In the Shadow of Jezebel by Mesu Andrews

Raised to fulfill her future roles as high priestess to Baal Melkart and a queen of destiny, Princess Jehosheba learned early to use manipulation, cruelty and fear to gain power and impress Queen Athalia, her father's wife. An invitation from Jezebel, the Queen Mother of Israel, and a letter from the dead prophet, Elijah, begin a whirlwind of events as Jehosheba learns deep family secrets and reluctantly marries Yahweh's high priest. As Jehosheba learns more of Yahweh, she loses faith in Baal Melkart.  Under a death sentence should she fail to carry out the plans of the queens of destiny, will Jehosheba overcome her fear and fully trust Yahweh for life, love and a safe future?

I was very impressed by In the Shadow of Jezebel, the first book I've read by Mesu Andrews. From the beginning, the story had my attention and, in spite of one scene that I think had a lapse in tone, my interest in the characters and their stories, never waned. One thing I particularly enjoyed was the story's setting. I haven't read a lot of fictional stories set in this period and the use of unfamiliar words such as “Ima” and “Gevirah” intrigued me. Andrews expertly weaved Biblical events with fictional elements. This book actually made me want to go back and read the correlating Biblical accounts. I can not say enough good things about this book and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys Biblical fiction.

Read an excerpt from In the Shadow of Jezebel by Mesu Andrews on the publisher's website.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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."

Balanced by Tricia Goyer

About Balanced: Finding Center as a Work-at-home Mom:

How can a work-at-home mom raise kids, juggle a career and take care of family responsibilities with only 24-hour days? Working at home while raising kids and juggling a career and family responsibilities is no easy feat. Author and homeschooling mom Tricia Goyer shares her tips for finding balance among all your many hats as a mom. Balancing is a process and a journey, one that Tricia herself has yet to perfect. But between writing more than forty books, raising and homeschooling six kids, being a wife, and being active in her community, she has amassed valuable tips she shares in “Balanced.”

The book includes tips on:

—how to create focus themes for your family
—how to prioritize your schedule
—how to utilize your job so it also benefits your kids
—how to keep yourself out of the comparison game
—how to make working at home work for you
—and much more!

Purchase a copy, get a free downloadable workbook, and learn more at Tricia’s website.

My thoughts:

Now, a confession: I'm a stay-at-home mom, not a work-at-home mom. Nevertheless, I struggle to balance my time between my child, house cleaning, errands, church activities, etc. I found that many principles in this book still applied to me: finding priorities, seeking God's wisdom, resisting certain societal pressures, being fully present in what I am doing at the moment, dependence of God, setting an example for my children, forming my schedule, not feeling guilty when I'm not supermom, inner freedom, and knowing God intimately.

In addition to the aforementioned principles, Goyer encourages mothers to follow their dreams while still emphasizing the importance of mothering children and realistically acknowledging that time isn't free.  It may mean paying someone else to watch the children and relinquishing that time with them. But it can also instill dreams and aspirations as the children watch you pursue your God-given calling. Goyer's ultimate point in this book is the value of knowing God and doing His will.

This is a book I could see myself reading annually around New Year's to realign personal priorities and dreams. I highly recommend Balanced: Finding Center as a Work-at-Home Mom by Tricia Goyer to any mom who struggles complete the daily to-do list, needs to streamline her day, or just needs some encouragement and direction about priorities.

Read more reviews by fellow bloggers at Litfuse Publicity's website.

About Tricia Goyer:

USA Today best-selling author Tricia Goyer is the author of over 35 books, including the three-book Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series and “Lead Your Family Like Jesus,” (co-written with Ken Blanchard). She has written over 500 articles for national publications and blogs for high traffic sites like TheBetterMom.com and MomLifeToday.com. She is the host of Living Inspired, a weekly radio show. Tricia and family live in Little Rock, Arkansas. They have six children.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook free from the publisher via Litfuse Publicity. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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 Dancing Master by Julie Klassen

Julia Midwinter's youth and vitality often stand in opposition to her mother's rules. As village matriarch, Julia's mother has prohibited all forms of dancing. This seemingly harsh rule is shrouded in family secrets, including the deaths of Julia's aunt and uncle. By natural curiosity and rebellion, Julia is drawn to Alec Valcourt, the newly arrived dancing master from London. However, Alec's past also proves dark and messy and he's certainly not the type of man Julia's mother would approve of. Will Alec and Julia both discover the truths about their pasts so that they can embrace the future with hope? Read more in The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen.

The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen is a stand-alone novel set in early nineteenth century England. The mystery of Julia's past hooked my attention and kept me wondering how all the people and events fit together. For me, this is what kept the story flowing as I didn't find the characters as captivating as I expected. By the author's intention, I suspect, Julia's character was hard to like in the beginning. However, even after Julia's internal motivations became more clear and she began to develop as a character, I still found it difficult to like her. Lastly, someone mentioned to me that it sounds like a take-off of Footloose. However, I've never seen the movie, so I can't really speak that. I don't discourage anyone from reading the book, but I do recommend borrowing from the library before purchasing.

Visit the publisher's website to read an excerpt from The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen.




Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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."