society. Chillemi has nailed the angst and hopelessness many feel. 

My heart sank at Ivy’s trauma, and I grieved along with her when life delivered the opposite of what she expected. I rooted for Corey, despite knowing that nice guys always finish last, especially when a cool upperclassman is in the mix.


The plot and pacing are spot-on, as are the fully-realized secondary characters. It was nice to see some familiar faces in town from Chillemi’s other detective series.

THAT SPECIAL ONE is also an all-too-accurate trip down memory lane for those who left new adulthood behind long ago. The author sends us back to when we were figuring out our personal identity, making unwise choices and agonizing with cringing self-doubt, all the while navigating an unfamiliar world. There are several effective plot twists that I didn’t see coming.
I enjoyed the faith elements - and questions - Ivy
and others struggled with. 


Engrossing, clean Suspense = ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I eagerly await the next NA romantic suspense from this author.

*~*~*~*

THAT SPECIAL ONE, a Christian New Adult Romantic Suspense
By Nike N. Chillemi
From Chapter Three

As the chancellor talked on with exceedingly precise speech, my gaze wandered around the gym seeking students from my culinary classes. I spotted a short Chinese girl whose interest and course concentration was, not surprisingly, Asian Fusion cuisine. She made a mean sushi roll.
Then I noticed Corey Jones standing against a side wall, a beverage in his hand.
Pointing toward him as unobtrusively as I could, I said. "That guy Amy knows is over there, but I don't see her anywhere."
Giana glanced over at Corey and frowned. "She said they weren't an item. He's probably here alone."
There seemed to be a shift in the atmosphere as the three Lone Star coeds Giana had dubbed 'popular girls' swept into the gym. The platinum blond modeled an incredibly short mini-skirt with a clingy silvery top. The long-haired honey blond was also decked out in a mini-skirt and a flouncy soft, yellow blouse. True to her tribe, the one with shoulder-length flaxen hair wore a mini skirt but paired it with a metallic plaid top.
As a squad of Mouncey male students gravitated toward the trio, Giana's steely gaze became riveted to the entire group.
I cleared my throat. "Why don't we use our tickets and get something to drink?"
Giana tore her eyes away from the glam-girls and their entourage. "Sure. Let's go."
At the other end of the gym, a local garage band cranked out one of their own original tunes. We walked across the polished wooden floor to the refreshment table where it was two-students deep to get a beverage.
The guy in front of Giana turned around. He lifted the cup in his hand above her head, as if he might spill its contents and grinned. "Whoa, don't want to douse you with soda."
She feigned ducking and laughed. "You better not."
Another guy turned around with his drink. "Charlie, stop assaulting young ladies."
"Definitely, Charlie. You shouldn't do that." Giana giggled.
I stepped forward, holding my ticket stub. "Perhaps we should get our drinks."
Charlie's friend pushed a shock of blond hair off his forehead, grinned, and moved aside. "Right this way." Something about him made me think of a college-age 'Dennis the Menace.'
I edged next to the table, handed over my ticket, and picked up a plastic cup filled with Coke. Giana did the same, only hers was diet.
Charlie's friend lifted his cup toward the musicians at the back of the gym. "Pretty amazing sound for a local band, don't you think?"
I nodded. "Yeah, they're real good. What's their name?"
"Subculture Quarantine." He maneuvered closer to me.
I stepped back and scrutinized him. "Nice name. What's yours?"
He pushed the blond lock off his forehead again. "Ryan Briggs. Your turn now."
"Ivy Chalmers."
Giana said something cutesy to Charlie and they both laughed. He slid his arm around her shoulders and gave her a sideways hug. They laughed again, and I wondered if I'd be ditched at the end of the mixer.
"Earth to Ivy," Ryan teased.
"Oh, I just got lost for a moment…checking out the band."
Ryan leaned toward me. "Since you're into the music, I've got to tell you about this one time when I helped Charlie haul his band's equipment. The gig was at a biker dive bar, and when they lit into their usual set of alternative rock, the bikers started throwing empty beer cans at us."
"Did you get out of there without injury?"
He laughed. "It was dicey, but yeah we all got out in one piece."
I peered intently at him. "It's hard to visualize you and Charlie in a biker bar."
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Giana and Charlie gyrating to the band's frantic pounding beat.
"So, you think we're too shallow frat boys?" Ryan brought my attention back to him.
The band launched into another pounding tune. Giana and Charlie continued dancing.
I made a face and raised my voice over the din. "I wasn't thinking shallow."
"I'm the frat boy. Charlie's the lead guitarist." He grinned at me.
"Oh, and here I thought you were the roadie." I gave him a dramatic wink to let him know I was kidding.
"I do that to help out Charlie now and then. Would you be interested in hearing his band play? He's got a gig next Friday night."
I took a breath, stalling while running through all the reasons that wouldn't be desirable. The main one being I had no intentions of hooking up with some random guy. "Yes, sounds like fun."
Was that my voice answering him?
He pulled out his cell phone. "You'd better give me your number."
"325-210-5555." My voice again.
Giana and Charlie had become a fixture on the dance floor showing off their moves through several more disquieting tunes. At that point, I was pretty sure she'd forgotten all about me.
One of Mouncey's chaperoning professors walked onto the dance floor. He clapped his hands twice. "The band will now play its last song. And then we'll call it a night. I hope everyone had a good time."
Giana and Charlie came off the dance floor. She grabbed my hand and tugged. "Let's get out of here before the crush. Then we won't get stuck in a parking lot traffic jam."
"Okay. Sounds like a plan." I turned toward Ryan and shrugged. "She's my ride."
Giana dropped my hand, pranced over to Charlie, and kissed his cheek. "I'll be seeing you, just not tonight."
She grabbed my hand again and pulled me through the crowd.
When we reached the lobby, I said, "You were having such a great time with Charlie, I began to think you'd ditch me."
She shook her head. "No way. I told you we'd leave together. Besides, it's always good for the guy to wonder if he made any headway."
"Strategy?"
She gave me a wide smile. "Exactly. Now you're catching on."



*~*~*~*

Nike is the founding board member of the Grace Awards and its Chair, a Reader's Choice Awards for excellence in Christian fiction. She has been a judge in the 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2016 Carol Awards in the suspense, mystery, and romantic suspense categories; and an Inspy Awards 2010 judge in the Suspense/Thriller/Mystery category. Her four novel Sanctuary Point series (out of print), set in the mid-1940s has finaled, won an award, and garnered critical acclaim. The first novel in the Veronica "Ronnie" Ingels/Dawson Hughes series HARMRUL INTENT won in the Grace Awards 2014 Mystery/Romantic Suspense/Thriller/Historical Suspense category. She has written book reviews for The Christian Pulse online magazine. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and John 3:16 Marketing Network.  http://nikechillemi.wordpress.com/

Friday, November 17, 2017

Book Review for Get the Skinny by Kimberley Payne

Product Details

Get the Skinny
Answers to 45 Frequently Asked Health & Fitness Questions
Kimberley Payne
copyright 2017

nonfiction
Health and Fitness
63 pp

$2.99 eBook
$5.99 Print


About the Book
Get The Skinny debunks the myths and promotes the practices that contribute to healthy living.

Kimberley tackles frequently asked questions such as:
* Does muscle change into fat when I stop exercising?
* Will lifting weights make women bulk up?
* Should I take vitamin supplements?
* Is a flat stomach a realistic goal?
* Can I still exercise after an injury?
* Should I take vitamin supplements?
* Is it possible to spot reduce fat?
* Can ankle weights help burn more calories?
* Are fresh fruits more nutritious than frozen?
* Is fruit juice good for me?

And many more

Lisa Lickel's Review
Wow, this is a great little book! I rarely get excited about non-fiction, but Kimberley Payne’s fitness books are packed with great advice and practical tips. Get the Skinny is an excellent addition. Filled with common-sense information and personal observation, Payne truly does answer, realistically, questions many of us feel too stupid to ask, or didn’t realize there was even an option.

Some of my favorites are about how muscle turns to fat when we age and stop working out (it doesn’t), and whether walking with weights makes a difference (it does but probably not in the way you think). Why can’t I spot-reduce, and how to buy a sports bra—just great advice, backed not just by the most reputable medical research results, but experience. Personally, I’m more likely to follow tips by someone who’s walking the walk; not just telling me how, but explaining why. Get the Skinny is a practical guide for today’s practical lifestyle choices.

About the Author
Kimberley Payne is a motivational speaker and writer. Her writing relates raising a family, pursuing a healthy lifestyle, and everyday experiences to building a relationship with God. Kimberley offers practical, guilt-free tips on improving spiritual and physical health. Visit her website www.kimberleypayne.com