EmpowerMoms

Religion and politics-two hot topics you typically stay away from discussing in public or a group setting. However, this fun story takes you front and center to the world of politics and religion mixed together.

The main characters Summer and Benson are both strong and passionate about their political beliefs which are unfortunately opposite of each other. They battle it out many times over politics and religion even though they go to the same church.

Unfortunately, Summer leaves her church for awhile after several people acted hateful towards her family because of her fathers political stance; but Summer never loses her faith or love for God. She just needs help with finding her way and Benson wants to be the guy to help her with that.

Political back stabbing, drama, lies, love, forgiveness-this book has it all!

There are references to the Mormon LDS religion through out the book. It is a clean romantic story, light romance, free from bad language.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Covenant Communications in exchange for an honest review on my blog and social media-all opinions are my own.

About the book:
As the daughter of a well-known senator, Summer Knight is all too familiar with the nasty side of politics. She’s always stayed out of the drama, until an incident involving her fellow Mormons drives her out of her hometown—and out of the Church. What she needs is a change of scene, and sunny California seems like just the place.
Enter Benson Hardy. He’s just her type—until she finds out who he is. Not only is Benson a nephew to her father’s political rival, he’s also a devout member of the Church. The last thing Summer wants is to be mixed up in politics—or religion. But Benson challenges her like no one else, asking the tough questions about her inactivity. Though their incompatibility is clear, their connection is undeniable, and soon Summer finds the embers of her faith reigniting. Just as it seems that the pair might be on the road to romance, a series of embarrassing misunderstandings—and the appearance of a handsome charmer determined to sweep Summer off her feet—knock the couple completely off course. As Summer finds herself at a crossroads, she must decide if she’s willing to set her pride aside for a shot at true love.

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Penn lives with her two aunts after a tragic plan crash kills her family. Penn and her aunts have a wonderful relationship and strong bond, but Penn has allowed fear and trying new things affect her life and relationships. She meets the new Mars resident John and things start to heat up until she find out that he’s a pilot.

Penn has to decide if taking a chance on love is worth the risk and possible heart ache. She has to learn to have faith and now let fear rule her life.

This was a clean, christian romance with lots of funny, quirky moments between all the characters. It had a steady plot and was fun to read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review on my blog and social media-all opinions are my own.

About the book:
A meddling horse, paper bag floors and a flying saucer on the town square. The little town of Mars has it all—including a brand new resident who might spell heartache for one of its own.

Twenty-something Penn Davenport yearns for an exciting life in the big city and wants to shed the label of orphan that she’s worn for years. To achieve that dream, she must pass the CPA exam then move away from the two aunts who reared her after her parents died in a plane crash.

When John Townsend—full of life and the joy of living—moves to town, he rattles Penn’s view of herself, her life, and her dreams . . . which isn’t such a bad thing until she falls for him and discovers he’s a pilot.

About the author:
Hope Toler Dougherty holds a Master’s degree in English and taught at East Carolina University as well as York Technical College. A member of ACFW, RWA and SinC, she writes for Almost an Author. Before writing novels, she published non-fiction articles on topics ranging from gardening with children to writing apprehension. She cheers for the Pittsburgh Steelers, ACC basketball, and Army West Point Football. Hope and her husband, Kevin, live in North Carolina and chat with their two daughters and twin sons through ooVoo.

Travel to the small town of Mars, where you’ll find a meddling horse, paper bag floors, and a flying saucer on the town square—in Hope Toler Dougherty’s book, Mars . . . with Venus Rising. Penn Davenport dreams of passing the CPA exam and moving away from the two aunts who reared her after her parents died in a plane crash. When John Townsend—full of life and the joy of living—moves to town, he rattles Penn’s view of herself, her life, and her dreams . . . which isn’t such a bad thing until she falls for him and discovers he’s a pilot.

Celebrate Hope’s Mars . . . with Venus Rising blog tour with a Kindle Fire Prize Pack giveaway!

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of Mars . . . with Venus Rising
• A $25 Amazon gift card
• A Kindle Fire

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry! The giveaway ends on May 18th. The winner will be announced May 19th on Hope’s blog.

The Inheritance (Secrets of the Shetlands) by Michael Phillips

This is a historical fiction set in in the highlands of Scotland in the 1920s and then jumps to 2005. After the patriarch dies leaving no will, the families are left to fight over who is in control of the Island.

“The Inheritance” is the first book in the “Secrets of the Shetlands” story with more to come. The story has short chapters but is a pretty long book-over 400 pages. The font seemed small to me making it hard to read. I also had a hard time getting into the Scottish dialect and story line-I wasn’t able to finish the book. I felt like the plot was too slow and didn’t keep my interest.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review on my blog and social media-all opinions are my own.

ABOUT THE BOOK
The death of the clan patriarch has thrown the tiny Shetland Islands community of Whale’s Reef into turmoil. Everyone assumed MacGregor Tulloch’s heir to be his grand-nephew David, a local favorite, but when it is discovered that MacGregor left no will, David’s grasping cousin Hardy submits his own claim to the inheritance, an estate that controls most of the island’s land. And while Hardy doesn’t enjoy much popular support, he has the backing of a shadowy group of North Sea oil investors. The courts have frozen the estate’s assets while the competing claims are investigated, leaving many of the residents in financial limbo. The future of the island–and its traditional way of life–hangs in the balance.

Loni Ford is enjoying her rising career in a large investment firm in Washington, DC. Yet in spite of her outward success, she is privately plagued by questions of identity. Orphaned as a young child, she was raised by her paternal grandparents, and while she loves them dearly, she feels completely detached from her roots. That is until a mysterious letter arrives from a Scottish solicitor. . . .

Past and present collide in master storyteller Phillips’s dramatic new saga of loss and discovery, of grasping and grace, and of the dreams of men and women everywhere.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael Phillips is a bestselling author with more than 70 of his own titles. In addition, he has served as editor/redactor of nearly 30 more books. He is known as the man responsible for the reawakened interest in George MacDonald of the last 30 years. In addition to the MacDonald titles adapted/edited for today’s reader, his publishing efforts in bringing back full-length quality facsimile editions also spawned renewed interest in MacDonald’s original work. Michael and his wife, Judy, spend time each year in Scotland but make their home near Sacramento, California.

Jessica Smith posted a new cardio walk last week and I love it! Hope you like it as well!

The DeVaughns kick-start their healthy journey by. Adrea Eagan

Meet the DeVaughns

Where are you and your family from?

I grew up in Pennsylvania and my husband grew up in Ohio. Both of our families moved here to Virginia in 1996 when we were both in high school. (Salem for me and Cave Spring for Mike). We didn’t meet until we were in our mid 20s.

Why have you chosen to raise your family here?

We have stayed here in Roanoke because of our current jobs and both of our families live here. We bought our first home together almost 3 years ago after renting for awhile. We like this area and everything: the parks, libraries and community have to offer our family.

Tell us how you and your husband met.

We met at church bible study one summer. After being friends for awhile, we started dating and after dating one year, we got married. We had a small wedding outside with our family members.

Tell us the names, ages and occupation (or grade and favorite school subject) of all members of your family.

Rachel age 33. Works full time as a corporate office manager for Affordable Corporate Suites which is a locally owned extended stay hotel.
Mike age 33. Stay at home dad and part time package handler at the airport in the evenings.
Steven age 14, 8th grade. Favorite class is band.
Zachery age 5, preschool. Favorite activity is coloring at school.

What are your hobbies?

Rachel: online fitness and book blogger at www.EmpowerMoms.net, reading, scrapbooking, crafts.
Mike: gardening, video games, wood refinishing.
Steven: video games, sports, reading.
Zachery: legos, gardening with dad, arts and crafts, any activity outside.
As a family: yard work, volunteering at church, walking at the park, playing family board/card games.

Why did you sign up to be a spotlight family?

To find things we enjoy doing together as a family to stay active. To help each other with our fitness goals, try new fitness things and learn more about healthy eating choices.

What are your goals for this challenge?

Exercise together at least once per week. Find workouts we enjoy doing separate at least 4 times a week. Keep a food diary so we can focus on eating from all the food groups. Drink lots of water.

What changes are you planning to make as a family to meet those goals?

Every Sunday, we will pick one day that week to do a family workout together and decide different activities to do each week. We will also do our food planning and cooking to prepare us for the upcoming week. We already cook our meals at home and pack our meals for work/school.

What do you look forward to doing in the challenge?

Working together as a family with trying new fitness routines, finding activities we can all enjoy, and recipes.

Original source of article is here:
http://www.myfitfamilychallenge.com/article.php?Meet-the-Roanoke-Spotlight-Families—DeVaughn-37