Proverbs Prayers by John Mason

Experience the wisdom of God in your life.

The book of Proverbs is a wellspring of wisdom, offering practical guidance for life and the tools to make good choices, withstand pressure, prioritize relationships, and avoid unnecessary trouble. 

Now bestselling author John Mason helps you make that wisdom a part of your inner life. For thirty-one days, he takes you through each chapter of Proverbs, unpacking the wisdom within and providing a heartfelt prayer based on the insights from that chapter. As you read and pray, you’ll discover the principles found in this wisdom-packed book coming alive in your life in ways you may never have imagined.

Publisher: Revell, 2015

Author: John Mason

Cover Design: Paula Gibson

My Review

The book of Proverbs holds an astounding amount of wisdom for all areas of life. To couple that wisdom with the power of prayer is amazing. I highly enjoyed this book. I used it as an accompaniment to my King James Bible, reading the passage twice and then reciting the provided prayer. I recommend this book to anyone who's looking for a deeper study of the book of Proverbs, is seriously seeking wisdom, and to those who enjoy daily devotionals. I give this book 5 stars!

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John Mason is a national best-selling author, noted speaker and executive author

coach. He is the founder and president of Insight International and Insight
Publishing Group.
He has authored fifteen books including An Enemy Called Average, You’re Born An
Original-Don’t Die A Copy, and Know Your Limits—Then Ignore Them which have
sold over 1.5 million copies and are translated into thirty-five languages throughout
the world. These books are widely known as a source of sound wisdom, genuine
motivation, and practical principles. His writings have been published in Reader’s
Digest along with numerous other national publications. And four of his books have
reached the #1 spot on Amazon best-seller lists.
Known for his quick wit, powerful thoughts and insightful ideas, he is a popular
speaker across the U.S. and around the world.
John and his wife, Linda, have four children: Michelle, Greg, Michael and David.
They reside in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Fire and Ice by Mary Connealy

Bailey Wilde is one of the best new ranchers in the West. She's been living disguised as a man for a while, but when Gage Coulter comes to drive her off her homestead, he quickly realizes he's dealing with a woman--a very tough, very intriguing woman at that.

Gage is an honest man, but he didn't make his fortune being weak. He won't break the law, but he'll push as hard as he can within it. Five thousand acres of his best range land is lost to him because Bailey's homestead is located right across the only suitable entrance to a canyon full of lush grass. Gage has to regain access to his land--and he's got to go through Bailey to do it.

Spending a winter alone has a way of making a person crave some human contact. In a moment of weakness, Bailey agrees to a wild plan Gage concocts. Can these two independent, life-toughened homesteaders loosen up enough to earn each other's respect--and maybe find love in
the process?




My Review
A fun marriage of convenience story to wrap up the Wilde at Heart Series. 

Bailey Wilde, the oldest of the Wilde sisters, is determined to homestead her ranch now that her sisters have married and moved away. Haunted by her time spent in the Civil War disguised as a man, she's reclusive and likes it that way. Then Gage Coulter appears at her door, claiming he owns the canyon she runs her cattle on and he wants it back. But in order for Gage to access the canyon, Bailey has to agree to let him cross her land. She refuses, of course, so Gage finds another way in, using dynamite to blast a path through to the canyon. During a long, snowed-in winter, Bailey's loneliness engulfs her. When Gage shows up at her door come spring, offering marriage to increase their ranches, Bailey gives in. The rest is a Wilde ride!

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical romances, especially ones with a twist. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars!

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Mary is the author of several award-winning novels. She's known for her witty dialogue and unique plots. For more on Mary, visit her website at www.maryconnealy.com.

The Methuselah Project by Rick Barry

Nazi scientists started many experiments. One never ended.

Roger Greene is a war hero. Raised in an orphanage, the only birthright he knows is the feeling that he was born to fly. Flying against the Axis Powers in World War II is everything he always dreamed--until the day he's shot down and lands in the hands of the enemy. 

When Allied bombs destroy both his prison and the mad genius experimenting on POWs, Roger survives. Within hours, his wounds miraculously heal, thanks to those experiments. The Methuselah Project is a success--but this ace is still not free. Seventy years later, Roger hasn't aged a day, but he has nearly gone insane. This isn't Captain America--just a lousy existence only made passable by a newfound faith. The Bible provides the only reliable anchor for Roger's sanity and his soul. When he finally escapes, there's no angelic promise or personal prophecy of deliverance, just confusion. It's 2015--and the world has become an unrecognizable place. 

Katherine Mueller--crack shot, genius, and real Southern Belle--offers to help him find his way home. Can he convince her of the truth of his crazy story? Can he continue to trust her when he finds out she works for the very organization he's trying to flee? 

Thrown right into pulse-pounding action from the first page, readers will find themselves transported back in time to a believable, full-colored past, and then catapulted into the present once more. The historical back-and-forth adds a constantly moving element of suspense to keep readers on the edge of their seats.




My Review
Unique, intriguing, captivating. This book snatched my attention from the first page and held it to the very end. Reminiscent of the Mel Gibson classic film Forever Young with the heart of Steve McQueen's The Great Escape, this author is the one to watch. 

Roger Greene loves two things: to fly and to serve his country. Those dreams end when his plane gets shot down over enemy territory and he's imprisoned by Nazi scientists experimenting on POWs. Roger quickly learns his part in the Methuselah Project is successful when he becomes the sole survivor of an air raid and his wounds heal within hours. The project's creator dies in the bombing and the scientists that take over must recreate the formula by studying still-imprisoned Roger--for years.

It's now 2015, and Roger has found a way to escape. He seizes the opportunity only to be thrust into a world remarkably different than the one he knew. With the help of new acquaintance Katherine Mueller, Roger attempts to remain incognito while starting a new life. He finally convinces her of his story, only to discover she works for the very organization he's hiding from.

This book had it all for me--action, suspense, romance--but it also spoke to my patriot heart. Roger was the perfect hero with a strong love for his country and his "old-fashioned" values that should still be valued in this modern world. The Methuselah Project was a great reminder of how tough the American spirit is when put to the test.

I gave this book 5 stars!

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By God’s grace, I’m the author of the novels The Methuselah Project, Gunner’s

Run, Kiriath’s Quest, and over 200 articles and fiction stories. In addition to being a writer and World War II buff, my main role is Director of Church Planting ministries at BIEM, a Christian ministry active in Eastern Europe. I hold a degree in foreign languages, speak Russian, and every summer I assist with children’s camps in Eastern Europe. I live near Indianapolis with my wonderful wife Pam. Visit me at facebook.com/AuthorRickBarry, on Twitter (@WriterRickBarry), and at www.rickcbarry.com. 

The Memory Weaver by Jane Kirkpatrick

Eliza Spalding Warren was just a child when she was taken hostage by the Cayuse Indians during a massacre in 1847. Now the young mother of two children, Eliza faces a different kind of dislocation; her impulsive husband wants them to make a new start in another territory, which will mean leaving her beloved home and her departed mother's grave--and returning to the land of her captivity. Eliza longs to know how her mother, an early missionary to the Nez Perce Indians, dealt with the challenges of life with a sometimes difficult husband and with her daughter's captivity.

When Eliza is finally given her mother's diary, she is stunned to find that her own memories are not necessarily the whole story of what happened. Can she lay the dark past to rest and move on? Or will her childhood memories always hold her hostage?


My Review
This author's prose dances along the page and transports the reader to Oregon Territory, pre-Civil War, where a coming-of-age Eliza Spalding is running her father's household and caring for her younger siblings in absence of their mother. She catches the eye of Andrew Warren, a young man working to build his own cattle spread. Tired of her smothering lifestyle, Eliza sneaks away with Andrew and elopes. But the marriage ahead is not exactly what Eliza had envisioned. 

I enjoyed seeing the budding romance blossom and fight for survival during times of hardship. This is real, and Eliza fought valiantly. I did find some parts of the mother's journal confusing and hard to follow, but the Cast of Characters and the Oregon map at the beginning were very helpful, as I don't often read historical fiction. 

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction that's real and gritty. I give this book 3.5 stars!

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Jane is inter-nationally recognized for her lively presentations and well-researched stories that encourage and inspire.  Her works have appeared in more than 50 publications including  Decision, Private Pilot and Daily Guideposts.  Jane is the author of over 25 books including historical novels. Many of her titles are based on the lives of real people or incidents set authentically in the American West.  Her first novel, A Sweetness to the Soul, won the coveted Wrangler Award from the Western Heritage Center.  Her works have been finalists for the Christy, Spur, Oregon Book Award, WILLA Literary Award and Reader’s Choice awards.  Several of her titles have been Book of the Month and Literary Guild selections. For more about Jane, visit her website at www.jkbooks.com.

The Mistress of Tall Acre by Laura Frantz

The American Revolution is finally over, and Sophie Menzies is starved for good news. When her nearest neighbor, General Seamus Ogilvy, finally comes home to Tall Acre, she hopes it is a sign of better days to come. But the general is now a widower with a small daughter in desperate need of a mother. Nearly destitute, Sophie agrees to marry Seamus and become the mistress of Tall Acre in what seems a safe, sensible arrangement. But when a woman from the general's past returns without warning, the ties that bind this fledgling family together will be strained to the utmost. When all is said and done, who will be the rightful mistress of Tall Acre?

Triumph and tragedy, loyalty and betrayal--readers find it all in the rich pages of this newest historical novel from the talented pen of Laura Frantz. Her careful historical details immerse the reader in the story world, and her emotional writing and finely tuned characters never cease to enchant fans both old and new.




My Review
History comes alive in this engaging romance surrounding the American Revolution. These characters will emboss themselves on your heart and stick with you long after the last page.

Seamus Ogilvy has returned from war weary, widowed, and struggling to rebuild a relationship with the young daughter he barely knows. Sophie Menzies, mistress of neighboring Three Chimneys, quickly befriends Seamus's daughter and becomes the link that binds father and daughter together. When Sophie's ownership of Three Chimneys is threatened, Seamus offers a solution her heart can't deny. But when a woman from his past returns, Sophie's position at Tall Acre is jeopardized. Will Virginia's new government be able to sift through betrayal and lies to determine the rightful mistress of Tall Acre?

Another great read by Laura Frantz! I give this book 5 stars!

Through Waters Deep by Sarah Sundin

War is coming.

Can love carry them through the rough waters that lie ahead?

It is 1941 and America teeters on the brink of war. Outgoing naval officer Ensign Jim Avery escorts British convoys across the North Atlantic in a brand-new destroyer, the USS Atwood. Back on shore, Boston Navy Yard secretary Mary Stirling does her work quietly and efficiently, happy to be out of the limelight. Yet, despite her reserved nature, she never could back down from a challenge. When evidence of sabotage on the Atwood is found, Jim and Mary must work together to uncover the culprit. A bewildering maze of suspects emerges, and Mary is dismayed to find that even someone close to her is under suspicion. With the increasing pressure, Jim and Mary find that many new challenges--and dangers--await them.


Publisher: Revell, 2015
Author: Sarah Sundin
Cover Photography and Illustration: Brandon Hill

My Review
I was hooked from the first page. With a gripping plot set amidst the enchanting and war-torn era of the 1940's, Through Waters Deep will stick with you long after the first page. 

Boston Navy Yard secretary Mary Stirling reunites with high school acquaintance Ensign Jim Avery during the USS Atwood's sabotaged christening. Together they embark on a journey of clues to find the saboteur. As they narrow down suspects, their friendship blossoms into something more. Will their feelings for one another survive the start of war? Or will they drown in deep waters?

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries, romance stories, and/or historical fiction. 

I gave this book 5 stars! This is the first novel of Sarah's I've read, and I'll definitely be reading more!

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Sarah Sundin received the Writer of the Year at the Mount Hermon Christian Christian Writers 

Conference. A graduate of UC San Fransisco School of Pharmacy, she works on-call as a hospital pharmacist. During WWII, her grandfather served as a pharmacist's mate (medic) in the Navy and her great-uncle flew with the US Eighth Air Force in England. Sarah lives in California with her husband and three children. To learn more, visit her website at www.sarahsundin.com.

In Good Company by Jen Turano

After growing up as an orphan, Millie Longfellow is determined to become the best nanny the East Coast has ever seen. Unfortunately, her playfulness and enthusiasm aren't always well received and she finds herself dismissed from yet another position.

Everett Mulberry has quite unexpectedly become guardian to three children that scare off every nanny he hires. About to depart for Newport, Rhode Island, for the summer, he’s desperate for competent childcare.

At wit’s end with both Millie and Everett, the employment agency gives them one last chance–with each other. As Millie falls in love with her mischievous charges, Everett focuses on achieving the coveted societal status of the upper echelons. But as he investigates the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of the children’s parents, will it take the loss of those he loves to learn whose company he truly wants for the rest of his life?


Author: Jen Turano
Publisher: Bethany House, 2015
Cover Design: Paul Higdon
Cover Photography: Brandon Hill Photos


My Review
Jen's characters are always a load of fun. Witty and heart-warming, In Good Company is a pure delight. 

Millie Longfellow needs a nanny job after getting fired yet again. Socialite Everett Mulberry needs a nanny to care for the three mischievous children he's unexpectedly become guardian over. Neither adult believes they'll make a good match, but desperate times call for desperate measures. When the children gang up on Millie in attempt to get rid of her, as well as Everett's fiance, Caroline, they discover they can't outwit this nanny. As Millie's relationship with the children warms, Everett comes to realize Millie quite good at her job after all and enlists Millie's help investigating the mysterious deaths of the children's parents, which angers Caroline. These changes have Everett questioning his place in society, and wondering if he's in good company after all. 

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical romances and/or stories filled humor. I give this book 5 stars! 

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Jen Turano is the author of six books, including the Ladies of Distinction series. She makes her home in Denver, Colorado, with her husband and son. Visit her website at www.jenturano.com.