Don't Become "Such" A Person...

But understand this, that in the last days will come (set in) perilous times of great stress and trouble [hard to deal with and hard to bear].

For people will be lovers of self and [utterly] self-centered, lovers of money and aroused by an... inordinate [greedy] desire for wealth, proud and arrogant and contemptuous boasters. They will be abusive (blasphemous, scoffing), disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane.

[They will be] without natural [human] affection (callous and inhuman), relentless (admitting of no truce or appeasement); [they will be] slanderers (false accusers, troublemakers), intemperate and loose in morals and conduct, uncontrolled and fierce, haters of good.

[They will be] treacherous [betrayers], rash, [and] inflated with self-conceit. [They will be] lovers of sensual pleasures and vain amusements more than and rather than lovers of God.

For [although] they hold a form of piety (true religion), they deny and reject and are strangers to the power of it [their conduct belies the genuineness of their profession]. Avoid [all] such people [turn away from them]. ~2 Timothy 3:1-5

LET US NOT BECOME such a person! Do not let your heart turn ugly from this mad crazy world. Stand bold in the Light and hold onto the truth! There is indeed still beauty around us EVERY day. Turn off the media and step out. Love one another and care for those around you. Every person that is in your life, is in your life for a reason. Don't pass up any opportunity to share the ultimate gift. Don't forget what you were created for! You have a great purpose... if you choose it

Team Novel Teen: Anomaly by Krista McGee...

About the book
Age Range: 14+
Genre: dystopian
Part of a Series: book one in the Anomaly series
Author: Krista McGee
Pages: 303
Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Thalli has fifteen minutes and twenty-three seconds to live. The toxic gas that will complete her annihilation is invading her bloodstream. But she is not afraid.

Decades before Thalli’s birth, the world was decimated by a nuclear war. But life continued deep underground, thanks to a handful of scientists known as The Ten. There they created genetically engineered human beings who are free of emotions in the hope that war won’t threaten the world again.

Thalli is an anomaly, born with the ability to feel emotions and a sense of curiosity she can barely contain. She has survived so far by hiding her differences. But then her secret is discovered when she’s overwhelmed by the emotion of an ancient piece of music.

The Ten quickly schedule her annihilation, but her childhood friend, Berk—a scientist being groomed by The Ten—convinces them to postpone her death and study her instead. While in the Scientists’ Pod, Thalli and Berk form a dangerous alliance, one strictly forbidden by the constant surveillance.

As her life ticks a way, she hears rumors of someone called the Designer—someone even more powerful than The Ten. What’s more, the parts of her that have always been an anomaly could in fact be part of a much larger plan. And the parts of her that she has always guarded could be the answer she’s been looking for all along.
Thalli must sort out what to believe and who to trust, before her time runs out.

My Review

All in all I really liked Anomaly. I loved the characters, especially Thalli, Berk, and John. I loved the story theme of love and "true" love, and I really loved the Christian touch throughout the book.

I am not usually a fan of dystopian, in fact I kind of hate it. Anomaly was for sure dystopian, but full of a lot of hope and beauty. Fans of dystopian will be sure to enjoy it also, but those who don't normally enjoy this genre might be surprised by it... I sure was.

This book is very Christian, the story theme is based on it so I highly doubt non Christians will enjoy it and those who don't liked to be "preached" to might not either. Personally I was really touched by the Christian message within it.

Anomaly was a beautiful read, with a lovely message. I highly recommend it and I greatly look forward to book two, Luminary, which comes out  January 7, 2014.


To purchase Anomaly go to... Amazon Paperback  or Amazon Kindle

To find our more about the author Krista McGee: http://www.kristamcgeebooks.com/

Become a fan on her Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/krista.a.mcgee

Be sure to see what others are saying about Anomaly...
Team Novel Teen is a group of bloggers dedicated to spreading the word about clean teen fiction. Check out other posts about Anomaly by Krista McGee by clicking on the links below

ADD Librarian • http://addlibrarian.wordpress.com/
Audacious Reader • http://audaciousreader.wordpress.com/
Blooming with Books • http://www.bloomingwithbooks.webs.com/
Bookworm Reading • http://bookwormreading.blogspot.com/
Christian Book Review Blog • http://christianbookreviewblog.blogspot.com/
CTF Devourer • http://www.ctfdevourer.com/
Jill Williamson • http://www.jillwilliamson.com/jill-williamsons-blog/
Katie Clark Writes • http://www.katieclarkwrites.com/apps/blog/
Katie McCurdy • http://katie-mccurdy.blogspot.com/
The Life of a Teenage Writer • http://katelynthekreative.blogspot.com
The Ramblings of a Young Author • http://www.ramblingsbybethany.blogspot.com
Realm of Hearts • http://realmofhearts.blogspot.com/
Shadow Writer World • http://shadowwriterworld.blogspot.com/
Worthy2Read • http://worthy2read.wordpress.com/
Writing in Summertime • http://writinginsummertime.blogspot.co.uk/
 
In conjunction with the Team Novel Teen Blog Tour, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.  I was not required to write a positive review. Thank you, Jill Williamson and Thomas Nelson!

September Obstacle: Characters in Costume Challenge...

I joined the fun September Characters in Costume Challenge, that the talented Gillian Adams has lovingly put together. 

This month we're focusing on our obstacle characters.

What is an obstacle character? 

Good question because I didn't know until I joined this challenge.

An obstacle character is any character who stands in the way of the protagonist as he/she moves toward his/her goal. Obstacle characters are generally not the main antagonist, but could be anyone from a villain's minion to a random stranger in the street to the protagonist's best friend. Regardless of who the obstacle character is, his/her beliefs or own desires or goals set him/her in the protagonist's way.

Challenge Guidelines: It's quite simple, really.

Pick one of your obstacle characters. Or, if you're not a writer, or not currently writing a story, feel free to choose an obstacle character from one of your favorite books.

Find a costume that fits your character and take a picture of yourself in said costume (and in character - i.e. if your character is prone to scowling, don't smile in the picture.)

Post the picture on your blog or somewhere online where the other Challenge members can see it. 

Feel free to write a little bit about your character too, or if it's a character from someone else's book, tell us why you chose that character!

 

Pretty cool huh?

Todays character is Gretella from my book The Realm of Hearts, book one of my series The Chronicles of the Key Holders.

(Yes that's me in the picture... hehe. And no it's not my best Photoshop job, but it was fun. I also don't have lovely red hair, but Gretella does.)

Gretella is not only an obstacle character for my protagonist (main character) in book one of my series The Chronicles of the Key Holders, but she is also in book two. I wouldn't exactly call her a villain, but she isn't exactly good either. She's a "I don't know what I'm going to do next" kind of character.

Gretella's best friend is a sea dragon named Ormanda, who only obeys her commands and runs off of her masters emotions.

She is deadly in the art of sai, the weapon choice of her country.

Following in her twin brothers footsteps in hopes of not losing him, she pushes aside her own hearts desires in order to stay close to the last person in her family, even if that means hurting friends. Gretella struggles to do what is right, but doesn't always see what "right" should be. 

Gretella is in all three books of The Chronicles of the Key Holders. She is most definitely an obstacle character because she likes to throw a wrench into things and I like her for that.


 I don't want to give too much away so I'll stop there. Be sure to check out the other participants in this fun challenge. Thank you Gillian for letting me join in again on the fun and for putting it together. I hope to join in on your next character challenge. I'll be sure to give more teasers on TROH.

For those of you  that are interested in finding our more about TROH please "Like" my facebook page.

Review and GIVEAWAY: The Glimpse by Grant Carroll...

A few months back I was given an awesome opportunity and blessing by an author. Grant Carroll wrote me an email and asked if I would be interested in reviewing his book, The Glimpse.  I had never heard of it and I’m not sure if I would have come across it if he didn’t write me. This book was incredible and I don’t say that lightly.

About the book:
Author: Grant Carroll

Book: The Glimpse

Page Range: 211

Genre: Christian Fiction

Age Range: youth, young adults, parents, church leaders and the Christian Church at large. Its message is for you.

The Dream
In 2007, God gave Grant Carroll a critical end times message for the American church through a chilling dream his wife had. Not long after, he began to notice uncanny similarities between the dream and real world events happening to Christians in the news. Grant felt led to turn the dream into a piece of Christian fiction that would grab people's attention, so they would understand the dire warning of coming persecution, before it's too late. That story is called The Glimpse, and it's for youth, young adults, parents, church leaders and the Christian Church at large. Its message is for you.

Story Synopsis
Austin Kelly is about to learn a lesson: Be careful when you pray for God to change you, because He answers prayer. Even though he's a Sunday School teacher, Austin's faith in Jesus Christ is no match for his fear of rejection from others. Lizzie Kelly has more courage than her husband, but struggles to find fulfillment and meaning in her job at their church. The couple's friends aren't faring much better. Computer tech Daniel Cabrera fights disappointment with the direction his career has taken, and even more frustration with the church youth he teaches. His wife, Jackie, strives to maintain a sense of control over her life, but it's quickly faltering. Faced with churches dying across New York City, the four Christian teachers have a cry in their hearts for their lives to make a difference. God answers their cry by throwing them into a world that looks like a nightmare version of the United States. Everything is so similar, yet totally different, starting with the fact that Christians are nearly extinct after decades of persecution. They soon discover it is a fascist nation, where anyone who professes faith in Christ risks their life. The four travelers encounter a group of teenagers that turn out to be one of the last surviving churches, led by their high school teacher, Eric Peterson. With no visible way to get home, Austin, Lizzie and their friends join the underground church in their fight to spread the Gospel while avoiding the National Police. Their task is made even more difficult when revival breaks out in the local high school and draws unwanted attention, but they know they can't stop until their work is complete and the Lord makes a way for them to go home...if there is one.

  



From the Author
Growing up, I never saw myself writing Christian books, much less Christian fiction, but I've learned that sometimes God gives us dreams we never could have imagined ourselves. For most authors, a book starts off as an idea that grows over time into a storyline. For me, it was quite different. Early one morning, my wife woke me up saying she had just experienced the most vivid dream in her life, and she went on to tell me every detail. Her dream went on to become the outline for The Glimpse. I feel that I am just as much a scribe as a writer in this instance. While this story is not intended to give predictions of the future, the Lord has shown me several reasons why this story is so important and relevant to the American church right now.

•70-80% of Christian youth leave the Church once they reach college age. The result is that the American Church body is slowly dying out.

•For those in the Millennial generation  (born from 1982 to 2002) fewer than 1% hold to a biblical worldview. God's Word is no longer seen as absolute truth.

•There have been several instances in recent news where Christians in America were persecuted for publicly preaching the Gospel.

My prayer is that this book will make an impact on Christianity in America, and around the world for the sake of Christ's Kingdom. It's a big goal, but with God all things are possible.

Biography
I am a husband to my vivacious wife Nikki, proud father of four gorgeous children and owner of 3 vicious Chihuahuas. I love to write. I grew up in a little town called Claude, Texas and began writing poetry when I was a preteen. My poetry was published when I was 14. I began writing professionally in 2005. I wrote website content and believe me, it was nothing special.

In 2007, God placed a burden for the next generation on my heart. I began writing Christian plays to minster to the youth. Late in 2007, my wife and I started Child Refuge (www.childrefuge.org) to fight sexual abuse through awareness, prevention and empowerment.

We are currently launching a movement called Wear Christ on Your Sleeve (www.WearChristOnYourSleeve.com) to empower Christian youth and young adults to proudly wear the name of Jesus and live a Christ-like life.

 I'm excited to see where God is taking me and vigorously writing the words He tells me to. I never imagined that God would use my writing for His glory. I'm on an exciting journey with God. It takes trust and endurance, but I'm humbled to be in this race.

 My Review
This book had me intrigued from page one to the very end. The Glimpse is not a read that will leave you when the last words are done… it will move you and shape your faith into something greater.

This book had a lot of topics I’ve been thinking hard on this year. America is changing and not for the better. Christians are failing by not stepping out in faith and standing for the truth. Churches are dying… not just here, but everywhere. There are things in this book that are happening right now and things that might just come to be. It gave me goose bumps, but also made me want to rise up.

The Glimpse is a wakeup call to all us Christians and we really need to wake up. The church is just one generation from dying… one generation! I recently heard that the ages of 18 to 31 are known as the dead age. Meaning that is the biggest age group for having no faith and no God. Where did we fail?

The ending was bittersweet, you might just shed a few tears; I sure did. I was not expecting some of the shockers that were exposed at the end, but it truly tied the book together. Very well written Mr. Carroll.

We need to shine that Light that has been given to us and use every day as an opportunity to minister to others. Time is short, souls are being lost, and people are hungry.

I can honestly say I’m not the same after reading this. This book lit a fire in me and it won’t be blown out!

Because I like this book so much and I mean SO much, I’m doing a giveaway. One of you can win a free paperback copy.  Just enter the Rafflecopter below for chances to win and please tell your family and friends.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For those of you that would like to purchase The Glimpse please go to

http://www.amazon.com/The-Glimpse-Grant-Austin-Carroll/dp/0615644783/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375931344&sr=8-1&keywords=the+glimpse

Or

http://www.amazon.com/Glimpse-Vision-Americas-Future-ebook/dp/B0084QSNE2/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1375933102

The price is quite a steal for both e-book and paperback.

For more information on the author and The Glimpse please follow these links…

www.facebook.com/theglimpsebook

www.ChildRefuge.org

www.youtube.com/user/childrefuge

 I received a copy of this book from the author. I was not entitled to share a positive review. Thank you Grant Carroll for blessing me with an incredible tale! Your kindness will never be forgotten.

GIVEAWAY Merlin's Blade by Robert Treskillard...

About the book:

Author: Robert Treskillard
Series: The Merlin Spiral
Book One: Merlin's Blade
Pages:432 pages
Publisher: Zondervan

Genre: Fantasy/ YA/ Christian

Age Range: 14+

 A Strange Meteorite

A meteorite crashes near a small village in Britain and brings a mysterious black stone. Two worlds collide—Druids and Christians—and the stone is at the center of the conflict.

A Sinister Enchantment

Its lurid flames tempt and ensnare everyone except young Merlin, the blind son of a swordsmith. Soon, his village and all of Britain will be under its power.

And Only Merlin Can Destroy It

Merlin must face his fear, his disfigurement, and his blindness to take hold of the role ordained for him. But when he is surrounded by adversaries, with hope nearly lost, how will he save the girl he cherishes and rid Britain of this deadly evil ... without losing his life?
 

My Review:

I knew Merlin's Blade was going to be good, but I didn't expect it to be this good! This was truly an epic tale and not one to pass by.

I've been eagerly awaiting for Merlin's Blade for a few years now. I was given a few teasers, which pulled me into wanting to read more of it.

I must admit I'm not really a King Arthur fan, especially a Merlin fan. He's usually always portrayed as a wizard or some freaky old dude. Mr. Treskillard's Merlin was... unique and beautiful.  I really loved his version of Merlin from the very  beginning to the end. Truly a great character!

I have noticed that a few reviews have complained about it's length. I personally found it to be just right and read it all in three days. I couldn't pull myself away from it. Four hundred and thirty two pages is a lot, but the book itself is small, making it thicker.

Mr. Treskillard is a very talented man and it shines throughout his book. A neat fact on the cover art, he personally casted and created that beautiful sword. Ya, I'm amazed too. He'll be doing a giveaway in the near future on one similar.

Personally I wouldn't recommend this book for anyone younger than 14. It has nothing sexual or any cursing/bad words in it, just some graphic war scenes. I sort of cringed over them due to Mr. Treskillard fantastic way of pulling you into his story. It also held a lot of symbolic undertones that I believe wouldn't be completely understood by a younger reader. I love the Christian messages woven through out.

The only thing I can kind of say I didn't like about the book was the ending. The ending was good, yet I felt like some things with Merlin could have been held off. Certain things were given to me too quickly for a series. I wanted it, yet I could have waited for it... perhaps. ;-) I'm not sure how far time passes in book two, so maybe that's why certain things were given earlier.

Merlin's Blade was truly an excellent read and one I would highly recommend. Because I enjoyed this tale so much I'm doing a giveaway. To join in the giveaway please follow the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

To purchase Merlin's Blade follow this amazon link (Paperback)

Ebook version is on sale for a great price (Kindle)

Authors websites: http://www.epictales.org/blog/robertblog.php

and http://www.kingarthur.org.uk/feastinghall/ remember you can win that epic sword, Contest details are coming soon.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and author. I was not required to write a positive review. Thank you!