Here Burns My Candle: Liz Curtis Higgs (book review)

A mother who cannot face her future. A daughter who cannot escape her past. Lady Elisabeth Kerr is a keeper of secrets. A Highlander by birth and a Lowlander by marriage, she honors the auld ways, even as doubts and fears stir deep within her. Her husband, Lord Donald, has secrets of his own, well hidden from the household, yet whispered among the town gossips. His mother, the dowager Lady Marjory, hides gold beneath her floor and guilt inside her heart. Though her two abiding passions are maintaining her place in society and coddling her grown sons, Marjory’s many regrets, buried in Greyfriars Churchyard, continue to plague her. One by one the Kerr family secrets begin to surface, even as bonny Prince Charlie and his rebel army ride into Edinburgh in September 1745, intent on capturing the crown. A timeless story of love and betrayal, loss and redemption, flickering against the vivid backdrop of eighteenth-century Scotland, Here Burns My Candle illumines the dark side of human nature, even as hope, the brightest of tapers, lights the way home.

Author Bio:
LIZ CURTIS HIGGS is the author of twenty-seven books with three million copies in print, including: her best-selling historical novels, Thorn in My Heart, Fair Is the Rose, Christy Award-winner Whence Came a Prince, and Grace in Thine Eyes, a Christy Award finalist; My Heart’s in the Lowlands: Ten Days in Bonny Scotland, an armchair travel guide to Galloway; and her contemporary novels, Mixed Signals, a Rita Award finalist, and Bookends, a Christy Award finalist. Visit the author’s extensive website at http://www.lizcurtishiggs.com/.

You can purchase this book online from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing.

This was book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah. I was not compensated for my time or written review.

Fantasy Novels from WaterBrook Multnomah Press: Raven's Ladder & Lady Carliss

Two great fantasy books about the stories of a hero's journey are great picks from Waterbrook Press and Multnomah! The first book is called Raven's Ladder: A Deadly menace breaking through the ground. The People of Abascar must abandon their sstone refuge and flee into the forest. But their king has seen a vision...

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.

About the Author:
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 and Paste. He is also the contributing editor for Seattle Pacific University's Response magazine.
You can learn more about this book or purchase Raven's Ladder from RandomHouse.com.

The Second book is book 4 in the Knights of Arrethtrae series. I think this series of books, along with The Kingdom Series, would be a great series to go through with your pre-teen/teenager, especially if you are a home schooling family!
Lady Carliss and the Waters of Moorue:
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.
**The back of the book has discussion questions to go with each chapter, along with the answers. I think that these books are so wonderful for parents and their kids to enjoy together. I really like that there is scripture references to the story line and how we can apply these truths to our lives!**
About the Author:
Chuck Black, a former F-16 fighter pilot and tactical communications engineer, is the author of ten 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.

You can learn more about this book or purchase Lady Carliss from RandomHouse.com

These books were provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. I was not compensated for my written review.

Developing Stronger Relationships with your Mother/Father: Dancing with my Father & Mother Daughter Duet (Book Reviews & Giveaways)

Mother's and Father's Day is coming up, and there is no better time than now to celebrate those precious relationship. I was sent two wonderful books to review from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group, which is a division of Random House. Here is a summary of each book, along with a bio of the authors.

Dancing With My Father : by Sally Clarkson

Let Your Soul Dance with Delight in God
Do you sometimes feel victimized by circumstances? Are you overwhelmed by weariness, fear, or discouragement? Do you wonder, Where can I go to claim the promise of Jesus that my joy could be made full? When trusted author and mentor Sally Clarkson noticed a lack of joy in her own life, she realized how easy it can be, especially for women with overloaded to-do lists, to feel weighed down by drudgery and disappointment. But rather than slogging through her days, Sally wanted to know the delight of God's presence. She began prayerfully exploring how to cultivate deep-rooted joy even in the midst of difficult seasons.In this warm and wise book, she invites you to experience for yourself what happens when you trust God to lead you into a life of anticipation, passion, and purpose.Weaving biblical insights with real-life stories that reflect every Christian woman's deepest longings, Dancing with My Father reveals how any woman, in any circumstance, can daily live in beauty and grace, joy and peace.

This book has great quotes and stories included, along with personal reflections and questions for you to learn and grow from. I love that there is so much scripture in this book that directs the reader where to find Joy, TRUE Joy: Finding your rhythm in God's Joy.


Author :Sally Clarkson is convinced that joy should be the rule of a woman’s life, rather than the exception. Drawing on the metaphor of dance, she inspires readers to nurture joy and to find delight in God’s presence, even in the challenging seasons of life. 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. She and her husband, Clay, are the cofounders of Whole Heart Ministries, which encourages and equips Christian parents. The Clarkson’s live with their four children just outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Mother-Daughter Duet by Cheri Fuller & Ali Plum

A harmonious relationship is possible
When your daughter was born, you had a thousand hopes and dreams for her. . .including that one day you'd be best friends. But as life unfolds, even the best intentions go awry. There are so many challenges on the journey to adult friendship that the reality is fraught with friction and frustration. Thankfully, a harmonious relationship with your daughter is possible. Written by a mother and daughter who have successfully navigated the minefield from distance and tension to acceptance and friendship, Mother-Daughter Duet helps moms open wide the door of communication so that daughters want to walk through it. Filled with personal anecdotes and based on proven principles, each chapter offers timeless wisdom as well as a daughter’s perspective. Often these principles apply to daughters-in-law as well. The relationship between mothers and daughters is intense, personal, complex, and unique. But you can have the loving, authentic bond you always dreamed of—when you learn the mother-daughter duet.

One quote I love from this book is this:
"First Peter 5:7 is a great invitation for all our daughter concerns: "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you"---and I would add, he cares for her even more than you and I do. Scriptures like Psalm 55:22 assure us that if we give him our burdens, he will sustain us. Believing these promises, we can live and respond with a healthy degree of peace instead of panic, which is a good role model for our grown daughters to see."


The relationship between mothers and adult daughters is intense, personal, and complex. But adults friendship is possible when mom applies some basic principles, including respect, forgiveness, listening, understanding, and letting go. In Mother-Daughter Duet, a mother and daughter share their own story so others can move from friction and frustration to acceptance and harmony.

Author Bio:
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.

You can purchase these books at Randomhouse.com.
ENTER TO WIN!!
Win : Mother-Daughter Duet or Dancing with my Father. (2 winners)
This contest is open to bloggers and non-bloggers of the United States. Contest is open until March 15, 2010. To enter, leave a comment about how you like to celebrate your parents. Please leave a comment about which book you are wanting to win.
**For extra chances you can: blog this contest, add my button to your site, subscribe to my blog, twitter and/or become a fan on facebook, and/or visit everyday and add another friendly comment about another book you found on the Randomhouse website. Lots of chances to win! Don't forget to put the extra comments for the "extra" work. Good luck!**

This review was provided from Waterbrook & Multnomah. They have provided me with a book to review and information to share with my readers. I am sponsored to offer a giveaway book (one for each reviewed book) to my readers through this review. I was given the product for my personal opinion and option to share with my readers. I was not compensated for my time or written review.