Times of Persevering by Gregg L Grossman

This is a memoir with spiritual lessons learned from experiences. Grossman was raised a Reform Jew in Queens, New York. Even as a young Jewish man, he sought God and records how God strategically placed people in his path. He writes of his time living in a kibbutz in Israel, his struggles with college back in the U.S., his brother being in a very serious automobile accident, finishing college with academic success, hearing and accepting the gospel, being hit by a car while jogging, and attending seminary. Grossman includes journal entries on occasion to show his emotional reactions to some of his life events. He includes life lessons from his experiences at the end of each chapter.

Grossman's memoir would have benefited from additional editing. He repeats himself, such as saying his parents divorced when he was nine years old. (159/1758, 178/1758) Some of the photos included are upside down. Some aspects of the memoir are given with more detail than is necessary. He draws much of his spiritual lessons from sermons he has heard and the books he has read.

Grossman says the purpose of his book is to show how God uses mistakes and accidents in our lives to His glory. (138/1758) He shares how God forgave and restored him. There is a very clear presentation of the gospel included. The book is an example of an emotional Jewish man coming to faith in Jesus Christ as well as surmounting many of life's hardships. It is an example for others who desire to write about their life experiences in the context of spiritual lessons.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Gregg L Grossman was born in New York City and raised in Queens. He received a BS in communications from Norwich University and graduate credits from Nova Southeastern University and Dallas Theological Seminary. He has spent twenty-four years in sales and marketing. He earned his MDiv and a PhD from Trinity Theological Seminary. He currently works in the Dallas Division as a bivocational workplace chaplain for Marketplace Chaplains. He also teaches as an adjunct professor at Louisiana Baptist University and Seminary. He is the president of Beyond Perseverance LLC, a Christian life coaching company.

Resource Publications (an imprint of Wipf and Stock), 164 pages.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through SBCGlobal. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)

Home Truths by Mark McGinn

About the Book:

Introducing New Zealand’s Jonah Solomon, a cop in the broody, bloody, and brilliant tradition of Ian Rankin’s Detective Inspector John Rebus

Detective Sergeant Jonah Solomon is used to navigating the ruins of Christchurch, New Zealand, a city nowhere near recovery more than a year after a devastating earthquake. He’s also used to navigating the prejudice that keeps plenty of doors closed to Maori officers like him. Most of his colleagues think Jonah’s responsible for letting ex-cop-turned-con artist Rachel Trix escape justice with barely a slap on the wrist. He’s got a resignation letter in his desk drawer, signed and ready, should anyone ask.

With a credible new tip on Trix’s exit plan, Jonah has one more chance to make things right—until an ambush turns the operation into a bloody nightmare. He is immediately shaken by aftershocks that reveal lies and corruption at every level of the police force. With fewer and fewer people he can trust, a complex web of secrets puts Jonah and his family at the mercy of ruthless criminals. Can he finally reveal the truths he’s protected since childhood in order to save himself and the people he loves most?

My Review:

This is a police investigation novel with a slow and methodical pace. There are little snippets of action and suspense here and there but the novel is mostly personal interaction, such as dialogue between enforcement personnel and how various people on the force exercise power and interact with others. Much of the plot revolves around less than honest members of the police force so what is said and claimed and revealed in the saying is important. The plot itself is quite complex, involving a past earthquake and possible fraud in making claims and possible fraud in paying out claims. It seems there might be some on the police force complicit.

There were aspects of the novel I did not like. There is no initial setting and I had no idea where the initial action was taking place. There are no descriptions of landscapes that helped ground what action there was. It was not until 6% into the book that Christchurch is mentioned. The main character is a policeman but his description is so lacking that I did not understand until 10% into the book he was Maori.

I had trouble following the dialogue. Some of that, I am sure, is because of the New Zealand location. Many colloquial words are used and this American had no idea what they meant. A neighborhood was “redded” (1341/4570) and walking out of a tense discussion was not “flash.” (774/4570) And then there was the incessant use of “boss” in dialogue. I find it hard to believe an underling would say the word three times in three successive sentences in a dialogue (2382/4570) and twice in a three sentence paragraph. (2534/4570) I find it hard to believe people actually talk that way.

I found it hard to like Jonah, the hero and detective trying to unravel the earthquake insurance issues as well as find a past police woman gone bad as well as deal with his troubled relationship with his gay lover. He is just downright mean to his emotionally and mentally wounded sister. And he is not a very good investigator, deleting unread emails with important information for his case because he thought they were about something else (2490/4570) and driving through a red light because he is emotional. (1396/4570) Yes, he is a flawed hero with lots of baggage but he seems to be weighted by it rather than rising above it.

This novel is supposed to follow the Story Grid method. While it may conform to the necessary elements, this was a slow read for me. I felt like it was going on and on with no exciting turning points in the plot. All of the various aspects of the plot parts did come together in the end, along with suspense, however, and I did learn some of how insurance scams can be done which was interesting.

My rating: 3/5 stars.

About the Author:

During a lengthy career as a court registrar and manager in the New Zealand justice system, Mark McGinn had the privilege of assisting some of thee finest lawyers and judges in action. Both that experience and his behavioral assessment work in staff recruitment and development have enriched and driven his writing of crime stories and thrillers. He is also a Story Grid Certified Editor specializing in crime stories.

Story Grid Publishing, LLC, 370 pages.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review. The book and author description provided by the publisher.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)

The Prayer Warrior Blog Tour

About the Book

Book:  The Prayer Warrior

Author: D. Tina Batten and Traci Wooden-Carlisle

Genre: Christian Fantasy

Release date: March 25, 2021

There is a thin line between the natural and the spiritual realm.

Ms. V., a humble servant of the Lord, has been placed on assignment at Center of Hope Christian Academy.

By day, she serves as a trusted counselor for students, giving them a safe haven to pour out their innermost feelings while providing professional and honest truth wrapped in a firm kindness and love that inevitably draws them closer to Jesus. Not to be outdone, the faculty also bends her ear from time to time.

By night, Ms. V. enters the spiritual realm and takes her place on the battlefield as one of God’s faithful prayer warriors. She wields her whispering sword, slicing through the enemy’s plans to bind the precious hearts under her charge.
Her assignment’s burden on her physical body is taxing, but can she withstand the strain and remain victorious?
Saving souls is her true mission, but at what cost?

Readers are in for a journey of spiritual intrigue and biblical insight as they experience the ramifications of each character’s life-altering decision.

Click here to get your copy!

My Review 

What a unique novel exploring the influence we have upon others. Ms. V is such an engaging character. Her relationship with the Lord is inspiring. Her example gave me encouragement to see every moment in relationship to God and to have the same kind of prayer life she did. The format of the narrative also portrayed the spirit world as it relates to actions in our observed world. At times it seemed the spirit world was more real than anything else. In that sense, the novel is very thought provoking and seems to ask which is more real? The spiritual realm or this one we physically live in? And really, how do the two realms interact? How do our prayers translate into reality in this realm? We readers are given a choice regarding the end of the story. Do we choose to see the physical realm and what happens there or the spiritual realm? Is that the kind of choice we really make daily?

This is a good novel and one that inspires serious thoughts about how our lives and prayers affect others. It would be a good book to discuss with your friends.

Don't forget, God's blessings are upon you. (Ms. V)

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Celebrate Lit. My comments are an independent and honest review.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Authors

“Tina” Batten is a loving mother, wife, sister, daughter and Mima to her grandchildren. She is a gifted visual storyteller who is passionate about bringing encouraging messages of inspiration and hope to the world.

Tina Batten, a writer for over eighteen years of various dramatic works of performing art via stage, and film, encompasses unique ways of creating fascinating story concepts that touch the heart of most who view or read her work. She is both honored and thrilled to have teamed up with long-time friend, sister in the gospel and co-author Tracy on this phenomenal collaborative book project. With such a humble heart and desire to bring people together in love and unity, Tina Batten will continue her work as a visual storyteller spreading the good news of Jesus Christ one project after the other.

As Always, D. “Tina” Batten gives God All the Glory!

Traci Wooden-Carlisle began writing to publish in 2011 and enjoys writing stories that provoke thought and evoke emotions. Her desire is to draw readers into the lives of her characters and share messages of God’s love, His faithfulness and peace. The messages in her books speak to her way before they speak to her readers.

Traci lives in San Diego with her husband, David. When she isn’t writing she does some light traveling or assists people with their physical fitness, creates graphics, designs pretty things for her jewelry business and swag for authors. 

More from Traci

The Backstory of the Prayer Warrior: Two authors, Two Thousand Miles Apart, One Supernatural Story

I used to believe writing wasn’t a team sport. With a few Christian fiction titles in my backlist, I believed there was truly only enough room for God’s message and my writing style in a book. From January 2019 to March of 2021 I was proven wrong.

Tina Batten and I, Traci Wooden-Carlisle met in 2004 at a performance and praise showcase Sister Batten produced. As a liturgical praise dancer, I performed in her showcase and we became fast friends.

Over the years we would support each other on goals reached, such as Sister Batten’s film success and my books, even when Sister Batten moved to the other side of the country.

At the end of 2018 the Lord prompted me to give Sister Batten a call. It felt like more than a greeting to see how she and her family were doing and by the time we finished talking we had committed to seeking God for an idea for a story we could write together and what message He wanted us to share.

When we came back together at the beginning of the next year, we merged our storytelling, fiction writing skills and desire to share God’s message of encouragement and perseverance. We spoke on the phone every Sunday afternoon for months, discussing the previous week’s writing, before a family emergency on my side forced us to take a short break. When we resumed our calls, it was as if no time had passed.

A year later, amidst a few tears and a great deal of praise to God, we completed The Prayer Warrior and I was more than proud of what we were able to accomplish.

The Prayer Warrior is the story of a Christian School student counselor who allows the Holy Spirit to guide her when listening and discussing issues with the students, and sometimes staff, she counsels. At night in her dreams, she is led to war in the spirit and finds that some of the battles she wages against demonic forces affect her waking world and the people she interacts with daily.

There are a lot of twists and turns with a few big surprises, especially after one strenuous battle.

One of our hopes is that readers come away from reading this book with a greater sense of encouragement, empowerment and understanding that the line between the spiritual and natural realm is thinner than most of us realize. Prayer is powerful and it truly changes our lives and the lives of those around us.

Blog Stops

Cats in the Cradle Blog, August 5

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, August 5

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, August 6

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 7

Because I said so -- and other adventures in Parenting, August 8

Mary Hake, August 8

Debbie's Dusty Deliberations, August 9

Inklings and notions, August 10

Aryn The Libraryan , August 11

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, August 12

Library Lady's Kid Lit, August 12

deb's Book Review, August 13

Texas Book-aholic, August 14

Blogging With Carol, August 14

For Him and My Family, August 15

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, August 16

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, August 17

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 18

 

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Celebrate Lit. My comments are an independent and honest review. The rest of the copy of this post was provided by Celebrate Lit.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)

The Menu by Steven Manchester Blog Tour

About the Book

From New England’s Storyteller Steven Manchester comes a soul-awakening novel about love, faith and family. During Phinn Reed’s romantic quest, he discovers that even through great suffering and loss, he is never alone—not ever—and that we are all eternally connected.

Phinn Reed enters the world with God’s promise of finding his soul mate. With heaven’s memories erased, his romantic quest teaches him that the heart often sees clearer than the eyes—and that not everyone has ordered the same items from The Menu. This inspirational novel is heartfelt evidence that love stories come in many different forms.

Click here to get your copy!

 My Review

The action in this novel is slow and methodical. The purpose of the book seems to be more to cause readers think about living life rather than entertain. It contains some thought provoking messages: leave the world a better place than you found it, make the most of your time on earth, you can overcome any bad childhood experiences, be the unique you God created you to be as no one else can.

This book is not a theological commentary on life and I think any spiritual messages it contains need to be held loosely. Evangelical Christians may take issue with several concepts in the book, such as spirit existence and conversation with God before birth and the appearance on earth of the spirits of people after they have died. The characters assure the reader there is no eternal punishment. Phinn advocates God's unconditional love and cannot believe in such punishment “...if we break certain rules or wander off the right path...” (2296/7300) Any punishment we experience is built in as consequences through our free will. (4545/7300) We determine our own punishment by the life we live. (4872/7300) It was no surprise to me that Phinn could not shake the fear of being punished. (4926/7300) His fictional character knew nothing of the saving work of Jesus Christ.

This novel is a dive into how we live life, being willing to choose the possibility of love while being willing to face the agony of death. It is thought provoking and encourages us to live every moment to its full. Evangelical Christians may find some of the spiritual messages it contains a bit disconcerting.

My rating: 3/5 stars.

About the Author

New England’s Storyteller Steven Manchester is the author of the soul-awakening novel, The Menu, as well as the 80s nostalgia-fest, Bread Bags & Bullies. His other works include #1 bestsellers Twelve Months, The Rockin’ Chair, Pressed Pennies and Gooseberry Island; the national bestsellers, Ashes, The Changing Season and Three Shoeboxes; the multi-award winning novel, Goodnight Brian; and the beloved holiday podcast drama, The Thursday Night Club. His work has appeared on NBC’s Today Show, CBS’s The Early Show and BET’s Nightly News. Three of Steven’s short stories were selected “101 Best” for Chicken Soup for the Soul series. He is a multi-produced playwright, as well as the winner of the 2017 Los Angeles Book Festival, 2018 New York Book Festival and 2020 New England Book Festival. When not spending time with his beautiful wife, Paula, or their children, this Massachusetts author is promoting his works or writing. Visit: www.StevenManchester.com

More from Steven

“None of us are ever alone.” I believe this truth in every fiber of my being. For me, few things are more tragic than a fellow human being who is feeling alone. It’s the reason I wrote my new novel, THE MENU.

The premise of THE MENU is a simple one. If you believe in an afterlife, do you also believe that your spirit existed before you came to this Earth? And what if you had a say…what if you actually picked everything you’d experience in this life from a MENU?

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, August 4

Inklings and notions, August 5

For Him and My Family, August 6

Mary Hake, August 6

deb's Book Review, August 7

Debbie's Dusty Deliberations, August 8

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, August 9

Because I said so -- and other adventures in Parenting, August 10

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 11

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, August 12

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 13

Older & Smarter?, August 14

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, August 15

Texas Book-aholic, August 16

Cats in the Cradle Blog, August 16

CarpeDiem, August 17

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Celebrate Lit. My comments are an independent and honest review. The rest of the copy of this post was provided by Celebrate Lit.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)

The Scarlet Pen by Jennifer Uhlarik

About the Book:

Book 12 in the True Color series – fiction based on true history.

Engaged to a monster.

Enjoy a tale of true but forgotten history of a 19^th century serial killer whose silver-tongued ways almost trap a young woman into a nightmarish marriage.

In 1876, Emma Draycott is charmed into a quick engagement with childhood friend Stephen Dee Richards after reconnecting with him at a church event in Mount Pleasant, Ohio. But within the week, Stephen leaves to “make his fame and fortune.” The heartbroken Emma gives his a special pen to write to her, and he does with tales of grand adventures. Secret Service agent Clay Timmons arrives in Mount Pleasant to track purchases made with counterfeit currency. Every trail leads back to Stephen – and therefore, Emma. Can Timmons convince the naïve woman she is engaged to a charlatan who is being linked to a string of deaths in Nebraska?

My Review:

I have appreciated this series and am sorry to see that this is apparently the last one. I liked learning about unusual crimes from the past.

This novel got off to a bit of a slow start as we do not know about the evil nature of Stephen until a ways into the story. I did not like Emma as a character but then, she was supposed to be naïve, refusing to believe for so long that her fiancé was not the man she thought. She was just stubborn, too, perhaps a bit one dimensional. Her character sure gives new meaning to the concept of blind love.

There is an interesting spiritual aspect to Stephen's character at the end. The concept of forgiveness and salvation in Christ is highlighted, ending a somewhat gruesome novel on a higher plane.

I like the author's notes at the end of the book detailing the facts upon which this fiction is based. I do wish the bare information would have been given at the beginning of the book instead of the end.

This is a good novel for readers who like fiction based on historical fact including chasing a serial killer.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Jennifer Uhlarik discovered westerns as a preteen. She devoured Louis L'Amour westerns and fell in love with the genre. She began writing her own stories of the Old West while in college at the University of Tampa. She has a BA in writing and has won five writing competitions and a finalist for two others. She has held jobs as a private business owner, a school teacher, a marketing director, and her favorite – a full time homemaker. She is a lifetime member of the Florida Writers Association and lives near Tampa, Florida, with her husband and teenage son.

Barbour, 256 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)

This Kind of Love by Kaelin and Kyrah Edwards

About the Book:

Follow popular YouTubers Kaelin and Kyrah Edwards as they grow from young and in love, believing the hard part of life is over, to adulthood, filled with both challenges and opportunities.

My Review:

Not being a YouTube watcher, I had no idea who this young couple was. Never having watched reality television, that people would reveal details of their lives online and that others would avidly watch is totally foreign to me. But in that world of living in public, Kaelin and Kyrah are popular.

They tell more of their story in this book. They write about meeting in the seventh grade, their on and off again friendship, struggling in faith, reconnecting and flirting via Twitter, dating, college struggles, marriage, starting a YouTube channel, having a child, marital troubles, growing in character.

Viewers of their YouTube channel will love the word for word conversations and the details of their thoughts and actions, even their marital spats, recorded in this book. The degree of sharing their personal lives is amazing. It is something this septuagenarian is not used to at all, being TMI. I did learn much about YouTube and making money from it, however. For young people who would find comfort and insight in reading about another person's personal experiences, this is a good book.

See then introducing their book on YouTube.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Authors:

Kaelin and Kyrah Edwards are YouTube personalities and social media influencers that have impacted millions of people with a brand centered upon displaying their faith in the day-to-day journey of life as a young married Christian couple. With millions of followers on social media, they are thought leaders to their generation. Convinced life is not to be lived alone, their audience comes alongside to do life together with them. The couple lives in Dallas with their two children.

Worthy Publishing, 240 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)

Population Zero by Fran Lewis Blog Tour

Population Zero

by Fran Lewis

August 1-31, 2021 Tour

Synopsis:

Imagine a forest so dense and so filled with trees that you cannot see anything but darkness. The smell of the dead leaves, the creatures that lived there, and the stench they created.

Imagine smashed windows and abandoned satellite dishes and blocks of plaster all over the ground.

Imagine... What might the world be like if humans were suddenly to disappear?

In Population Zero by Fran Lewis, we experience several post-human worlds through the eyes of people who were allowed to visit for one day. A world covered in ice, a world in complete darkness, a world where deserts are plentiful, and others...

Get a glimpse of what our planet would look like if humans stopped existing. Get a glimpse of the future.

Book Praise:

"Fran Lewis's newest offering is a polished, razor-sharp double-edged sword. On one hand, it is reminiscent of the old Twilight Zone series and just as chilling. On the other, it is a poignant reminder of just how precious and fragile human life on this planet truly is. A riveting read."
-- Vincent Zandri, New York Times and USA Today bestselling Thriller and Shamus Award winning author of The Girl Who Wasn't There and the Dick Moonlight PI series.

"Population Zero creatively focuses on the damage being done by Covid 19 as it ravages the human race, and our inability to deal with climate change."
-- Allan Topol, national best selling author of The French Revenge 

My Review:

Lewis uses her imagination to encourage us to use ours. She presents us with a number of future scenes based on the way people are making current choices. Perhaps there are no more people living at all. The stench of death is everywhere. Perhaps some are still living but in strictly separated conditions. Perhaps there is no more clean air, clean water, nor even a sun.

The sketches Lewis has crafted give extreme possibilities. Much of her future imaginations flow from how people have reacted to Covid-19, not taking it seriously. Some might view her fiction a bit of a commentary on that. As the delta variant seems to be causing a new surge in virus cases, Lewis' imagination may have some chilling ideas for readers to think about. Our choices today have consequences for tomorrow.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Book Details:

Genre: Science Fiction
Published by: Atmosphere Press
Publication Date: June 26th 2021
Number of Pages: 76
ISBN: 163752868X (ISBN13: 9781637528686)
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

My name is Ella, and I will be your guide and voice as you take the journey with me into the future. I am an ethereal being that is not alive but has been chosen by those above to help you, the humans, understand what is going to happen if you do not work together, follow the guidelines for the virus, and learn to live in harmony.

Remember, these worlds are the imagination of the author, and she wants you to really think about what she has created. You can decide if you would want to live in any of the worlds she imagined in her mind. What if you were asked to be the only human to experience one of these worlds if you could travel back for a short while? Welcome to your future. Think about it and decide.

Sometimes I think the world would be better off without humans. For many reasons in the worlds created, people fled and abandoned their homes. Desert areas became common, providing people with the sand, the hot sun, and not even a trace of water. Recent scenes show nuclear exclusion zones, urban neighborhoods burned out, and nowhere to escape.

Think about this: A forest so dense and so filled with trees that you cannot see anything but darkness. The smell of the dead leaves, the creatures that lived there, and the stench they created are worse than the smoke from a five-alarm fire. Imagine a sandstorm that plows across a highway and darkens the daylight sky, making it hard for drivers to see even an inch in front of them.

Smashed windows and abandoned satellite dishes and blocks of plaster all over the ground. The world — Population Zero...a look into the future.

What if this really does happen?

***

Excerpt from Population Zero by Fran Lewis. Copyright 2021 by Fran Lewis. Reproduced with permission from Fran Lewis. All rights reserved.

 

Author Bio:

‪Fran worked in the NYC Public Schools as the Reading and Writing Staff Developer for over 36 years. She has three master’s degrees and a PD in Supervision and Administration. Currently, she is a member of Who's Who of America's Teachers and Who's Who of America's Executives from Cambridge. In addition, she is the author of three children's books and a fourth that has just been published on Alzheimer's disease in order to honor her mom and help create more awareness for a cure.‪

Fran is the author of 19 titles and completed by the titled A Daughter’s Promise. Fran has 6 titles in her Faces Behind the Stones series and her magazine is MJ magazine. She was the musical director for shows in her school and ran the school's newspaper. Fran writes reviews for authors upon request and for several other sites.

Her network if MJ network on Blog Talk Radio. You can also find her reviews on just reviews on Wordpress. Her latest titles are Sisters : two sisters from the Bronx, What If? and Silent Voices in her Faces Behind the Stones series and the present one Population Zero. ‬ ‪

Catch Up With Our Author:
Tillie49.wordpress.com
Goodreads
BookBub
Instagram - @berthatillie49
Twitter - @franellena
Facebook

 

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews & guest posts!

Click here to view Population Zero by Fran Lewis Tour Hosts.

 

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours

 

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review. The rest of the copy of this post was provided by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)

Consider Your Counsel by Bob Kellemen

Kellemen wrote this book as a result of questions asked of him by his students. He identifies areas of biblical counseling that may be blind spots, needing assessment and correcting. This book is by no means a critique of biblical counseling but rather an encouragement to grow in the technique to be the best counselors possible.

I really like Kellemen asking counselors to not rush to use Scripture as an antidote before listening to one's whole story. He notes we are to be both parakaletic, coming alongside to help, and nouthetic, confronting sin out a concern for change. (595/1858) When a client mentions fear, for example, rather than jumping to the verse describing the faith cure for fear, listen to find out why the client has fear, such as a physically abusive spouse. God gave us emotions for a reason. They should not be ignored nor discounted out of hand.

I also like Kellemen's suggestion for a trialogue. Rather than just you and me in dialogue, we also include God's Spirit. We can both listen to the Spirit, the divine comforter and helper. The Spirit will come alongside, helping us to comfort others in their suffering rather than just focusing on correcting a sin or spiritual misconception or identifying an idol of the heart.

This is a good book for biblical counselors, encouraging them to take a look at their work and asses it and themselves. Kellemen adds great assessment questions at the end of each chapter as well as good examples of the problems and practical ideas to grow through them. There is a good deal of helpful information in this book for every biblical counselor to consider and implement in their counseling journey.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Bob Kellemen , ThM, PhD, is Academic Dean, Dean of Students, and professor of Biblical Counseling at Faith Bible Seminary in Lafayette, Indiana. He is also the Founder and CEO of RPM Ministries, through which he speaks, writes, and consults on biblical counseling and Christian living. He served as the founding Executive Director of the Biblical Counseling Coalition and is the author of twenty books. He and his wife have two adult children and three granddaughters.

New Growth Press, 112 pages.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)