A Light on the Hill by Connilyn Cossette ( Book One of Cities of Refuge)

Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Say to the people of Israel, ‘Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses, that the manslayer who strikes any person without intent or unknowingly may flee there. They shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood. 

Joshua 20:1-3

Seven years ago, Moriyah was taken captive in Jericho and branded with the mark of the Canaanite gods. Now the Israelites are experiencing peace in their new land, but Moriyah has yet to find her own peace. Because of the shameful mark on her face, she hides behind her veil at all times and the disdain of the townspeople keeps her from socializing. And marriage prospects were out of the question . . . until now.


Her father has found someone to marry her, and she hopes to use her love of cooking to impress the man and his motherless sons. But when things go horribly wrong, Moriyah is forced to flee. Seeking safety at one of the newly-established Levitical cities of refuge, she is wildly unprepared for the dangers she will face, and the enemies--and unexpected allies--she will encounter on her way.




About the author
When she is not homeschooling her two sweet kids (with a full pot of coffee at hand), Connilyn Cossette is scribbling notes on spare paper, mumbling about her imaginary friends, and reading obscure, out-of-print history books. Although a Pacific Northwest native, she now lives in a little town near Dallas, Texas. She can be found online at www.connilyncossette.com.






My Review
Connilyn Cossette truly doesn't disappoint. A Light on the Hill is book one of her new series, Cities of Refuge and follows right behind her other series, Out From Egypt. Her first two books are still my favorite from her and I highly recommend reading them first, yet I think you can start this series without reading her first series.

It’s fun to read about the Feast, shofars, and tzitzits and have a deep understanding of what they mean/are. I personally celebrate all the Feast, wear tzitzits and hear the shofar blown every Sabbath from my dad. Connilyn has done a beautiful job at showing some of the beauty of our Abba’s ways, with Hebrew names, biblical calendar dates, just to name a few that will perhaps get you curious to dig a little deeper in your faith with things you might not be familiar with. I have heard of a few readers purchase shofars after reading her books… how fun is that!

Her writing is for sure geared towards women and older teens and always holds a sweet romantic tale. It's refreshing to see writing with historical biblical elements, real female characters, and how our Abba has always loved us.

I highly recommend A Light on the Hill, and look forward to book two, Shelter of the Most High.

You can purchase, A Light on the Hill at Amazon

You can learn more about Connilyn and her books at her website

www.connilyncossette.com

Shadow of the Storm by Connilyn Cossette (Book Two: Out From Egypt)

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say to the LORD,

“My refuge and my fortress, my God,

in whom I trust...

He will cover you with his pinions, 

and under his wings you will find refuge..."

Psalm 91:1-2,4

Having escaped Egypt with the other Hebrews during the Exodus, Shira is now living in freedom at the foot of Mt. Sinai, upon which rests the fiery glowing Cloud containing the shekinah glory of God.
When the people disobey Yahweh and build a golden idol, the ensuing chaos gives Shira an unexpected opportunity to learn the arts of midwifery. Although her mother wishes for her to continue in the family weaving trade, Shira's gifts shine brightest when she assists with deliveries. In defiance of her mother, Shira pursues her heart's calling to become an apprentice midwife.

When a delivery goes horribly wrong, Shira finds herself bound to a man who betrayed her, the caretaker of three young children, and the target of a vengeful woman whose husband was killed by Shira's people, the Levites. As contention between the Hebrew tribes and the foreigners fans the flames of another dangerous rebellion, Shira will come face-to-face with the heartbreak of her past that she has kept hidden for so long. How can she let go of all that has defined her to accept the love she's denied herself and embrace who she truly is?

My Review
I was blessed again to be able to be an advanced reader for book two of the beautiful, “Out From Egypt” series by Connilyn Cossette

I could NOT put this book down! And I’m truly sad to have it end.

I highly recommend this tale but be sure to read book one first, for Connilyn brilliantly tied in some great things from it.  Connilyn Cossette has truly put a lot of hard work and heart into this beautiful series. I felt like Shira was a friend and I’m sad to see her story end, I really liked her and she will go down as one of my all-time favorite characters. It was extra special to read this book during the Feast of Tabernacles. This book had a LOT of great twist and turns… one reason I have a hard time writing a more detailed review… I’m afraid of giving away her great story. I’ll be sure to never pass up a book from Connilyn and I hope she writes many more beautiful stories.

As you can see, I LOVED this book and honestly have nothing ill to say about it, besides that I have to wait for book three. :(

I would recommend this beautiful tale to mature readers due to some topics that would not be appropriate for younger readers, so I give it a 15+ rating ( it has a few graphic scenes of sorrow like miscarriages and has a few heavy topics of past hurts such as rape like book one did. That kinda makes it sound like a really bad read, but I promise you it is FAR from it. It is cleanly done… not detailed, just enough to know what happened. It is indeed Christian, just not for kids. It is a really good book for women who have gone through these kind of hurts.)

You can purchase Shadow of the Storm at Amazon

You can learn more about Connilyn and her books at her website

www.connilyncossette.com

Anamatus by Derrick Tribble: Book Review...

Author: Derrick Tribble

Book: Anamatus

Genre: Science-fiction/fantasy/Young Adult/Christian

Pages: 433

Age range: 15 and up

A few mature themes such as mentions of alcohol, sexual sin, and a teen pregnancy. Also a few death scenes.   

In a world of extraordinary talents, she uses hers to create a monster. On Biersheva, a colony world populated by God’s people, extraordinary talents have emerged. Everyone has something they excel at, but a few are blessed with “noble talents,” supernatural abilities intended for helping others and glorifying God. Karina has one of these noble talents -- she can shape animals out of organic matter and animate them, giving them will and purpose. But pride and fear prompt her to reach beyond her God-given talent and animate a bronze statue. Her sin unleashes a monster, and she must put it to death before it destroys everything she loves.

About the author:
Derrick Tribble, also known as “That Author Guy,” lives in the foothills of California, where the air is clear and fresh, and the trees are big. Derrick is the author of the Wanderers in Time trilogy, a Young-Adult Christian Science Fiction series which begins with Servants & Thieves. He shares his home with his wife and two children, and two strange cats. When not writing, he can occasionally be found working or playing the drums.

My Review

I enjoyed Derrick Tribble's, Wanderers in Time series and was honored to be a pre-reader for his newest tale, Anamatus.

The message in this tale showed the ugliness of sin, our selfish desires and the consequences of what could happen when we go against God’s purpose for our lives. In one way or another we all have been guilty of this. I really appreciated the heart of this tale and it's not one you will easily forget.

Karina, who you follow in her words, was a character that honestly grows on you. In the beginning you kind of don’t like her, she is selfish and pretty immature, but as you go on her adventure she becomes an unforgettable character that might go down as one of your favorites.

Anamatus is an original tale, set in a new futuristic world that feels very western… I don’t want to call it Steampunk, because it doesn’t quite fit that genre, but it has that fun feeling. I REALLY liked it.

The monster of the story was pretty well done. Living in the Sierra Nevada mountain's, a fear of mine while traveling in the forest is running into a ferocious mountain lion. This bronze puma was indeed fearsome and a good picture of sin. A lot of times your sin doesn't just effect you, but also those around you, which was clearly, sadly, and lovingly shown in this tale.

Being a Believer I know we all have been given special talents by God... some of us are artist, some of us our amazing sports players,, and some us are extremely good at school. These are just a few examples. Some of us waste our talents on futile things and some of us bless others with them and use them for God's glory. I liked that Anamatus showed glory for God and in the end how He holds all of our stories. Even when we go astray His story is always the ending whether we choose that or not!

As for the cover art and something I enjoy, is that it actually fits the story! It is sentimental and can be found on page 105. Maybe it will give you a smile, as it did me.

All in all I enjoyed this tale and would highly recommend it, especially to teenagers. We live in such a selfish world and if only we would let love, true love guild us...

A few cons… every book has them. ;-)
I wasn’t completely satisfied with the ending. Not that it was horrible… far from it! I just had a few questions unanswered.  Perhaps we will have a sequel in the future or maybe we should choose to answer those questions in our own imagination.  Also, there were a lot of different classes that I felt and took as being different kinds of Christians… not sure if this was the author’s purpose or not... maybe I'm overthinking.  A few personal things said by some characters I would disagree with... I'll leave that for the reader to decide. Because like our world there are indeed different kinds of believers and at times we see things differently. Some of those things really don't matter, while others greatly do!

Some of Karina's lovely rabbits. ;-)

You can purchase Anamatus here...

Amason Paperback

Amazon Kindle

Barnes and Noble

Counted with the Stars by Connilyn Cossette: Book Review and Giveaway...

A Story of Love, Desperation, and Hope During a Great Biblical Epoch

Sold into slavery by her father and forsaken by the man she was supposed to marry, young Egyptian Kiya must serve a mistress who takes pleasure in her humiliation. When terrifying plagues strike Egypt, Kiya is in the middle of it all.

To save her older brother and escape the bonds of slavery, Kiya flees with the Hebrews during the Great Exodus. She finds herself utterly dependent on a fearsome God she's only just beginning to learn about, and in love with a man who despises her people. With everything she's ever known swept away, will Kiya turn back toward Egypt or surrender her life and her future to Yahweh?

My Review
I was blessed to be able to be an advanced reader for this beautiful debut by Connilyn Cossette

I devoured it within days and even stayed up way past my bed time. ;-)

I highly recommend this tale and can see that Connilyn Cossette put a lot of hard work and heart into her story. I felt like I was in Egypt traveling right beside Kiya through her trails, finding true love and learning of Yahweh. I even learned some neat Egyptian history.

I LOVED this book and the only bad thing I can stay about it, is that I felt like the very end was a little rushed... it could be because I didn't want it to end.

I would recommend this beautiful tale to mature readers due to some topics that would not be appropriate to younger readers so I give it a PG-13 rating ( it mentions a few times about rape and has a few heavy war scenes. That kinda makes it sound like a really bad read, but I promise you it's not. It is indeed Christian, just not for kids.)

I cannot wait for book two, Shadow of the Storm coming this October.

Because I liked this book so much, I’m doing a GIVEAWAY! This will be for a paper back version and will be only available to those in the U.S.
Winner will be picked next Saturday May 7th.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Love Revolution: Anonymous Love...

Authentic beauty is not based on what we’re wearing or how we look, it flows out of our hearts and is a form of worship of our King. This beauty grows when we open our eyes to the hurting souls around us—our neighbors, our co-workers, our friends, our spouses, our children—and ask, “What can I do today to show them the love of Jesus?” The simplest act, even a kind word, is the first step toward a radiant beauty that will endear us in the eyes of the One who matters most.

Love/Dare Challenge Five:
Lets start August of with a burst of fun... how about a random act of kindness. I've had this couple on my heart for the last month and I want to treat them to a night out at the movies and I don't want them to know it's from me. So my challenge is to surprise someone with some kind of kindness. It could be homemade cookies or a small gift-card. Have fun with it, but make it anonymous. Write them a little note and tell them to pass the kindness on... maybe it will never end. ;-)

I give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another. By this shall all [men] know that you are My disciples, if you love one another [if you keep on showing love among yourselves]. - John 13:34-35

I need your help (YES that means YOU) because love can’t stay silent…

Lately there has been a lot of talk about “Love”. What is Love? Everywhere we turn there is something about “Love Wins” but is it really love or something else?

I’ve been aching to do this for some time, but I can’t do this alone. Dare to Love?

Join me in the Love Revolution every week and feel free to share your stories and ideas in the comment section below or email me at ryanheart89@comcast.net

Let's not just talk about love, let's practice real love.

For some, the only love they will ever see, will be from you. You will be their glimpse of God. What an awesome privilege and responsibility. As Christians we are His hands and feet, and sometimes His smile!

First Love Dare... What is Love?

Second Love Dare... Saying I Love You.

Third Love Dare... Another Chance.

Fourth Love Dare... Love in Action 

Fifth Love Dare... Anonymous Love...