Fire on Ice by Jeremy C. Holm

The thrill of bobsledding combines with spiritual insight in this inspiring book by Jeremy C. Holm. Through sharing his unforgettable experiences as a bobsledder and coach, his message will broaden and enlighten your understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

"Bobsledders are thrill-seeking lunatics. I mean, who in their right mind throws themselves down an icy chute at faster-than-freeway speeds in a fiberglass or carbon fiber sled?

Racing down an icy track at 80 miles per hour makes you think of many things. Jeremy C. Holm thought of God. While racing professionally as a bobsled pilot, he learned valuable lessons that transformed his bobsledding experience from something worldly into a journey of faith in God.

Now as a head coach, Jeremy shares his personal experiences from a competitive life on the ice and the spiritual fire he gained while coping with the temptations and trials of life.

This message of faith and personal courage will inspire you to come closer to Jesus Christ and reach for eternal life."

I really enjoy reading books about ordinary people doing extraordinary things.  Professional athletes are interesting- and bobsledders?  Especially interesting.  The Olympics are on right now so my fascination with all things winter sports related is especially high.  I am going to watch the bobsledders this next week and I'm going to be remembering some of the cool lessons I learned from this book.

Fire on Ice is an LDS based religious inspirational book.  Author Jeremy Holm has taken his years of experience as a professional athlete and coach and related it to things of a spiritual nature.  Not only was it cool to learn more about the sport of bobsledding, it was cool to see how Jeremy took his knowledge of bobsledding and the gospel and weaved them together.  There is a wealth of knowledge and experience in this book.

Some of the chapter headings are:

Hope:  The Substance of Gold Medals Unseen

Talk to the Coach; There's No Data Limit on Prayer
Disobedience Leaves Us to Compete Alone
Trials are Training Camps for the Eternities
Your Team Believes in You

There are A LOT of chapters in this book.  The book is pretty thick and it wasn't one I could sit down and read all the way through.  Some of the ideas were a bit repetitive and I thought they could have been combined and condensed into less but overall this was a good read with important reminders of what we are trying to accomplish here on this earth.  The cross over between gospel themes and sports really helped this book move along.  There are a few pages of pictures in the middle which brought a lot of the personal experiences in the book to life.

My thanks to Cedar Fort for allowing me to read and review this book for them.  You can purchase this book at Cedar Fort and Amazon.

Kelly Oram Books are on SALE!! Only .99 cents!!

In celebration of the paperback release of Amazon Best-seller The Avery Shaw Experiment, YA author Kelly Oram is having a special Valentines Day sale and Giveaway. 

From science geeks & serial killers to warlocks & rockstars, no matter your flavor, Kelly Oram has a fictional boyfriend for you! Make the most of this holiday of love and cuddle up with a boy who's sure to make you swoon, will never talk back, and will never ever break your heart!

Visit KELLYORAM.COM to see which boy is right for you and enter the giveaway.

Kelly Oram's Amazon page

Kelly Oram on Barnes&Noble

Kelly Oram wrote her first novel at age fifteen–a fan fiction about her favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which family and friends still tease her. She's obsessed with reading, talks way too much, and loves to eat frosting by the spoonful. She lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her husband and four children. Connect with Kelly on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, & her Blog.

Playing Cupid by Christine S. Feldman

Much as she loves her meddling matchmaker of a grandmother, free-spirited Aimee Beasley is tired of dodging the dull and downright tiresome dates the older woman keeps trying to arrange for her.  So when she notices her beloved Gran preening in the presence of a distinguished elderly gentleman who’s been visiting their apartment building, Aimee is delighted at the prospect of turning the tables on her.

But her plans to match her grandmother up with the gentleman in time for Valentine’s Day hit a snag when Aimee realizes he’s the uncle of their downstairs neighbor, a stodgy thirty-something history professor named Doyle with whom she butts heads on a regular basis.  She’ll need to find a way to make nice and enlist his help, or her plan to see her long-widowed Gran happily matched again will never work.

For Gran’s sake, she’s determined to find a way.  In the process, she starts to realize that her cranky downstairs neighbor has a softer side she never suspected existed. 

And when it comes to romantic heroes, history professors may not have gotten a fair shake…

Happy Valentines Day!  I have the perfect book to tell you about today!  Playing Cupid is a short, sweet, romantic novella that is sure to put a smile on your face.  Christine Feldman's Heavenly Bites Series is so fun and I've loved all of them.  I'm so happy she lets me read and review for her.  I always look forward to reading her books.

I particularly love the main character's first name.  It has a sort of awesomeness about it. . .  haha  This is actually the second book I've read this week with my name (spelled exactly right) in it.  Cool beans.

This book is all about pre-judging people.  Doyle and Aimee are experts at it.  It's a shame, really.  So much time wasted.  But somehow Aimee and Doyle find their way through the muddled mess of judging someone wrongly.  Aimee is spirited and loving.  She has no problem going for what she wants.  She knows how to live and love.  She's fun and I loved her.

And then there was the sweet romance of Gran and Uncle.  So, so sweet.  It made me smile.  So, all in all, a perfectly sweet, clean romance for the holiday of LOVE.

Find this book at B&N and Amazon.

Claiming the Cowboy's Heart by Linda Ford

After witnessing her fiancé's murder, Jayne Gardiner won't let herself be caught on the wrong side of a gun again. But a disastrous first lesson in self-defense has left her with a wounded cowboy. She insists on nursing the handsome stranger back to health—whether he wants it or not!

Getting waylaid by a wild shot has definitely put a hitch in Seth Collins's step—and plans. Duty may call him home, but Seth can't resist lingering on Eden Valley Ranch to teach the English beauty to shoot. And when a shadowy figure from Jayne's past resurfaces, Seth's sudden urge to protect her has nothing to do with duty.

Cowboys of Eden Valley: Forging a future in Canada's west country.

You gotta love when an inspirational romance novel starts out with the girl accidentally shooting the guy.  Ha!  Luckily Seth is pretty forgiving considering the hole in his leg.  

Jayne sure does feel sorry about shooting poor, unsuspecting Seth.  All she really wants is to learn to shoot so she doesn't feel so helpless ever again.  Watching her fiance die was tough.  Lucky for her if she had to shoot someone, it was a handsome cowboy with a very strong sense of duty.  So strong it kind of gets in the way a bit.  But better that than an old, ugly stranger with half his teeth missing, right?  I'm such a sucker for handsome cowboy novels.

Some of my favorite things in the book were the frolicking deer, the mysterious key and the friends and family of Jayne.

I liked both Jayne and Seth a lot.  The friendship that grew between them was real and they helped each other work through the tough stuff.  This was a sweet story of growing love and softening hearts.  Harlequin's Inspirations line is a good one and I'm glad they let me read and review for them.

You can find Claiming the Cowboy's Heart at Amazon or the Harlequin site.

Touching Sky- An LDS Music Review

With a fresh and energizing sound, Stephanie Boyd’s debut album Touching Sky will put a smile on your face and a skip in your step. Unique lyrics, heartfelt vocals and top quality production will inspire and uplift you. With brand new original songs and a novel take on some favorite hymns, this CD will stay with you every day of the week.

Amazon * Google Play * iTunes * Deseret Book

I just have to say right up front that this is one of my new favorite albums.  I'm in love with it.  I've been making a lot of long car rides lately and this album is the one I always pop in first and listen to at least twice.  It's love.

Stephanie Boyd's voice is rich and easy to listen to.  I love the lyrics to her songs.  They are meaningful and uplifting.  You just can't go wrong with messages and music that makes you feel good and remind you of the things that are the most important.  

While I really like all the songs on this album, my favorites are Good for the Soul, Enlisted and Waiting for my Rainbow.  Just talking about it makes me want to listen to it right now!  I hope you will check out the music sampler below and get a feel for the album.  Links for purchase are above.  :)  Music makes me happy.  

Growing up in New York, Stephanie was drawn to the power of music from a young age. While she was originally trained in classical singing, Stephanie always gravitated towards more upbeat and modern music. With her debut album, Touching Sky, Stephanie combines her love of traditional messages with fresh music. Since moving to Utah, Stephanie has worked closely with well-known artists including Jenny Phillips, Tyler Castleton, and Michael McLean. She was also featured soloist with Sally DeFord. She has a master’s degree in environmental science she and her husband have enjoyed building and selling businesses together. Stephanie is married with four children (and one on the way!) and likes to read, garden, run and bake fun birthday cakes.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Pinterest * Instagram

Blog Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 3/9/14 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Porcelain Keys by Sarah Beard + a Giveaway!

Title: Porcelain Keys

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance

Pages: 352

Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc. (February 11, 2014)

ISBN-10: 1462113966

ISBN-13: 978-1462113965

Aria's life is full of secrets--secrets about her mother's death, her father's cruelty, and her dream to go to Juilliard. When Aria meets Thomas, he draws out her secrets, captures her heart, and gives her the courage to defy her father. But when tragedy strikes and Thomas disappears, Aria is left alone to transform her broken heart's melody into something beautiful. Porcelain Keys is a captivating love story that will resonate long after the last page is turned.

Porcelain Keys was such a pleasure to read.  It wasn't quite what I was expecting going into it but don't ask me what I was expecting because I don't really know. ha.  Actually, I think I was expecting the usual YA book but what I got was something deeper and more substantial.  This was a tender and emotional story of a girl trying to escape the hurt to find hope, healing and love.

I loved the music aspect of this book.  Music has always been a part of my world and my emotions.  Music has the power to sway your emotions and take you to faraway places.  Aria has a gift within her for music.  She feels the pull to play and when she does, her emotions feed into the music and make it come alive.

Aria is a character you will feel connected to.  She is both vulnerable and strong.  Her tragedies will have you wishing for a happily ever after ending.  There was real depth to Aria and to this whole story.  She has to fight her way out of the darkness that threatens to consume her.  There is something admirable in that.

I walked away from this book feeling satisfied and happy.  Aria's story stayed in my mind well after I had read it.  I love when that happens.

You can purchase Porcelain Keys on Amazon or at Cedar Fort.

SARAH BEARD is the author of Porcelain Keys, a YA contemporary romance. She has a degree in communications from the University of Utah and splits her time between writing and raising three energetic boys. She is a cancer survivor and a hopeless romantic. She enjoys reading and composing music, and lives with her husband and children in Salt Lake City, Utah. You can follow Sarah on twitter at @authorsarahb, or at facebook.com/authorsarahbeard. Her website is www.sarahbeard.com.

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Cover Reveal for Fractured Truth by Rachel McClellan (book 3 in the Fractured Light Series)

It's finally time to reveal the cover for the much anticipated YA novel Fractured Soul, book three in the Fractured Light series.

“You guys don’t get it, do you?” I said. “You think Cyrus is done with us? You think he’s making more Vykens because it’s fun?”

I let my questions sink in before I added, “Cyrus is coming back, and he’s going to finish what he started. This isn’t just about saving the others; it’s about saving our race. The time is now. Are you ready?” 

**********************

Llona is determined to end the fight with the Vykens once and for all. All she needs is to find and destroy the Shadow—the ultimate source of dark power. But when she makes a startling discovery about someone she loves, Llona has to fight the toughest battle yet in this exciting conclusion to the Fractured Light series.

Pre order your copy on Amazon now! 

Find out more about Rachel McClellan and her books here: 

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