40 Day With the Savior Blog Tour

Tour Schedule

40 Days with the Savior 
by Connie E. Sokol


Do you desire a more Christ-centered Easter?
You’ll experience a more fulfilling Easter season with this collection of inspirational thoughts on trying to become more like the Savior. For forty days, enjoy a daily scripture and personal insight on a character trait of Jesus Christ. Learn more of who He was and what He taught.
As you read these daily devotionals, you’ll feel a joyful connection to the character of Jesus Christ, understand how much He is involved in your life, and discover how knowing Him better makes your life better, too.

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~Connie donates 100% of the profits from her books to charity~

Praise

"Connie Sokol, the queen of simple yet effective, has done it again. What a great resource for quick, daily things that we can do to draw closer to the Savior. This easily fits into our busy lives, reminding us of what matters most."
~Peggy Urry, President-elect, American Night Writers Association

“I LOVED this book! Connie brings these scriptures home with real, everyday moments. I can savor these bite-size gems throughout my busy day with little ones. The teachings are powerful, and her added insights brought them home for me in a new way."
~Amy Chandler, Founder My Story Matters

“Connie Sokol’s new book, “40 Days with the Savior”, is just the little push I needed to feel the Savior’s presence in my daily life. Using personal stories, scriptural accounts, and meaningful insights, she helps readers draws closer to Jesus Christ and become a more Christ-centered person. I loved her daily nuggets of wisdom, with titles like, “He Did the Right Thing” and “He Gently Corrects”, to prompt a change of behavior. My Easter will be more meaningful this year!”
~Jodi Marie Robinson, Author of “Women of Virtue” and “A Royal Guardian”

“Connie Sokol has thoughtfully shared fresh insights to well know scriptural phrases. The simple meditations in 40 Days with the Savior are enlightening and empowering. This is an easy way to draw closer to Jesus Christ throughout the Easter season and during the rest of the year. After reading this book I feel my burdens are lighter.”
~Margaret Turley, Author of Save the Child, Administrator Writers Unite to Fight Cancer

Author Connie Sokol

Connie Sokol is a mother of seven, and a sought after national and local speaker. She is a monthly contributor on KSL TV’s “Studio 5” and regular blogger for KSL’s "Motherhood Matters" blog. She is a former TV and radio host for Bonneville Communications, and columnist for Deseret News and Utah Valley Magazine. Mrs. Sokol is the author of several books including the award-nominated romance Caribbean Crossroads, Faithful, Fit & Fabulous, Life is Too Short for One Hair Color Series, and Motherhood Matters as well as talk CDs and podcasts. Mrs. Sokol marinates in time spent with her family and eating decadent treats.

Website * Facebook

Blog Tour Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card
Ends 3/31/13
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


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Take My Heart Blog Tour

Tour Schedule

Take My Heart by Marie Higgins

Mercedes Maxwell’s sister’s last wish was for Mercedes to find evidence against Kat’s husband, William Braxton, and have him hung as a traitor to the crown. Mercedes isn’t naïve when it comes to capturing traitors, because her own deceased husband had once been an agent for the King when they lived in England.

When she meets William Braxton for the first time, all is not as it seems. Portraying her twin, Mercedes knows this is the only way to get close enough to William to discover his secrets. What she finds along the way are little surprises she hadn’t counted on, especially when she begins to give her heart to a man who may be a spy against the crown.




Book Trailer

Praise for Marie Higgins
”I enjoyed this book immensely. Each book of Marie's that I read is better than the last. I recommend this book to young adults and older who enjoy historical mystery, intrigue, fight for freedom, clean romance. This is the book for you.”
~~Mary Walling / Goodreads

“Few authors have mastered the art of storytelling like Marie Higgins. In this Colonial-era romance, Marie takes her reader on a wild ride. Every chapter, every scene, every line envelopes the reader's senses and imagination with passionate romance, deep emotional struggles, unexpected twists and turns, and neverending ups and downs. This was a hard book to put down and earns an unequivocal five stars from me. Thanks, Marie, for writing such great romances!”
~~Wanda Luce / Goodreads

 “Marie Higgins's Take My Heart is a stunning colonial romance. With well developed characters and heartwarming scenes, this book will steal the hearts of romance lovers and historical fiction fans. There are numerous twists and Higgins keeps you guessing at every turn as to who the real villain is. This book is a "must-read" for anyone who loves romance, history, or just a good story. FIVE STARS ALL THE WAY!!” ~~L.D. Smith / Kindle

“Breathless! From start to finish you will keep wondering, questioning, and hoping. You will root for the underdog, and smile as love conquers all. Great read. You won't put it down until you're finished!”
~~M. Henning / Kindle

Purchase

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Amazon Kindle

Author Marie Higgins

Since Marie Higgins was a little girl playing Barbies with her sister, Stacey, she has loved the adventure of making up romantic stories. Marie was only eighteen years old when she wrote her first skit, which won an award for Funniest Skit. A little later in life, after she’d married and had children, Marie wrote Church roadshows that were judged as Funniest and Best Written. From there, she branched out to write full-length novels based on her dreams. (Yes, she says, her dreams really are that silly)

Marie has been married for twenty-six years to a wonderful man. Together, they have three loving daughters and several beautiful grandchildren. Marie works full time for the state of Utah, where she has lived her entire life. Marie plans to keep writing, because the characters in her head won’t shut up. But her husband smiles and pretends this is normal.

Links

Blog * Twitter

Tour Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card
Ends 1/31/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


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BETRAYAL

Bestselling author Robin Lee Hatcher's latest offering Betrayal, the second in the Where the Heart Lives series, published by Zondervan, is the story of two individuals in a quest to find healing and peace in their respective lives.

Julia Grace is a widow who runs a ranch on her own in Wyoming. Though it is not always easy, she feels liberated in a sense as her husband, Angus, was abusive and temperamental. Many a times she had wanted to run away from him and escape. But she had nowhere to go. And now, Angus' half-brother wanted to take away the ranch.

A drifter Hugh Brennan walks into her ranch one day, looking for a place to rest his tired body and injured horse. Hugh is no ordinary drifter. He's a man with a past - a past that still hurts. He's a man well acquainted with betrayal and injustice. Hugh is also on a mission to find his sisters who were separated from him when they were kids.

Both of them had a disappointing past. They had parents who disappointed them. Life was supposedly harsh on them, or so it seemed. Will things now hold better promises for them?

Hugh finds himself attracted to Julia, yet when he looks into her eyes, he could see the same pain and suffering that he went through. For Julia, marriage could be the only option available to save the ranch from the clutches of others.

Robin Lee Hatcher weaves a tale that is both endearing and compelling. Her incredible style of storytelling keeps one guessing to the very end. And the characters almost jump out of the pages of the book.

Will Julia and Hugh let go of the past and learn to forgive? Will they rediscover the joy and happiness of life? Or will they discover that though life is not always good, God is? Set at the turn of the twentieth century, Betrayal will take you to the high desert of western Wyoming, through the crags of the Rocky Mountains, and into the hearts of two seekers learning to trust God's love no matter the circumstances.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary of the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review.


Series: Where the Heart Lives
Publisher: Zondervan
Release Date: Nov 20, 2012
Pages: 352
List Price: $14.99


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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Robin Lee Hatcher is the bestselling author of over sixty-five books. Her well-drawn characters and heartwarming stories of faith, courage, and love have earned her both critical acclaim and the devotion of readers. Her numerous awards include the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction, two RITA Awards for Best Inspirational Romance, Romantic Times Career Achievement Awards for Americana Romance and for Inspirational Fiction, and the RWA Lifetime Achievement Award. Robin currently resides in Idaho. For more information, visit her website here

QUEST FOR THE NAIL PRINTS

THERE'S A HOLE IN THIS STORY!

Nail print touches every page of time travel novel by Memphis author, Don Furr.

Haven't we all dreamed of walking with Jesus? Wondered what it would be like to talk with Him as He peers into our eyes and tells us the secrets of why? Do you long to touch His face and callused hands, knowing full well that your only response could be nothing more than a trembling smile as He brushes away your tears and gazes into your soul? What if you could touch the scars . . . trace the outline of the nail prints, like Thomas?

Quest for the Nail Prints is the story of three ordinary people chosen by God for an extraordinary journey. A journey so amazing even they have a hard time believing that it is real. Through unrelated circumstances, Dr. Elizabeth Stewart, Reverend Paul Ryann, and Professor Leonardo Van Eaton find themselves sharing a journey to the Holy Land . . . when suddenly they are thrust back in time nearly two thousand years and find themselves face to face with the rugged, radical rabbi known throughout the region as Jesus of Nazareth.

This is the story of how a personal encounter with the living Christ in His time creates the journey of a lifetime! Not only for the characters traveling within the pages of the book, but for all who take the journey with them.

With thousands of books on the market, what makes this one different? There is literally a nail print individually hand driven through the entire book, from front to back. Why the nail print?

"The idea of the nail print surfaced during the first draft," says Don Furr. "From the very start, I knew the part the nail prints would play. The idea quickly flourished into the nail prints marking every page, much in the same way I picture the nail prints touching every page of our lives."

In November 2012, Nail Prints Press, LLC acquired the rights to Don Furr’s novel, “Quest For The Nail Prints” and it sequel, “Peter’s Quest,” which will release in late Fall 2013. The 2nd Edition of “Quest for the Nail Prints” will release on Nook and Kindle in January 2013. The Print 2nd Edition will release Feb. 20, 2013.

Releasing just before the Easter holiday, “Quest for the Nail Prints” is a historical journey back to the time of Christ.  Author, Don Furr, spent years researching and writing this epic break out novel, answering the age old question “were you there when they crucified our Lord?”

THE HIGH CALLING

My inbox is most often inundated with mails of all kinds, and most of them are trashed without ever opening unless it is a personal mail. One recently escaped the “trash” button, and I’m glad I have had the chance to go over its content.

I discover to my pure delight that The High Calling, an online weekly newsletter, is a place where you can discover a broad range of articles, interviews, devotionals, and inspirational stories - all specifically created to help you find God in your work, family, and the broader culture. The writers and bloggers tell engaging stories crafted to encourage you in the high calling of your daily work. It is a community founded on the belief that God cares about our daily work.

The High Calling is also a safe place to ask difficult questions about work, leadership, culture, family, and faith. It is a place where differing opinions about matters of faith and doubt are shared.

Just sample this brief incisive write-up in The High Calling:

Right Idea, Wrong Time?
by Howard E. Butt, Jr.

Joseph and Noah McVicker invented a substance to clean wallpaper. It was soft, pliable, durable. Trouble was, no one wanted it.  And the McVickers set their invention aside.

Ten years later, the brothers heard an elementary school teacher describe how her students, with their little hands, struggled in their art projects.  Art clay was hard and unyielding. So Noah and Joseph dusted off their invention—and today we call that wallpaper cleaner Play-Doh.

This is Howard Butt, Jr., of Laity Lodge. Our world is full of ingenuity and innovations that at first solved nothing.  Maybe you have a right idea that hasn’t found the right time. Stay open. Be patient...and keep thinking...in the high calling of our daily work.

Image by Dennis Brekke. Used with permission. Sourced via Flickr.

To check out The High Calling visit:
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STILL LOLO

I still vividly remember the news story from December 3, 2011: Lauren Scruggs had just landed with a girlfriend after viewing Christmas lights from above in a small prop plane piloted by a family friend. The young communications graduate, who had started a fashion website called Lolo and had worked in the wardrobe department of the TV show "Gossip Girl," is thought to have turned to say a final goodbye to the pilot when the horrible accident occurred. The 23-year-old fashion blogger and model, “Lo”, as her family and friends affectionately call her, was hit by a still-spinning airplane propeller. She was rushed to a hospital where she underwent a series of emergency operations. She lost her left hand and left eye. Far from dwelling on the horror of this face-changing accident, she writes about its life-changing spiritual implications. "I have kind of gained a new perspective of life," she told a recent interviewer, "and I feel like I need to use my message of hope and healing to help others, and inspire others, just like people have inspired me."

As a model and fashion blogger, Lauren Scruggs built a life and career that prioritized beauty and physical appearances. She had interviewed tons of gorgeous celebrities and traveled to Paris, Montreal, and New York to report on Fashion Week. But far from wallowing in self-pity, “Lolo” now sees God’s beautiful plan in her life. The accident has transformed the way Lauren sees herself and her God-given mission in life. She realizes that there are more important things in her life than the way she looks.

The Scruggs Family

Still Lolo: A Spinning Propeller, a Horrific Accident, and a Family's Journey of Hope is a story that spins out of human control but not beyond the control of God. In this memoir, “Lolo” and the Scruggs family with Marcus Brotherton, embark on a journey of fear, anger, despair, hope and beauty as they shift gear to and fro.

The book, all of thirty-two chapters, is a well-written 272-page book, with contributions from Lauren’s mother Cheryl, father Jeff and sister Brittany. It begins with fear An Unmistakable Premonition and ends with praise Giving Thanks. Lauren's courage and insight shines through out in her memoir. Each family member shared their own take of the night's events and how hope triumphed. The book and the story of the Scruggs family, most importantly that of Lauren Scruggs, is a clear demonstration that even when we despair and find ourselves helpless God is not helpless even among the ruins of life.

This is a must-read book for all - to find hope and succor in troubled times and to continue to be reminded of God's goodness and faithfulness even during the good times.

If I were to rate this book on a scale of 1-5, I would give it 5+

BOOK DETAILS:

Lauren doing "push up"

Publisher/Distributor: Tyndale House Publishers
Release Date: November 15, 2012
Category: Biography/Autobiography
ISBN: 978-1-4143-7669-1
Pages: 272
Binding: Hardcover
Price: $24.99

Check out the book at Tyndale

Read the First Chapter here

Lauren Scruggs

About the Author: Lauren Scruggs is a fashion journalist and the founder and editor-in-chief of LOLO Magazine, an online lifestyle experience magazine that integrates coverage of the food, fashion, beauty, health, and travel industries. She has served as a contributing editor at MyItThings.com, SMUStyle, and PR Couture. A 2009 Dallas Baptist University graduate, Lauren has worked in the Michael Kors showroom and reported from New York, Paris, and Montreal Fashion Weeks. She was an intern in the fashion department of the television series Gossip Girl. See her magazine

Jeff and Cheryl Scruggs are authors, speakers, and counselors. Their writings include the widely used book I Do Again and are the founders of Hope Matters Marriage Ministries in Dallas. See their website Brittany (Scruggs) Morgan is Lauren’s fraternal twin. She works in accounting for a commercial insurance company and is married to her best friend, Shaun.

Marcus Brotherton is a journalist and professional writer known for his literary collaborations with high-profile public figures, humanitarians, inspirational leaders, and military personnel. He has authored or coauthored more than 25 books, including the New York Times best-seller We Who Are Alive and Remain, with 20 of the last surviving Band of Brothers. See his website

Disclaimer: This book was obtained through the Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for my honest opinion. I was under no obligation to write a positive review.

ADVERSITY

A daughter complained to her father about how hard things were for her. "As soon as I solve one problem," she said, "another one comes up. I'm tired of struggling."

Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen where he filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire.

Soon the pots came to a boil. In one he placed carrots, in the second, eggs, and in the last, ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying a word. The daughter impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing.

After a while, he went over and turned off the burners. He fished out the carrots and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them a bowl. He poured the coffee into a bowl.

Turning to her he asked, "Darling, what do you see?" "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee.

She smiled, as she tasted its rich flavor. She asked, "What does it mean, Father?"

He explained that each of them had faced the same adversity, boiling water. But each reacted differently.

The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting, but after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg was fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique, however. By being in the boiling water, they changed the water.

He asked his daughter, "When adversity knocks on your door, which are you?"