Related by Chance, Family by Choice by Deb DeArmond

We've heard the jokes about mothers-in-law. Mother-in-law daughter-in-law (MIL DIL) relationships are characteristically difficult. Two women love the same man.

Deb and her three daughters-in-law say the relationship doesn't have to be difficult. It will take work and a heavy dose of God's love.

Deb has done lots of research to understand the MIL DIL relationship. Fewer than half of the women polled said their relationship was good. But 70 percent said they were willing to make the effort to improve the relationship – if they knew how.

If you are part of that 70 percent, this book is for you. Deb shares the tools and skills needed to improve the in-law relationships. She includes many stories from her own life and the lives of others.

She looks at the biblical example of women-in-law and gleans insights from Scripture. She discusses some challenging situations and provides helpful suggestions for resolving the issue. I was impressed with her chapter on communication. She has excellent ideas for dealing with those touchy discussions, such as with which family to have Christmas. I really appreciated her chapter on leaving and cleaving, addressing the potential dependence of children on their parents. She has amazing wisdom and practical tips on that subject.

Each chapter includes an assessment so we can see where we are with respect to the concepts covered in the chapter. She includes a “plan of action” worksheet with questions and ends the chapter with a perceptive prayer.

I am impressed with this book. If you want to establish a loving and respectful relationship with your MIL or DIL but have no idea how to begin, this book is for you. If have a damaged relationship with your MIL or DIL and want to know how to repair it, this book is for you. If you don't have a DIL or MIL yet but are anticipating one in the future, this book is for you.

Deb DeArmond is an experienced speaker, writer, and cofounder of http://mypurposenow.org – an online community for Christian women 50+. She and her husband Ron have three married sons, three loved daughters-in-law, and three grandchildren. Find out more at http://debdearmond.com/.

Kregel Publications, 208 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.

Hidden Falls Episode 1 by Olivia Newport

What a fun beginning to a serialized novel. Quinn has been a well loved

teacher at Hidden Falls High School for more than thirty years and tonight the town is having a banquet in his honor. As the story begins, the mayor Sylvia picks him up for their regular Saturday morning coffee. They had once been an item,all those years ago.

As the day progresses we are introduced to people who will be coming to the banquet. Liam, financial consultant who has some serious problems with money. Ethan, a neurological surgeon who still thinks he's not good enough for his parents' approval. Jack, the lawyer for whom all is not going well. Lauren, family ministries director at the church, dismayed when she sees that he has showed up. Dani, avid fisherwoman and all around handy girl, doesn't like dresses or crowds or talking to people. So why did she say she's go? Nicole, whom Quinn had said could really write, was now an investigative reporter. She can't forget being jilted by Ethan.

There is small talk before the banquet as Quinn is reunited with so many of his beloved students from the past. The mayor gives her introductory remarks and introduces the guest of honor. Except that he is gone. Quinn is missing.

Just like that we are set up for the next installment in this serialized novel.

This novel is being offered in digital form. The first installment is free and you can download it here. There will be a total of thirteen episodes released, one each week starting January 24, 2014.

Olivia Newport and her family lives in Colorado at the foot of the Rockies. You can learn more about her at www.olivianewport.com, including her historical and Amish fiction.

Shiloh Run Studios (digital imprint of Barbour Publishing), around 58 pages.

I was encouraged by Handlebar to download the free digital copy of this book for the purpose of this review.

The Millionaire Map by Jim Stovall

Stovall is a self-made millionaire and he wants you to be one too. This book is not a “how to,” though. It is about the principles of wealth – what kind of a person you need to be to get it and who you need to be when you have it.

He reminds you that money is a tool. It represents choices. The actual money is not the issue, he says. It's not the number of zeros in your bank balance. “If you have the money you need to do all of the things you want in your life, you are financially successful...” (20)

Some of his suggestions are straightforward and practical. Get rid of debt. Establish an emergency fund. Live on a budget. Don't try to impress others with your wealth. He also gives the character qualities you must have. Persistence. Focus. The ability to try again if you fail your first time.

His actual means for obtaining your wealth may surprise you. It puts all the responsibility on you to choose the actual vehicle. But he gives you lots of help at www.TheMillionaireMap.com. You can also read a free preview of the book there.

Reading this book will not guarantee you'll become a millionaire. It will help you understand how it is done and what kind of person you need to be to become one.

Food for thought: “If you're not happy now, you never will be unless you change your attitude, not your net worth.” (75)

Jim Stovall is the president of the Emmy Award-winning Narrative Television Network. He is the author of the best-selling book, The Ultimate Gift, as well as twenty others. He has been a successful entrepreneur, athlete, and investment broker while dealing with the challenge of blindness. You can find out more at www.JimStovall.com.

Sound Wisdom, 160 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Book Club Network for the purpose of this review.

Eyes Wide Open by Ted Dekker

Reading Dekker is always an exercise in imagined reality and this book is a superb workout. Like the characters in this novel, we must continually ask ourselves what is more true, what God says about us or what we are seeing and experiencing in the physical world.

Christy and Austin find themselves in a psych ward. Their identity is questioned. The administrator is convincing in declaring them patients. Their treatment is begun. Their world becomes something neither of them could have imagined.

In addition to being a well written and suspenseful novel, there is the prevalent them of what is real and what is presented as real by evil forces. I don't think I have ever read a novel that so graphically portrays the struggle between believing (and living in) spiritual truth and physical circumstances.

This novel was originally presented in four sections. The first one, Identity, is a free Kindle download you can get here. The full book is being released this month.

Also, at the end of the book I realized that one character and the background stories of Christy and Austin come from previous books by Dekker. You will not have had to read those to enjoy this novel, however.

Ted Dekker is a New York Times best-selling author of suspense novels. You can find out more about him at http://teddekker.com/

Worthy Publishing, 304 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.

The Cross by Rod Parsley

Crosses are being removed in America, often a result of a twisted interpretation of “separation of church and state.” We're even hearing less of the cross from the pulpit.

We are becoming a cross-less society and Parsley is concerned. He explains why the cross is so offensive and notes that even modern “Christian” authors try to do away with it. “A cross-less generation must be pointed back to Calvary,” he writes. (11) It must first begin in the house of God.

Parsley has written this book to help recalibrate our “thinking about Christian faith and put the cross at the center where it belongs.” (16) To do that he reflects on the crucifixion, what happened on earth and in the spiritual realm. He desires that we gain a life-transforming understanding of the price paid for us.

This is a very timely and important book. I was impressed with his section explaining why the cross is such an affront to mankind. He does a good job reminding us that the cross is the heart of the gospel.

If you have been concerned lately that the cross is being ignored, you need to read this book. It is a great encouragement and reminds us of the importance and centrality of the cross. Without the cross there is no gospel message.

This would make a great book to read during Lent. It is also a great book to give to your pastor.

Rod Parsley is the author of more than fifty books. He has been an international speaker for the past thirty years and has his own daily television broadcast, Breakthrough. He is the founder of several ministries and is the pastor of World Harvest Church in Columbus Ohio, where he lives with his wife and children.

Charisma House, 170 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.

The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen

I've read Jane Eyre and I've seen the movies. I saw the intricate dances that were part of the social setting of the day, but I never thought about how the people learned to do all those dances!

Julie has brought to life those who taught that essential social grace to the ladies and gentlemen making their way in Regency England. The dancing

master of this novel is Alec Valcourt. Due to a scandal in their family, Alec has had to move his mother and sister to Devonshire and his uncle's home. He hopes to start over but is stunned to find out dancing has been banned in the village.

The unwritten law had been laid down by Lady Amelia Midwinter, the lady of the estate upon which the village depended for its livelihood. Julia Midwinter, Lady Amelia's daughter and heir to the estate, is a flirtatious woman who has eyes for Alec. It seems impossible that a romance could ever blossom between the two.

I really liked this historical novel. I learned a great deal about the role of dancing in that era. I really enjoyed the romance aspect of the novel too. There were so many secrets from the past – hidden because of the social attitudes of the time. But as the novel progresses, the truth is revealed and there is wonderful forgiveness, healing and restoration. I was happy to see that a vicar's sermon was the catalyst.

This is an excellent novel. I was impressed with how the customs of the day were explained, such as the social levels of the time and how that impacted relationships. I enjoyed the writing style, the characters (especially feisty Julia) and the overall plot. If you like historical novels of the early nineteenth century, you'll like this one. It is one to savor.

I am taking part in a blog tour of this novel and you can read other reviews here.

Julie Klassen is a graduate of the University of Illinois and worked in publishing for sixteen years. She now writes full time. She has won the Christy Award for Historical Romance, the Midwest Book Award, Christian Retailing's BEST Award, and has been a finalist in the Romance Writers of America's RITA Awards, Minnesota Book Awards, and ACFW's Carol Awards. She and her husband have two sons and live in the suburbs of St. Paul, Minnesota. Find our more at www.julieklassen.com.

Bethany House Publishers, 432 pages. You can purchase a copy here.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through the Litfuse Publicity Group for the purpose of this review.

Chasing God by Angie Smith

Are you chasing after God? Angie was for years. She was reading commentaries, memorizing verses, and concentrating on spiritual disciplines. She had colored pencils and journals everywhere. She rededicated her life every chance she got.

Then she came to a realization: she had wanted to understand God more than she wanted to know Him. She found she was imitating other Christians more than she was Jesus. That revelation changed her life.

Angie offers her thoughts on the difference between looking for Him and looking at Him. There is a difference between chasing after God and following Him.

How do you stop chasing God and really find Him? Angie says it starts when you truly realize what God has done for you. She shares her experiences and the lessons she's learned along the way. For example, repentance really doesn't happen when we are badgered into it. “Genuine repentance doesn't happen when people put us in a corner; it happens when we realize God chose us in spite of the fact that we would never have chosen Him.” (69) And transformation? She notes that we are not in charge of that. 2 Corinthians 3:18 tells us we are “being transformed,” passive tense. It is not something we can make happen. The Holy Spirit is in charge.

But that does not mean we sit an do nothing, expecting the Holy Spirit to change us. She realizes that the times she is walking closest to Him is a combination of resting in His promises combined with prayer, Bible study, worship, etc. Motives matter, however. She advocates daily meditation on Scripture. But rather than checking off the chapter in your “read through the Bible” schedule, the goal is to be in a place where God can talk to you. “He wants your heart to be fully engaged and your mind fixed on Him when you read.” (147)

I found her section on emotions and faith to be outstanding. It was really liberating for me. Another good part of the book was her teaching on God's sovereignty and prayer.

If you're frustrated in your spiritual life, if you've been fervent in all the spiritual disciples yet sense something is missing, maybe you've been chasing God. Read this book. It will help you find rest in His presence.

Food for thought: “We spend more time talking about how wonderful it is to hide under His wings than actually finding refuge there.” (103)

Angie Smith is the wife of Todd Smith (lead singer of Selah), a best-selling author, and a popular speaker and blog writer. She has a Master's degree in Developmental Psychology from Vanderbilt University. She lives with her husbands and daughters in Nashville, Tennessee. Find out more at http://AngieSmithonline.com.

B&H Publishing, 206 pages.

I received a complimentary galley of this book from the publisher through Icon Media for the purpose of this review.

The Beloved Daughter by Alana Terry

Open Doors has placed North Korea at the top of the list for worst persecutors of Christians for eleven consecutive years.

Alana has written this novel to highlight the plight of Christians in that country. The story centers around Chung-Cha. Her parents are Christians and are arrested when Chung-Cha is twelve years old. She is taken to prison where the conditions are so terrible it is even hard to imagine. Yet, even in the midst of the horror of persecution, God provides for Chung-Cha. Her physical persecution remains with inhuman conditions but God feeds her spirit through an older Christian woman.

The novel follows Chung-Cha's life of terror, persecution, and escape. Even when out of the prison, she lives under the threat of immediate arrest and return to prison.

What a novel. The conditions in the North Korea prison are unspeakable. Alana has created a vivid picture of what unfettered evil will do toward Christians. It certainly gives us pause to think of what we would do in similar situations. We also learn of the underground movement and the chances people take to help others on their way to freedom.

While this is a very well written novel, it is certainly more than mere entertainment. It is a challenge for western Christians to consider the fate of their brothers and sisters experiencing persecution around the globe. This is a hard novel to read because the subject matter is so intense. But it is a necessary novel to read. It gets us out of our comfort zone and forces us to confront the reality of Christian persecution.

Read this novel and be challenged.

Watch the book trailer here.

Alana Terry is a home-shooling mother of three who loves to write. This is her first inspirational novel and with it won the Women of Faith writing contest. Find out more about her and her writing at http://www.alanaterry.com/ .

Create Space Independent Publishing, 230 pages.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the author for the purpose of this review.