THE BREATHLESS

by

TARA GOEDJEN

I have never read a Gothic mystery but I am a huge fan of supernatural books so I was not sure if I would enjoy this book. However, I have found that I had a hard time putting it down. 

Set in Alabama in a decaying mansion Mae is a very strong character and Cage is the guy accused of murdering her sister. When he returns almost a year after Ro's death with no memory of what happened. He sets out to try to remember what happened to her. Running from Sonny and Childers makes it very difficult for him to try to discover what took place. But he finds a friend in Mae, and she believes that he did not harm Ro. I found this book to be very creepy but not scary at all. For me it was a little weird in places but that made the book even more appealing. I am looking forward to more from this Author and was amazed that this is a first book. I give this book 4 stars and look forward to reading it again.

I received this book compliments of @bloggingforbooks #bloggingforbooks 

A PRAIRIE GIRLS FAITH

A PRAIRIE GIRL'S FAITH

Stephen W. Hines

I have been a fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the Little House series of books since I was a child, so it just made sense that I would want to read this. I thought that it would be about her spirituality and not much else but I was wrong. It actually gave a more in depth look at her life, and that is what I loved the most. 

This book gives you insight into Laura Ingalls life from an early age and into her later years. It also touches upon the relationship between herself and her daughter. This is a book that I have added to my library of books. It is something that I will read again and again. I give it 4 stars.

#bloggingforbooks @bloggingforbooks 

I received this book compliments of blogging for books.

 https://www.amazon.com/Prairie-Girls-Faith-Spiritual-Ingalls/dp/0735289786

God Gave Us Family

 Lisa Tawn Bergren (Author), David Hohn (Illustrator)

https://www.amazon.com/Gave-Family-Lisa-Tawn-Bergren/product-reviews/1601428766/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_show_all_btm?ie=UTF8&reviewerType=all_reviews

“Whenever somebody is loving and caring for another, that’s a family,” Mama tells Little Pup in Lisa Tawn Bergren’s children’s book, God Gave Us Family.

We enjoyed this book very much. My grandson is seven and I felt it was perfect for helping him understand the dynamics of a family. It discusses the many different types of families and explains how we are all a part of God's family. It also helps a child to understand why he/she should love the family that they have. 

This book opened us up for conversation and that is hard sometimes as he isn't open to discussing things like this. He was asking questions and we had a very in depth discussion about our family. The illustrations are very well done. Meant for ages 3 to 8 I felt that "God Gave Us Family" was a perfect fit for our family. The wording in this book was also great for my seven year old to read by himself as there weren't any large words. However, I would read it together as a family as it opens up a lot of opportunities for discussion. I would give this book 5 stars as we love it.

I received this book via Blogging for Books.

#bloggingforbooks @bloggingforbooks 

FACE MASKS

I have actually found a facebook page that I love so I started following it. I am including the link at the bottom and I give credit to these recipes for face masks to them. They are always posting awesome content so feel free to check them out. Now on to the good stuff. #kutemax

Pumpkin Face Mask

I have tried this recipe and it is amazing. Pumpkins are full of Vitamin A and Antioxidant Vitamin C as well as Zinc so this mask just makes sense when you use it on your face. I have been using this mask every three days for almost 2 weeks and the results are awesome. Try it for yourself and let me know how it goes..

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of canned pumpkin

1 teaspoon of honey

1/2 teaspoon of milk

Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients.

Apply to a clean face in circular motions and make sure to avoid the eye area.

Leave the mask on for 15- 20 minutes, then rinse it off with warm water.

Nutmeg & Cinnamon Face Mask

Nutmeg has anti-inflammatory properties and can actually help to reduce pore size and diminish acne spots and scars. Cinnamon acts natural exfoliant and antiseptic. When these spices are combined with honey, it creates a skin healing mask.

A word of caution though: Nutmeg can be harsh on skin -- especially sensitive skin -- so be sure to try the mask out on a small patch of skin before applying it all over.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of honey

1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg

Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients.

Apply to a clean face very gently in circular motions and be careful to avoid the eye area. Do not rub or scrub it in as it can easily cause irritation, especially if you have sensitive skin.

Leave the mask on for up to 20 minutes, then rinse it off with warm water.

Sugar & Spice Body Scrub

You already know how great cinnamon and pumpkin are for your skin, but when combined with brown sugar, a natural exfoliant, this scrub will leave your skin feeling smooth and refreshed.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of canned pumpkin

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients.

Apply all over your body (concentrate on areas where your skin is driest), avoiding the face and scrub gently to exfoliate.

Rinse off scrub with warm water and pat dry.

Cranberry Face Mask

Cranberries are naturally rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin K and plenty of other antioxidants, which will keep your skin looking healthy and even decrease dark circles. This power-packed berry also acts as a natural toner, and when combined with moisture-rich honey and yogurt, creates a soothing mask.

Ingredients:

6-7 crushed cranberries (fresh, not canned!)

1 teaspoon of honey

1 teaspoon of plain yogurt

Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients.

Apply to a clean face in circular motions, avoiding the eye area.

Leave the mask on for 15 minutes, then rinse it off gently with warm water.

Mask recipes are compliments of #kutemax 
https://www.facebook.com/kutemaxusa

THE FIFTH PETAL by BRUNONIA BARRY

THE FIFTH PETAL

by

BRUNONIA BARRY

Set in 2014 Salem, Massachusetts, a young boy dies and Rose Whelan is again under suspicion. But that is nothing new as public opinion held her responsible for the murders of the Goddess murders in 1989. Rafferty, the Chief of Police is tasked with the investigation and it quickly becomes apparent that the murders are linked. Vengeance for past wrongs are the basis for the plot of this book, but who is willing to commit murder? 

I could not put this book down. I just finished it and I want to read it again. You have to pay attention to this book as it delves deeply into lore and legend. I found myself wanting to fact check the legends for myself. I found this to be a great read if your into occult genres. 

I received this book via Blogging for Books for testing purposes. 

#bloggingforbooks #awesomeread 

HERE AND GONE BY HAYLEN BECK

HERE AND GONE

by

HAYLEN BECK

Audra is fleeing an abusive marriage with her children and just wants to reach California.

However, after being pulled over by a sheriff things start to get really weird. Her children disappear and no one believes her. Across the country a man hears the reports and since he experienced something like this he is drawn into the fight. 

This book was a page turner that I could not put down. I had this book read within a week and have read it over and over again. The plot sucks you in and keeps you intrigued. I found this book to be very enjoyable. 

I received this book free via #bloggingforbooks @bloggingforbooks

WHEN GOD MADE YOU

by

MATTHEW PAUL TURNER

I was very interested in this book as my child, who is seven, has ADHD, ODD, and anxiety. He has no friends and struggles with social skills. I wanted to give him the idea that he is special and he has a place in this world. I thought that this book might help him to see that, it is working.

This book reminds me of a Dr. Seuss book in its rhyming. It uses beautiful words and photos to capture your child's attention. This book captivated my child even though he thought it was for a girl, hehehe. It also opened us up to a conversation about how unique he is and how he has a special purpose in this life. My favorite phrase in this book is "A dreamer who dreams in big and small themes, one who keeps dreaming in journeys upstream."

This is a book I would recommend for any child. I wish I had known about it sooner so that I could have been reading it to him. 

I received this book complimentary via Blogging for Books.

BACK IN THE SADDLE

by

Ruth Logan Herne

When I requested this book, I had no idea that I had already read another of this authors books. However, when I started reading "Back in the Saddle." I was hit with a jolt of  confusion. I found myself thinking that I had already read this book but had somehow forgotten. But that was not the case. The first book I read was "Home on the Range". So after realizing I was not losing my mind I continued on with the continuation of the Stafford's lives.

After financial difficulties and near ruin, Colt Stafford heads home to his family with his tail tucked between his legs. He returns to the family ranch to find many changes, one of them being the addition of a house manager by the name of Angelina Morales. Colt is immediately taken with her but he senses that all is not as it appears. So he begins to investigate his suspicions while he is also worrying about his ill father and his brother Nick. 

This book is all about forgiveness and redemption with a love story unfolding with the turn of each page. You will find love, humor, mystery, and a family that needs to heal from past hurts. I found this book to be a delight and I was so happy to be able to continue with this story. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a great plot that is interesting and hard to put down.

I received this book complimentary via Blogging for Books. 

"BRAVING IT"

by 

JAMES CAMPBELL

This has got to be the best book that I have read in a long time. I absolutely love Alaska and would love to live there someday.

Campbell's daughter has turned 15 and her yearning for adventure in Alaska is just beginning. So Campbell fulfills a promise that was made before she was in kindergarten to go to Alaska. But they have a lot to overcome during their adventure. They have to work as a team and trust is a hard thing for Campbell to come to terms with.

This book is filled with so much life and adventure that I found it hard to put down. Not only is it informative but it is humorous as well. I found myself placing myself in their shoes while reading this adventure. I wanted to be there with them, to experience their adventures. This is a great book and I really enjoyed reading it. 

I received this book compliments of Blogging for Books.

TALKING WITH GOD by ADAM WEBER

My father was a minister as I was growing up and you would think that I would know how to pray. You would think that I would be good at it. I was always listening to others to see how they did it. I wanted a script. Because I thought that was how it was done. Boy, was I wrong. Talking With God is like talking to your best friend. It is sad that it took a book to discover that. 

This book was amazing and it taught me so much. It gives you a first hand look at how you should just open up and start talking. No script is needed. I feel that this book would help so many people that struggle as I have. 

Adam Weber has taken a topic that many people have problems with and made it interesting and easy to approach. I have to admit that I would never have wanted to discuss the topic of prayer with my father or our minister at all. With this little book of inspiration I was able to bypass that and get right down to Talking With God on my own. 

I plan on giving this book to my daughter so that she to can become more comfortable with conversing with our Heavenly Father. This book is amazing and I love it.

I received this book for free compliments of Blogging for Books.

HOME on the RANGE by RUTH LOGAN HERNE

HOME on the RANGE 

by

RUTH LOGAN HERNE

It has been some time since I requested this book, but I have read it numerous times since I received it. 

Set in Washington, this book tells the story of Nick Stafford and his struggle to overcome his fathers failures as a parent and to overcome his need to prove that he can be a better father. After his wife leaves him he meets Dr. Elsa Andreas who has issues of a different sort. 

Those who know me, know that I do not give to much information regarding the plot of the story for fear of giving it away. With that being said, I can honestly say that I enjoyed this book. I have read it over and over again and did not get tired of it. Sometimes I donate my books to book boxes around town. This one has been added to my personal library. This book shows how you can overcome fear through faith and diligence. For me it was an inspirational type of story that inspired me to put all fears aside and believe in myself and my ability to accomplish those things that I fear the most. 

I would recommend this book for anyone that wanted to read a faith based book. It is refreshing to read something that does not have bad language, or sexual undertones. 

I received this book complimentary through Blogging for Books.