The BookWorm Box- Review

I was absolutely over the moon when I got an email from The Bookworm Box that they were sending me a box to review for my blog! I've been coveting a box for quite some time now! A few days ago I was pulled over in front of my house checking the mailbox, and I spied a purple box on my porch! I was so excited to get in the house and dig into it!

First, though, a little background. The BookWorm Box was founded by my favorite author, Colleen Hoover. For $39.99 per month plus shipping (my box was sent Priority Mail for $8.45) you will receive 2 autographed books, at least one BookWorm item, plus fun book swag. New spots open each month, but usually sell out in just a few minutes. The neatest part about the box is that ALL profits are donated to charity! Different charities are chosen each period and you can find a list of past charities on their website.

I can't say enough good things about The BookWorm Box! I am grateful that I received a box to review and am glad to spread the word about this wonderful program!

The next time boxes will be open is June 12 at 12 Noon CST.

Now onto my box......
The box I received contained:

• Midnight Lily (signed) by Mia Sheridan
• Honesty (signed) by Seth King
• BookWorm Box goodies (bumper sticker, pen, and USB car charger adapter)
• Skye Warren button
• C.A. Newsome magnet
• Bookmarks from Jennifer McMahon and B. Brumley

Seth King is a new author to me, and his book Honestly has gotten great reviews.

I have several Mia Sheridan books on my Kindle that I have purchased based on fabulous reviews, but this isn't one that I owned. I think this is the sign I needed that I need to finally dig in to one of her books!

Release Pricing: Carolina Days Complete Series just 99 cents!!!!!

Carolina Days Series by Carey Heywood- all 3 Kindle books just 99 cents!

I have been a big fan of Carey Heywood's for a while now. I listed Him on my Top Book Favorites list last year and I absolutely love the Carolina Days series so I am so excited to spread the word that all three books are available for just 99 cents! This is a steal and I'm not sure how long this price will be around, so I'd hurry if I were you!

Book descriptions from Amazon:

~ The Other Side of Someday ~ 

Falling in love? Courtney Grayson has been there, done that. 
Men, who needs them? Love wasn’t everything she thought it would be. This time around, she’s doing things differently. She hasn’t sworn off men for good; she just isn’t interested in settling. Trusting someone with her heart again? Someday, but not today. 
Falling in love? Sorry, Clay Bradshaw is not the guy for you. 
He’s never been in love and he doesn’t see it happening. Hooking up can be fun, but more often than not, women are a distraction he doesn’t need. He’s a busy man, and doesn’t have time to date, let alone fall in love. Will someone ever change that? There’s always a chance, someday. 
Life doesn’t always go as planned, and love may find them both on the other side of someday.

~ Yesterday's Half Truths ~ 

She never thought it would go this far. 
It started out so innocently, but now has taken on a life of its own. Problem is, Lindsay Palmer doesn't know how to stop. Even worse, she doesn't want to stop. Her daily deceit has become both her greatest pleasure and deepest shame. Thousands of people love her, but would they if they knew the truth. 
A simple favor for his baby sister brings Lindsay into Luke Jamieson's life. There's something about this girl that keeps her on his mind hours and days after each time they meet. Now here he is, falling in love with a liar. All he wants is for her to let him in, and maybe together he can lead her out of the cage of her own construction. 
Will the truth set her free, or have her lies already destroyed everything? 

~ Chasing Daylight ~ 

Mitch Brooks exists day to day by keeping the world around him at arm’s length. There is no going back to the man he once was. That man is broken in a way there’s no fixing. Any hope beyond that is nothing but wishful thinking, until he meets her. 
McKenzie Williams needed an escape. The last thing she needed was a scary beautiful man beating down her door in the middle of the night. Now, if only their paths would stop crossing, she can convince herself she doesn’t feel a connection to him. Life has shown her the dreams she once held dear will never come true for her. 
Mitch struggles to get past the walls he’s built around himself, while McKenzie works to build hers brick by brick. When the outside world exposes the vulnerabilities in his façade, she abandons her own fears to stand by him. Will she be the one to save him from the darkness within him? Or will he forever be chasing daylight?

Monday is Release Day for Smut by Karina Halle

Monday, May 16 is release day for Karina Halle's Smut! I am looking forward to reading this!

  

What happens when the kink between the pages leads to heat between the sheets?

All Blake Crawford wants is to pass his creative writing course, get his university degree and take over his dad’s ailing family business. What Amanda Newland wants is to graduate at the top of her class, as well as finally finish her novel and prove to her family that writing is a respectful career.

What Blake and Amanda don’t want is to be paired up with each other for their final project but that’s exactly what they both get when they’re forced to collaborate on a writing piece. Since Amanda thinks Blake is a pushy asshole (with a panty-melting smirk and British accent) and Blake thinks Amanda has a stick up her ass (though it’s brilliant ass), they fight tooth and nail until they discover they write well together. They also might find each other really attractive, but that’s neither here nor there.

When their writing project turns out to be a success, the two of them decide to start up a secret partnership together using a pen name, infiltrating the self-publishing market in the lucrative genre of erotica. Naturally, with so much heat and passion between the pages, it’s not long before their dirty words become a dirty reality. Sure, they still fight a lot but at least there’s make-up sex now.

But even as they start to fall hard for each other, will their burgeoning relationship survive if their scandalous secret is exposed or are happily-ever-afters just a work of fiction?

   

iTunes | Nook | Kobo

         

  

Karina Halle is a former travel writer and music journalist and The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author of The Pact, Racing the Sun, Sins & Needles and over 25 other wild and romantic reads. She lives on an island off the coast of British Columbia with her husband and her rescue pup, where she drinks a lot of wine, hikes a lot of trails and devours a lot of books.

Halle is represented by the Waxman Leavell Agency and is both self-published and published by Simon Schuster and Hachette in North America and in the UK. Hit her up on Instagram at @authorHalle, on Twitter at @MetalBlonde and on Facebook. You can also visit www.authorkarinahalle.com and sign up for the newsletter for news, excerpts, previews, private book signing sales and more.

 FACEBOOK    TWITTER    GOODREADS    AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

 

Cover Reveal- True North Series by Sarina Bowen

Sarina Bowen is a one-click author for me, and I am so excited to help reveal the cover for Bittersweet, the first novel in The True North Series! These covers are GORGEOUS and I can't read to get started on this series!

BITTERSWEET (TRUE NORTH #1)

If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the orchard.

The last person Griffin Shipley expects to find stuck in a ditch on his Vermont country road is his ex-hookup. Five years ago they’d shared a couple of steamy nights together. But that was a lifetime ago. 

At twenty-seven, Griff is now the accidental patriarch of his family farm. Even his enormous shoulders feel the strain of supporting his mother, three siblings and a dotty grandfather. He doesn’t have time for the sorority girl who’s shown up expecting to buy his harvest at half price.

Vermont was never in Audrey Kidder’s travel plans. Neither was Griff Shipley. But she needs a second chance with the restaurant conglomerate employing her. Okay—a fifth chance. And no self-righteous lumbersexual farmer will stand in her way.

They’re adversaries. They want entirely different things from life. Too bad their sexual chemistry is as hot as Audrey’s top secret enchilada sauce, and then some.

Bittersweet is available for pre-order on iBooks, and scheduled to release on June 14, 2016.

Sarina also released the covers for the other two books in the series, Keepsake and Steadfast.

STEADFAST (TRUE NORTH #2)

Jude lost everything one spring day when he crashed his car into an apple tree on the side of the road. A man is dead, and there's no way he can ever right that wrong.

For Sophie Haines, Jude's sudden return to Colebury, Vermont, is an unwelcome distraction. It's not acceptable to still crave the man who killed your brother.

And it's a small town...

KEEPSAKE (TRUE NORTH #3)

Zach's book.

Here's where to find Sarina on social media:

http://www.sarinabowen.com/

https://www.facebook.com/authorsarinabowen

https://www.instagram.com/sarina.bowen/

https://twitter.com/SarinaBowen

https://www.pinterest.com/sarinabowen/

Release Day- My Picture Perfect Family by Marguerite Elisofon!

Today is release day for My Picture Perfect Family by Marguerite Elisofon! I wanted to tell you about a special event tomorrow where readers will be able to ask author Marguerite Elisofon questions during her livechat on Booktrib.com. The expanse of knowledge that Marguerite has will be a wonderful resource for any parents needing guidance in regards to Autism and other special needs. Click the picture below for a link to the livechat.

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MY PICTURE PERFECT FAMILY:

What Happens When One Twin has Autism

Marguerite Elisofon

Central Park Publishers; April 4, 2016

$14.95; 276 pages

ISBN: 978-1-938595-04-2
http://margueriteelisofon.com/ 



I was recently sent an advance copy of this book and I was so eager to read it! Although neither of my children are on the autism spectrum, both have dealt with one of the challenges that children on the spectrum sometimes deal with- Sensory Processing Disorder, as well as the resulting learning delays/disabilities. As I got further into the book, I also found that Elisofon's daughter Samantha, the twin on the spectrum, was also diagnosed with Exotropia- the same visual condition my son had.

In their family photos, the Elisofons look like they stepped out of a Hollywood movie—handsome father, beautiful mother, adorable son hugging his twin sister as she beams a radiant smile. The reality was quite different.

Out of the 11,600 children who were born today, some 171 will be diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). Receiving this news can be heartbreaking for parents whose fondest wish is to have a healthy child. Marguerite and Howard Elisofon were first alarmed, and then overwhelmed, when their daughter Samantha was diagnosed as being on the Spectrum. The family’s struggle to understand ASDs and find the optimal interventions—in the days before internet resources and autism parenting groups—are at the heart of the compelling memoir MY PICTURE PERFECT FAMILY: What Happens When One Twin has Autism by Marguerite Elisofon (Central Park Publishers; April 4, 2016).

Marguerite and Howard Elisofon eagerly anticipated starting a family. After receiving medical help to conceive, Marguerite joyfully found herself pregnant with twins. Born after only 33 weeks, Samantha’s introduction to the world was much more challenging than her brother’s. The differences between the twins continued to escalate after they left the hospital. The Elisofon’s overly sensitive infant daughter grew into a toddler who fell further and further behind her twin in language and cognitive development. Finally, at the urging of family members, they sought professional help and received the diagnosis they feared—their daughter was on the Autistic Spectrum.

MY PICTURE PERFECT FAMILY paints an engaging and at times heart-wrenching picture of the courage it takes to raise and advocate for a child who is far more than the sum of her ever-shifting diagnosis. Elisofon details the therapies, treatments, school searches and day-to-day victories of a little girl who so desperately wanted to fit into a world that didn’t understand her. She shares the considerable challenges met by the entire family including Samantha’s twin brother, Matthew. And she reveals the eventual triumphs as Samantha grows into a young woman who discovers a hidden gift for singing and pursues a college degree.

ASDs are the fastest growing developmental disabilities in the United States with an increase in diagnoses from 1 in 150 in 2000 to 1 in 68 in 2016 (1 in 42 for boys). Elisofon’s memoir is a stark reminder of the human being behind the diagnosis and the important work we must do in order to offer these children and young adults their best and brightest future.

“My Picture Perfect Family is the story of a family’s dedication to helping their daughter succeed against all odds. The explosive 10-year-old who made no eye contact, talked to imaginary friends and turned out the lights in my office, blossomed into a beautiful 18-year-old who was able to go to college.”

Dr. Harry Wachs,

Founder of the Vision & Conceptual Development Center,

co-author, Thinking Goes to School

For any parent who has dealt with parenting challenges, or any parent who know someone who has gone through a journey like the Elisofon family, this is an excellent and inspiring read. Interspersed with family pictures, Elisofon's story about Samantha's journey was touching and I absolutely cheered for Samantha's accomplishments after reading about her early difficulties. This is a must read!

Cover Reveal: The Ending I Want by Samantha Towle

So excited to share the cover for THE ENDING I WANT by Samantha Towle. This book 

releases on May 10th and I can't wait to read another Towle masterpiece!

Taylor Shaw had the perfect life—until she was sixteen. That was when everything changed. From that moment on, life went from bad to worse…to the worst. After recovering from a brain tumor, months later, she suffers the tragic loss of her whole family. Since that fateful day, she’s been coasting through life.

Now, the brain tumor has returned, and Taylor decides she’s had enough. She’s going to take her fate into her own hands. No more hospitals. No more surgeries. No more anything. She’s going to join her family. It’s her decision. What she longs for. The ending she wants.

She just has a list of things to do before she goes. First, go to England. Second, kiss a stranger…

Only, Taylor didn’t expect Liam Hunter, the stranger—with his handsome face, his six-foot-three of gorgeousness, and his oh-so-hot English accent—to change things. To change her. To change the ending she wanted.

What is a girl, who is standing on the edge of nothing, to do when offered the chance of everything?

Release Date: May 10, 2016

Cover Designed by: Najla Qamber Designs

New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal and international bestselling author Samantha Towle began her first novel in 2008 while on maternity leave. She completed the manuscript five months later and hasn't stopped writing since.

She has written contemporary romances, THE MIGHTY STORM, WETHERING THE STORM, TAMING THE STORM, TROUBLE, REVVED and REVIVED.

She has also written paranormal romances, THE BRINGER and the ALEXANDRA JONES SERIES, all penned to tunes of The Killers, Kings of Leon, Adele, The Doors, Oasis, Fleetwood Mac, and more of her favourite musicians.

A native of Hull and a graduate of Salford University, she lives with her husband, Craig, in East Yorkshire with their son and daughter.

Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads

Why Now? by Carey Heywood Released Today!

Title: Why Now?
Author: Carey Heywood

Release Date: March 22, 2016

Find on Goodreads

He was my everything.
I loved him.
For over twenty years.
And everyone knew, including him.
But he never loved me back.
Not once.
Not ever.
So I moved on.
Until now.
Now he's back, and wants to make me his.
He's everything I've ever wanted.
I should be happy.
But there's one problem.
My fiancé.

My review: 4.5 stars!

I've been a fan of Carey Heywood's writing since I discovered Him/Her/Them and the Carolina Days series. I was excited to hear that she was starting a new series.

The thing I always love about Heywood's writing is how her tone is so conversational. I always feel like I am chatting with a friend who is telling me a story as I am reading. These characters are so real! I wasn't sure what to expect when I read the blurb, and was worried I might be turned-off by what I thought would be a typical love triangle, but the story ended up being so much MORE than I expected. There are layers to the story that make it so much deeper. And now, Jake is definitely on my Book Boyfriend list!

I was so excited to find out at the end that there is another book in this series being released later this year! Cannot wait!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks

On sale for $2.99 for a limited time!

New York Times & USA Today bestselling author with 13 books out and many more to come. She was born and raised in Alexandria, Virginia. Ever the mild-manner citizen, Carey spend her days working in the world of finance, and at night, she retreats into the lives of her fictional characters.

Supporting her all the way are her husband, three sometimes-adorable children, their nine-pound attack Yorkie and their needy Ninja cat.

Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads

Cover Reveal: Why Now? by Carey Heywood

Title: Why Now?

Author: Carey Heywood

Release Date: March 22, 2016

Find on Goodreads

 Title: Why Now?

Author: Carey Heywood

Release Date: March 22, 2016

Find on Goodreads

He was my everything.
I loved him.
For over twenty years.
And everyone knew, including him.
But he never loved me back.
Not once.
Not ever.
So I moved on.
Until now.
Now he's back, and wants to make me his.
He's everything I've ever wanted.
I should be happy.
But there's one problem.
My fiancé.

Prologue

The puppy, all bones and scruff trembled in my arms as I shielded him from those horrible boys. It was his desperate cries that drew me to them. The boys, Marco, Henry, and Nelson had him cornered. They were taking turns trying to light his tail on fire, patches of it already burnt by the time I got between them and him.

Those boys were bullies. On the bus, they’d trip kids who walked past them and pull the hair of any girl unlucky enough to be sitting within arms reach. I hated them but since they were bigger than me I was smart enough to avoid them.

I wasn’t avoiding them now. A thought didn’t even enter my brain when I saw them hurting that puppy. My legs took over and I ran, crossing the street and knocking the lighter out of Marco’s hand. He tried to push me away but I managed to avoid his hands and crouch next to the little dog.

It was at this moment I realized my mistake. How was I going to stop them from taking him from me, and beating me up after they had him? I should have gotten a grown up.

“Move bitch,” Nelson growled.

His words were so harsh I flinched as if struck. Still, I shook my head and shifted the puppy so he was further away from them. They moved closer.

“Go away and I won’t tell,” I shouted, too scared to look at any of them.

“You won’t tell after we’re done with you,” Marco grumbled stepping even closer.

Fear, true fear hit me. Each of these boys was twice my size. If I was lucky I could get away from one of them but no way I’d be able to avoid all three.

In vain I kicked out at Nelson. He stepped to the left, easily avoiding my foot. Pulling my leg back I was about to try and kick again when his foot connected with my side. The force of it pushed the air from my chest. I was breathless and weightless, my body lifting up off of the ground.

Rocks bit into my knees as I reconnected with the earth. He kicked me. My mind was still reeling from the shock of the pain and terror at what his next kick could do when I heard a shout that almost sounded like a roar from across the street.

My face turned and I watched in amazement as Jake Whitmore, the older brother of my classmate Reilly charged across the street toward us. Nelson paled but didn’t run. Why would he? There were three of them and only one of Jake. Nelson opened his mouth but before he could say anything Jake decked him in the face, so hard that his nose started bleeding.

The pain in my side forgotten I sat, pulling the puppy into my lap and watched as he took down Marco next. Henry tried to hit him but missed and Jake hit him so hard he fell down. Nelson straightened, wiping the blood from his face.

“You like picking on little girls?” Jake asked, lifting two hands to push Nelson in the chest. Nelson didn’t reply, instead he tried to punch him. His fist connected with the Jake’s chest but it didn’t seem to hurt him. He returned the punch and Nelson ended up on the ground.

Once the three of the bullies stopped fighting back and stayed on the ground Jake came over to help me up. “You okay Killer?” His grip was warm and solid around my hand. My lip trembled as I gazed up at him. His chest rose and fell as he caught his breath. My handsome hero.

That was when I fell in love with Jake Whitmore.

New York Times & USA Today bestselling author with 13 books out and many more to come. She was born and raised in Alexandria, Virginia. Ever the mild-manner citizen, Carey spend her days working in the world of finance, and at night, she retreats into the lives of her fictional characters.

Supporting her all the way are her husband, three sometimes-adorable children, their nine-pound attack Yorkie and their needy Ninja cat.

Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads

Review: My Picture Perfect Family by Marguerite Elisofon

MY PICTURE PERFECT FAMILY:

What Happens When One Twin has Autism

Marguerite Elisofon

Central Park Publishers; April 4, 2016

$14.95; 276 pages

ISBN: 978-1-938595-04-2
http://margueriteelisofon.com/ 

I was recently sent an advance copy of this book and I was so eager to read it! Although neither of my children are on the autism spectrum, both have dealt with one of the challenges that children on the spectrum sometimes deal with- Sensory Processing Disorder, as well as the resulting learning delays/disabilities. As I got further into the book, I also found that Elisofon's daughter Samantha, the twin on the spectrum, was also diagnosed with Exotropia- the same visual condition my son had.

In their family photos, the Elisofons look like they stepped out of a Hollywood movie—handsome father, beautiful mother, adorable son hugging his twin sister as she beams a radiant smile. The reality was quite different.

Out of the 11,600 children who were born today, some 171 will be diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). Receiving this news can be heartbreaking for parents whose fondest wish is to have a healthy child. Marguerite and Howard Elisofon were first alarmed, and then overwhelmed, when their daughter Samantha was diagnosed as being on the Spectrum. The family’s struggle to understand ASDs and find the optimal interventions—in the days before internet resources and autism parenting groups—are at the heart of the compelling memoir MY PICTURE PERFECT FAMILY: What Happens When One Twin has Autism by Marguerite Elisofon (Central Park Publishers; April 4, 2016).

Marguerite and Howard Elisofon eagerly anticipated starting a family. After receiving medical help to conceive, Marguerite joyfully found herself pregnant with twins. Born after only 33 weeks, Samantha’s introduction to the world was much more challenging than her brother’s. The differences between the twins continued to escalate after they left the hospital. The Elisofon’s overly sensitive infant daughter grew into a toddler who fell further and further behind her twin in language and cognitive development. Finally, at the urging of family members, they sought professional help and received the diagnosis they feared—their daughter was on the Autistic Spectrum.

MY PICTURE PERFECT FAMILY paints an engaging and at times heart-wrenching picture of the courage it takes to raise and advocate for a child who is far more than the sum of her ever-shifting diagnosis. Elisofon details the therapies, treatments, school searches and day-to-day victories of a little girl who so desperately wanted to fit into a world that didn’t understand her. She shares the considerable challenges met by the entire family including Samantha’s twin brother, Matthew. And she reveals the eventual triumphs as Samantha grows into a young woman who discovers a hidden gift for singing and pursues a college degree.

ASDs are the fastest growing developmental disabilities in the United States with an increase in diagnoses from 1 in 150 in 2000 to 1 in 68 in 2016 (1 in 42 for boys). Elisofon’s memoir is a stark reminder of the human being behind the diagnosis and the important work we must do in order to offer these children and young adults their best and brightest future.

“My Picture Perfect Family is the story of a family’s dedication to helping their daughter succeed against all odds. The explosive 10-year-old who made no eye contact, talked to imaginary friends and turned out the lights in my office, blossomed into a beautiful 18-year-old who was able to go to college.”

Dr. Harry Wachs,

Founder of the Vision & Conceptual Development Center,

co-author, Thinking Goes to School

For any parent who has dealt with parenting challenges, or any parent who know someone who has gone through a journey like the Elisofon family, this is an excellent and inspiring read. Interspersed with family pictures, Elisofon's story about Samantha's journey was touching and I absolutely cheered for Samantha's accomplishments after reading about her early difficulties. This is a must read!

Coming Soon: Rookie Move by Sarina Bowen

COMING SEPTEMBER 6th: A sexy new hockey series from Sarina Bowen.

I am a BIG fan of Sarina Bowen's Ivy Years series! In fact, I listed the first book in the series, The Year We Fell Down, in a favorites post a few months ago. In the last book in that series, The Fifteenth Minute, we were introduced to Leo Trevi and given a bit of the back story about his high school girlfriend, Georgia. I am so glad we get to read more about them in Rookie Move: A Brooklyn Bruisers Novel!

In high school they were the perfect couple—until the day Georgia left Leo in the cold... Hockey player Leo Trevi has spent the last six years trying to do two things: get over the girl who broke his heart, and succeed in the NHL. But on the first day he’s called up to the newly franchised Brooklyn Bruisers, Leo gets checked on both sides, first by the team’s coach—who has a long simmering grudge, and then by the Bruisers’ sexy, icy publicist—his former girlfriend Georgia Worthington. Saying goodbye to Leo was one of the hardest things Georgia ever had to do—and saying hello again isn’t much easier. Georgia is determined to keep their relationship strictly professional, but when a press conference microphone catches Leo declaring his feelings for her, things get really personal, really fast... 

"Romantic and hilarious, Rookie Move will hook you from page one. Nobody does hockey like Sarina Bowen." --Elle Kennedy, New York Times bestselling author of the Off Campus series. 

Pre-Order Links: Amazon iBooks Kobo Google

Sarina is also hosting a giveaway for a signed paperback (reader's choice) and the right to name a teammate in Brooklyn Bruisers #2.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Reading Material

This week I finished the newest Sophie Kinsella book, Wedding Night, and it was so good! Kinsella writes excellent brain-candy chic lit, and I'm a sucker for anything British. This is another stand-alone, non-Becky Bloomwood book, and although I do love Becky, Kinsella's other characters are my favorites.

My love for the Brits is probably why I am so excited for Helen Fielding's upcoming Bridget Jones installment, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy. I am sure it will be VG.  

But back to my roots..... I'm also excited about the new cookbook from Oklahoma's own Ree Drummond. The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays: 140 Step-by-Step Recipes for Simple, Scrumptious Celebrations will be out in late October. And let's just be honest, but I just *read* these. Like keep them on my nightstand and look at the pictures and read them. Isn't that funny? Her books are beautiful.

I also ordered the next book that Proverbs 31 Ministries has chosen for their next Online Bible Study. I absolutely loved doing the last OBS and cannot wait for the one on Renee Swope's A Confident Heart, Learning to Live in the Power of God's Promises to begin.

What are you reading these days?