ROOM 1010 is an uplifting, true story of how one little girl's faith inspired people from across the world to come together to pray for her and for a miracle.

Elynn had just turned ten and received a brand-new bike for her birthday when tragedy struck. In a matter of minutes, our lives were turned upside down as she suffered a traumatic injury that left us with many unknowns. At a time when Covid-19 was running rampant, and the entire world seemed to be in chaos, word of Elynn's accident quickly spread to friends, family, and strangers across the globe who heard her story and began to pray for her.

Through every challenge, Elynn's faith showed through. Despite her excruciatingly painful injury and recovery, she never complained or asked, "Why me?" She felt God chose her for this accident to help bring people to Him. Her faith, determination, and perseverance grew stronger as she worked with the doctors, nurses, and caregivers throughout her miraculous surgery and recovery.

My Thoughts:

I don’t think I have the words to express my thoughts in this heartfelt true story. Any parents worst nightmare is experiencing an event where our child is in severe pain and faced with a life threatening emergency that could have a potential to affect their future with a lifetime of medical issues.

The story of Elynn and her family is raw, the emotions in the words on the pages are powerful. The story of a 10 year old spread and had many family, friends, and strangers praying for a miracle.

As all stories start just like every other day or maybe different with some excitement in the air. For this  family of four it was excitement as they were planning on moving into a new house that was just built a few blocks away. They were all going to go see the house and let the kids see their new rooms. Elynn just got a new bike for her 10^th birthday and the kids were going to ride their bikes to the new house. The kids didn’t get out of the driveway when everything changed as the parents got the call from their son

Life is fragile and we easily forget that. Something so innocent as jamming your abdomen into a bikes handlebar could split your pancreas and have your pancreatic duct leak fluid. God is in control and is part of every detail in our life. The day before the tragic accident the surgeon and a team of specialist just happened to review this exact injury the day before and an optional alternative. The surgeon happened to be a Christian. Elynn was the first child to go through this surgery and was expecting a few months stay in the hospital. She stayed 12 days.The story of this child spread and had many praying. Even the writing of this book isn’t by chance with an unexpected last change of an appointment that put the right people in the place God wanted you.

Miracles are real. The power of prayers is real. The faith of a child is a story of faith, hope, and inspirational. I highly recommend Room 1010.

Disclosure:  I received this complimentary product through FrontGate Blogger Network in exchange for my honest thoughts.

 @frontgatem

Room 1010.mp4 from Steph Carse on Vimeo.

For your own copy you can buy through Amazon or directly here. For a chance to win a copy here or by clicking on the graphic below.

Connect: 

https://www.instagram.com/room1010_miracle/

https://www.facebook.com/room1010.miracle 

https://www.tiktok.com/@room.1010

 

About the Book

Book: Dog Days of Summer

Author: Kathleen Y’Barbo

Genre: Christian/Mystery/Romance Fiction

Release date: October, 2022

Trina Potter, Nashville country music star, buys a ranch near her hometown in Brenham, Texas, to help her niece open a rescue facility for dogs. Her presence in town stirs up some old high school rivalries—and romance. Finding property to buy is a challenge, convincing her mother to move there with her is daunting, and navigating a string of strange accidents is perplexing. Sometimes Trina feels like she’s purchased her own three ring circus instead of a beautiful piece of land. But her first priority will be figuring out who wants Second Chance Ranch shut down before they even have the grand opening.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 My Review:

I enjoyed this mystery book. This is the second book in the series. The main Character Trina Potter who is a country music star. She lives on a ranch in a small town in Texas. She helps her niece Mari, open a facility for rescue dogs. Like most mysteries something bad starts happening when mysterious accidents start happening before they can open up the facility.

 The book is fun and hilarious. All the characters are amazing and you will fall in love with them. Not to mention Hector the cat.

 This was just a sweet story. I didn’t read the first book and had no problems in this stand alone book

 Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through Celebrate Lit Bloggers in exchange for my honest thoughts. 

About the Author

Kathleen Y’Barbo is a multiple Carol Award and RITA nominee and bestselling author of more than one hundred books with over two million copies of her books in print in the US and abroad. A tenth-generation Texan and certified paralegal, she is a member of the Texas Bar Association Paralegal Division, Texas A&M Association of Former Students and the Texas A&M Women Former Students (Aggie Women), Texas Historical Society, Novelists Inc., and American Christian Fiction Writers. She would also be a member of the Daughters of the American Republic, Daughters of the Republic of Texas and a few others if she would just remember to fill out the paperwork that Great Aunt Mary Beth has sent her more than once.

When she’s not spinning modern day tales about her wacky Southern relatives, Kathleen inserts an ancestor or two into her historical and mystery novels as well. Recent book releases include bestselling The Pirate Bride set in 1700s New Orleans and Galveston, its sequel The Alamo Bride set in 1836 Texas, which feature a few well-placed folks from history and a family tale of adventure on the high seas and on the coast of Texas. She also writes (mostly) relative-free cozy mystery novels for Guideposts Books.

Kathleen and her hero in combat boots husband have their own surprise love story that unfolded on social media a few years back. They make their home just north of Houston, Texas and are the parents and in-laws of a blended family of Texans, Okies, and one very adorable Londoner.

 

More from Kathleen

Do you love dogs…or cats…or both…? I’m firmly in the “both” category. Since childhood I’ve always lived in homes that had at least one or the other, usually several of each. With every dog or cat comes at least one good story. One of my favorites is the tale of Bandit, the inspiration for the cover of my cozy mystery DOG DAYS OF SUMMER.

Once upon a time there was a black and white dog named Bandit. He was an English Springer Spaniel by birth but was completely convinced he was human. Bandit loved his people—three growing boys and a baby girl—even more than he loved popcorn and playing keep away (his version of catch). After many years, Bandit’s people grew up and he grew old. Toward the end of his very long and pampered life, he was plagued by the unwanted and yet much appreciated friendship of an ornery orange striped cat named Baby and a snooty pedigreed feline named Fifi.

Everyone loved Bandit…except the territorial squirrel who lived in a tree in our back yard in Southeast Texas. From the moment Bandit joined the family, the furry fellow was determined to rid himself and his back yard of the trespassing canine. The squirrel’s favorite tactic was to tease Bandit until the dog chased him up a tree. Once treed, the crafty critter would run around the trunk just out of Bandit’s reach. Once the squirrel tired of this, it would retreat to a limb. There, the battle of the backyard beasts would commence again but with the squirrel lobbing pinecones and the dog trying to catch them.

While every good story has a beginning, middle and end, unfortunately at the end of this one there was no winner in the dog vs. squirrel wars. A job transfer led us to Houston where squirrels were in abundance in our new neighborhood but none of them were nearly as much fun as the one Bandit left behind. The last time I spoke with the owners of our old house, they told the funniest story: they loved their new home, but there was this squirrel in the back yard that kept throwing pinecones at everyone.

In DOG DAYS OF SUMMER, I tell the story of another Texas back yard. This one is located in Brenham, Texas, and it is about to become a very special place for some very special dogs named Patsy and Cline. Have I mentioned these dogs belong to a country singer named Trina who has a mother named Mama Peach who happens to own a cat named Hector that dislikes almost everyone and can open doors? Then there’s the problem of the next door neighbor and his penchant to forget to close the lid on his grill when he’s cooking? Did I mention that Patsy and Cline enjoy nothing more than whatever they happen to find on an unguarded grill? While the two furry scoundrels are rounding up trouble next door, there is even more trouble happening at the building site for Second Chance Ranch Dog Rescue on the other side of the property. Apparently not everyone is happy about the new neighbors. The mystery is who that person might be. While you’ve got to read DOG DAYS OF SUMMER to find out, I can give you one hint: it’s not the squirrel!

I’ve told you mine; now tell me your favorite dog or cat story. I can’t wait to read them.

Blog Stops

 Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, October 28

Texas Book-aholic, October 28

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 29

Blogging With Carol, October 29

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, October 30 (Author Interview)

deb’s Book Review, October 30

Inklings and notions, October 31

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, November 1

Lily’s Book Reviews, November 1

Tell Tale Book Reviews, November 2

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, November 3

Remembrancy, November 3

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 4

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 4

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, November 5

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 6

Boondock Ramblings, November 6

Labor Not in Vain, November 7

Where Crisis & Christ Collide, November 7

Pause for Tales, November 8

Mary Hake, November 8

For Him and My Family, November 9

Divine Perspective, November 9

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, November 10

The Book Club Network, November 10

Giveaway

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To celebrate her tour, Kathleen is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon e-gift card and a print copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/2244a/dog-days-of-summer-celebration-tour-giveaway

 

One year later, the Committee has struck back with a vengeance, crippling the Resistance now scattered throughout Europe. When Devonbury Academy in Switzerland is attacked, Tom and Sarah’s only hope is to make it to a safe house in northern Italy by relying on their own experience, covert training, and martial arts. Overpowered and outnumbered, Tom and Sarah are ruthlessly hunted throughout Italy by the Black Nobility. Henry and Oliver discover a devastating truth, Detective Gowerstone is confronted by a dark secret from his past, and Inspector Fontaine is pushed to her limits. Will Tom and Sarah ever find the Britfields? Relationships will be challenged, new friendships forged, and an unparalleled finale of sacrifice, romance, revenge, and loss.

My Thoughts:

After patiently waiting for the 3^rd book in the series, we finally finished up this book! I appreciated that there is a recap of book II to refresh my memory.

The story is an adventure as Tom and Sarah are searching for Tom’s parents and prove that he is the rightful heir to the British throne. The Committee is trying everything in their powers to stop it and they have eyes everywhere. In the meantime Tom and Sarah are attending Devonbury Academy in Switzerland. Inspector Fontaine is gathering intel and training them in self-defense. Life at Devonbury doesn’t last long as they are quickly discovered and find themselves on the run again.

The story has a lot of action and keeps going on throughout the book. We look forward to book IV. My daughter wants to have me reread the story for her. I just have misplaced one the books to do it! Hopefully we can do it before the next book comes out.

A great adventure that you won’t likely forget.

 @Britfield.com

https://www.britfield.com

https://www.britfieldinstitute.org

 

I Disclosure: I received this complimentary product in exchange for my honest thoughts.

 

“Whatever you are feeling, God can handle it—all of it. The tears, screams, and questions. God invites you to let Him tend to your heart.”

Whether you are facing loss or disappointment, My Jesus comes alongside you to:

show how God can bring purpose out of loss,

offer hope in the midst of heartbreak, and

remind you that God never abandons you.

In the bluegrass fields of Kentucky, Anne Wilson and her siblings, Jacob and Elizabeth, grew up in the security and love of their family—and Jesus. Then when Jacob died in a car accident, Anne was thrust into a painful journey of grief and soul-wrestling that led to God calling her to create songs that glorified Him.

My Jesus weaves together Anne’s personal story with an encouraging message to anyone longing for God to wipe away their tears. Discover the beauty that can emerge from suffering as you read Anne’s story of growing closer to the God who always makes a way.

 My Thoughts:

Anne Wilson’s testimony in her new book, “My Jesus” is a heartfelt story of losing her big brother Jacob  in a car accident. Anne grew up in Kentucky surrounded by a close family and church community.

Anne talks about the grief in her family. She is an open book sharing her life openly. She shares how each family member had a different reaction and grieving process. It is raw and each person had to rely on Jesus to get through it. They all thankfully had a close relationship with Jesus. At the same time they had moments of deep sorrow and Anne shares a very personal conversation during that deep sorrow of the family having shared and unspeakable moment of weakness about driving off a bridge to be with Jacob again.  

After the funeral Ann decided to honor her brother by singing publicly for the first time. Jacob must have seen the gift that Anne has. She sang "What a Beautiful Name," Her family and friends convinced her to post a video of her singing the song. It was then that she felt God's calling her to create music to share with others and bring glory to God. Her powerful video caught the eye of a talent scout who introduced her to a music manager. Anne eventually signed with Capitol Christ Music Group. Her powerful song "My Jesus" was birthed.

Anne Wilson’s story will minister to many people. This book had me crying and rejoicing. I know when I lost my brother many years to a tragic event it was difficult and left me at times in a deep hole with my pain and grieve. While reading this book I saw that I still needed healing from 21 years ago that I had tucked away.

Anne Wilson shares her story of sorrow, faith, and triumph. No matter how dark it was Anne was a light in her family and too others. No matter what you are going through, you are never alone. Our hope comes from Jesus.

Thank you Anne for sharing your tragedy with the world and bringing forth one of the most powerful songs I have listen too. Not too many people can be real. Don’t ever stray from that passion and faith that you have in our Savior Jesus.

Disclosure: Many thanks to Momentum for providing a copy of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced my monetary compensation.

#AnneWilson #AnneWilsonMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork

 

 

The beautifully illustrated true story of how Thanksgiving became a national holiday in America, of Sarah Josepha Hale, the woman who made the holiday happen, and of the role of gratitude the world over. Marvelously brought to life by the New York Times bestselling author Denise Kiernan.

All across the world, among hundreds of cultures and across centuries, people have come together to give thanks. But Americans didn’t have an official Thanksgiving holiday until the 1800s. The holiday Americans know today exists because of a woman named Sarah Josepha Hale, a spirited letter-writing campaign, a sympathetic president, and a civil war.  
 
This beautifully illustrated picture book shares the true story of how Thanksgiving became a national American holiday and offers a look at the timeless and global power of gratitude.

My Thoughts:

Giving Thanks focuses on how a young woman named Josepha Hale persistence was able to get Thanksgiving as a national holiday celebrated on the same day each year. In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving a national holiday.

She knew that different communities had days that they would come together and be thankful for many things. Some had it in the spring and others celebrated different days throughout the country.

 The book doesn’t talk about the pilgrims or the Native American Indians. She does mention the Civil War during a Thanksgiving. The main focus I would say is gratitude and coming together being thankful.

The illustrations by Jamey Christoph are good and enjoyable.

Overall if you are looking for a book to talk about the woman who had a hand in creating Thanksgiving as a national holiday then this is a sweet book for your kids. It’s interesting and I didn’t know anything prior about Josepha Hale’s involvement in creating Thanksgiving as a national holiday. I personally would add other books that talk about the pilgrims to my kids books about Thanksgiving.

 

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product in exchange for my honest thoughts.

 

About the Book

Book: Anything But Plain

Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher

Genre: Amish fiction

Release date: October 4, 2022

It’s not easy being the bishop’s daughter, especially for Lydie Stoltzfus. She’s not like other Amish girls, as much as she wishes she were. The only thing she does well is disappoint others. Leaving her family and church seems unbearable, but staying might be worse.

Knowing Lydie is “between” jobs, the local doctor asks her to fill in at the front desk for a few months. To Lydie, this is a boon. It gives her time to figure out how she’s going to say goodbye to her neighbor, Nathan Yoder–the main reason she needs to leave Stoney Ridge. Nathan claims he’s in love with her, but she knows she’s not good enough for him. If in doubt, Nathan’s father reminds her frequently.

As Dok spends time with Lydie, she recognizes symptoms of an uncommon disorder among the Amish. She offers treatment for Lydie. But will it be enough to make her stay? Or has help come too late?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 My Review:

 

I don’t think I have read a book from Susan Woods Fisher that has disappointed me. Anything but Plain was captivating. I really enjoyed this book and revisiting the Stoney Ridge Amish Community and catching up on other characters from past books.

 

I love the ADHD plot. She really touched on the heart of the matter and the different affects it has on individuals. I think so many people can relate to this issue and story. So many people get labeled as lazy or careless and do not have the tools or awareness to help them live with ADHD.

 

Lydia Stoltzfus is a single 19 year old Amish Girl. She is the daughter of deacon David Stoltzfus who you will already know from previous stories. Lydia has a heart of gold but can’t seem to hold a job for long. She is forgetful and can never seem to complete anything she has started.  Lydia feels that she needs to leave her community and start over since all she ever does is make a mess of things and disappoints her family and community.

 

Lydie tugged on my heartstrings and especially her creative doodling and her perspective on individuals. I loved Dok and her using her own experiences and knowledge of ADHD.  Perfect Patsy wasn’t perfect after all. You will have to read the story to find out about that.

 

 Lydia’s neighbor Nathan Yoder is also 19 and wants to make the family farm and organic one. His father and brother have used so many chemicals on the farm that the farm seems to not producing like it should. He feels that the chemicals are affecting the farm and the health of his mother. Nathan and his brother have always been close friends with Lydia. He has feelings for her and can’t seem to figure out why she avoids him and what is going on in her life. He never gives up on her and has me rooting for him the whole time.

 

The story had a lot of areas that were not predictable and a few surprises with the major and minor characters.

 

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through Celebrate Lit Bloggers in exchange for my honest thoughts. 

About the Author

Suzanne Woods Fisher is a Christy finalist, a Carol Award winner, a two-time ECPA Book of the Year finalist, and the Publishers Weekly, ECPA, CBA, bestselling author of more than thirty books. Her genres include contemporary and historical romances, Amish romance, and women’s fiction. She and her husband live in a small town in California, where everyone knows everyone else, knows what they are doing and why. Most folks act a little nervous around Suzanne because they usually wind up in one of her novels. She has four grown children and enough grandchildren to keep her young. Visit Suzanne at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com

More from Suzanne

Easily Distracted? 8 Strategies to Help Stay Focused

Anything but Plain is a story about a young Amish woman with undiagnosed ADHD. Lydie Stoltzfus feels like a square peg in a round hole. She just doesn’t fit in and, to make matters worse, she’s the bishop’s daughter. At this point, the only path forward she can see is to leave Stoney Ridge. Leave her church, her friends, her family, her neighbor Nathan Yoder. It’s better to leave, Lydie decides, than to keep disappointing everyone she cares about. I won’t say anymore so that I don’t spoil the story for you.

ADHD is not a common diagnosis among the Amish and many might assume it’s not a real thing. Of course, they’re mistaken. ADHD is a real thing. While I don’t have ADHD, I do have many friends and family members who have been diagnosed. It’s challenging! And something we should all take seriously. Here’s why:

Evidence is mounting that a growing dependence on digital devices could be giving all of us some ADHD-like symptoms. Have you wondered if distractibility is becoming a problem for you? Or has a spouse or child or friend remarked on how often you pick up your phone to check a text message or scroll Instagram? You might remain physically present but your mind has wandered away. For me, the answer is, regrettably, yes.

There’s a recurring phrase in Anything but Plain that comes from an old-fashioned farming term: Walking the beans. Literally, it means weeding by hand. Figuratively, it means paying attention to our priorities. To pull the weeds before they take root.

One of the takeaway lessons of this book is to “walk the beans” of technology’s role in my life. So…I’ve been working on a few strategies. When I practice, I see a difference. Life is calmer. More manageable.

So…I wanted to pass these tips along to you. (If you have little children, these might not work for you. Not when your little ones are awake, anyway.) Hopefully, you’ll find them to be useful, and maybe spark some strategies of your own.

• Make a plan. I start the day with an index card and write down the day’s priorities. And I check off tasks as I finish them!
• Go off-line. Create an environment that helps you stay focused. Turn your cell phone to silent. If working on the computer, close your email app. Put yourself in distraction-free mode until you’re accomplished what you need to do
• Finish one task before moving on to the next. Even little tasks.
• Distractibility is at its peak during transitions. Build in margin. For example, arrive a few minutes early instead of rushing in a few minutes late.
• When distractions are high, make tasks smaller and break down your large projects into smaller tasks to help you concentrate and give you a sense of accomplishment and progress.
• When I’m facing a big task, I’ll break it down into smaller, more manageable pieces.
• Set a deadline for a task. Beat the clock! Use a timer.
• Rewards! When I beat the clock, I’ll take a break from computer work and pop up to the garden, text a friend, walk the dog. Something that feels good.

Blog Stops

The Avid Reader, October 7

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, October 7

She Lives To Read, October 8

The Write Escape, October 8

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 9

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 9

Vicky Sluiter, October 9

lakesidelivingsite, October 10

Texas Book-aholic, October 10

Lighthouse-Academy, October 11

Simple Harvest Reads, October 11 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 11

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, October 12

Inklings and notions, October 12

Southern Gal Loves to Read, October 12

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, October 13

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, October 13

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 14

Blogging With Carol, October 14

Elly Gilbert, October 14

deb’s Book Review, October 15

For Him and My Family, October 15

Holly’s Book Corner, October 15

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, October 16

Jeanette’s Thoughts, October 16

Splashes of Joy, October 16

Empowermoms, October 17

SusanLovesBooks, October 17

Mary Hake, October 17

Bigreadersite, October 18

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, October 18

Blossoms and Blessings, October 18

Cats in the Cradle Blog, October 19

Pause for Tales, October 19

Spoken from the Heart, October 19

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, October 20

Cover Lover Book Review, October 20

The Adventures of a Travelers Wife, October 20 

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Suzanne is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. Enter to win your own copy here.