EmpowerMoms

The Protective One (The Walnut Creek Series #3) by Shelley Shepard Gray

I really enjoyed this story and read it in one day because I was so enthralled with the story line and characters. It had a layer of drama and suspense with two different characters which kept me hooked from chapter to chapter trying to figure out what they would do next.

I like “EA” and because she was Mennonite and not Amish, the story line and day to day duties were very relatable and had a more modern feel. I also liked Will and seeing their friendship grow during the book and how they helped and complimented each other.

This is a story I would definitely read again and highly recommend to others! Even if you haven’t read other books in this series or author, this can be read as a stand alone book.

I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.

About the Book:
The tragic and untimely death of an old friend has made Elizabeth Anne rethink not only her priorities but her courtship with David, her longtime neighbor and suitor. Though he’s Mennonite like herself and has her parents’ approval, she feels that a spark is missing. Desperate for a change, she breaks things off—wondering if, perhaps, she’s the one who’s missing a spark.

When her family becomes upset with her decision, E.A. turns to her friends for support. One of them is Will, a man with a good heart who has always been there for her. As the two bond over their shared struggle to navigate a future that everyone else seems to have figured out, they are surprised to realize that they have feelings for each other.

But E.A.’s world takes a sudden turn when she realizes that she’s not the only one struggling—Marta, one of her sewing students, is in desperate need of protection. With the aid of Will and several other friends, Elizabeth Anne begins a journey that is more difficult and rewarding than she could have ever imagined…one that ultimately enables her to find everything she’s been searching for.

In this latest installment in the Walnut Creek series that “both delights and surprises” (Leslie Gould, bestselling author), Shelley Shepard Gray pens a powerful and poignant tale of friendship, courage, and love.

Purchase your own copy here:
https://amzn.to/2uk7K8S

About the Author
A practicing Lutheran, Shelley Shepard Gray is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than eighty novels, translated into multiple languages. In her years of researching the Amish community, she depends on her Amish friends for gossip, advice, and cinnamon rolls. She lives in Colorado with her family and writes full time.

“Raising the Challenging Child: How to Minimize Meltdowns, Reduce Conflict, and Increase Cooperation” by Karen Doyle Buckwalter, Debbie Reed, Wendy Lyons Sunshine

This book is divided into 3 parts: Be a Leader, Dig Deeper, and Prepare for Success. “Be a Leader” focuses on the parent, “Dig Deeper” focuses of the child, and “Prepare for Success” lays out steps for child and parent to help reduce trigger points.

First, I was very impressed with the three authors experiences and insight to this topic. Alot of times we don’t want to “label” or even think that our child(ren) can be difficult or challenging. But the reality is, that every child is different and will respond to different methods of praise and discipline. It can be very frustrating and overwhelming when a child doesn’t respond or interact the way we as parents want or expect them too.

In the introduction it says, “We hope you will view this book not as a checklist but as a toolbox filled with thirty tools that have proven effective even in the most difficult situations. You won’t need every tool for every child, but these lessons will help prepare you for a range of common situations…You can read the lessons in order or head straight to the one that speaks to a current challenge you may be facing.”

I have 2 boys and I have been a fitness blogger and group fitness instructor (working with women and kids) for over 7 years now so I LOVED chapter 23: “Every two hours, feed and water the kids”. It is SO true that as our kids get older (leaving the baby and toddler stage) we sometimes forget the basic needs of a child (eating and sleeping) and how often they need to be taken care of. Parents and children get too involved and don’t want to stop doing an activity or project which could then result in dehydration, moodiness, grumpy, snarky behavior. The chapter offers suggestions and solutions to this issue which fortunately I have tried and do on a regular basis-and it works!

I think this book would be VERY helpful, whether you feel like you have a “challenging” child or not. It’s filled with lots of practical day to day advise that every parent needs to hear and at least try once.

I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.

About the Book:
What’s the worst you’ve ever faced as a parent? An all-out tantrum at the mall? A son who won’t take out his earbuds to listen to you? A daughter who’s failing at school and won’t do her homework? A teen who constantly breaks curfew? A call from the police? Whatever you’re dealing with, Raising the Challenging Child will help.

Building on their work at Chaddock, a nonprofit organization that has worked with some of the most challenging kids in the nation for more than 150 years, the authors empower frustrated parents with practical tips and real-life examples on how to

– minimize behavioral meltdowns
– reduce conflict
– increase cooperation
– promote healthy attachment
– improve family relationships

The strategies they share work both for the child who is going through a difficult phase brought on by life disruption or trauma, and for the child who faces chronic struggles. Parents, teachers, and those who work with children and youth will find positive, practical steps they can start taking today in order to understand and address the baffling behavior of the child under their care.

https://amzn.to/3aLrrXY

About the authors:
Karen Doyle Buckwalter, MSW, LCSW, is director of program strategy at Chaddock in Quincy, Illinois. She serves on the board of directors’ advisory board of the Theraplay® Institute in Chicago and has trained and consulted at family behavioral health organizations and youth foster care centers in the US, the UK, Australia, Denmark, and beyond. In addition to her degrees, Karen completed a two-year marriage and family therapy training program and 500-plus hours in diverse modalities, including Theraplay, Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) ®, and other attachment, trauma, and developmental approaches. Karen also hosts a weekly podcast, Attachment Theory in Action.

Debbie Reed is president and CEO of Chaddock. Currently engaged in doctoral studies, she has also played a leadership role in child- and family-serving organizations at the state and national levels, including the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services’ Child Welfare Advisory Committee, the CEO council of the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities, and the national board of the United Methodist Association of Health and Welfare Ministries. In addition, she trains and consults with organizations on topics related to nonprofit leadership. Debbie also writes a weekly leadership blog, Reed About Leadership.

Wendy Lyons Sunshine is an award-winning writer and journalist. She is coauthor of The Connected Child.

Welcome to the Blog Tour & Giveaway for Her Rocky Mountain Hope by Mindy Obenhaus, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Her Rocky Mountain Hope
Author: Mindy Obenhaus
Series: Rocky Mountain Heroes #5
Publisher: Love Inspired
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Release Date: January 21, 2020

Learning to trust can be the greatest adventure.

She’s always played it safe… Can he reach her guarded heart?

Ready to open his camp for young cancer patients, Daniel Stephens must impress foundation overseer Blythe McDonald to ensure she approves funding for next year. But the cautious former cancer patient was once let down by a similar program, and she’ll leave no stone unturned in her evaluation. Can he convince her his camp is worthy of the money…and that he’s worthy of her love?

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Christianbook

MY REVIEW

This was such a beautiful, inspiring story!

I really liked the main characters Daniel and Blythe and their personal connections and interest in cancer patients and getting the camp up and running.

I liked reading about the kids and counselors, their camp adventures and how they worked together to get past fears and limitations. The author described the adventures and camp so clearly I felt like I was there along side them! It also brought back my own fear and then achievement when I did a zipline for the first time too.

Feel good, christian romance with a great story line and characters! I really loved it!!

I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Three-time Carol Award finalist, Mindy Obenhaus, is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. She’s a multi-published author of contemporary Christian romance, and lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, one sassy pup, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching copious amounts of the Hallmark Channel.

CONNECT WITH MINDY: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads | Bookbub

TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a signed copy of Her Rocky Mountain Hope and a $20 Amazon gift card!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule shown below. Giveaway will begin at midnight January 27, 2020 and last through 11:59 PM EST on February 3, 2020. US only. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

Collateral Damage (Danger Never Sleeps Book #1) by Lynette Eason

This is the start to a brand new series called “Danger Never Sleeps”. I love series type books and I especially love Lynette Eason’s suspense books. WOW! This story was so so good from beginning to end! Lots of action, suspense, drama and some clean romance. Lots of twists and turns that kept me guessing and wondering what was going to happen.

Brooke and Asher are the main characters in the book although there are several more team members that were introduced throughout the story. I liked reading about their different roles an how they helped each other along the way. Flashbacks from their time in Afghanistan, their PTSD struggles and their military service was interesting to read about as they both tried to work thru their guilt and memories-looking to the future instead of the past.

I can’t wait to read the next book in this series when it’s released in August. I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.

About the Book:
Honorably discharged from the Army after an explosion nearly killed her, former military psychiatrist Brooke Adams has set up shop to help others–but her days of helping military personnel are over. She’s got her own battles to fight from her time overseas, and she’s not equipped to take on more. Former Army Special Ops Sergeant First Class Asher James could handle anything that war sent his way–terrorists, bombs, bullets. The only thing that scares him now is sleep. As the shadows close in, the nightmares begin.

Finally convinced that he needs help, Asher makes an appointment with a counselor, and Brooke is pressed by her boss to take him on. When he arrives at her office she isn’t there–but a dead body is. Brooke is devastated when she walks in, and Asher is a conveniently strong shoulder to cry on. But she can’t take him on as a client after sharing such an intimate and unprofessional moment, can she? And he’s not sure he can handle sharing his deepest fears with such a beautiful woman.

When it becomes clear that Brooke was the real target of the attack–and that her secrets go even deeper than his own–Asher vows to protect her no matter what.

Bestselling author Lynette Eason is back with a new series that spans the globe and will have your heart working overtime.

Purchase your copy here:
https://amzn.to/2RDlKm7

About the Author
Lynette Eason is the bestselling author of Protecting Tanner Hollow, as well as the Blue Justice, Women of Justice, Deadly Reunions, Hidden Identity, and Elite Guardians series. She is the winner of three ACFW Carol Awards, the Selah Award, and the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award, among others. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and has a master’s degree in education from Converse College. Eason lives in South Carolina with her husband and two children. Learn more at www.lynetteeason.com.