Raising Financially Confident Kids - A Review

Watching her children learn from her spending habits, Mary Hunt realized that she and her husband needed to do something that would teach their children about the dangers of living beyond what their means. It was a lesson Mary needed to learn as well. Together she and her husband sat down and created a plan that would allow for each child to manage a portion of the family income while teaching them about finances.She shares what they did and some information about ways that debt gets its hooks into the lives of children early.

I found this book to be fascinating. I don't have children, but most of my friends do. Growing up I was given an allowance, but was not taught how to really manage my money. And that lack of knowledge stayed with me through college and beyond. In the Fall of 2009, I went through the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University and have not regretted it. I've learned things through that that I wish I'd known 10, 15, even 20 years ago. This book has made things clear to me that I wish I'd known as a child. I do know that the principles in the book are inline with what Dave Ramsey teaches and as it's targeted for parents as a tool to help their children learn how to be money-smart and grow into adulthood being debt-free.

I really liked the idea of each child being given a salary that would allow them to manage a portion of the family's budget. I think that concept and the hands-on technique used is one of the best tools for a child to learn to be responsible with money.

I received this book for free from the publisher, Revell Books for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Raising Financially Confident Kids is available in August 2012 at your local bookseller from Revell Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Rating - 4 stars

Stangler Figs - A Review

A dead pregnant woman. A murdered priest. That's the story reporter Ramona Jackson is asked to investigate. What she doesn't realize is that the story is bigger than she even thought and she is drawn into a web of intrigue. Forced into hiding, she soon finds herself in way over her head and decides to seek answers. Her quest for the truth leads her and two friends on an international chase that not only turns up answers regarding the murdered priest but also brings the mysteries of Ramona's past and her ancestry to light. Will she become the next victim or will she find the answers she seeks?

I only knew of this novel due to the fact that I know the author's daughter. And as a favor to my friend, I read the book. I didn't have any preconceived expectations about this book or what to expect. It's based in part on a novel written by Helen Hunt Jackson. What I wasn't expecting was to be sent on an adventure that crossed continents.Sure some of the theological ideas I took an exception to, but I had the same reaction with Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code. A couple of spots, the violence was pretty graphic, but having read things with far more detail in the past, I really just skimmed through those sections. I'll admit that a couple of times I did fall asleep while reading it. But I kept hanging onto my seat as I read because the twists and turns weren't what I expected. Overall, it was a very entertaining book.

I paid for the Kindle edition of the book. The author did not ask me to review the book. And her daughter wanted me to give my honest opinion. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of the DaVinci Code, suspense fans, adventure lovers

Rating - 4 stars

The following is not part of my review on Amazon or Goodreads


This is not a book I would classify as Christian fiction. There are mentions of God and religion plays a big part of the story, but as far as what is actually classified as Christian fiction, this is not. For my readers who only read Christian fiction, this would not be a book I would recommend to you. But if you are a reader who reads pretty much anything, like me, then this just may be a fun book for you to try.

Beach Bag Giveaway Winner

I spent the last several days in Dallas at my Mary Kay Seminar. I'll be sharing my thoughts and pictures soon.

After tallying all of the various entries, and I've loved reading your comments, I have a winner of the Beach bag giveaway. I'm so glad to see that so many of you entered!


Congratulations Nicole!! I'm going to email you shortly.


For those of you who love giveaways, my best friend is currently offering a copy of Francine River's Redeeming Love. This giveaway she has will end on August 1. And it's fitting that she's giving it away as our church is in the midst of reading the Bible in a year. You can find the giveaway to the book here on her blog.



I'll do another drawing in August for another book, or book bundle.

Beach Bag Filled up Giveaway

Since summer is the time of vacations, and I leave on vacation early this week, I  decided it was time to do a giveaway. There will be one winner. This winner will receive a box of books to fill up a beach bag or take on vacation. I'm not sure yet what books I'll put in it, but they will all be Christian Fiction.

The above picture is of me and my best friend when I went to visit her in Seattle. Of course that picture was taken at Mt. St. Helens. That trip was one of my favorite vacations. Mainly because I got to spend it with my best friend. Our next trip together will be to Ireland - someday.

To enter, do these things.

• Leave a comment with your email address telling me your favorite vacation. Also if you tell me your favorite genres I'll try to make sure that I include some of that genre in the box.
• Second entry - Follow my blog and leave me a comment telling me you follo via (GFC, Networked blogs, email)
• Third entry - leave a comment on any of my book reviews posts, telling me something about that review. For a quick way to find the reviews, click on the label "Book Reviews". You can gain  multiple entries for this as long as you comment on a different review.

I will pick a winner when I return on the 28th. I will also have limited email access, so I won't be able to reply to comments immediately.

Prizes for May,  and June will be mailed out before I leave. And for those winners, I'm going to toss in a small Mary Kay sample.

Love In Disguise - A Review

Ellie Moore finds herself down to her last pennies and out of a job. In desperation, she seeks a job with the Pinkerton Agency. The only reason they hire her is because of her acting ability. When things quickly go wrong on her first assignment, Ellie's only course of action is to rely on her acting skills and play the roles of both elderly widow and her beautiful, vivacious niece. Steven Pierce is one of the mine owners who have asked the Pinkertons to come and investigate into the silver robberies the owners have been facing. He didn't expect to find a friend in Lavinia or fall for her beautiful niece, Jessie. When the thieves come after both Lavinia and Jessie, Ellie finds herself depending on Steven. What will happen to their budding love when she's got the case wrapped up? Or will she decide that it's time to take on the role she was born to play - that of herself?

This is the first book I've read by Carol Cox. I found that it started out a little slow, but then as the story moved along, it became quite entertaining. I really liked seeing how Ellie managed both roles. But in the process of that, she also found out who she really was and the importance of integrity. I also really liked how Steven was a man who wanted justice done. He'd also protect the people who managed to put themselves in danger. Overall, this was a really pretty good book.

I received this book for free from Bethany House Publishers for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

I would recommend this to anyone who likes a light-hearted mystery, Mary Connealy fans, and those looking for adventure in the Wild West.

Rating - 4 stars

Rebel - A Review

Alyn O'Bryne has returned to his homeland after spending the last six years studying in the East. He arrives at Arthur's court to find things in an uproar due to the death of Merlin. Feisty Kella O'Toole, a foster-sister of Alyn's, is the queen's scribe. She's holding a secret that can jeopardize her standing at the Court. When word arrives of an attack on the border guard and her father is missing and her fiance is dead, Kella is determined to do whatever she can to find her father. Alyn agrees to run an errand for the queen - see the Grail genealogies safely delivered to the priestesses of the Grail Church. With the land in an uproar between the Grail and Celtic churches over the teaching of the Roman Church, Alyn comes to realize that God has a far bigger mission for this unworthy priest. Will he heed God's call? And will Kella find the forgiveness that she longs for?

This is the third and final book in the Brides of Alba Series. Like the other two, this one is action packed and filled with lively characters. I had been waiting anxiously for this book to come out and was glad to be able to read it. I love the way that the author makes the history of Britain's early years come to life along with the struggle of the early Christian church. Very similar in nature to her Irish series, Fires of Glennmara, this series looks at Christianity in early Scot/British history.

I recommend this book to those who are intrigued by all things Celtic, fans of historical romance, and Christian fiction.

My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating - 5 stars

Atonement Child - A Review

Dynah Carey is a Christian Golden Girl. She's the doted upon only child, engaged to a man who intends to become a pastor, and just has life together. Yet one moment shatters it all. In that one moment, her life is changed by a rape that leads to an unwanted pregnancy. Her dreams are in shatters. Secrets long held in her family are brought to light. Through it all, her family and those she loves encourage her to get an abortion, yet she remains confused and clinging to the One who loves her beyond anything and can bring healing even to the most broken.

This is my favorite book that Francine Rivers has written. I've read it several times. Dynah's faith starts off strong, then wavers, but slowly becomes strong again as she has no choice but to cling to God. She has one friend who doesn't throw stones at her and allows her to make her own decision, and that friend, Joe, truly loves Dynah with a Christlike love. This is a book that offers hope to women who have had abortions, and offers love to women who find themselves in a situation much like Dynah was in.

I reread this book for the Tyndale Summer Reading Program. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommend to - Karen Kingsbury fans, women who have suffered from abortion, fiction lovers

Rating - 5 stars