Blog Tour: So Near the Horizon by Jessica Koch

The No. 1 Bestseller from Germany - based on a true story! A story of true love ...

Release Date: September 6th 2017

Summary:

Seventeen-year-old Jessica has an uncomplicated life and a promising future. Leaving the house one evening, she has no idea that she’s about to meet the love of her life - or that her entire understanding of the world is about to change. And before long, she’s going to face a decision that will shape her forever…
In 'So Near the Horizon' Jessica Koch describes a life lived somewhere between hope and fear, confronting true events from her own past with raw honesty and frank reflection - and exploring more than one difficult subject along the way.
A story of deep love. A story of trust, courage, pain, despair, and the strength to let go. A true story.

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About the Author

Jessica Koch (born in Ludwigsburg, Germany) began writing short stories when she was still in high school, but never submitted her work to publishers. In late 1999, shortly after beginning her studies to become an architectural drafter, she met Danny, a German-American dual national. Her experiences with him eventually formed the basis for So Near the Horizon, though it was nearly thirteen years before she felt ready to bring the manuscript to the public.

The author describes a life lived somewhere between hope and fear, between optimism and despair. She reflects on events from her own past with raw honesty, confronting more than one difficult subject along the way.

Jessica Koch lives near the city of Heilbronn with her husband, their son, and two dogs. The second and third books in the trilogy, So Near the Abyss and So Near the Ocean, are already best-sellers in Germany as well.

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Facebook

Blog Tour Organized by:

YA Bound Book Tours

Blog Tour: Premonition by Leigh Walker

Release Date: July 19th 2017

Summary from Goodreads:

For fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent...this exciting new science-fiction romance series, filled with twists and turns, will take you for a wild ride! 

When Riley heads off to boarding school for a summer work-study program, she knows it'll be demanding. What she doesn't expect? To be thrust into an intense physical training program described as special, exclusive and worst of all--top-secret. She signed up for tuition assistance, not to be held in a secret government facility for boot camp...

Welcome to The Division, the government agency that's so classified, most United States senators have never heard of it. 

The Division wants Riley bad, but she can't figure out why. Skeptical of what she's being told, Riley's determined to uncover the truth. Boot camp is intense, physically and mentally draining. The upside? One of her new teammates is the cutest boy ever. Watching Finn hit the gym wearing a tank top doesn't suck--although sometimes his brooding attitude does. But when training forces Riley to confront her tragic past, even Finn's big biceps aren't enough to make her want to stay...

Beware: The Division isn't something you just walk away from. You better run. 

Riley realizes her capabilities and strengths are greater than she'd ever imagined. But she also learns she wasn't just chosen for this special program...

She was made for it.

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About the Author

Leigh Walker lives in New Hampshire with her husband and three children. She has a degree in Journalism and a law degree. 

She's never been to the Naval Shipyard prison in Kittery, ME, but she's driven by it...and boy, is it creepy!

Leigh has lots of books planned for The Division Series. She loves to hear from readers, so feel free to email her at leigh@leighwalkerbooks.com.

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads │Facebook

Blog Tour Organized by:

YA Bound Book Tours

Review: For All Eternity by Dr. John L Lund

From Goodreads:
Popular speaker, author, and marriage counselor, Dr. John L. Lund shares his wealth of knowledge, insight, and humor on the all-important topic of improving communication and strengthening marriage relationships. In this four-talk set you will laugh as you and your spouse see yourselves in Dr. Lund's descriptions of the differences between men and women and how we communicate. You will be enlightened as you take his Love Language Quiz and find out how to speak your spouse's love language. You will learn how to use active and reflective listening skills to resolve conflict in your relationships. Finally, you will understand the art of giving an apology and accepting responsibility. All of these tools and more, combined with Dr. Lund's trademark humor and stories, will make this set an important resource in strengthening your marriage and helping it last For All Eternity.

My Thoughts:
I truly loved this book (audio). It's not JUST for newlyweds. I've been married almost 9 years and Lund's guidance has helped and inspired me. This is great counsel for any relationship, but especially marriage. It gave me not only an idea of my and my husband's love languages, communication skills, etc, but also helpful way to implement them, while keeping the discussion light, humorous and realistic. The message on forgiveness really rang true with me, and stands out in my mind. I loved that he implemented how the Savior plays an crucial part and how I can rely on Him to help me forgive not just others but myself.

Highly recommend this to Everyone!!! 

Review: Behind Every Good Man by John Bytheway

From Goodreads:
"Behind every good man is a good woman," the old saying goes. How can a wife help her husband grow and progress and be a priesthood leader in the home without criticizing, nagging, or making him feel like he is not measuring up?

As a result of some wide reading, pondering, and research, John Bytheway attempts to answer that question in this book. With his trademark humor and unique insights, the author shares experiences from his own marriage, practical counsel from several marriage experts, and inspired statements from Church leaders.

Simple tools such as: praising betimes with sharpness, and making requests with an exit strategy will bless marriages and help husbands and wives fulfill their roles as they try to lead their families in the latter days.

My Thoughts:
This was a wonderful short read. My parents bought me this book (signed copy!) a few years ago, and I set it aside thinking I didn't really need it. Boy, was I wrong!
 I just recently finished the marriage talks by John Lund, and this book reinforced those talks as well as add to the discussions the talks raised. My marriage is so important to me, and I'm so glad the Lord has inspired people like John Bytheway--who I devoured his talks as a teenager--to give helpful advice and guidance filled with love to help me grow and, as a consequence, help my marriage grow. The only downside for me is that this book is so short so I read too fast. But for someone who isn't as avid a reader as me would definitely benefit.
Recommend for anyone wanting to strengthen or take steps toward repairing their marriage.

Review: Souls Endure by Anne B. Cole

From Goodreads:
‘Without faith, love may not exist. Without love, evil takes control.’

Protected against the ring’s curse by their bond in marriage, Sam and Gretta begin a new life together. Gifted with a free honeymoon from strangers, they encounter visits from spirits of dead loved ones as they travel to the origins of the curse on Gretta’s ring. The beautiful Greek Islands become not only their honeymoon getaway, but their fated destiny where they will be forced to either break the curse or succumb to its evil.

With help from ancestral spirits Roxana and Katarina, Sam and Gretta time travel to the nineteenth century in search of answers to the mysteries behind the ring’s final curse. Faced with challenges of faith, trust, and forgiveness, Sam and Gretta prepare to make the ultimate sacrifice.



My Thoughts:
I have LOVED this series, having read one after the other as the released, and watched as Cole went from querying to this final book. Sam and Gretta were fabulous from the beginning, their love raw and strong, and their family bonds tangible.
Book 1 is still my favorite though. Each book had a different feel about it, this one hving a fantasy, mythological feel about it. But this wasn't my favorite of the 3 books. Were the other books kept me flipping through the pages, this one had me getting disinterested in places. I think with the gods bickering like children it became disjointed emotionally for me. Where the first two books were focused on getting to know Sam and Gretta and their family backgrounds, this book didn't really have that.
But, that said, the writing was as strong as ever, and I enjoyed the conclusion. I'd recommend this series to anyone who likes history or mythology.