Peering Through Life's Window

HAPPY SUMMER!    Whether enjoying a lemonade and a snack while reading a good book, having tea with a friend or hosting a bridal shower, strawberries make the occasion special. See recipes below. Summer Reading and Recipes There are over two-dozen recipes in the back of Cooking up a Mystery, each one named for a character in the book. They were donated by members of Mission Love Seeds, a charitable group created to help children throughout the world and to respond locally after disasters to demonstrate God's love. Learn more at Mission Love Seeds About Cooking up a Mystery Laney Eskridge worked to put her husband through dental school. Then he left with another woman. She's on edge from the emotional scars and her parents' deaths. Then she hears unexplained noises in her new tea house, and her anxiety is tripled. Add a budding romance with Eric—a guy with a fear of commitment—and it's all too much to handle. She cuts ties with Eric and plunges into making her business...

More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website Contemporary Romance: Renee by Sandra Ardoin -- A bake-off competition can change widow Renee Burnette’s life and mend a frayed friendship. As the bake-off competition intensifies, Renee’s office relationships are strained, her sweet son becomes unruly, and the rift with her old friend widens. Can a decades-old cookbook help Renee restore the bonds every woman needs? (Romance from Corner Room Books) Pointe, Shoots, and Scores by Carolyn Miller -- When Bailey Donovan’s dance studio faces the risk of closure, she takes a God-given miracle of a gig training a complete non-dancer for a TV show. Only problem is, he’s a real grump, and for an athlete, seems to be lacking all the moves. Luc Blanchard loves hockey, God, and his family, with no time for more, until an unexpected promotion forces him to swallow his pride for the sake of his team. Sparks soon fly as these two opposites spend time...

  A Warm Welcome to Kristi Neace Kristi shares a devotional. She will start a new Bible study on Facebook in July. Watch for the announcement, giving the exact date and time on her  Facebook Page   Scriptural videos also available. See below.*  In a Pit? Psalm 40:1-3‚ “I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.” Can you think of a time when God helped you out of a low place? Perhaps something had caused you to spiral downward, or maybe like the Old Testament character, Jonah, you had run away from God so as not to have to do what He was asking of you.  Through this passage, we see that David was experiencing this first-hand. He was in a place of despair, yet God was gracious, and after some time, placed Dav...

More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website Biblical: Petra: An Unbroken Legacy by Lisa L. Dorsey -- Embark on a journey through time and faith. Witness as the survival of a family's faith intertwines with pivotal moments in history to build a spiritual legacy anchored in God's steadfast Love, timeless Word, and infinite Wisdom. (Biblical Adventure from hope*books)   Contemporary Romance: The Triplets’ Summer Adventure by Laurel M. Blount -- Back home for the summer, adventure-seeking Nick Marshall thinks his park ranger gig will be easy—until the children’s camp he’s overseeing is left without a cook. Desperate to fill the position, he offers his high school nemesis, Cara Andrews, the job. As the two work together, Nick can’t help but fall for the single mom and her triplet sons. But convincing her to take a chance on him might be Nick’s toughest challenge yet… (Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin]) Mary’s Calico H...

  Hats... Horns... Celebrate... Congratulations, Andrea

  A Warm Welcome to Nancy Mehl Nancy will give away a print copy of  her latest book, Cold Threat (U.S. residents only). To enter to win leave a comment and an email address below and enter the Rafflecopter contest. Hi Nancy, first, tell us a little about yourself. I’m a wife, mother, and a writer. I’ve been writing for over twenty-five years and recently had my fifty-third book published. I don’t have a lot of free time, but I love to read and watch TV to relax.   Lots of writers enjoyed reading as children. Were you an avid reader as a child?  Yes. I would stay up all night and read books under my bedspread, using a flashlight so I could see. I suspect my mother knew, but she didn’t say anything. Why do you write? I write because I believe God called me to do it.  Tell us about your latest book. Cold Threat is the second book in my Ryland and St. Clair series. River Ryland and Tony St. Clair travel to Burlington, Iowa, to help Tony’s father with a very c...

More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website Contemporary Romance: A Cameo for a Cowgirl by Carolyn Miller -- Welcome to Three Creek Ranch, home of the James family for over a hundred years, complete with its own Western movie set. Franklin James might be a famous pro hockey player, but just because he's Cassie's older brother doesn't mean she wants to step into the limelight. She's too busy helping her dad run the ranch and managing the ranch's movie set, and negotiating with the giant egos of movie stars like Harrison Woods, who's supposed to be filming the new TV series of As The Heart Draws. And while his TV hero character might be hugely popular, Harrison's real character is anything but noble. Cassie is convinced he's hiding something, and she's determined to make sure it doesn't reflect badly on Three Creek Ranch. Can she remind him what being a true hero is all about? (Contemporary Romance,...