Book Review: Lilies in Moonlight

I had a chance to read the book Lilies in Moonlight by Allison K. Pittman through Waterbrook-Multnomah's Blogging For Books program. Set in 1925, it's the story of a "modern woman" trying to make her way by selling Dalliance cosmetics door to door after being kicked out of her home by her mother. She crosses paths with a confused elderly woman named Betty Ruth.

The book was an entertaining read, as Lilly, Betty Ruth, Betty Ruth's son Cullen (a former baseball player who was burned by mustard gas in WWI), their housekeeper and their driver head from Florida to Pennsylvania on a mission to see the Pittsburgh Pirates play in the World Series.

This book had some great lesson on forgiveness, acceptance, family and new beginnings. Lilly and her mother need to work out their differences and forgive each other. Cullen needs to learn to accept himself, despite his limitations and disfigurement, and both of them need to figure out how to deal with Betty Ruth's slide into senility.

While I really enjoyed this book, there were a few items in this book that might raise an eyebrow with some. Lilly definitely isn't a role model through most of the book: drunkenness, parties, references to her past involvement with men, etc. While she does change over the course of the book, returning to the faith of her youth, there were a few scenes in the book that I thought were a bit too "edgy" for Christian fiction.

The Woodcarver Review & Giveaway

I had a chance to review the movie "The Woodcarver" over the weekend. It's the story of a troubled teenage boy, Matthew, who takes out his anger over his parents' broken marriage by vandalizing a church. When Matthew is assigned the task of repairing the damage he's done, he crosses paths with "Old Ernest," a talented woodcarver who has retreated into a world of loneliness since the death of his beloved wife. 

 You can find this DVD and other good Christian videos at the Christian Cinema Website.

As Matthew and Ernest work together to carve the wood needed the church renovation, Matthew learns more about love, family, hard work, and Jesus. He changes from a rebellious, angry young man to one who focuses on "What Would Jesus Do?" It was touching to see how the changes in Matthew's life rippled out to change the lives of those around him. 

Even though this movie touched on subjects like divorce, death of a spouse, a workaholic attitude, corrupt business practices, and arson, it still managed to be a great "feel good" movie, one I have no qualms about donating to the church library to share with others.

Movie Review/Giveaway: Three Hearts

I had a chance recently to watch a movie call "Three Hearts". It's the story of the Children's Heart Project, a division of Franklin Graham's Samaritan's Purse, and how they bring three children from Mongolia to the United States to have life-changing heart surgery. 

I had heard about Samaritan's Purse before, thanks to their "shoebox ministry." The church my daughter attended in Erie, PA had an annual drive to fill thousands and thousands of shoeboxes with small gifts for children around the world. I had never heard of the Children's Heart Project, though, and this movie was a wonderful introduction.

Here's a movie trailer for Three Hearts, and here's where you can buy it at Christianbook.com

 

About Three Hearts:

A passionate team of people work to save the lives of three Mongolian children with life-threatening heart defects.

Graduating college senior, Cissie Graham Lynch, granddaughter of evangelist Billy Graham, takes on an internship at Samaritan’s Purse working with the Children’s Heart Project. This project is dedicated to saving the lives of children by providing medical procedures that aren’t available in many countries. Cissie is charged with supervising the arrival and surgeries of three Mongolian children suffering from fatal congenital heart defects. 

But the task is not easy and filled with unexpected challenges.  Cissie balances responsibilities as a newly married wife to a professional football player and her tasks with the internship.  Meanwhile the Children’s Heart team turns to a Texas family who travels to Mongolia for the adventure of a lifetime to help bring the children to San Antonio for their surgeries.  In Texas, two host families make sacrifices to care for these children and their mothers, while a team of doctors and nurses volunteer their time only to stare directly into the face of life and death. How far would you go to save a life?

It’s a fight for survival, a fight of faith, and a fight for a new life for these three hearts.

The movie is about such a serious topic: children who would probably not live past their twenties without heart surgery...and that heart surgery just can't be done in their country. The movie Three Hearts presents the stories of the three children (two teenage boys and a young girl) with warmth and humor. I cried with the families, laughed with them, paced while waiting for the outcome of the surgeries, and rejoiced with them. Cissie was supposed to go to Mongolia to meet the patients and bring the families back to the United States, but decided that, being a newlywed, she shouldn't make a commitment that would separate her from her husband for three months. She came up with a plan to send a young boy from Texas and his family in her stead, since the boy had heart surgery as an infant. Watching him and his family experience life in Mongolia (including fermented camel milk!), encourage the families of the Mongolian heart patients, and support them in their travel back to the United States was both entertaining and heart-warming. 

I would highly recommend this video for families and church libraries! I think that churches all across the country should become aware of the Children's Heart Project. The more churches, doctors and hospitals we can get to support this project, the more children they can help, physically and spiritually.

The Giveaway! 

I have the chance to give away a copy of  "Three Hearts" to one of my readers. 

There are two ways to enter: 

1. By leaving a comment below (leave your e-mail address if it doesn't show up in your Google profile, so I can contact the winner)

2. Or, if you would rather not post your e-mail on a public blog, you can send me an e-mail at FreeCellPenguin@gmail.com - with the subject line "Three Hearts"

Giveaway ends on Sunday, March 18, 2012 at 11:59 PM. Limited to U.S. residents only, age 13 and up. Limit one entry per person per day.

"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services 

mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I 

only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. 

I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: 

"Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Two more gluten-free recipes

Last week, a friend posted on Facebook that a cold shower (thanks to her children using the hot water at the same time) sapped her SuperMom superpowers. I thought of that yesterday as I took my shower right after the biggest hot-water-hog in the house: the dishwasher. Fortunately, when I finished, I was able to warm back up again, since these delicious Gluten-Free Apple Streusel Muffins were just coming out of the oven.

Gluten-Free Apple Streusel Muffins
1/4 c cornstarch
1/4 c sorghum flour
1/4 c tapioca flour
1/4 c gluten-free oats, pureed to flour in the blender
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c sugar
1 tsp Apple Pie Spice
1 medium apple, peeled, cored and grated
1 egg
1/2 c vanilla yogurt
2 Tbsp oil
1/4 c chopped walnuts
1/4 c water
Combine cornstarch, flours, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and apple pie spice in large mixing bowl. Mix well. Grate apple into flour mixture and stir to coat. Add egg, yogurt, oil, nuts, and water. Mix until combined. Spoon into muffin cups lined with cupcake liners.

Topping:
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp chopped nuts
1 Tbsp sorghum flour
1/4 tsp apple pie spice
1 Tbsp butter
Combine topping ingredients and mix until crumbly. Sprinkle over tops of muffins. 

Bake at 375 degrees for 25-27 minutes. Makes 9 muffins.

I've been experimenting for weeks with recipes from the "Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes Bread" cookbook. Most of her recipes start with a four-flour blend that contains garbanzo bean flour, which I prefer not to use in breakfast breads because I think it has an aftertaste. I have been adding unflavored gelatin and egg replacer to my breads to add some more protein. I buy the unflavored gelatin from www.bulkfoods.com.

So, after several tries, I made a gluten-free bread this week that worked out really well. With some sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and chia seeds tossed in there, along with some whole grain sorghum flour and ground gluten-free oats, it tastes like a whole-grain bread, too. When I made it with dinner the other night, Ron asked for seconds... the mark of approval! It made great French Toast, and great garlic bread... so now, this is my new favorite recipe!

New Favorite Gluten-Free Bread

1/2 c tapioca flour

1/2 c cornstarch

1/2 c sorghum flour

1/2 c gluten-free oats, blended into flour

1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp unflavored gelatin (1 envelope)

1 tsp egg replacer

1Tbsp brown sugar

1 Tbsp sunflower seeds

1tsp flaxseed

1 tsp chia seed

2 1/2 tsp yeast

2 eggs

2 Tbsp honey

2 Tbsp oil

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1 c warm water (divided)

Put yeast, brown sugar, lemon juice and honey in cup with 1/2 cup water. Let stand while you mix up the dry ingredients. Combine flours, xanthan gum, salt, gelatin, egg replacer, sunflower seeds, flax seed, chia seed and sesame seeds. Add yeast mixture, eggs, and oil. Mix until combined. Measure out another 1/2 cup water (use it to rinse the last of the yeast out of the cup) and add it to the dough. Mix for three minutes. Dough will be very soft and sticky, like a muffin batter. Spoon into a loaf pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Smooth out the top with a wet spoon or wet fingers. Let rise for an hour. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.

Book Review & Giveaway: "The Guardian Duke"

When I was offered the chance to review the book "The Guardian Duke" by Jamie Carie, I figured I'd probably like it, even though historical fiction set in the Regency era isn't usually my cup of tea. Sometimes the story line gets lost in descriptions of their apparel or surroundings. This book sounded intriguing, so I decided to give it a try. A young woman's parents have disappeared, and she is notified that The Crown has declared her parents dead, and assigned the Duke of St. Easton as her guardian. Alexandria feels that her parents must still be alive, and need her to rescue them, so rather than submit to the Duke (who, she decides, must be a shriveled-up old man), she heads off on her own to rescue them.

The book actually had much more action and humor than I expected from a Regency romance. Alex travels from town to town, country to country, following clues she hopes will lead her to her parents, while Gabriel, the Duke of St. Easton, does his best to follow! The ending left me hanging... and marking July 2012 in my calendar with "Watch for The Forgiven Duke to be released!" This was an enjoyable, light-hearted read, and I look forward to reading more of Jamie Carie's books!

About the Book:

The Guardian Duke is award-winning novelist Jamie Carie’s most exciting story yet, a uniquely arranged Regency-era romantic adventure where hero and heroine know each other through written letters but have yet to meet.

 

Gabriel, the Duke of St. Easton, is ordered by the King to take guardianship over Lady Alexandria Featherstone whose parents are presumed dead after failing to return from a high profile treasure hunt. But Alexandria ignores this royal reassignment, believing her parents are still alive and duly following clues that may lead to their whereabouts. Gabriel, pressured by what are actually the King’s ulterior motives, pursues her across windswept England and the rolling green hills of Ireland but is always one step behind.

 

When they do meet, the search for earthly treasure will pale in comparison to what God has planned for both of them.

 

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free in the hope that I would mention it 

on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

 

 The Giveaway! 

I have the chance to give away a copy of  "The Guardian Duke" to one of my readers. 

There are two ways to enter: 

1. By leaving a comment below (leave your e-mail address if it doesn't show up in your Google profile, so I can contact the winner)

2. Or, if you would rather not post your e-mail on a public blog, you can send me an e-mail at FreeCellPenguin@gmail.com - with the subject line "Guardian Duke"

Giveaway ends on Sunday, March 11, 2012 at 11:59 PM. Limited to U.S. residents only, age 13 and up. Limit one entry per person per day.

Book Review: The Corrupible by Mark Mynheir

I got a chance to read Mark Mynheir's "The Corruptible" when I was browsing through the selection of books at Waterbrook Multnomah's Blogging For Books website. It sounded like an interesting book: a book about a Private Investigator, written by a Christian author. I've enjoyed reading whodunits and mystery novels, especially when they're not sprinkled liberally with profanity. Sometimes crime novels have sleazy characters, and the language in the books reflects their sleaziness. It takes some creativity to work around that, and Mark Mynheir does.

At first, I wasn't sure how much I liked the characters in the book. This book starts out "Dying on the toilet was not the way I envisioned leaving this world." That may be the most "interesting" opening line I've ever read in a novel. The protagonist, Ray Quinn, is an ex-cop with a painful past, a bum leg and a fondness for Jim Beam. He grew on me, though, as did his partner Crevis, and their friend Pam, a school teacher who shares her knowledge and faith.

Ray and Crevis are scraping along with their PI agency when they are summoned to the office of Armon Mayer. He tells Ray he will pay him generously to find an employee, an ex-cop, who disappeared with some very valuable information. He's a sleazy character, surrounded by sleazy henchmen. I loved the way Ray Quinn dealt with the germophobic Armon Mayer.

The twists and turns in the plot kept me guessing. Ray's sense of humor kept me smiling (or laughing out loud). Crevis's loyalty to his boss and Pam's faithful presence kept me hoping that Ray would find healing from his past, and hope for his future.

I enjoyed this book so much that I bought the first book in the series, "Night Watchman", plus two other books by Mark Mynheir. You can be sure that as soon as the next book in the series comes out, I'll be getting it. The story of Ray Quinn isn't done yet!

Want to check it out? You can download the first chapter of the book here.

"I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review."

Book Review: "When The Soul Mends"

I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for doing a book review. I got about a chapter into it and realized that I really need to read the first two books in the series to get the back story. So, I checked out "When the Heart Cries" and "When Morning Comes" from the library and read both of them over the course of two days (so what if the sink was full of dirty dishes and laundry needed to be done...)

I finally got back to picking up this book, eager to finish the story of Hannah Lapp. She had been shunned by her community and family, and had created a new life for herself in another community when she was called home because of a tragedy in her close circle of friends.

I found myself drawn into the story, yearning for Hannah to find healing, love and acceptance. Throughout the book, I wondered how the story would resolve. I found myself saying, "Oh, please, don't let her end up with him..." (not necessarily in regards to Hannah). There were enough plot twists to keep me up late in the night, eagerly reading "one more chapter."

This series of book deals with a pretty heavy subject (Hannah was the victim of a rape in the first book), so they may be too intense for somebody who's looking for a lighthearted read, but I thought that the overall series was well-written. They make you think about what's really important, about really listening to people and understanding what makes them tick. I hope to read more of Cindy Woodsmall's books in the future!