Married Mom, Solo Parent by Carla Anne Coroy

For married women who feel like single parents.

Bookstore shelves are full of parenting resources for moms who are newly divorced or widowed. But where do moms turn if they feel like a single parent--but they’re not? Whether he is away on business, deployed in the military, or obsessing over a computer game, dad may not be available for a variety of reasons. Moms who parent in this situation still need help and don’t necessarily relate to the advice given in divorce recovery or single parenting resources.

Married Mom, Solo Parent is a common-sense, down-to-earth look at the struggles wives and mothers face when their husband is not actively involved in family life. Writing from her own experience as a married single mom, Carla Anne Coroy will help wives and mothers sort through their questions, such as: Can I do this alone? How do I raise kids to honor their father? How do I give my children a healthy perspective of marriage if they never see one in action? With practical suggestions, anecdotes, and biblical teaching, this book will encourage moms to see their position as a high calling, to find healing for their worries and frustrations, and to tap into God’s strength for help in facing the daily challenge of being a married mom, solo parent.

Link to buy the book

Carla Anne Coroy runs the Married Single Mom blog at www.carlaannecoroy.blogspot.com. She speaks regularly and serves as a staff writer for an online Christian women’s magazine Mentoring Moments for Christian Women. Carla Anne lives in Canada with her husband and four homeschooled children. For more information, visit www.carlaanne.com.

 

When this book came out for review I thought it would be a book for single moms, but that isn't the case.  Don't let it fool you.  This book is for the married mom, but the husband is busy or always away for whatever reason, school, job, etc.  Therefore, that leaves the mom to parent the children solo.  I am neither a single mom or a solo mom, but I enjoyed reading this book.  The author speaks from experience.  She shares her heart and thoughts and ideas for solo moms to glean from.  You'll come to realize that there is no formula for preparing yourself for the solo parenting journey that you might one day find yourself in.  Women are often given little warning solo parenting just becomes your lifestyle. This book is a book of resource suggestions, tools, tips and ideas. Yes, I would recommend this book to the solo mom, it is the first I've read on the subject.   

Come to an encouraging MomChat party on Facebook…you could win a KindleTouch!

Don't miss Carla Coroy's MomChat Facebook Party on 10/25!

To celebrate the release of her new book Carla has partnered with her publisher, Kregel, to host a live MomChat party on Facebook!

The party will wrap up the blog tour and Carla will be hosting an encouraging MomChat about all things mom and wife related. There will also be a fun contest and she’s giving away a KindleTouch and a ton of other fun stuff (books, gift certificates and more!).

So RSVP today and then come back on 10/25 at 5pm Pacific, 8pm Eastern for the party.

Don't miss the fun ... and tell your friends.

Blog tour schedule

A copy of this book was provided for this tour by...

Dare to Live by Elizabeth Van Liere

Over the Hill, Not Under It

We seniors are a strange lot. Getting a discount at McDonalds makes us grin, yet small changes in routine often bug us. Decisions—should I or should I not?—churn through our minds. We let worries creep into our lives so that sleep eludes us. Hopefully, the devotions in this book will lead the reader to lean on God, accept what disturbs, settle wayward thoughts by prayer, and send hope into the heart.  ~Elizabeth Van Liere, author

Dare to Live

Devotions for Those Over the Hill, Not Under It!

by Elizabeth Van Liere Lighthouse Publishing

ISBN-10: 098331960X

ISBN-13: 978-0983319603

Paperback: 172 pages

Retail: $9.95

 

Book Summary

Dare to Live: Devotions for Those Over The Hill, Not Under It! is a jolt of spiritual inspiration, a quick boost for your soul. Rediscover God's grace, hope, and power for living—regardless of your place or age in life. In Dare to Live, 87-year-old author Elizabeth Van Liere leads readers through a thirty-day journey to a fuller understanding of what it means to "season slowly with a mighty and loving Savior." This journey pursues a life characterized by relevancy not regret, generosity not grumpiness, and compassion to the end. These quick shots of instant inspiration might be just what you need to keep going. Whether new to the faith or a lifelong follower of Christ, readers old and young will discover the joy of what it means to be transformed into the image of Jesus and used for His purposes to the very end.   Bonus Material

Chocolates Are Yummy, But God Is Sweeter (from Dare to Live, Devotions for Those Over the Hill, Not Under It)   So then whatever you eat or drink or whatever you may do, do all for the honor and glory of God. I Corinthians 10:31 (Amplified) What is the first goodie to disappear on a dessert table during the fellowship hour at church? Anything chocolate—especially brownies. Ask those among you who is a chocoholic and hands are lifted high with the enthusiasm of a praise and worship band. And happy day! I just read, “Dark chocolate is good for you.” Those words push aside my guilty feelings when I let a piece of chocolate slowly melt in my mouth. It’s not so much the one piece I savor. It’s when I buy a box of chocolates. Not a huge box—no more than a double layer of brown nuggets. One of my daughters-in-law can buy a Hershey’s candy bar and eat one square a day. Not me. I open the box … slowly inhale the aroma … linger over the choice. Will it be a chocolate-covered caramel, a chocolate-covered truffle, or a crunchy chunk filled with nuts? I snatch the truffle and shut the box. Moments later the lid is off again. Just one more piece, then I’ll stop. Sin is like my addiction to chocolate. To live as God wants me to live, especially in light of His grace, requires that I develop self-control in all things—including chocolate. Paul tells us we are to glorify God at all times. This includes eating, drinking, working or playing. “I will not be mastered by anything,” Paul told the church at Corinth. Chocolates are only one of God’s gifts to us. Gobbling one piece after another means the object masters us instead of our being the master, just as overindulging in anything can rule our lives. God’s sweetness is more important than craving for chocolate. Do you suppose a chocolate obsession reveals a soul that is weak and easily led astray? Prayer Heavenly Father, You know I cannot keep my hand out of the box of chocolates by myself. I need Your help. So let my eyes skip over the sale at Walgreens for chocolates. Keep my eyes on the road ahead instead of to the side where Stouffers beckons. Grow self-control in me in everything, so all I eat, drink, or do glorifies You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.    A Step Further Proverbs 25:16; I Corinthians 9:24-27 Building Blocks of Faith Taste and see that the Lord is good. Questions Why do I feel I can indulge myself just because I’m elderly? Does it really matter if I take four pieces of candy instead of one? Author Bio

Elizabeth Van Liere Elizabeth Van Liere ‘s first story, “The Early Bird,” sent in with numerous mistakes, was published by Child Life in 1961. Since then, with much learning, her inspirational articles, poetry, children’s stories, and devotionals have found homes. Now, some fifty years later, at age 87, her first book is available: Dare to Live, Devotions for Those Over the Hill, Not Under It. Elizabeth’s husband died in 1991, but she kept busy helping her daughter raise four sons. Others in her family: three sons, ten grandchildren, and fourteen great grandchildren. She loves the chance to visit them all, in Colorado and from California to Virginia, North Carolina, Florida and Germany. Grand Prize Giveaway  Dare to Live Gift Box Local (Durango, CO) products from Honeyville $32.95 Value

Ummm! I can taste those luscious pancakes already and oh, that bumbleberry syrup! Or how about some hot, golden corn bread—topping each piece off with some Jalapeno jelly!

The grand prize winner will receive a gift box from Honeyville that includes:

• Whole Wheat Pancake Mix
• Bumbleberry Syrup
• Corn Bread Mix
• Jalapeno Jelly

Now to enter this giveaway please leave a comment on this post telling me something you remember about your grandparents or if you are a grandparent tell something you are doing with your grandchild to make memories.  Be sure to leave a way of contact.  One person's name will be drawn and sent to KCWC on Friday, Oct. 28th.  Then KCWC will draw a winner from each blog host entries to win the Grand Prize.  Drawing will be held the week of Oct. 30th. 

Grand Prize winner is:

Trisha D
She left a comment at
Linda Attaway’s Mocha with Linda

A copy of this book was provided by...

Just in case You Ever Wonder by Max Lucado

This is a sweet story of a parent reassuring a child of his love for him.  It starts out when the child enters the family as a baby explaining how happy they are that God sent them.  Confirming that they are special and glad God made them just the way He had made them.  If you have a child that needs that security knowing they are special then this is just the book that is needed.  Christmas is coming what a better gift to give than a book that tells the message of your love.

Product Description

A timeless children's classic by best-selling author, Max Lucado, that reinforces the love of a parent. There are certain words that every child longs to hear-affirmation of unconditional love, promises of support, and words of encouragement. Just in Case You Ever Wonder wraps your children in its tender message of love, comfort, and protection, showing them that as they grow and change, you'll always be there for them-whether it's "monsters in the closet" or hard times when other kids are mean. Beloved author, Max Lucado, helps express unconditional love for a child-simply, powerfully, and forever.

for more information about this book visit here

a copy of this book was provided by Thomas Nelson in exchange for my honest review

Tuesday Teaser ~ the Christmas Shoppe

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, so I thought I would play for un! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers 

Despite his misgivings, Tommy was under their spell, and he allowed these two dark-eyed females to lead him like a lamb to the slaughter, or perhaps he was headed straight into the lions' den.  Well...he knew that was a bit melodramatic, not to mention cliche, but it was how he felt as they entered the building.


~taken from p. 38-39 of the Christmas Shoppe by Melody Carlson

Rose scowled at Tommy.  "Not you again!"...

I'm sorry to intrude like this," he said quickly.  "If this isn't a good time, I'll just be on my--"  

"You got that right." Rosed shook her sponge so hard that droplets of water splashed from it.  "Unless you're here to roll up your sleeves, you can just be on your way!" 

I could lend a hand," he offered.

"Oh, I'll just bet you could."  Rose shook her head

~taken from p. 41 of the Christmas Shoppe by Melody Carlson

Love on the Line by Dee Gist

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Love on the Line Bethany House (October 1, 2011) by Deeanne Gist

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

After a short career in elementary education, Deeanne Gist retired to raise her four children. Over the course of the next fifteen years, she ran a home accessory and antique business, became a member of the press, wrote freelance journalism for national publications such as People, Parents, Parenting, Family Fun, Houston Chronicle and Orlando Sentinel, and acted as CFO for her husband’s small engineering firm--all from the comforts of home.

Squeezed betwixt-and-between all this, she read romance novels by the truckload and even wrote a couple of her own. While those unpublished manuscripts rested on the shelf, she founded a publishing corporation for the purpose of developing, producing and marketing products that would reinforce family values, teach children responsibility and provide character building activities.

After a few short months of running her publishing company, Gist quickly discovered being a "corporate executive" was not where her gifts and talents lie. In answer to Gist’s fervent prayers, God sent a mainstream publisher to her door who licensed her parenting I Did It!® product line and committed to publish the next generation of her system, thus freeing Gist to return to her writing.

Eight months later, she sold A Bride Most Begrudging to Bethany House Publishers. Since that debut, her very original, very fun romances have rocketed up the bestseller lists and captured readers everywhere. Add to this two consecutive Christy Awards, three RITA nominations, rave reviews, and a growing loyal fan base, and you’ve got one recipe for success.

Her latest releases, Beguiled, Maid To Match, and Love on the Line are now available.

Gist lives in Texas with her husband of twenty-eight years and their border collie. They have four grown children. Click here to find out the most up-to-the-minute news about Dee.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Rural switchboard operator Georgie Gail is proud of her independence in a man's world ... which makes it twice as vexing when the telephone company sends a man to look over her shoulder.

Dashing Luke Palmer is more than he appears though. He's a Texas Ranger working undercover to infiltrate a notorious gang of train robbers. Repairing telephones and tangling with this tempestuous woman is the last thing he wants to do. But when his stakeout puts Georgie in peril, he realizes more than his job is on the line.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Love on the Line, go HERE.

Mailbox Monday ~ Oct. 17, 2011

Join Mailbox Monday meme

@ The Printed Page
with monthly hosts, Oct's host is
Savvy Verse & Wit
(I will be hosting sometime in 2013 she is that far booked ahead)


Adult Fiction Books

the Nine Lives of Christmas by Sheila Roberts
The Wishing Pearl by Nicole O'Dell
Vicious Cycle by Terri Blackstock
A Log Cabin Christmas Collection by many authors
The Promise of Deer Run by Elaine Marie Cooper

Children's Books

Just Like You by Robert Kroupa
Just in Case You Ever Wonder by Max Lucado

Reclaiming Lily by Patti Lacy

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Reclaiming Lily Bethany House (October 1, 2011) by Patti Lacy

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Patti Lacy, Baylor graduate, taught community college humanities until God called her to span seas and secrets in her novels, An Irishwoman's Tale and What the Bayou Saw.

The secrets women keep and why they keep them continue to enliven Patti's gray matter. A third book, The Rhythm of Secrets, released in January of 2011. Patti's, Reclaiming Lily, documents a tug-of-war between a Harvard-educated doctor and an American pastor and his wife for a precious child and explores adoption issues, China's "One Child" policy, and both Christian and secular views of sacrifice.

Patti also facilitates writing seminars in schools, libraries, and at conferences and has been called to present her testimony, "All the Broken Pieces," at women's retreats. She also leads a Beth Moore Bible study at her beloved Grace Church and has had a blast planning the September 2009 wedding of her firstborn, Sarah.

Patti and her husband Alan, an Illinois State faculty member, live in Normal with their handsome son Thomas, who attends Heartland Community College. On sunny evenings, you can catch the three strolling the streets of Normal with their dog Laura, whom they've dubbed a "Worchestershire Terrier" for her "little dab of this breed, a little dab of that breed."

ABOUT THE BOOK

A storm the size of Texas brews when Gloria Powell and Kai Chang meet in a Dallas hotel. They have come to discuss the future of Lily, the daughter Gloria adopted from China and the sister Kai hopes to reclaim. Kai is a doctor who had to give up her little sister during the Cultural Revolution and has since discovered that an inherited genetic defect may be waiting to fatally strike Lily.

Gloria's relationship with her daughter is tattered and strained, and the arrival of Kai, despite the woman's apparent good intentions, makes Gloria fearful. Gloria longs to restore her relationship with Lily, but in the wake of this potentially devastating diagnosis, is Kai an answer to prayer...or will her arrival force Gloria to sacrifice more than she ever imagined?

If you would like to read the first chapter of reclaiming Lily, go HERE.

Pumpkin Roll by Josi S. Kilpack with IPAD contest

Josi has done it again.  She's brought together an excellent culinary mystery.  This one with the fall flair is just right for a cozy fire and popcorn and a warm blanket.  But don't get to relaxed because there is no falling asleep reading this mystery.  It is a page turner you want to see what is going to happen next.  Kilpack tops it off with some yummy recipes sprinkled thought out the book.  This time I had to try a few.  I made the pumpkin roll and the ginger cookies.  They turned out just yummy. To see pictures of my pumpkin roll click here.  You can read the first two chapters of this book here and get Josi's pumpkin roll recipe and others by clicking here
  To be true to my three strikes rule I must say that Josi does use some curse words in this book (see my curse words post here for clarification.)   However, I totally enjoy Josi's books and look forward to reading more of them.  You'll be surprised at the outcome.  I was. 

Sadie Hoffmiller is looking forward to spending her favorite baking season of the year making delicious New England recipes in Boston, Massachusetts, with her favorite leading man, Pete Cunningham, as they babysit his three young grandsons. But when the boys insist that Mrs. Wapple, the woman who lives across the street, is a witch, Sadie and Pete are anxious to distract the boys from such Halloween-induced ideas. However, it gets harder and harder to explain the strange things that keep happening, particularly after Sadie learns the eccentric Mrs. Wapple has been attacked in her home. As the unexplained occurrences escalate, Sadie finds herself embroiled in yet another mystery with life-or-death consequences. Can Sadie discover whoever—or whatever—is behind the mystery before anyone else gets hurt? Or will this be Sadie’s last case?

Read the First two chapters here.

Chance pointed out the window, his mouth open. Sadie turned to follow his gaze and startled to see Mrs. Wapple facing them, now on the sidewalk that ran parallel to the street rather than the walkway leading to her house. The streetlight down the block illuminated the grey hat made of some type of coarse fabric on her head, and long dark hair that fell in frizzy waves past her shoulders. As they watched, Mrs. Wapple lifted her hand and with her pointer finger began drawing pictures in the air.
“Okay, boys,” Sadie said, standing and ushering them off the couch. “She’s just a silly old lady,” Sadie said. “And there’s cake in the kitchen, so let’s eat.” She chose to believe Mrs. Wapple hadn’t caught them spying, but was simply . . . being weird, like Kalan said.
“Cake!” Fig shouted as he bounded off the couch. Chance and Kalan followed, though Kalan kept looking back over his shoulder. Pete finished herding them into the kitchen and soon they were arguing about which piece of cake was the biggest. Once the boys were gone, Sadie hurried to the side of the window near the floor lamp where the pull cord for the heavy blue drapes was tacked behind the curtains, along the right side of the window. Before she pulled the blinds closed she turned the light off, hoping it would make her less visible. Then she looked at Mrs. Wapple one last time. The woman was still on the sidewalk. Still staring with her finger pointing toward the house. No, not the house—pointing at Sadie. Sadie swallowed and pulled a little further behind the heavy curtains. But she didn’t take her eyes off the strange woman outside. Mrs. Wapple lifted her hand higher, so that it was pointing at the sky and then closed her fingers into a fist. Still staring in Sadie’s direction, she punched her hand upward at the precise moment that the light bulb in the lamp next to Sadie exploded with a pop. A thousand tiny shards of paper-thin glass tinkled to the floor while Sadie jumped out of the way.
“What was that?” Pete asked, stepping into the doorway.
Sadie looked at him. “The light bulb exploded,” she said, not allowing herself to even consider the coincidence of it happening at the same time Mrs. Wapple punched an invisible button over her head. Didn’t light bulbs have to be turned on to shatter like that? She looked back at the sidewalk but Mrs. Wapple wasn’t there.
She wasn’t on the sidewalk; she wasn’t digging in the garden. She was gone. Sadie felt a strange tingling sensation wash over her skin, a kind of breeze without air movement as Kalan’s words came back to her, “Mama says she’s a witch.”
Good thing Sadie didn’t believe in that kind of thing.

Josi has combined her love of MOST things edible and her love of writing into the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery series. Blackberry Crumble is the fifth book in what will be an eight book series. When Josi isn’t cooking or writing she’s trying to say ahead of her four children, hiding somewhere with a book in hand, or enjoying her backyard chickens. Josi and her family live in Willard, UT.

For more information about Josi, you can visit her website at www.josiskilpack.com or her blog at www.josikilpack.blogspot.com

In conjunction with the release of Pumpkin Roll the author, Josi S. Kilpack, and the publisher, Shadow Mountain, are sponsoring a contest for a new iPad. To enter, leave a comment in the comment section of this blog before November 1, 2011. Winners will be announced and notified November 3^rd 2011.
For additional ways to enter, go to www.josiskilpack.com

***

For additional ways to enter, go to participating blog sites schedule here, one entry per site you leave a comment, plus other ways to win here
My site Scraps of Life here is another place





Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery Series:

Be sure to leave a comment here on my blog to be entered in this giveaway.  Just for fun why not speculate what might be Josi's next culinary mystery coming out in Spring of 2012?  Then click here to find out how you can get additional entries


A copy of this book was provided for  this review by Pump up your Book tours

Guest post: Tomorrow Had Come by Jessica Kirkland

Tomorrow Had Come

by Jessica Kirkland

In every season of life, the Enemy would whisper the lie that I would “never make it” to the next. I believed it. Time and time again, I thought his words held power. As a young child, I never thought I would live to see my school years. Once I entered school, I never thought I would live to see the next day, next grade, or milestone in life. I listened to a very real enemy, even though I didn’t want to. Even though I came from a strong, Christian family, I felt powerless to stop the lies. Fear gripped me, stole from me, and taunted every careful step I took.

I gave my heart to Christ at six years old, yet fear still held me tight. Though I had renewed hope, the whispers and lies continued to flow and drown out truth through every season. When, I heard the words that burned a hole straight through, I was nose-to-nose with what appeared to be the sum of all my fears.

“Mrs. Kirkland, you have congestive heart failure. If your babies are born now, they will probably not live or be severely impaired.”

I was twenty-six weeks pregnant with triplets. In the beginning, I had been pregnant with quads, but had lost one child at 14 weeks. I never imagined we might all go meet Jesus on the same day. I mourned the thought of my husband walking through life alone. I grieved for the children that would either die, be disabled on this earth, or grow up motherless. And I burned with anger, not just because of the oxygen mask strapped to my face as I struggled for breath and life, but for twenty-five years of allowing Satan to tell me that I would never make it to tomorrow.

Tomorrow had come.

As nurses whirled around me, I prayed Acts 17:25 out loud, “…You give life and breath to everything, and satisfy every need.” I pleaded with the God I personally knew through a relationship with His Son, Jesus. I knew He had a plan for my life that was good according to Jeremiah 29:11. In my humanity, I struggled with the thought that death might be His plan for us on that day.

Today, we are parents to three healthy five-year-olds. You would never know they were born nine weeks premature. The joy that Satan has stolen from me in 30 years, through a spirit of fear, is great. I imagine if you strung each lying sentence end-to-end, they might wrap the globe. Yet, I have promised to tell others of God’s miracles in my life and do my part in setting captives free. Tomorrow had come, but so had Jesus, and it is He who has defeated the grave.

“For God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.”
2 Timothy 1:7

Jessica Kirkland lives in Southeast Texas with her husband, Robb, and five-year-old triplets. She is an author and speaker whose greatest passion in life is to see young families grow deeper in their walk with God. Jessica's newest adventure includes launching Christian Apps 4 Kids, which seeks to draw kids closer to Christ one app at a time. A recent release is a book app that addresses fear and scary nighttime sounds called The Sounds of Night, designed for kids ages 2-8. It is currently available on iPad, iPhone and all Android devices. When Jessica isn't writing, you can find her cheering her boys on at the soccer field, or watching her little girl at the dance studio.
To find out more about her current writing projects,
connect with her at: http://www.christianapps4kids.com or on her personal blog: http://www.jessicakirkland.com


To purchase The Sounds of Night at iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-sounds-of-night/id456046823?mt=8


To purchase The Sounds of Night in the Android Market:
https://market.android.com/details?id=pro.roar.thesoundsofnight&feature=search_result