Newton and Polly: A Novel of Amazing Grace by Jody Hedlund [Review & Giveaway]

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound 
that saved a wretch like me. 
I once was lost, but now am found 

My thoughts: Many in Christian circles consider "Amazing Grace" to be one of the most moving hymns ever written. Also, many know some of the story behind the life of the hymn's author, John Newton, and how he penned the words after surviving a virtually unsurvivable storm at sea and coming to the relization that his survival was in accord with God's amazing grace. But few know about his life leading up to that event and the lovely young woman who powerfully and graciously influenced his life, Polly.

This is Polly's story, but the main character is surely John Newton. The book opens when John is 17 and Polly a bit younger. He is smitten with her. But being so young, unemployed, and not a man of faith, he is definitely not suitable material for marrying the sweet Polly - at least in Polly's father's opinion.

John's adventures have him avoiding gainful and respectful employment, being kidnapped (by a press gang - for the King's navy), traded for a better seaman, a slave and in chains along with the Africans who he had previously enslaved. He was brutally beaten and then whipped on ship for his punishment. Still God pursued him.

Told in Jody Hedlund's beautifully written and flowing story style and painstakingly researched for authenticity, Newton and Polly is a book you won't want to miss reading. It's a good book. But not only is the story enthralling, it brings to us the story of God's redemptive powers and his amazing grace in the pursuit and protection of sinners. Newton's story is that we can not sink so deep into sin that God's grace can not lift us in redemptive power.

I heartily recommend this book.

About the book: Now remembered as the author of the world's most famous hymn, in the mid-eighteenth century as England and France stand on the brink of war, John Newton is a young sailor wandering aimlessly through life. His only duty is to report to his ship and avoid disgracing his father until the night he hears Polly Catlett's enchanting voice, caroling. He is immediately smitten and determined to win her affection.

An intense connection quickly forms between the two, but John's reckless spirit and disregard for the Christian life are concerns for the responsible, devout Polly. When an ill-fated stop at a tavern leaves John imprisoned and bound, Polly must choose to either stand by his side or walk out of his life forever. Will she forfeit her future for the man she loves?

Step back through the pages of history, to uncover the true love story behind a song that continues to stir the hearts and ignite the faith of millions around the globe."

GIVEAWAY

Begins September 17

ENDS October 9 @ 12:01 a.m. ET

Open to USA addresses only.

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DISCLOSURE: I was provided a complimentary copy to facilitate this review of my personal opinions. I received no compensation. Winner's giveaway copy is to be provided directly to the winner by the author or publisher.

God Bless Us Every One (A contemporary Christmas carol) by Eva Marie Everson (Christmas Novella) [Review & Giveaway]

My thoughts: I love that the setting of God Bless Us Every One is in my home state of North Carolina. The little town of Testament (fictional) is nestled in the mountainous area of Morganton (a real place). The characters are real, down-to-earth folks with real life issues, real likes and dislikes, real stuff happening in their live.

This contemporary story runs a bit parallel to Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol"; in fact each chapter begins with a meaty quote from Dickens. The reader will soon learn that Charlie's (female protagonist in story) father, John, is in prison. Note please that Charles Dickens' father's name was John and he was imprisoned in debtor's prison when Charles Dickens was a boy. Hmmmm.... getting the point?

As the story progresses, our modern day Charlie gets to know her father in his present day surroundings - a homeless shelter. Can she forgive for his past? 

Love that Charlie and her childhood crush, Dusty are reunited and strike up a great friendship (errr.... relationship). But the sweet nugget at the end doesn't entail Charlie and Dusty. You'll have to read this delightful novella to find out just what that was.

God Bless Us Every One rates a 4 or a 5 star for Christmas novella reading.

About the book: A timeless classic can change the future.

Charlene Dixon---called Charlie by family and friends---is devastated at the recent loss of her job. For the last five years, the twenty-seven-year-old has blossomed as the activities director of an exclusive all-girls school. But when a misunderstanding with the head-mistress leads to a pink slip right before the holidays, Charlie packs up dreams and returns to Grandma Esther, who raised Charlie as her own.

When Charlie arrives---broken and confused---Esther immediately puts her granddaughter to work behind the scenes of the local school's Christmas play, A Christmas Carol. When Charlie disapproves of having to work with Dustin Kennedy, the seventh-grade English teacher, Grandma Esther encourages her to take a deeper look at why the book by Charles Dickens had been written in the first place and what the book could teach Charlie about the needs of the children in their own community.

GIVEAWAY

BEGINS September 6

ENDS September 20 @ 12:01 a.m. ET

Open to USA addresses only.

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DISCLOSURE:I received a complimentary copy from Litfuse Publicity Group on behalf of the author and publisher to facilitate my review. Opinions are my own, alone. I was not compensated for this review.

The Bear Who Wasn't There: And the Fabulous Forest by Oren Lavie & illustrated by Wolf Erlbruch

My thoughts: Often books written, illustrated, and published in Europe are a bit different from those of American origins. That can be refreshing. It is interesting as an adult to see various styles from America, Europe, England, Australia, and even Asian counties. It is also good to expose children to different styles and types of publications.

Oren Lavie's The Bear Who Wasn't There and the Fabulous Forest is one of those not-so-typical books. It will require a different type of parent or adult to purchase this publication for a child. Those who step out of the box of the ordinary and branch out to the quirky, non-realistic, thought provoking book that is filled with bold and unusual art will acquire it or read it to a child and will be the ones who open the seed pod of insightful thought for the child.

Will the young child grasp the "outside myself" tone of The Bear Who Wasn't There? Probably not. But it will surely tickle their imagination and mom and dad will surely gain a deep chuckle at some of bear's thoughts and quirky answers.

Bear wasn't "there" but an itch was there so the itch scratched itself upon a tree. The more it scratched the larger the itch became until it was bear. Now, I really don't think that this is delving into "creation" and an "out of nothing" theory. It is simply a nonsensical intro into getting bear into the story and into the forest that was, at that point, a single tree.

The story progresses as bear wanders deeper into the growing forest. He meets several other critters in the forest and these meetings give a sense of "Alice in Wonderland" deja vous.

The story teaches that you are you, yourself. It teaches you to be happy. It teaches you to accept yourself as "handsome," lovely.

The illustrations are very focused on the forest and its growing density. There is a good variety of foilage and though the book is primarily in deep greens, black, tans, and browns there are small spots of color that brighten the pages. I love the different look of this art and appreciate that each artist has his or her own style or styles and they utilize their specific talents to bring life to the text the author has composed for a story. This is a good combination of story and art.

About the book: A magical, lyrical picture book debut from acclaimed composer and playwright Oren Lavie, illustrated by beloved German illustrator Wolf Erlbruch.

One day, a few minutes after Once Upon a Time, a bear awakes to find he has lost something very important: himself! He sets out into the Fabulous Forest to find himself, using only a few clues scrawled on a piece of paper: the bear he's looking for is a nice bear; he is a happy bear; and he's very handsome too! These sound like pretty good qualities to Bear, and so begins his memorable journey. With the help of Fabulous Forest critters like the Convenience Cow, the Lazy Lizard, and the Penultimate Penguin, Bear finds that he himself is just what he's been looking for all along: a nice, happy bear—and handsome too!

As whimsical as Winnie-the-Pooh and as wryly comic as Klassen's bear who wants his hat back, The Bear Who Wasn't There joins a select crew of unusual bears who have captured the imagination of children for generations.

Wolf Erlbruch is one of Germany's most renowned illustrators; his work is respected and loved around the world. Among his many awards, Erlbruch received both the Gutenberg and the German Children's Literature Award, as well as a Hans Christian Andersen Illustrator Award. His previous book, Duck, Death and the Tulip, sold more than 100,000 copies and was published in nineteen countries.

DISCLOSURE: I received an ARC Early Reviewer's copy from Librarything.com in a contest. I freely give this review of my own opinions without compensation.

Devera Naturals ~ SNOW FLOWER CRÈME and MIRACLE EYES [Review & Giveaway]

The world of cosmetics is vast, confusing, intriguing, compelling, entrapping, alluring..... and lots of other things that one's mind conjures. Simply said, ladies are particularly prone to delve into cosmetics to enhance and beautify themselves. It was true in ancient times and it is true today.

The products available for us to use for our beautification can be high dollar or home made and they can break-the-bank and still do nothing for you, or you can spend a little and achieve wonderful results.

The story behind the Devera line of skin care product is compellingly touching and especially moving to me. You see, it involves a family struck by breast cancer and how a natural line of products brought good, quality skin care and beauty to a cancer survivor. That product line's history begins with old world secrets from Switzerland that were passed down to the founders of DeVera. Click here

Now a look at two of the Devera Naturals products I had the grand opportunity to try....

SNOW FLOWER CRÈME

Edelweiss plant stem cells have created a new generation of anti-aging products. Edelweiss plant stem cells have been shown to decrease wrinkles by up to 15% in 22 days. Devera Naturals has combined this breakthrough ingredient with Goji Berry Extract for immediate and long term smoothing, lifting and firming.

My thoughts: This facial skin créme has a distinct scent which is not a perfumery type. I can't identify it, but assume it is from an ingredient or combination thereof. Not unpleasant nor overpowering and fades quickly, just different. The skin takes on (mine does) a matte appearance with the use of this créme rather than the shinny, oiled or "dewy" look of other crémes . The feel of the créme is pleasant throughout the day. With continued used I can only expect softening of wrinkle lines (Oh! Those devilish "gifts" of aging!). My skin feels good, soft and supple when I use this and there are absolutely no irritating elements to it.

The lovely Edelweiss flower is a major player
 in this face skin créme. 

MIRACLE EYES

Give this age-defying eye cream one hour and it will reward you with superior hydration and fewer fine lines, thanks to Edelweiss plant stem cells, Goji Berry Extract, hyaluronic acid, and marine extracts which smooth and firm the delicate eye area, while green tea and cucumber reduce puffiness and dark circles.

My thoughts: This is an absolutely lovely eye cream. Totally non-irritating. Refreshing. Silky feeling to the eyes upon application. Refreshing to the skin around the eyes after application and through the day.

I love it.

As a retiree I wear less makeup than during my work years. So Snow Flower Créme and Miracle Eyes with just a touch of blush pretty much completes my day-to-day look.

Where to purchase these products.....  "Since the establishment of Devera Naturals, we have experienced success  connecting with recovering cancer patients at post mastectomy boutiques and hospitals across the country." Please note that many of these vendors are located in cancer center boutiques which may attest to an endorsement that breast cancer patients may be able to beneficially use these products during and after treatment. CLICK HERE

Devera Naturals products contain only naturally produced ingredients and are 100% natural. Maintaining the ‘pure is best’ philosophy You can count on their products will never include harmful ingredients - parabens, petroleum, petroleum derivatives, pesticides, phthalates, or synthetic dyes, colors, or fragrances

One Chat With Vera reader will win these 2 Devera Natural products - "Miracle Eyes" and "Snow Flower Créme"

GIVEAWAY

BEGINS September 14

ENDS October 5 @ 12:01 a.m. ET

Open to USA addresses only

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DISCLOSURE: I received complimentary products to facilitate this review of my honest opinions without compensation. Giveaway prizes will be provided and sent directly to the winner by Devera Naturals. Value of prize ~ $80.

If You Were Me and Lived in...the Middle Ages (Vol. 6) by Carole P. Roman, illustrated by Mateya Arkova [Review & Giveaway]

My thoughts: I have an interest in history of all periods and ancient histories have always been appealing. If You Were Me and Lived in.... the Middle Ages is not a history book or a story set in a historical period. It is a book that contains a lot of information pertaining to the historical period of the Middle Ages. That would be in the period 400-1400 AD.

The illustrations are softly conceived images of dress, housing, cities (villages), castles, and life in general during this period. The author takes you through the days of a young school age miss. The author also delves into the variety of classes in the feudal system of the time. She doesn't call the lowest of the low "slaves" but chooses to call them the "un-free." The "un-free" peoples were not free to do as they chose, however, and they could not even leave their village without permission. The difference between the nobility, well to do, free, un-free, and poor is pretty clearly defined in the book. It will reveal to the reader that the very poor might live in a one-room hut made out of sticks, clay, and daub and that the hut has no chimney but still they have a fire for cooking inside the hut. Also, that the hut is shared with the family's animals. Life was hard, indeed.

The quantity of soft-facts given in the book makes a good introduction to learning about history. It reads easily, though not for very young readers. I'd say perhaps grades 4-6. But it can be read to younger children with comprehension. I think that reading this will open the door for children's pursuit of more definitive research and even toward reading fiction about the period - King Arthur and other tales.

There is a glossary in the back that can be helpful when the reader comes across a word that perplexes them. The couple of pages of famous people from the Middle Ages is interesting and could lead to the reader seeking to do some biographical research.

About the book: Join Carole P. Roman and travel through time to visit the most interesting civilizations throughout history in her exciting new series.

Learn what kind of food you might have eaten during the Middle Ages, the clothes you might wear, what your name could be, and children did for fun.

If You Were Me and Lived in...does for history what her other award-winning series did for culture.

So get on-board this time-travel machine and discover the world through the eyes of a young person just like you.

GIVEAWAY

2 winners each receive 1 copy of "Middle Ages"
Begins September 13

ENDS October 4 @ 12:01 a.m. ET

Open to USA addresses only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from the author to facilitate a review of my honest opinions. I received no compensation.

Forgive yourself if not the other guy

Holding on to grudges weighs us down and puts us in a victimized space. It's like telling the universe "things should have been different" or "he/she shouldn't have treated me that way" and saying this is saying we don't trust in the greater good of the universe. Not trusting the greater good of the universe means we are always going to fight for control and that is a lost battle the second we start out. Fact of the matter is; we have no control. We can spend our entire lives trying to orchestrate things to fit into a little box labeled "the world as I want it" but at one point or another that box is going to get ripped open by death and loss and pain and divorce and disease and a million other things that at some point or another is going to come our way whether we want it or not. Not trusting in the universe means not trusting in life. It means not trusting in ourselves. How are we ever going to create a beautiful place for ourselves when we don't trust our own abilities or even the world we live in?

Here is a truth for you: if you want to be happy, you have no other choice than to believe that it's going to take you where you need to go. Believing in the universe means believing that all things come with a higher purpose, even the hurtful stuff. Believing gives us the ability to forgive.

We all have someone we need to forgive. Something we need to simply let go of. It could be a family member that's did us wrong in the past or a friend that made a hurtful remark. Sometimes the person we need to forgive the most is no one other than ourselves.

Everyone does their absolute best with what they've got. Everyone. Even your parents. No matter what happened to you when you were little, everyone involved did the best they could with what they had. If they could have done better they would have. True Forgiveness comes from you - you don't need to hear an "I'm sorry" to let go and move on. So look deeply into your heart and forgive. Forgive the world. Forgive yourself. It will set you free.

Take a break

The man with the heavy beard said, What do you think, are you living your life?

I was taken aback. In the umpteen interviews I had been to in the last 15 days, no one asked me about my blog. But this was not one of those normal interviews. The guy was not wearing a three piece suit. He was not clean shaven and was wearing the slippers. He didn't ask me about my academic qualifications, didn't give a fuss to the courses I have undergone. The certificates and past experiences were never even mentioned. He was not talking about anything in my resume, he was not interested in them, he was interested in the person sitting in front of him. And that scared me.

I had prepared for those tough questions, I had planned those perfect answers on career path and why this industry. But I have not though about the last time I laughed. I didn't know what to say when someone asks me, when was the last time you switched off your cell phone and just had gone to wander in the woods. And then the question came so, What do you think, are you living your life?

ME: ahh....

And I hesitated. For someone who finds it difficult to shut his mouth and be silent, didn't have words to say. But the conversation carried on, jumped here and there, from the exploits of Virat Kohli to the LOTR.

I came outside with a smile but my mind still stuck to the thought, Am I living?
I had been running here and there, running to add that extra bullet point on my resume, running to fullfil that commitment or running to a networking meet. For past two years, my life had been that and more running, adding more to my plate than it can handle, and then running again so nothing falls down.

And I think this is wrong. One should stop once in a while and think about what exactly I am doing or chuck that, just stop and smile. Enjoy what you have and the wonder that is present all around you. And society should support them. I think there should be a lot of respect for those who take time for themselves whether it be for health reasons, family reasons, or just to stop in a while. There should be respect for a person who can say “nope, I can’t put that on my plate right now” because it means they are very in touch with what they need and what they can do. 

You only get one life and one body. You have to learn to respect the limits. And you should respect those bold enough to know those limits.