On The Road Home by Terry Burns

This week, the



Christian Fiction Blog Alliance



is introducing



On The Road Home



Port Yonder Press; 1st edition (March 3, 2010)



by



Terry Burns

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Terry has over 30 books in print, including work in a dozen short story collections and four non-fiction books plus numerous articles and short stories.

His last book Beyond the Smoke is a 2009 winner of the Will Rogers Medallion for best youth fiction and a nominee for the Spur Award from the Western Writers of America. He has a three book Mysterious Ways series out from David C Cook, and Trails of the Dime Novel from Echelon Press.

A graduate of West Texas State he did post graduate work at Southern Methodist University. Terry plans to continue writing inspirational fiction as well as working as an agent for Hartline Literary Agency. Terry is a native Texan Living in Amarillo, Texas with his lovely wife Saundra.


ABOUT THE BOOK


In our sound-byte society, short stories and poems will always have a place, especially when they've been penned by the likes of Terry Burns. This, the first of four in The Sagebrush Collection, is a compilation of fictional, autobiographical, and fiction-based-on-fact shorts and poems.

Through fluent cowboy-speak, author Terry Burns shares his heart with these sometimes somber, often humorous, always engaging glimpses of life. From short stories about time machines and troubled marriages to poems of roses and hauntingly cold winds, you’ll find much to savor on the pages within.

A born storyteller, Burns style is natural, conversational, and above all real. He’s a fifth generation Irish tale-weaver and a fourth generation Texas Teller of Tall Tales. Storytelling comes as natural to him as breathing.

Come along with Terry as he journeys “On the Road Home”. You’ll be glad you did.

If you would like to read the first chapter of On The Road Home, go HERE.

BACK COVER REVIEW:
Terry proves to be a literary master in a variety of genres and the short story is no exception. He is cowboy from hat to heart to pen. His advice, "...reasons to write short works..." in the foreword makes this book priceless for any writer!

Terry's tales, the first in The Sagebrush Collection, in On The Road Home: Stories of Life and Love pull you into the days of the Wild West and on to heart-felt poetry and then to the true secret of a happy marriage (so concisely said and, like most secrets in life, more simple than most of us think) and back to the Range again - stories that as Bonnie Calhoun said, "...will take you from laughter to tears..." I found that to be literally true - I laughed out loud and had to use a tissue from one story to the next. Do you know what the best thing is about a collection of short stories? You can read just one in a small amount of time and frequently - this is easy heart-felt reading at its best!

An interview with Janelle Shantz Hertzler, author of Seasons of Solace

"Seasons of Solace is a beautiful book- piercing, questioning, honest, profound. These moving poems about death are full of life. Janelle leads us to the depths of grief and lifts us with the healing power of poetry in a book you won't want to put down."
- SUSAN WOOLDRIDGE, author of Poemcrazy: Freeing Your Life with Words and Foolsgold: Making Something from Nothing and Freeing Your Creative Process

"Janelle Hertzler's spare words take you to deep worlds. Brushing aside all unnecessary syllables, she unveils grief as the blow that it is, and the gift it can be. Through her images, she invites the reader to stand with her before the unchangeable, and learn not to turn away. A beautiful telling."
- PAUL D'ARCY, grief psychotherapist, noted speaker, and award-winning author of A Song for Sarah and When People Grieve

"Sometimes the enormity of experience can't be conveyed in sentences made up of words. Hertzler found her release by exploring images- visual and verbal, photographic and poetic. No matter what your experience, this book is likely to resonate with you as well."
- HOWARD ZEHR, professor of restorative justice at Eastern Mennonite University and author of The Little Book of Contemplative Photography and Transcending: Reflections from Crime Victims

Please be sure to read my review of Janelle's book (my post yesterday). And now, here is my recent interview with Janelle about Seasons of Solace...

How long has it been since your husband was killed by a drunk driver?
My husband was killed in July, 2005, so it will be five years this summer.

How did you end up at a place in your life where you sat down and wrote the poetry in this book?
Throughout my life, I have found writing to be a helpful process for dealing with life’s difficulties, but I had never written poetry. In fact I didn’t even read poetry that much. I thought it was too hard to understand and I’d rather have someone speak to me in plain English!

I was taking a class in Trauma Healing and our professor suggested we try writing our stories in less than 100 words. Her purpose was that we create literal ruts in our brains when we tell our story over and over in a certain way. So if we shrink the story way down, we have to tell it in a new way. We also find out what is really essential in our story.

So in an effort to create that 100 word story, I turned it into a poem—poems have fewer words than a paragraph of complete sentences. Plus they hold an emotional punch that is harder to achieve in a paragraph.

What caused you to pick up a camera and begin taking pictures?
I found that spending time in nature was comforting. I began to notice that nature is able to contain both pain and beauty simultaneously. I was sitting by a river when I noticed a bright red leaf dying on the rocks. Somehow I was comforted in feeling that nature “contained” my story. So I continued looking for the images that spoke to emotions within me—the wilting rose weighed down under the snow, a lonely white feather dropped on a road, green shoots forcing their way up through dry, brown leaves.

Where did you take most of your pictures at (I’m particularly mesmerized by the picture of a tree with Tangled Testimonies)?
The Weeping Beech with Tangled Testimonies is planted at a Jesuit retreat center in Wernersville, PA. Many photos were taken there. Others were taken on my brother-in-law’s farm in Virginia. Some are just taken in the back yard—where I had to be very exact about my angle in order to keep the surrounding buildings from obstructing a nature photo. How you focus and choose your frame that makes a great deal of difference in both photography and in life.

What settings do you recommend Poetry Readings of Seasons of Solace for?
I keep it pretty flexible so that it can fit most types of groups. I’ve given the poetry reading as a Sunday morning message, in small groups, at special programs for women’s groups. It can work in a variety of formats.

What other resources do you recommend for grieving persons?
Support groups are important. Counseling is a helpful resource to consider. There is also a growing number of websites that offer a variety of resources. My website http://www.journey-through-grief.com/ has articles to help people understand grief as well as suggestions for using memory books, poetry, photography, journaling and the Psalms of Lament to work through the grief journey.

Please be sure to stop by her web-site. She has created a place that holds a wealth of comfort for those who are grieving and those who know someone who is grieving. You can also find information about purchasing her book either for yourself or as a gift for someone else. Her website can be found at: http://www.journey-through-grief.com/.

Seasons of Solace by Janelle Shantz Hertzler with a Back Cover Review

I would like to give a copy of this book to someone who needs it (or who knows someone who needs it)...please leave a comment on this post if you would like it - I'm sorry, no overseas entrants please. One person will be selected to receive a copy.

Tomorrow: an interview with the author, Janelle Shantz Hertzler!

Janelle has the heart of a warrior and the voice of a poet. Seasons of Solace is the story of her battle with grief and journey to healing. Each picture is poignant and haunting. They give voice to the paradox of life and death coexisting in nature’s beauty and heartache. Our five-year-old described the photographs as “heavenly.”

Janelle’s achingly honest words told in what I would define as free verse (my favorite kind of poetry! I seldom like the rhyming stuff) get straight to the heart of hurt. In these pages are laid out one woman’s experience with loss and her struggle to comprehend God’s purpose in it all. And in her singular experience there is the commonality of our individual pain. Her poetry played a chord not only with my own experiences with unexpected loss, but also with the resulting anger that I felt towards God during those seasons (my grandma’s horrible death with emphysema, a miscarriage…).

I think that one of the most freeing understandings in my life was when I realized that it’s okay to be angry with God. He’s big enough, He can take it, and my anger does not catch Him by surprise. Ultimately, I wrestled to the conclusion that God is not the author or cause of pain and suffering, but my Comforter, my Healer and the Redeemer of everything – but I had to allow Him to carry me through the dark path of suffering to arrive in a place of wholeness on the other side.

Are these words to tell a friend when they’re in the middle of the pain? I don’t think so. It is better to listen, to just say “I’m sorry for your loss” and hug them and cry with them or to let them hear the words of someone shouting out in pain with them…that could be the best way to comfort them…

Seasons of Solace:

In shock after her husband was killed by a drunk driver while living in Thailand, Janelle Shantz Hertzler began searching for a way through the pain. Her struggle to make sense of her loss and find peace resulted in this moving collection. Told through heart-felt poetry and inspiring photography, Seasons of Solace expresses the spiritual journey of a grieving woman moving toward acceptance.

Though written from one person's perspective, Hertzler's poems and photographs reflect the universal experience of losing a loved one. Within the narrative lie broader truths of life and death, love and sorrow, allowing each reader to find his or her own story in its pages.

Janelle Shantz Hertzler:

Janelle was born in Alberta, Canada. She spent eight years living in Thailand, teaching English and working in leadership development. She is currently earning her master's in conflict transformation. A self-employed consultant, retreat leader, and spiritual director, she lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with her son, Micah. You can learn more about Hertzler and Seasons of Solace at http://www.journey-through-grief.com/.

Paula D'Arcy, author of When People Grieve says this about Janelle's book, "Janelle Hertzler's spare words take you to deep worlds. Brushing aside all unnecessary syllables, she unveils grief as the blow that it is, and the gift it can be. Through her images, she invites the reader to stand with her before the unchangeable, and learn not to turn away. A beautiful telling."

Website

Janelle has also created a website for people who are working through grief. On the Seasons of Solace. section of the site, you will find more information about the book.

Janelle offers moving Seasons of Solace poetry readings to churches, book clubs and support groups.

http://www.journey-through-grief.com/

Dead Reckoning by Ronie Kendig

This week, the


Christian Fiction Blog Alliance


is introducing


Dead Reckoning


Abingdon Press (March 1, 2010)


by


Ronie Kendig





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ronie has been married since 1990 to a man who can easily be defined in classic terms as a hero. She has four beautiful children. Her eldest daughter is 16 this year, her second daughter will be 13, and her twin boys are 10. After having four children, she finally finished her degree in December 2006. She now has a B.S. in Psychology through Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. Getting her degree is a huge triumph for both her and her family--they survived!

This degree has also given her a fabulous perspective on her characters and how to not only make them deeper, stronger, but to make them realistic and know how they'll respond to each situation. Her debut novel, Dead Reckoning released March 2010 from Abingdon Press. And her Discarded Heroes series begins in July from Barbour with the first book entitled Nightshade.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Underwater archeologist Shiloh Blake is consumed with passion for the water and inflamed at the injustices of life. When her first large-scale dig traps her in the middle of an international nuclear arms clash, she flees for her life.

When she spots a man trailing her, the questions are, Who is he? And how is he always one step ahead? Is the man trailing her an enemy or a protector sent by her CIA father?

Reece Jaxon is a former Navy SEAL and now serves his country as a spy. His life is entangled by the beguiling Shiloh Blake as he hunts down the sources to a nuclear dead drop in the Arabian Sea near Mumbai, India. The only way to end this nightmare and prevent a nuclear meltdown is to join forces with Reece. Will Shiloh violate her vow to never become involved in her father's web of intrigue and mystery? Will she reconcile with her past and with him? Will she allow God to help her throught this ordeal of danger, mistrust and uncertainty?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Dead Reckoning, go HERE.

Lady Carliss by Chuck Black

Determined, smart and a master of both the sword and the bow, Lady Carliss has proven herself as a veteran Knight of the Prince. Returning from a mission of aid, Carliss is plunged into adventure once again as she searches for the marauders responsible for kidnapping a friends’ family. Along the way she is reunited with Sir Dalton and discovers that the struggle in her heart is far from over. When Dalton falls to the vicious attack of a mysterious, poisonous creature, Carliss finds herself in a race against time. As Dalton clings perilously to life, she must find the antidote in the distant and strange city of Moorue.

While there, Carliss uncovers the master plot of a powerful Shadow Warrior that will soon overtake the entire Kingdom. Her faith in the Prince and her courage as a knight are tested as she faces evil Shadow Warriors and a swamp full of dreadful creatures. The lives of many, including Dalton’s, depend on Carliss. But she cannot save them all, for time is running out. She faces an impossible choice: save Dalton, or let him die so that others may live.

Chuck Black, a former F-16 fighter pilot and tactical communications engineer, is the author of nine novels, including the popular Kingdom series. He has received praise from parents across the country for his unique approach to telling biblical truths. His passion in life is to serve the Lord Jesus Christ and to love his wife, Andrea, and their six children. He lives with his family in North Dakota.

Back Cover Reviews:

Who doesn’t like reading about a girl who is a warrior? This is Joan of Arc meets fantasy. The dialogue is fluidly beautiful. I did want Lady Carliss to sit Selena down and tell her to stop being so impulsive before she repeatedly rushes headlong into trouble (c’mon Lady Carliss!) – and I do wish that the author had written a little more and showed us more often what he told us instead (and trusted the reader to figure out things through body language and tone of voice instead of spelling it all out at times). That being said, I loved the strong allegorical aspects in this fantasy world and the story is touching and powerful - and creative!

All in all, it’s a good story and worth checking out to decide for yourself!

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Raven's Ladder by Jeffrey Overstreet

Following the beacon of Auralia’s colors and the footsteps of a mysterious dream-creature, King Cal-raven has discovered a destination for his weary crowd of refugees. It’s a city only imagined in legendary tales. And it gives him hope to establish New Abascar.


But when Cal-raven is waylaid by fortune hunters, his people become vulnerable to a danger more powerful than the prowling beastmen––House Bel Amica. In this oceanside kingdom of wealth, enchantment, and beauty, deceitful Seers are all too eager to ensnare House Abascar’s wandering throng.

Even worse, the Bel Amicans have discovered Auralia’s colors, and are twisting a language of faith into a lie of corruption and control.

If there is any hope for the people of Abascar, it lies in the courage of Cyndere, daughter of Bel Amica’s queen; the strength of Jordam the beastman; and the fiery gifts of the ale boy, who is devising a rescue for prisoners of the savage Cent Regus beastmen.

As his faith suffers one devastating blow after another, Cal-raven’s journey is a perilous climb from despair to a faint gleam of hope––the vision he sees in Auralia’s colors.

Jeffrey Overstreet is the author of The Auralia Thread, the fantasy series which begins with Auralia’s Colors, a thrilling adventure twice-nominated for a Christy Award, and Cyndere’s Midnight. He is an award-winning film critic and columnist, his work appearing in many publications including Image, Paste, and Christianity Today. He is also the contributing editor for Seattle Pacific University ’s Response magazine. Jeffrey writes in the coffee shops of Shoreline, Washington, with his wife, Anne.


Back Cover Review:
Raven’s Ladder is fantasy at its very best. The writing is poetic imagery with the added dimension of a world all its own. The redemptive value of healing colors woven with the protecting power of The Keeper gives it an allegorical strength that strengthens the story. This is not light reading, but like J.R.R. Tolkein’s Trilogy of the Rings, it’s worth the journey.


Jeff Overstreet is a wonderful author who clearly chiseled this story out of the bedrock of his imagination. The 3rd book is every bit as great as the 1st!

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

The Lord Is My Shepherd by Debbie Viguié

This week, the


Christian Fiction Blog Alliance


is introducing


The Lord Is My Shepherd


Abingdon Press (March 2010)


by


Debbie Viguie


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Debbie Viguié has been writing for most of her life. She has experimented with poetry and nonfiction, but her true passion lies in writing novels. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative Writing from UC Davis. While at Davis she met her husband, Scott, at auditions for a play.

Debbie's love for writing brought her from working as a church secretary to a successful career writing supernatural fiction. She is the author of Midnight Pearls, Scarlet Moon, and Charmed: Pied Piper, and the young adult Sweet Seasons series. She also is coauthor of the New York Times bestselling Wicked book series.

Debbie and Scott now live on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. When Debbie is not writing and Scott has time off they love to indulge their passion for theme parks.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Cindy’s church is getting ready to celebrate Easter, and Jeremiah’s Temple is preparing for Passover when Cindy literally stumbles over the body of an unknown man lying dead in the sanctuary. The church was locked, and a bloody cross necklace on the floor seems to be the only clue. The killer is likely a member of the congregation, but there are hints that similar deaths have happened in the past. Are Cindy and Jeremiah dealing with a serial killer? They have to unravel the clues before Easter Sunday arrives and more people die.

Cindy and Jeremiah come from two different worlds, even though they work right next door to each other. Cindy is a strong Christian who lives a normal but somewhat dull life, working as a church secretary. Jeremiah is a Reformed rabbi with a mysterious past full of danger and excitement. But one eventful Easter/Passover week, the two find themselves working together to solve a murder and stop a serial killer from striking again. Solving the mystery should put an end to their alliance, but the church secretary and the rabbi quickly find themselves enmeshed in another mystery. Soon the two form a friendly alliance and friendship, exploring personal history and faith and growing closer with each passing adventure. Despite their differences Cindy and Jeremiah find a lot of common ground.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Lord Is My Shepherd, go HERE.

BACK COVER REVIEW & BOOK GIVEAWAY! Dancing with My Father: How God Leads Us into a Life of Grace and Joy by Sally Clarkson

Please leave a comment on this post by midnight on Friday, March 5th 2010 to enter to win a copy of this book. No overseas entrants please. Deadline extended to March 12th 2010 because post wasn't linked to Facebook!!!

The reality of living in a broken, fallen world can leave women feeling overcome by fear, guilt, and weariness. Many develop “sawdust souls,” numb to any sense of joy.

In this warm and wise book, author Sally Clarkson invites readers to take God’s hand and let Him lead them into a life of anticipation, passion, and purpose. With the voice of a trusted mentor, she reveals how, by getting in tune with the rhythm of God’s presence, women can nurture an inner attitude of anticipation and celebration even in the stressful seasons of life.

Through rich biblical insights woven with real-life stories, women will be inspired to recapture a spirit of joy as they follow God’s lead on the dance floor of life.

Meet The Author:
Sally Clarkson is a popular speaker, known across the nation and internationally for her work with women. She is the author of several books, including The Mission of Motherhood, The Ministry of Motherhood, and Seasons of a Mother’s Heart. She has worked in various ministries, including Campus Crusade for Christ. With her husband, Clay, she is cofounder of Whole Heart Ministries, which encourages and equips Christian parents. The Clarksons, parents of four, live near Colorado Springs, Colorado .

Back Cover Review:

Psalm 16:11 - You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

There is no doubt that the author, Sally, has walked through extraordinary and ordinary disappointments and disillusionment and have found in those experiences the secrets to experiencing joy (not to be confused with temporary happiness) in every season of life. She shares her personal experiences in this book along with her insight into the lives of people in the Bible who discovered joy in adverse circumstance including David, Job and Paul. Each chapter ends with a section titled “Finding Your Rhythm In God’s Joy” which includes questions to probe into your life and discover areas where joy is missing and to lead you through your own discovery into finding joy through God in your life again. Each chapter also ends with prayer.

David had a different heart…when she shares with the reader what she also told her son about David when he faced Goliath, she says, “they lived in fear because of what they could see with their eyes. But David saw with his heart. He saw this challenge as an opportunity to show the greatness of God. And David pleased God greatly because he didn’t just say he loved God, but he showed it by his actions.”

She talks about her husband when he took her on their first date declaring his desire to love her with unconditional love and how it surprised her. Like her, most of us have only ever known (or mainly know) conditional love, but there is overwhelming joy when we experience God’s unconditional love. “He [God] wants us to respond to him out of an appreciative heart that treasures his gift of generous, thoughtful, and unconditional love-not because we have earned it or deserved it.”

“I believe that David saw in God great freedom – that his God created pleasure, color, beauty, food, love, sound, taste, and deep happiness. David was not tied up in knowts of religion or rules, pretense and performance. Instead, he enjoyed and delighted in the God whom he knew to be his close friend and Lord. His dancing was a genuine expression of what he felt in his heart for his most beloved and intimate companion.” Don’t you want to know the LORD this way?! “In God, and him only, can we find joy, understand joy, remain in joy, and celebrate life each day with our hearts filled.”

Some of the areas that Sally delves into in her book are …The “I will be happy when…” trap…this is a pitfall that I have fallen into before. When we live in joy, there’s no waiting for tomorrow to bring us happiness, we can experience a grateful exuberant life here and now! I believe that this is what Sally’s book is all about! Areas in our life that produce joy that seem “backwards” to us – and Bible verses that line up with them – the joy that is produced by the adversity, trials and difficulties in our life. It is a biblical principle that works! How sharing joy produces it in our own lives…seeing God’s hand at work in our everyday life – in the beauty of the sky, the laugh of our children, gratefulness for what we have instead of discontent for what we don’t have. Listening to God speak…God’s voice speaking peace is the sweetest music an ear can hear. – Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

This is a beautiful, practical book for experiencing more of God’s joy!

Links to purchase this book online: http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307457066&ref=externallink_wbp_dancingwithmyfather_sec_0119_01
 
This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

BACK COVER REVIEW & BOOK GIVEAWAY! The Mother-Daughter Duet: Getting to the Relationship You Want with Your Adult Daughter by Cheri Fuller and Ali Plum

Please leave a comment on this post by midnight on Friday, March 5th 2010 to enter to win a copy of this book. No overseas entrants please. Deadline extended to March 12th 2010 because post wasn't linked to Facebook!!!

When a daughter is born, her mother has a thousand hopes and dreams for her, especially that they will be best friends one day.

Unfortunately, even the best of intentions can go awry. There are so many challenges on the journey to adult friendship that the reality is fraught with friction and frustration. But a harmonious relationship is possible.

Award-winning author Cheri Fuller and her daughter, Ali Plum, have been there and have discovered the keys to a healthy relationship. In Mother-Daughter Duet they share their story—each from her own perspective—in which they have experienced distance and tension, growth and challenge, and, ultimately, acceptance and harmony. Filled with personal anecdotes and based on several basic principles (letting go; listening; respect; setting boundaries; and more), Mother-Daughter Duet helps moms repair the breach so that daughters want to draw close.

The mother-daughter dynamic is intense, personal, complex, and unique. But mothers and daughters can achieve mutual respect and learn to celebrate their differences when they learn the two-part harmony of the mother-daughter duet.


Meet The Authors:
Cheri Fuller is a best-selling, award-winning author whose books have sold more than one million copies. She speaks to a wide range of women at women’s conferences and is a frequent guest on national radio and television programs.

Ali Plum is Cheri’s daughter, a writer and songwriter, a wife, and a mother to Noah and Luke. She and her mom have weathered the ups and downs of their relationship to find one of the most treasured, honest relationships of their lives. Ali has recorded background vocals for popular musicians, and Mother-Daughter Duet marks her debut into book publishing.

Back Cover Review:
“We hope that through the pages ahead you’ll find ways to step into your daughters shoes, or to reflect on your relationship with your own mother…” – The Mother-Daughter Duet

I found this book to be insightful into the intricate balance of communication between moms and daughters (and even the mother-in-law relationship) as both a daughter and a mom. As a mom of young children, I found some of the advice on letting go helpful even now. I hope to use this book as a resource through the years too – I know the real challenges of letting go will increase as time goes by.

There is a mountain of knowledge packed inside this one book as the mother and daughter co-authors of this book delve into the whys and hows of the intricate balance of communication between moms and daughters. They take turns telling their point of view in each chapter this book in relation to different facets of their relationship. They are frank and honest about their personal flaws and the conflicts in their relationship – then they discuss the reasons certain approaches (of both moms and daughters) cause conflict and the ways they have worked to resolve these issues. Their conversational approach almost gives you the feel of attending a retreat for moms and their girls in a comfortable, casual setting. They also include practical advice in each chapter for building and strengthening your relationship.

Two topics that especially grabbed my attention were “letting go” and “validating your daughter.”

“The gift of letting go” and I do believe this is a gift to have and that we can give to our children as difficult as it might be. “Increasingly through the years, I’ve wanted my mom to trust me and believe that I am a grown woman now, capable of making my own decisions and living life well.” This line in the book summed it up beautifully. Whether I am twenty-two, thirty-four – or when I am fifty, I long for my mom to believe that she taught me well and that I am responsible enough to live right and well. I come from generations that have struggled to let go of their children. I know too that it is not easy to break the cycle that generations of moms before me formed, but I know that it by the LORD’s power it can be done.

In the chapter, “Validating your daughter” Cheri Fuller and Ali Plum say, “one of the top complaints that women have about their moms is that they criticize their looks.” The more we as mothers are dissatisfied with the internal and external women we are, the more we tend to criticize our daughters.” This book gave a variety of reasons that mothers give their daughters a hard time about their appearance. I don’t think that moms realize the power of their words, especially on their daughters – and from a daughter’s perspective in this, even when we pretend that we don’t care, we do. Isn’t that true in all of our relationships? Oh that we would speak more carefully than we do! That today our words would bring life to others instead of harm – and wholeness instead of brokenness!

This book contained so much more powerful advice! I haven’t read any other book like it with its genuine priceless look into our complex relationships as mothers and daughters; and its heart-felt advice from one mother-daughter due who has struggled through their own conflicts and issues and come out stronger on the other side.

Links to purchase this book online: http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781601421623&ref=externallink_mlt_motherdaughterduet_sec_0119_01

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.