Month: June 2018

June 18, 2018

Through A Broken Heart: Finding Hope and Healing After A Break Up Spotlight

The journey right now is dark and painful, but if you will travel with me using God’s word as our guide, it will eventually lead to a place of hope and restoration. Learn more in Through a Broken Heart: Finding Hope and Healing After a Break Up.

About Through A Broken Heart: Finding Hope and Healing After A Break Up

Dear Broken Heart:

You must be hurting deeply. Perhaps you’re also feeling overwhelmed and completely alone in this place of emptiness and grief. I’ve been where you are and my heart aches with yours. I want you to know there is someone who sees and someone who cares. His name is Jesus. The journey right now is dark and painful, but if you will travel with me using God’s word as our guide, it will eventually lead to a place of hope and restoration. A destination where God’s love ushers you into wholeness. Where His healing hand won’t just repair your shattered soul, but will establish you in the truth that you are deeply loved and understood. In contrast to your current sorrow, this may seem too good to be true. I get that, I’ve been there. At this point, I’m only asking you to trust that He is able. I invite you to spend these next six weeks at the feet of Jesus and allow Him to enter into your wounded heart through this very place of brokenness. Will you give Him permission to transform you in a way that far exceeds your own expectations?

~ Colleen Meissner Married for the first time at 42. Colleen knows firsthand the pain of heartbreak, being single longer than expected, and the battle against fear and insecurity. She holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology and has spent over 10 years sharing her own experience and knowledge as a coach and mentor. She now has a vision to share the wisdom she’s been given with you.

You can purchase a copy of Through a Broken Heart on Amazon.

About the Author

I earned a Master’s in Clinical Psychology from Azusa Pacific University in 2010 and have been mentoring women for over a decade. The most common area of counsel I provide is to single women not ashamed to admit they want to be married and have someone to share their life with. These women often without realizing it, are battling soul wounds (emotional and heart wounds) from their past that are preventing them from fulfilling this deeply held desire of marriage and family.

I consider there to be no greater privilege than to have women trust me with their deepest struggles and fears and to travel along side of them on their journey from a place of being held in bondage by lies (“I am fat, ugly, a loser, unlovable…”) to a place of freedom and victory. I know this journey well, I have traveled it; it is hard and it is long, and you cannot do it alone. There are seemingly impossible hills to climb, valleys to crawl out of and side-roads leading to nowhere. Perhaps more than a mentor, I am a tour-guide, leading you as you navigate your way to healing and overcoming those things that have kept you from embracing the fullness of life that the Lord came to give you (John 10:10).

Connect with her on her website, Twitter and Facebook.

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Disclosure: This is a spotlight tour, I received no compensation for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

June 14, 2018

Spin, Crack and Splash with Watermelon Smash by Yulu Toys

The hot, hazy days of summer have finally arrived after what felt like endless days of rain and cooler weather. We are ready to play outside more but sometimes the same regular activities can get boring.

Watermelon Smash combines soaking water fun with a bit of roulette making it the perfect game for parties, get together and any warm, summer day. The object of the game? Fill the watermelon with water or seeds, spin the wheel, ‘crack’ the watermelon on your head and hope you are not its victim!

The Watermelon separates in two allowing you to place a rectangular piece inside which pushes/cracks the watermelon apart during the game. You can either fill the watermelon with water or use the packaged “seeds” that come with the game.

Once the game is set up, players take turns spinning the wheel and completing the instruction they landed on. My favourite one to land on? Getting to crack the watermelon on someone else’s head! Once the watermelon cracks and either the water or seeds are spilled on the person, that person is out. The game continues until there is only one person left and they are the winner!

We LOVED this game! There was excitement and nervousness as you took a chance each time cracking the watermelon on your head, hoping that you were not going to be the one who gets soaked. I love the unique concept and hands on aspect of the game, you can bring this game with you anywhere easily. It can be adapted for both indoor and outdoor play using either water or the plastic seeds that come with the game. The game itself is easy to assemble with a simple push of the rectangular piece into one end of the watermelon and then closing the watermelon on the other side. It was a game that every member of our family enjoyed playing together as while it had a hint of competitiveness to it (you don’t want to be the one that cracks it open), it is based on chance so there were no unhappy tears at the end of the game just laughter.

Find more about the Watermelon Smash game on the Yulu website. You can purchase this game in stores at Indigo and Mastermind toys. Make sure to follow them on Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with all the latest toys and games.

Disclosure: We received the above mentioned product in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

June 12, 2018

Deliverers (Mud, Rocks and Trees Book Six) Review

Three Seals. Three Deliverers. One last chance. Will anyone escape Tzoladia alive?

About Deliverers

“Our pride rules the empire now.”

A new era has begun in Tzoladia! But lions are not the only things prowling the streets. The brash young ruler has inherited an empire full of divisions, intrigue, assassins, and disease. Have the last days arrived? Where are The Deliverers?

Brina matches wits with the ruthless and brutal Bladar. Amanki fights the faceless and deadly blue sickness. Moshoi battles the restless and all-consuming desires of his own heart. Three Seals. Three Deliverers. One last chance. Will anyone escape Tzoladia alive?

My Thoughts

This exciting series comes to a close in this amazing finale. The whole way through this series we were never sure what was going to happen, will the three deliverers ever meet? Will there be a new rise to power? Was the prophecy interpreted wrong?

This novel was one of change and understanding. Our characters have survived through the impossible on this mission, they have been faced with death, betrayal and even an almost break with their faith and mission. So many times they were tried with unbelievable circumstances that made them questions their own beliefs in God, the world, people and their place in protecting the seals and the future of their people. Each one emerges through this journey in this novel in a different way. Amanki finds peace with his faith and his place to guide others. He does not want the glory and power, he wants to help others find peace and acceptance in the face of pain. Brina (my personal favourite character) has grown so much through her trials and has become a strong young woman who is fearless and confident in her choices and faith. It is Moshoi that struggles the most with the need and desire for gold and pleasure. This was shocking to me! He always seemed like the quiet, obedient young man but when faced with so much fortune it was difficult for him to continue on his path. The death of an important person to him in this book, further sends him spiralling out of control. It is hard to tell whether he will be able to reel himself in, in order to complete his mission or if he has even remembered his mission!

This was the perfect ending for this book and not what I was expecting from book five. It was powerful, moving and hopeful for the future. The ending gives hope for all people in this incredible land and a future full of promise and acceptance of diversity. I loved every moment of book six – this is a definite must read series!

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

R.A. Denny started writing epic fantasy novels when, after watching the first Hobbit movie, she began excitedly spouting off information about C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien’s writer’s group called the Inklings and how their greatest fantasy novels were created. One of her sons commented, “We could do that.” She laughed. Then, he turned it into a challenge.

Her unexpected journey had begun. For several years, she continued her day job as a criminal prosecutor and escaped by night to the world of the Tzoladian Empire. Then, she decided to just do what she loved.

She completed writing her six-book epic fantasy series: Mud, Rocks, and Trees. The series should be read in this order: Refugees, Seekers, Captives, Warriors, Visionaries, and then Deliverers.

R.A. enjoys ancient history, board games, and LEGO. That’s the nerd in her. She rides horses, raised flying squirrels and lives with two cats. That’s the animal lover in her. Oh, and did I mention that she loves a challenge? That’s the adventurer in her.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

June 8, 2018

Satellite Girl and Milk Cow DVD Giveaway

In Satellite Girl an Milk Cow, it all starts when an out of commission satellite picks up a lovelorn ballad on her radio antenna and descends to Earth to find the source of such sincere emotions.

About Satellite Girl and Milk Cow

GKIDS and Shout! Factory have announced the release of the charming fantasy/science fiction romance Satellite Girl and Milk Cow on Blu-ray/DVD on June 5, 2018.

The debut feature-length film from Korean director Chang Hyung-yun, acclaimed creator of animated short films that have premiered and won prizes at festivals worldwide, the highly original Satellite Girl and Milk Cow was produced by Cho Young-kag (The Fake, The King of Pigs), and received an Asia-Pacific Screen Award nomination for Best Animated Feature.

An out of commission satellite picks up a lovelorn ballad on her radio antenna and descends to Earth to find the source of such sincere emotions. But on the way she is caught in a raging magical battle and transforms into Satellite Girl, complete with rocket shoes and weapon-firing limbs. Meanwhile, the balladeer in question – a loser twentysomething at a café open mic – meets the fate that befalls all broken-hearted lovers: he is turned into a farm animal. But love knows no bounds, and aided by the wise and powerful Merlin – a wizard who has been turned into a roll of toilet paper – our duo must evade the all-consuming incinerator monster, the wily pig witch, and other nefarious adversaries in an attempt to be together.

Bonus Features

Coffee Vending Machine and Its Sword – a short film
Trailers

Our Thoughts

In this cute and funny DVD, we have a heart-broken musician, an enchanted toilet paper roll and a satellite turned into a girl. Caught your attention yet?! I hope so!

This extremely unique movie will leave you laughing and wanting more. Our heart-broken musician is turned into a cow – yup a cow – and his beautiful music attracts the attention of a satellite. As the satellite moves closer to the music, she is turned into Satellite Girl AND she has rocket shoes and limbs that can turn into weapons. Add in an enchanted toilet paper and these three new friends are off to great adventures that you will not want to miss.

This is a unique and special movie right from the get go. We loved the plot and the animations are fantastic. This is a great movie for older children and their families.

Movie Trailer

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Disclosure: I received a copy of this DVD in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

June 4, 2018

Bitten Book Review

Nature has lost patience with humans. Unless something is done immediately to reverse the destruction of the ecosystem, Nature will retaliate by deploying the terrifying forces at her command. And as a first step in wreaking her revenge, she instigates a reign of terror by the deadliest creature on Earth.

About Bitten

In the not-too-distant future, Italy is in disarray. It has voted to leave the EU in an attempt to regain control of its laws, finances and commerce. Even so, the country’s economy is shrinking and its national debt rising. There is a marked escalation, too, in unemployment, bank loans and immigration. Production and service companies are in difficulty. The only thriving business areas are the black market and organised crime. There is discontent and protest on all sides.

In Florence, the local Mafia boss, more accustomed to gunrunning and trading in plutonium, is involved in organising a silent auction for the sale of one of the world’s most valuable lost paintings – a sixteenth-century masterpiece, which was appropriated in World War II by Stalin’s Trophy Brigade. A British art expert is set to buy the picture on behalf of his client, a South American billionaire – yet surprisingly two Italian undercover intelligence agents, acting as antique dealers, submit the winning bid.

All the while, human beings continue to harm the Earth by destroying land, sea, air, animals and trees. Global climate change, polluting the atmosphere, depleting the ozone layer: these are some of man’s crimes against Nature. But time is running out. Nature has lost patience with humans. Unless something is done immediately to reverse the destruction of the ecosystem, Nature will retaliate by deploying the terrifying forces at her command. And as a first step in wreaking her revenge, she instigates a reign of terror by the deadliest creature on Earth.

My Thoughts

An excellent novel that really pushes you to open your mind and examine your own actions with how you treat the environment and the limited power have as humans versus Mother Nature.

The novel starts off examining politics in Italy with a focus on finances, job unemployment and general dissatisfaction with the government. At first, I did not understand how this would tie into the novel but as you keep reading everything comes full circle. At the heart of the story is Mother Nature and her power to keep humans in check. As humans, we think we are the greatest species. We build remarkable architecture, make great discoveries all at the same time ignoring the signs of Mother Nature that she is not happy with how we are treating her. No matter how strong we think we are, we are truly at the mercy of Mother Nature and yet we do not fully respect her power. We make rash decisions based on cause and effect without thinking about the longer affects these decisions could make.

Claudia is an intelligent young woman who is investigating the evolution of the mosquito and their spread into Europe and for the purpose of this book, Italy. Mosquitos have evolved to be bigger, stronger and hungrier than ever, while carrying even more deadly diseases then before. After the mosquitoes begin to fight back with deadly attacks on citizens throughout Italy (even playing a role in the devastation of Venice) Claudia valiantly tries to make her co-workers and others understand that you can’t just deal with the problem by eradicating mosquitoes as this in turn causes even greater problems. This is a significant idea throughout the novel but people continue to ignore it thus causing even greater problems. This is all in the backdrop of art smuggling, narcotics, politics and murder! Claudia is one of the best characters I have had the pleasure of reading about – she is strong, intelligent and passionate about her work, the environment.

This novel is thrilling, suspenseful but full of important messages for all. It is a great read for older young adults and adults alike. A definite must read that does not disappoint!

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Born in Surbiton, Surrey in 1944, Alan Moore lives in Barnes, SW London, with his wife, Amber. They have two daughters and a son, who between them have two boys and two girls with another boy expected in May. Alan was educated at Oundle School in Northamptonshire and at London University, where, as an external student, he obtained a BA degree in English. Thereafter, for 25 years, he single-handedly ran his own book publishing company, which at one stage was producing up to 20 titles a year. Now, at the age of 74, he has self-published his first novel.

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Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.