Loss

The Moon is Always Round by Jonathan Gibson – Children’s Book Review

October 26, 2019 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

Grab a box of tissues before you read this one!

About the Book

Even young children want answers to the hard questions about God and suffering. In The Moon Is Always Round, seminary professor and author Jonathan Gibson uses the vivid imagery of the moon to explain to children how God’s goodness is always present, even when it might appear to be obscured by upsetting or difficult circumstances.

In this beautiful, two-color illustrated book, he allows readers to eavesdrop on the conversations he had with his young son in response to his sister’s death. Father and son share a simple liturgy together that reminds them that, just as the moon is always round despite its different phases, so also the goodness of God is always present throughout the different phases of life.

A section in the back of the book offers further biblical help for parents and caregivers in explaining God’s goodness to children. Jonathan Gibson reminds children of all ages that God’s goodness is present in the most difficult of times, even if we can’t always see it.

Amazon | Christianbook | New Growth Press | Goodreads

Romance is in the Air Author Showcase: Taylor Dean

February 3, 2018 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

There are many reasons I love February. In my mind it’s the last month of winter which means plenty of chilly days to get cozy and read! With Daylight Savings (for those who observe it) in March, we tend to get busier with the extra hour or two of daylight. Then there’s Valentine’s Day. Even though I don’t have a valentine of my own, I enjoy the total embrace of romance in the middle of the month. And if those aren’t enough reasons to celebrate in February, two of my nieces and I all share this birthday month (one of them celebrates only a day before me). So, this month, I’m spreading the February love with the Romance is in the Air celebration all month long. Stop by often to find authors of Clean Romance who may be now to you and to enter to win fun prizes!

If you haven’t already entered the kickoff giveaway for your chance to win $100 Amazon or Paypal Gift Card, check out the details here.

Magnolia Storms by Janet W. Ferguson (Review & Giveaway)

September 25, 2017 by Suzie Waltner 16 Comments

Maggie Marovich couldn’t save her father or her home from Hurricane Katrina, but she’s dedicated her life to meteorology so she can warn others when the monster storms approach. Except…she works three hours inland and rarely risks returning to her childhood hometown of Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Both her single-parent sister and the ship pilot Maggie once loved refused to leave the Coast, despite Maggie’s requests. Now a hurricane’s headed toward Mississippi, and Maggie’s sister is seriously injured, leaving Maggie little choice but to head south—into the storm.

The water and tides flow through Josh Bergeron’s veins, and he can’t imagine giving up piloting—even for the love of his life, the infuriating Magnolia Marovich. He tried to move on without her, marrying and having a child. But after his wife abandons him and his little boy, his career choice is threatened by the weight of his parental responsibilities. Moving next door to Maggie’s sister and sharing their childcare seems like the perfect set-up. Until Maggie blows back into town.

Being forced to lean on Josh for help washes up the wreckage in Maggie’s faith. Where was God during the destruction of Katrina? Why do some prayers seem to go unanswered? Between the hurricane looming in the Gulf and another gale raging in her heart, can Maggie overcome her past and find the trust to truly live?

Amazon / Goodreads

Hold the Light by April McGowan (Review)

August 21, 2017 by Suzie Waltner 3 Comments

To an artist, the light is everything. So what is Amber supposed to do when facing blindness?

Amber spent her life adapting—first to being abandoned by her birth mother as a toddler, and then to the death of her adoptive father in her teen years. Now she’s moved past all that, loving life as an independent woman: she has a job as an art instructor and the perfect apartment.

But when a routine eye appointment reveals she’s losing her sight, life comes to a halt. Pressures come at her from all sides. Her mother, her boss, her boyfriend and her closest friend, Shannon, all have ideas about what’s best for her.

Even after her blindness counselor, Ethan, befriends her and opens her eyes to new opportunities and the possibility of a deeper relationship, one haunting question remains: How could the God she loved all her life turn everything upside down—again?

Amazon / Goodreads / Barnes & Noble

God’s Mercies After Suicide by Jean Ann Williams (Blog Hop & Giveaway)

August 2, 2017 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

Genre: Adult, Christian, Non-Fic, Memoier/Devotional
Publisher: Love Truth
Publication date: November 5, 2016

What if your child shot himself while you were in the next room? What if you held him as his heart beat for the last time? What if Satan whispered in your ear, “Now where is your God?” Find out how Jean Ann Williams reached out with her spirit and mind to the one true Father. Discover how the Lord God answered her, and walked alongside her in the most difficult grieving journey of her life.

GOODREADS | AMAZON