{Kregel Blog Tour} Lethal Harvest by William Cutrer and Sandra Glahn

Book Description:  In order to save the president's life, a brilliant embryologist-- the president's nephew--made a "devil's bargain" with a secret group of federal agents. But Tim Sullivan's illegal genetic manipulations of human embryos place everyone he knows at risk. Before he can finish his work, a freakish accident takes his life, leaving only troubling questions behind.

Now his partner, Ben McKay, and Tim's widow, Marnie, must uncover the hidden truth about Tim's research before more lives are swept away. In the process, they're forced to face their feelings for each other and the dark secrets in their own pasts. This story of love, loss, and danger crosses international borders from Mexico to the former Soviet Union in order to answer one searing question: if Tim's research is completed, what form will the strange and dangerous harvest take?

Ambition, jealousy, and the ultimate meaning of love move this riveting story through the dark labyrinth that may lie buried under breakthroughs in genetic research and cloning.

My Thoughts:  First of all, let me just say that I love Kregel Publications and their blog tours because I receive books that,otherwise, may not come across my line of reading and I'm introduced to new authors.

So, when I received Lethal Harvest, I was intrigued with the cover.  When I think of a harvest I don't envision needles.  So, right away I knew this wasn't a harvest of farm goods.  No ...  this is something much more sinister.

Tim Sullivan has been working with illegal genetic manipulations of human embryos.  And then an accident takes place, leaving troubling questions in his wake.

This suspenseful story raises some great questions on genetic research as the plot centers around Ben McKay, Tim's partner and Marnie, Tim's widow.

As Ben and Marnie become more involved in finding out the truth, they also come face to face with decisions and lies they never imagined.

This is for the reader who loves suspense and a great story line!

A grandtastic read!

*This book was provided for review by Kregel Publications*

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Kregel Publications (May 27, 2016)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0825444098
• ISBN-13: 978-0825444098

Peril in the Palace {Imagination Station #3} Adventures In Odyssey by Marianne Hering & Paul McCusker

Book Description:  The place? China in 1271. The quest? The golden tablet of Kublai Khan. The problem? Just about everything! 

The Imagination Station adventures continue as cousins Patrick and Beth are kidnapped by Mongol warriors. Only the friendship of fellow traveler Marco Polo saves them from harm. They are brought to the Mongol palace, where the Kublai Khan dislikes both their gifts and their message about Christianity. The tension grows when the Mongol magicians challenge the cousins to a spiritual power showdown. As war breaks out, Beth and Patrick are locked in a secret room to prevent their escape. 
How do the cousins get the golden tablet they need to save Mr. Whittaker’s friend Albert? How do they escape the city and find the Imagination Station? Enter the perilous palace and find out!

My Review:  Having read books 1 & 2, we (my son and I) were excited to continue the adventure with Patrick and Beth in book 3, Peril in the Palace.

In book 2 Patrick and Beth, who are cousins, are trying to help Albert a friend of Mr. Whittakers.

So, now in the adventure of book 3, the cousins need to meet Kublai Khan and find the golden tablet.  They are ready to go to China.  Beginning their adventure in China the cousins are captured Mongol Warriors who believe they are evil because they "appeared out of no where".... and the adventure continues!  Oh, and the cousins meet Marco Polo (before he became famous, of course)! 

I love this series because the books are geared for children....with christian values, adventure and tidbits of history these books are outstanding for the young reader (ages 7 and older).

This book plus the other two make for great summer reading and are wonderful for children of all ages!  If you love the Adventures In Odyssey Series then you'll love this book series!  Also, the last two pages of the book, pages 118/119, there is a secret word puzzle that helps the child to understand what s/he has read and then simply follow the instructions and the reader can look up the answer.

Remember, as the back of the book says, "The key to adventure lies within your imagination!"  

Buy books HERE!

About the Authors:

Marianne has written for children since 1987 when she joined the editorial staff of Focus on the Family Clubhouse and Clubhouse Jr. magazines. In the 1990s she wrote six children's mystery books and more than 40 Bible phonic readers (with co-author Margaret Wilber) for Cook Communications. Now a general book editor for Focus on the Family, she has turned her passion for children's fiction into developing a series for beginning readers who love adventure.

Paul was given his first typewriter early in his childhood and hasn't stopped writing since. Since 

joining the Focus on the Family staff in 1988, Paul has written over 300 half-hour episodes for the Adventures in Odyssey audio series, 18 tie-in novels and two screenplays for the animated series.

His grown-up novels include The Mill House and Epiphany (nominated for a ECPA Gold Medallion 

Award) two medical thrillers co-written with Dr. Walt Larimore called TSI: The Gabon Virus and TSI: The Influenza Bomb.

Paul and his wife, Elizabeth, live in Colorado Springs with their two children.

The Amish Millionaire 6-Part Serial Novel

Ashes Of Eden DVD

DVD Description:  Choose this day whom you will serve.....

18-year old Red made some bad choices. He's done his time, but he's still paying the consequences. He's finding that having a bad reputation and being in the wrong place at the wrong time are an unfortunate combination - even when you're trying to do the right thing. Secretly selling stolen drugs in order to help his police office mother pay the mortgage starts a bloodbath between rival dealers. Lives are lost, relationships destroyed, faith is questioned. And, Red is in the center of the spotlight. Can this gritty cautionary tale end with redemption? Perhaps. But, it comes with a price.

My Thoughts:  My family is always looking for a good, clean christian videos to watch.  So, when Christian DVDs/fishflix.com approached me about watching and reviewing a christian dvd I was excited.  It's always nice to find a place to get great new dvds.

So, last week we went on a vacation and took this dvd with us because when the sun goes down and we're in our jammies it's time to relax.  

Ashes of Eden DVD went into the dvd player and we sat back ready to enjoy some down time.

First of all, this is probably the wrong dvd for our family.  As soon as it began we all groaned.  It was just well, boring.  It begins with a "prodigal" type of guy who seeks repentance.  And as the story continued our sixteen year old said, "Mom, This is just too much hyper grace." {a new wave of teaching that emphasizes the grace of God to the exclusion of other vital teachings such as repentance and confession of sin}.  My husband and I knew if our sixteen year old picked up on the hyper grace message, well, it just wasn't the movie for us.  

The acting, the message, the whole enchilada as the saying goes was just "yucky"  for us.

But on the other hand, I've checked out the fishflix.com movies and am quite impressed with all of the wonderful movies I would like to see.  

If you want some great movies then check out www.fishflix.com for yourself AND if you join the email list you will receive a $5.00 coupon   {click link} OR text 5-GIFT to 44222 to receive $5.00 off your first order.  YAY!

Now, just because we didn't like this movie doesn't mean you won't ... a lot of people seem to like it.  So, watch the trailer and decide for yourself.  

ASHES TO EDEN TRAILER . . . Happy Viewing!

*This DVD was provided for review by LightWorx Entertainment*

• Format: NTSC
• Language: English
• Studio: Lightworx Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: October 13, 2015

WOW {Warm Oven Wednesday}

Saw this on Pinterest....from Julie's eats and treats . . . So So good!

Blueberry Sour Cream Pound Cake

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients

• 3 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 6 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups blueberries
• powdered sugar, for dusting

Print an E-Book for Easy Pies & Desserts!

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Butter and flour a bundt pan.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together 3 cups flour, baking soda, and salt to remove lumps. Set aside.
3. With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in sour cream and beat until combined. Alternate adding flour mixture and eggs; beat until just combined. Quickly beat in vanilla.
4. In a bowl, toss together blueberries and 2 tablespoons flour. Fold the blueberries into the batter.
5. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 1 hour 15 minutes or until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in bundt pan for about 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Once cool, dull with powdered sugar. 

Kiss the Bride: Three Summer Love Stories (A Year of Weddings Novella) by Melissa McClone, Robin Lee Hatcher, Kathryn Springer

Book Description:  Meet the people who make it all happen—the planners, the photographers, the musicians who have helped orchestrate the perfect day for countless couples—as they find their own happy endings in the second Year of Weddings novella collection.

My Thoughts:   Ahhh...yes, it's that time of the year where romance is in the air and weddings galore.  And a a Year of Weddings Novella...three great authors pen short stories of love and bliss.

First, Picture Perfect Love: A June Wedding Story by Melissa McClone is all about that perfect picture.  But even as Jenna Harrison takes photographs of weddings and bridal couples she longs for, members her own "none" wedding with her beautiful wedding dress hanging in her closet.  As she takes photos of our couples can she forgive and take a second chance on her ex fiancee?  A sweet love story of forgiveness and  love.

Then there's I Hope You Dance: A July Wedding Story by Robin Lee Hatcher.  A cute story of missed dance steps and rodeos.  This is short story reminded me of the Texas Two Step...two people missing every other step but still dancing to the tune of love.  

The last short story is Love on a Deadline: An August Wedding Story by Kathryn Springer.  I haven't read any of Kathryn Springer's stories so this was a great introduction to her writing.  This was such a great story I wanted it to be a "full" book.  I loved MacKenzie “Mac” and her story.  Sometimes, as Mac, finds out what we think is love is not the love we seek.  Great story!

Loved all three of these wonderful stories!

*This book was provided for review BookLook*

• Series: A Year of Weddings Novella
• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (May 31, 2016)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310395879
• ISBN-13: 978-0310395874

COTT {Clash of the Titles}

I don't know about you, but my May flowers have sure benefited from the abundance of April Showers. Our summer reading season is just about here, and we at Clash of the Titles 

encourage you to put these 

April releases on your reading list.

Seattle Debutant Sofi Andersson will do everything in her power to protect her sister from Charles, the family busy-body who threatens to lock Trina in a sanatorium—a whitewashed term for an insane asylum—even if it means running away to the Cascade Mountains with only the new gardener Neil Macpherson to protect them. But can Sofi trust this handsome immigrant from Ireland whose gentle manner hides secrets of his own, and can Neil, the gardener continue to hide from Sofi that he is really Dr. Neil Galloway, wanted for murder by the British police?

Buy on Barnes and Noble
Buy on Amazon

Birdie, the young Songkeeper, emerges from the hold of a slave ship to find a world on the verge of collapsing before the might of the Takhran’s armies. Desperate to end the fighting, she embarks on a dangerous mission to seek out a mythical spring hidden within the heart of her

enemy’s fortress—a spring that legend claims can defeat the Takhran once and for all.

Buy on Barnes and Noble
Buy on Amazon

What once was blazing hatred has turned to lasting love, but could the union of a wild heart with that of a lady ever result in more than heartache?

Buy on Barnes and Noble
Buy on Amazon

To protect her children from their deranged grandmother, a widow becomes a mail order bride, but she didn’t expect to find more than safety amongst the chaotic rancher’s household.

Buy on Amazon