Category: book review

In God Bless Us Everyone, Charlene Dixon—called Charlie by family and friends—is devastated at the recent loss of her job.

About God Bless Us Everyone

For the last five years, the twenty-seven-year-old has blossomed as the activities director of an exclusive all-girls school. But when a misunderstanding with the headmistress leads to a pink slip right before the holidays, Charlie packs up her dreams and returns to her grandmother, Sis, who raised Charlie as her own in the mountains of North Carolina.

When Charlie arrives–broken and confused–Sis immediately puts her granddaughter to work behind the scenes of the local school’s Christmas play, A Christmas Carol. Charlie prickles at working with Dustin Kennedy, the drama teacher and her old crush from schooldays, but is even more put out at that the choice of the Dickens’ classic for the holiday performance. When she discovers her estranged father’s involvement her world turns on its head once more. But when Sis and Dustin encourage her to take a deeper look at the story behind A Christmas Carol, Charlie learns about trust, faith, and forgiveness and the needs of people in their own community.

My Thoughts

A sweet Christmas tale about trust and forgiveness, God Bless Us Everyone will have you smiling and leave you with a warm tug on your heart. Our story starts off with Charlie losing her dream job all over a clash of personalities over modern versus the classics. She is forced to return to her hometown to her Grandmother. When her Grandmother finds out the whole truth of her situation, she puts her to work on the school play to keep her busy.

And this is when the story really gets interesting! When Dustin enters the picture, we learn more about Charlie’s past; the pain and hurt she went through in her childhood and how she ended up living with her Grandmother. Your heart just goes out to her, you understand exactly why she struggles so much with trust and forgiveness. Throughout the chapters you really watch her struggle with herself and her beliefs. She wants to forgive and trust but finds it so difficult – which is something many of us can relate to after we have been hurt.

As the story evolves, we watch Charlie develop as a woman and a daughter. We watch her struggle, feel her pain and hope for her. God Bless Us Everyone is a truly sweet tale that will put you in the spirit of forgiveness and trust, especially right in time for Christmas!

You can find more reviews on the Litfuse blog tour page. You can purchase a copy of the book here.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

Eva Marie Everson is an award-winning speaker and author of The Road to Testament, Things Left Unspoken, This Fine Life, Chasing Sunsets, Waiting for Sunrise, Slow Moon Rising, and The Potluck Club series (with Linda Evans Shepherd). She is the president of Word Weavers International, Inc., a member of AWSA, ACFW, RWA, the director of Florida Christian Writer’s Conference, and the contest director for Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writer’s Conference. She and her husband make their home in Casselberry, Florida.

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

In Service Tails, Heart-tugging true stories of the courage, faith, and loyalty of remarkable service dogs.

About Service Tails

Not all heroic dogs wildly toss themselves into lifesaving situations. Some save lives simply by their incredible commitment to duty and service. Some lead the way to independence for people whose disabilities were supposed to limit their lives.

In Service Tails: More Stories of Man’s Best Hero, prolific author Ace Collins introduces us to leaders whose entire lives are wrapped in the banner of service. Their stories are remarkable snapshots of the value of vision and teamwork, as well as devotion to duty and unconditional love and acceptance–stretching the way we see both canine and human potential. Their training was intense, their loyalty unquestioned and each step of the way they constantly adapt to better serve those they lead. These unforgettable dogs are more than heroes; they are models from which we can learn how to love and serve unconditionally.

My Thoughts

A fantastic set of true stories of inspirational dogs and their partners that they serve. Each story is told in such a way that you can feel the deep connection between the dog and their partner, you feel their struggles, success and hopes. Each dog is chosen for service to a person in need (they may be blind, deaf or have another need) and is partnered with a human based on need and personality. I learned so much about the history of service dogs from this novel and it left me humbled and in awe. These animals are amazing at what they do and  how much they give back to their partner in terms of freedom and independence. The novel goes to show that even though we may try to be understanding of those who have a disability, sometimes our actions speak differently. We may actually be causing hurt to those we are trying to help.

Service Tails is a unique book full of short stories that offer hope, guidance and understanding. It is a perfect book for young adults straight to adulthood, those who love dogs and animals. There is much that everyone can learn from these loving and heroic animals and the bonds they form with their human partner. It is inspiring and leaves you feeling hopeful and with a greater understanding of others and how they interact with the world. A definite must read for your reading list!

You can find more reviews on the Litfuse blog tour page. You can purchase a copy of the book here.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Ace Collins defines himself as a storyteller. He has authored more than sixty books that have sold more than 2.5 million copies. His catalog includes novels, biographies, children’s works as well as books on history, culture and faith. He has also been the featured speaker at the National Archives Distinguished Lecture Series, hosted a network television special and does college basketball play-by-play. Ace lives in Arkansas.

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