Christian Chicklits You Can Sink Your Teeth Into

Do you love Christian Chick-Lits? Then you must start reading Tina's column! Each month she reviews Christian books unlike any you've ever read before.

To read her latest reviews and recommendations, just click on a link below....
It’s a Green Thing . . . Diary of a Teenage Girl
A young girl toys with emancipation and striking out on her own when she discovers an amazing youth group that changes her life forever.

The Feast of Saint Bertie
A widowed woman turns her back on society in an attempt to rediscover herself while dealing with the disappearance of her son.


Cry In The Night
A young wife may have taken on more than she can chew as you sets out to uncover the truth behind the mysterious dead woman and the non-biological child she left behind.

Disclosure: The reviewer was given a sample to review. This is "her opinion" of the product. She was not paid to give a positive review.

The Passion of Mary-Margaret by Lisa Samson

This is a guest post by Tina L. Scott (formerly Miller). Tina is a freelance photographer from Merrill, Wisconsin with a passion for writing. She can be reached at PhotographyByTina.com


Book
The Passion of Mary-Margaret

Author
Lisa Samson

The Review
The Passion of Mary-Margaret is one of the most captivating and intriguing “story of a life” novels I’ve read in a long time. Orphaned as an infant and raised by her grandmother and a loving but slightly crazy aunt until they both died and she was left in the care of the sisters at the St. Mary’s Convent School for Girls on Locust Island in Maryland, Mary-Margaret Fischer feels called to fulfill the destiny her mother didn’t live to complete. Her mind, heart, and soul are totally focused on becoming a religious sister, devoting her life to the service of God and loving Jesus as her one and only bridegroom. In fact, it’s all she’s ever dreamed of—even from a very young age.

Mary-Margaret harbors a secret relationship with her Lord that not everyone will understand—a special relationship that, if told, could mark her crazier than her beloved aunt—and occasionally has her questioning her own sanity. But that relationship is also the most special, intimate, and beloved of her life. It sustains her through difficulties, guides her every step, encourages her during trials, and enables her to endure suffering for her Lord with a grace and commitment most people lack. This novel is first and foremost a love story between Mary-Margaret and her savior, Jesus Christ.

But The Passion of Mary-Margaret is also more. It is also the story of her love for Jude Keller, the boy she watched fly kites from the decks of the lighthouse across the bay since she was a very small child. The two actually met for the first time when Mary-Margaret was nine years old and Jude was eleven, but already wise far beyond his years in the ways of the world, in stark contrast to Mary-Margaret’s sheltered life. He was the best looking boy she had ever seen and he held her interest like no one else ever had, despite the fact that she couldn’t figure out what he saw in her. But attracted to her he was—and he made that quite obvious over the years as the two grew into their teen years and he made tantalizing, forward, and suggestive comments to her. For reasons she couldn’t quite fathom, Jude and Mary-Margaret grew to be close friends and Jude confided in Mary-Margaret secrets he never shared with anyone else. Popular and experienced with the girls, Jude seemed preoccupied with Mary-Margaret, the one girl he couldn’t have. Because, despite the flutter of attraction between them, Mary-Margaret was steadfast in her conviction to live a religious life with Jesus as her only husband, and she told Jude so. Still, she couldn’t deny the sensations that set her body tingling when Jude stole a kiss now and then (and she let him!), and she did sometimes wonder what might happen if she hadn’t been so devoted to her calling. She also liked to dream occasionally of what it would be like to have a child of her own—family being something she valued a great deal since she really had none of her own—and she knew that could never be if she followed her most heartfelt dream.

Fast forward about ten years or so and Mary-Margaret is getting ready to take her final vows, having completed years of devotion to her God, teaching at Christian schools, living a life of prayer, and taking an appropriate period of contemplation. Jude Keller has virtually disappeared from Mary-Margaret’s life, but for an occasional short visit that gives her a glimpse into what a sordid life his world has become—a life of drugs, sex, and all things illicit in the bad part of Baltimore he disappeared into when he fled their small island town for reasons no one knows. Mary-Margaret’s heart breaks for him, especially because she knows how much he truly loves her and that she does not feel the same way about him. She wonders if she could save him from himself if only she wasn’t already so devoted to her God and her plan for the religious life.

But then Mary-Margaret receives a sign from God—a clear and direct sign telling her what she must do—and she can hardly believe what her Jesus is asking of her!

I don’t want to spoil any of the revelations that made this book such an intriguing read and a page-turner for me, so I won’t elaborate too much on this point. Let me suffice it to say God’s plans are not always our plans, but He does use all things for the good of those who love Him and He can work some miraculous changes in people—and Lisa Samson’s novel illustrates just a few examples of God’s grace and love in action.

Written as Mary-Margaret’s memoir, author Lisa Samson does an exceptional job of weaving the past and the present together and doing so in a way that keeps readers wanting more, yet satisfies their need to know what is going on now with what happened in the past, and all in such a way that it isn’t simply dished up for them like a second helping of supper. Her peeks at the past whet the reader’s appetite for more, help them to really know Mary-Margaret on an intimate level—complete with some of her funny little quirks and idiosyncrasies—and gives readers real sustenance.

As a born-and-raised Roman Catholic who found myself drifting from the foundations of my own faith for various reasons as a young adult—and who has recently returned to my Roman Catholic roots—I was particularly enthralled with this tale of the life of Mary-Margaret Fischer, a religious sister whose life has been anything but ordinary. I was impressed with her commitment to following God’s will for her life in spite of the fact that she had other plans—which seemed like wonderful God-serving plans in their own right—and that she was able to set her desires aside to fulfill what really was her greatest desire: to please Jesus by doing what He asked her to do. That’s something I think all of God’s faithful people struggle with. We want to do God’s will, but we also want to do what we want to do when we want to do it! This novel was a beautiful testimony to what God can do through us to fulfill our deepest desires when we give ourselves willingly to do His will. The two purposes seem to contradict each other and yet God makes everything mesh perfectly at the perfect time!

The Passion of Mary-Margaret is truly a story of the power of love, faithfulness, and putting your trust in God’s plan for your life despite whatever you may be going through in the present moment. Whether you are Roman Catholic or practice another faith, this novel has much to offer readers of all denominations!

Order The Passion of Mary-Margaret Today!

Disclosure: The reviewer received a complimentary copy of the book to review.

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This post was sponsored by The Dabbling Mum.

For more articles like this, check out The Dabbling Mum eMagazine.

Witch Mountain

I just put up a review of Disney's Witch Mountain Series from the 1970s. Having recently watched Disney's Race To Witch Mountain, I can see how technological advances have really changed the way we create in films. But I can also see how today's films have far less storyline and a lot more action whereas films of the past were created to tell a story as well as entertain.

My review can be found here

You can also see two clips from the films below:


Escape To Witch Mountain




Return From Witch Mountain



Disclosure: I was given a sample to review. This is "my opinion" of the product. I was not paid to give a positive review.

Secrets Of The Furious Five

Kung Fu Panda had such great reviews that when I discovered Secrets of The Furious Five was debuting on DVD, I had to get my hands on a copy. The film is very good. It holds your interest from beginning to end and is very entertaining. But there is one huge flaw, the ending is very abrupt. It seems like you just start to get into the storyline and it ends.

I Recommend Your purchase supports this site.

The film starts out with Dragon Warrior Po (the Panda) being led into an area with a bunch of children (bunnies) in need of teaching. Master Shifu acts as though he’s feeding Po to the wolves as he rushes away, but the children simply appear to have short attention spans. Po’s job is to teach them the art of Kung Fu but when he can’t settle them down he decides to share his love of Kung Fu Folklore with the children. His stories captivate the young minds, and for just awhile, they quiet down just enough to listen to the stories—which are shown to the audience in cartoon form. He teaches them about courage, confidence, patience, discipline and compassion while sharing the legendary tales of Crane, Mantis, Monkey, Tigress, and Viper. When Master Shifu returns, he expects Po to be beside himself and the children to have learned nothing, but the children surprise him with their knowledge of why Kung Fu is an important art form. When Po tells the children that their lessons are over for the day, they ask about him and that’s where the story ends.

The DVD also comes with some great bonus features like: Po’s Power Play which features several activities geared towards small children, including drawing lessons and The Land of Panda which features a unique dance choreography and Kung Fu lessons using the various Kung Fu moves shown in the film, the story behind the Zodiac signs along with the signs and a quiz to discover which fighting style best represent you, the individual.

Overall, I’d recommend this film to anyone with children between the ages of 3 and 12. Just don’t be too disappointed with the abrupt ending.

Disclosure: I was given a sample to review. This is "my opinion" of the product. I was not paid to give a positive review.

Cry In The Night by Colleen Coble

This is a guest post by Tina L. Scott (formerly Miller). Tina is a freelance photographer from Merrill, Wisconsin with a passion for writing. She can be reached at PhotographyByTina.com

Book
Cry In The Night

Author
Colleen Coble

The Review
Not so long ago Bree Matthews thought she had lost it all—her husband, her son, and her hope. But now Bree realizes God can turn things around. She’s married to a wonderful man, reunited with the son she thought she had lost forever, and with her new husband planning to adopt their son, her life seems very nearly perfect. If only she and Kade could have a child of their own—or even adopt a child together—their family would be complete and so would her heart.

But suddenly their world is filled with turmoil. Bree’s doctor suggests in vitro fertilization—an expensive proposition she and Kade can’t afford—as an answer to their deep desire for a child of their own. Bree’s son, Davy, starts telling stories about seeing a windigo (a scary monster legendary to the local native American community) burying a baby and then is almost abducted by a stranger. Kade is worried that his job as a park ranger is in jeopardy and could put their family at risk. And Bree and her search-and-rescue dog, Samson, discover a newborn baby and a nearby dead woman who is not the baby’s mother. Against her husband’s concerns, she volunteers their family to care for the baby in the hope that perhaps they will be able to adopt the child if the parents aren’t found and soon finds herself growing more and more attached to the baby—just as her husband Kade had feared.

Bree’s brother-in-law, Mason, is the local sheriff investigating the crimes that keep popping up in their normally sedate small town, but Bree isn’t content to let him do his job on her own. She’s involved and determined to stay involved until these crimes are solved and the mysteries laid to rest, so she becomes a modern-day Nancy Drew in addition to being a wife, mother, search-and-rescue dog trainer, and member of the local rescue team.

Set in the snowy north woods of Michigan’s upper peninsula in fictional Rock Harbor, Cry in the Night is a story of mystery and suspense and also a story of faith. But this is no Pollyanna story. Murders, kidnappings, lies, corruption, greed, and evil plots abound in this novel that challenges each of the many well-developed characters author, Colleen Coble, introduces to readers. There’s Anu, Bree’s first husband Rob’s mother and the owner and operator of a local shop showcasing Finnish delicacies and gifts, a lovable woman who is like a mother to Bree; Jenna and her autistic brother Victor who is implicated in one of the crimes and cannot communicate with anyone to tell them what happened—all he does is focus on sudoku puzzles repeatedly; Bree’s best friend Naomi who is also a member of the search-and-rescue team; and Kade’s sister Lauri who is involved with a man who is engaged to another woman—and that’s just to name a few of the interesting people you’ll meet in this novel!

I appreciate the fact that Coble’s characters are complex and realistic and that she blurs the lines between good and evil in some of them, making the story more true to life and interesting. Like many of us, some of the characters start out with good intentions and find themselves drawn in to circumstances and situations that quickly spiral out of control and put them on a path of destruction—for themselves and others. And not all of them will emerge from the novel unscathed or even alive! I also appreciate Coble’s skill in keeping readers guessing “whodunit” until the very end of the story! I hate mysteries that are too predictable and easy to figure out. Love mysteries, too? Pick this one up and snuggle in for a good read!

Order Cry In The Night Today!

Disclosure: The reviewer received a complimentary copy of the book to review.

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This post was sponsored by The Dabbling Mum.

For more articles like this, check out The Dabbling Mum eMagazine.

Pinocchio On DVD & BluRay

Just wrote up a little note about why I really like Pinocchio and why it will ALWAYS be a timeless classic, in my humble opinion. You can read it here

And...here's a sneak peek into the bonus feature for those who doesn't yet own a Blu-ray®--because unfortunately, the DVD version has no bonus features:













Disclosure: I was given a sample to review. This is "my opinion" of the product. I was not paid to give a positive review.

Living Into Art

Living Into Art will help you learn the technique used at Sonoma that allows participants to get the full therapeutic benefits of creating collages—that engages active imagination. A process that involves intuitively selecting images and arranging them in a collage, then stepping back and observing the final creation, and finally, naming each image and finding the connection between each image to discover the story the completed collage has to tell.


You can read my full review here: http://thedabblingmum.com/reviews/booksart/livingintoart.htm

Germy Wormy Sanitary Sleeves

I was recently introduced to a new product for parents of small children that I find very interesting. To be honest, at first sight, I thought, “Why on earth would a parent want to waste money on that?” But after reading up on the company and the idea, I thought, “Well, that’s a really neat idea! I can see that working and savings lots of money over the long run.”

The product in which I am referring to is called Germy Wormy Disposable Sanitary Sleeves and they basically catch all the runny noses, buggers, sneeze sprays, and coughs that children disburse throughout the course of their days.

I remember working in a preschool when I was in my early twenties and watching children wipe their snots onto the sleeves of their shirts. I also saw them grab the collar of their shirts and wipe their noses that way. Then they’d go about playing as usual. The problem is that as they played, their buggers would get on the children the hugged or the toys they touched. It was rather gross, to be honest, and I often found myself chasing them down with a wipe and cleaning them up before they went off to play.

As a mother, I carried tissues, napkins, and wipes with me everywhere I went. My children sneezed into their hands, and I wiped them down. My children had a runny nose, and I cleaned it up so the idea of preventing germs from spreading is nothing knew to me.

What is new is the idea of teaching children to use disposable sanitary sleeves so that they can cough, sneeze, and wipe buggers without worrying about chasing down a napkin, tissue, wipe, or adult. Because let’s face it, if a child has a cold, asking him to carry around something to sneeze into or wipe with isn’t going to work. He’ll just misplace it and use his clothes or as one child I witnessed, use the nearby furniture.

The best part about using the Germy Wormy Disposable Sanitary Sleeves is that by using the sleeves, children are taught the importance of good health etiquette and the importance of taking care of themselves instead of always relying on someone else to do it for them.

The Germy Wormy Disposable Sanitary Sleeves also come with an educational video that’s really fun to watch. It uses puppets to teach children about germs and how to use the sleeves correctly.

To learn more, stop by http://germywormy.com

Disclosure: I was given a sample to review. This is "my opinion" of the product. I was not paid to give a positive review.


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This post was sponsored by The Dabbling Mum.

For more articles geared towards busy parents, check out The Dabbling Mum eMagazine.

Beverly Hills Chihuahua

To be quite honest, Beverly Hills Chihuahua isn’t at all what I expected based upon the previews I saw. From the previews, I thought that two Beverly Hills Chihuahuas were going to somehow get lost and end up finding an ancient Aztec civilization of Chihuahuas. I then thought that the film would consist of a ton of comedic antics as the two dogs learn to let go of their uppity-rich ways, whilst mingling amongst the Aztecs, to find solace and contentment in discovering who they are outside of their material possessions. Instead, what I got was a fast-paced film about a dog named Chloe who gets dog-knapped in Mexico, then fights to find her way home with an Aztec scene so short that it wasn’t even worth mentioning in the previews.

I Recommend Your purchase supports this site.

That being said, once I set aside my preconceived notions of what the film was supposed to be about, I was able to see the film for what it is: another dog movie designed to teach kids to put more value in themselves and less value in material possessions or status or wealth.

The show begins with one clip after another showing Beverly Hills at its finest—expensive cars, wealthy people, designer outfits, exquisite jewelry, and so on. Then in walks Viv, a cosmetics tycoon, who spoils her pet Chihuahua as if it were her own flesh and blood—complete with manicures, pedicures, spa treatments, elaborate birthday parties, clothes fittings, home-cooked meals, and even a trust fund.

When Viv’s dog sitter cancels at the last minute, it’s up to her niece, Rachel, to step in and care for Chloe. There’s only one problem, Chloe and Rachel do not like each other. As tension mounts, Rachel decides to take Chloe with her to Mexico, where she plans to keep party with her friends while Chloe is locked up in the motel room. Only Chloe decides to give Rachel a piece of her mind and escapes the room only to get dog-knapped by a dog fighting ring.

During her incarceration, Chloe meets Delgado, a retired police dog who believes he’s not worth anything since his human partner died on his watch. Determined to protect Chloe, Delgado breaks free of the dog fighting ring and, against his better judgment, agrees to get Chloe home—to Beverly Hills.

In the meantime, Rachel, is worried sick about Chloe and feeling horrible about her decision to leave Chloe unattended so she sets out to find Chloe before her Aunt Viv finds out. Along the way, she receives help from Viv’s landscape designer and his dog, Papi, who just so happens to be in love with Chloe.



Eventually, everyone meets up, the dog-knappers are arrested, and Chloe discovers the meaning of true love—with Papi.

Notice I didn’t mention the Aztec scene? There’s a reason for it. There wasn’t much to mention, unless you consider the fact that Chloe discovers her “fierce bark”—only you don’t fully understand how that comes about until you watch the deleted scenes of Chloe’s Vision Quest; which by the way is so worth watching!

The extra features include “The Legend of the Chihuahua” cartoon, deleted scenes, bloopers, and sneak peaks. As for the proclamation that it’s the “Greatest Chihuahua Movie of All Time”—let’s just say it’s the only Chihuahua movie and leave it at that.

Would I recommend it for children? Totally. Children under the age of 7 will absolutely love this film as they’re always fascinated with talking animals. But if you’re looking for tons of laughs, you won’t find it here. It’s family film that’s more on the serious side, albeit lightheartedly.

Disclosure: I was given a sample to review. This is "my opinion" of the product. I was not paid to give a positive review.

Make A Real Living As A Freelance Writer

Have you longed to quit your day job and become a full-time, self-supporting writer? Have you dreamt of finding your byline in highly coveted print magazines? Are you tired of putting in so much work with so little return?


Thanks to Glatzer’s book, Make A Real Living As A Freelance Writer, you don’t have to feel like a failure. In Make A Real Living As A Freelance Writer, Glatzer gives you an insider’s look into her life as a well-paid freelance writer and shares tips for getting those top paying assignments.

You’ll learn why having a good grasp of grammar, punctuation, and style guides are only half the battle. In 17 chapters you will discover 34 tips guaranteed to take you from zero dollars to your desired monthly income—if you’re willing to take the time to put her tips into action.

Tips like:

1. Obtaining the necessary tools to complete your assignments—once you begin receiving them.

2. How to set writing-related goals.

3. What you need to know to treat your writing like a business—not a hobby.

4. How to come up with ideas editors want to use.

5. How to turn one idea into several paying ideas.

6. How to find ideas when your “well” has run dry.

7. Understanding the difference between print markets and web markets.

8. Where to find writers’ guidelines.

9. How to analyze freelance writing opportunities.

10. Why different departments, in magazines, might be the best way to break into the publication.

11. Why query letters don’t work when trying to sell an essay to a publication.

12. How to write a great query letter.

13. How to create a lead that gets noticed.

14. How to present samples of your writing without mentioning that you’ve never been published before.

15. What clips work best for the publication you’re pitching.

16. Finding your query style.

17. What not to do with your query letter.

18. Why generic query letters don’t work.

19. Overcoming your fear of rejection.

20. Understanding the different rights you’re selling to your article.

21. How to build on your experience.

22. How to properly handle simultaneous submissions.

23. How to keep track of your submissions.

24. When and how to follow up on submissions.

25. Understanding payment terms.

26. When writing on spec can be a good thing.

27. Understanding your worth and value as a freelance writer.

28. Properly interviewing your sources through phone, email, or in-person visits.

29. How to practice and prepare for an interview.

30. Understanding what editors really want and how to get them to assign you another article.

31. When and how to contact an editor after you’ve received the assignment.

32. How to build relationships with editors.

33. How to get paid money due you.

34. Why networking is essential to your writing career.

But that’s not all you’ll learn! You’ll also discover:
• How Glatzer handled certain situations,

• What other full-time freelance writers have done in certain situations, and

• What you need to do to keep in the IRS’s good graces.

And if that isn’t enough, Glatzer also includes four sample query letters that earned her writing assignments. Finally, Glatzer includes a hands-on assignment at the end of each chapter geared towards helping you put what you’ve read into action.

Whether you’re new to freelance writing or simply want to up the ante, Make A Real Living as a Freelance Writer offers real-life advice, tips, and hands-on assignments sure to get every writer headed in the right direction—to a profitable, successful career as a published freelance writer.

Disclosure: The reviewer received a complimentary copy of this book to review.