For Emily Baxter, life is simple. Her world is made up completely of school, church, and the community in the small farming town she calls home. All that changes one fateful Sunday, when a new girl shows up at Pleasanton Baptist—a girl unlike anyone Emily has ever seen. A girl with long red hair, crystal green eyes, and style and posture like royalty.
 
A girl named October.
 
The months that follow are filled with magic—the magic of ordinary things, of finding pictures in the stars, of imagination and a new sense of beauty. But as time goes by, Emily begins to sense that her enchanting new friend may have secrets that could break the spell. Is October really all she seems to be?
​

 J. Grace Pennington has been telling stories since she could talk and writing them down since age five.  Now she lives in the great state of Texas, where she writes as much as adult life permits.  When she's not writing she enjoys reading good books, having adventures with her husband, and looking up at the stars.

Grace has generously offered a paperback book of her new book as her giveaway prize. You can enter at this link or the widget below.

​The first time I saw October Blake, I was sitting in the front right pew of the Pleasanton First Baptist church, where we always sat, watching as people filed into the sanctuary. The rich organ tones of 'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus resonated through the chamber under the magic of Ms. Hendrix's wrinkled fingers. Soft chatter and friendly greetings mingled with the tune. Stained-glass windows cast rainbows across the scene.
            October fit the setting better than anyone I had seen enter. She didn't walk in, she glided, moving over the gray carpet with a grace that held the eye. Her thick red hair was piled up on her head like something out of an Anne of Green Gables movie, her skin almost porcelain, her eyes a pale, crystal green visible from across the sanctuary. A ruffled cream blouse left her arms bare, and a floor-length green skirt swished as she slipped down the aisle.
            I watched—stared is a better word—as she found her way to the third pew from the front center. She laid a hand on the back of it, then turned to look at the people behind her. I hadn't noticed until then that Mr. and Mrs. Rivers were there, shuffling to adjoining seats. She didn't seem to belong to them. But then, she didn't seem to belong to anything about Pleasanton. Pleasanton consisted of farms, fields, and stores reluctant to move into the twenty-first century, with a little brick high school and long, hot summers. This girl seemed more fitted to lilac and lace and the smell of old books with long, beautiful words in them.

“Spit-in water.”
“De-petaled flower.”
“Chewed piece of gum.”

The youth of my generation know these phrases by heart.

With them, our elders told us we were “dirty” for having a crush. They claimed we were “used goods” if we held hands with someone. They insisted our worth was measured by the extent to which we had “given our heart away.” They criminalized affection to keep us “undefiled.” 

What happens when an entire generation learns that their worth is found in their “purity?”

Welcome to life growing up in Christian Purity Culture.

Our well-intended homeschooling, conservative, and Christian communities wanted to keep us safe. They didn’t understand the toll inflicted by the heavy-handed and legalistic emphasis on sexual purity above and beyond anything else.

They wanted to safeguard our sexuality. Instead, they broke it.

They wanted us to be spotless before God. Instead, they drove us away from Him. 

The Scarlet Virgins takes a vulnerable look at the Christian Purity Culture movement through the eyes of someone who experienced it firsthand. It seeks to identify what went wrong, and bring peace to the hearts of those who were wounded so deeply, all by exposing the truth: 

It is Christ who makes us pure.

Buy Links:
https://www.amazon.com/Scarlet-Virgins-When-replaces-salvation-ebook/dp/B072M67WCL/

Since my conservative Asian parents wouldn't have spoken to me about sex anyway, you could say that being friends with people who grew up in the Purity Culture impacted me directly. I too was familiar with the side hugs, the only watch PG or G rated movies and up until a few years ago, I owned a copy of Joshua Harris' I Kissed Dating Goodbye. I never wore a purity ring but I wanted to keep myself pure until marriage. 
Fast forward until I was 23 and living on my own with roommates, I had a few eye opening experiences, though thankfully, my experiences were all with my now-husband. But it was the after that always stuck with me. The feelings that I was used goods. That God doesn't love me. That I was too "dirty" to be loved. By anyone. I remember crying about it over my Bible and for a long time, I felt so unloved that I committed the "ultimate sin" (in my eyes), that my world spiraled out of control and I stopped going to church. I know I tended to be dramatic but my college thought was, 'guess I'm going to Hell, might as well do things that I never got to experience, including drinking alcohol or going to my first club. Things that your normal average college girl would do, yes, but you'd have to understand how much the "Culture" molded me. I also believed that I had to marry this guy now since I sinned with him and thankfully, I'm still very much in love with my husband, but can you imagine?  
I should have read this book 15 years ago. I should have been able to tell my 23 year old self that God loves you because you are His child. As a mother, I get it. But for someone who grew up with the Purity Culture -even indirectly- it would take YEARS, a lot of prayers to fully understand that in spite of everything, I will fall short, I will fail BUT GOD will continue to love me. 

Rebecca takes some of her personal experiences and those of her peers, and the things learned in the Purity Culture and lays out its flaws and the effects. She speaks with grace and understanding.
I can't recommend this book enough, especially to MY peers who grew up in the Purity Culture and are now raising children in this current society. 

I was fortunate to have received this book for free, but I will be purchasing a hard copy that one day, I'll get to share with both my son and daughter. 
***I received this book in exchange for an honest review. However, these thoughts and opinions are my own. I'm not required to write a positive review.***

​Oklahoma native Rebecca Lemke grew up in a tiny conservative homeschooling community. She has learned firsthand that the manner in which we approach modesty and purity can be the difference between life and death, both spiritually and physically. As the result of her deep-seated belief in holistic living, which includes holistic spirituality and sexuality, she strongly advocates for Christ to be our ultimate focus.

Rebecca has written a book entitled The Scarlet Virgins about her experience with legalism, spiritual abuse, and Purity Culture. She also releases podcasts on the same subjects at scarletvirgins.com. Rebecca now lives with her husband and toddler, enjoying the simple things in life with them, like root beer and bacon.

J. A. Myhre serves as a doctor with Serge in East Africa where she has worked for over two decades. She is passionate about health care for the poor, training local doctors and nurses, promoting childhood nutrition and development, and being the hands of Jesus in the hardest places. She is married to her best friend and colleague Scott, and together they have raised four children for whom many of her stories were written as Christmas presents.
​
Find out more about J.A. at http://paradoxuganda.blogspot.com.

​How many times today have you been irritated? Frustrated?
While you might not think about it often, if you look closely at any day most everyone can find anger in their actions and attitudes. Something spills or goes missing, we get stuck in traffic or someone cuts us off on the road, or we feel like the people we live and work with are only making our lives more difficult. And while no one wants to get angry, what happens when our irritations and frustrations rise yet again?
Anger is so common-yet it also hurts. It not only leaves a mark on us, but it also leaves a marks on others. The wounds we inflict on ourselves and others because of anger-loss of intimacy, trust, security, and enjoyment in our closest relationships-give us compelling reasons to look closely at our anger and think carefully about how to grow in peace and patience.
But if you, like many others, have just gotten irritated for the umpteenth time today, you might wonder if change is possible. Can anyone truly find peace? The answer is yes, but you will need a plan. Biblical counselor and psychologist Ed Welch invites readers to take a fifty-day journey that unpacks anger while encouraging and teaching readers to respond with patience to life's difficulties. Readers will also be introduced to Jesus, the key to any plan for change. Known as the Prince of Peace, he is the only one who can empower his people to grow in patience, peace, and wholeness.

Buy Links:
https://www.amazon.com/Small-Book-about-Big-Problem-ebook/dp/B076DHKTZT/
http://stores.newgrowthpress.com/a-small-book-about-a-big-problem/

"To be human is to get angry." 
I'm the first to admit that I have anger issues. Over the years, whenever I feel it threatening to bubble up, I've learned to take deep breaths and count to five. Thankfully, it's never resulted in violence but words carry lasting impacts. Some days are better than others. So I was so excited to get my hands on this book to learn how to channel my emotions properly. This is a 50 day guide that lets the reader internalize the effects that anger has on themselves and others, and finding root causes of anger. While I read this in a few days and connected with his message, I'd like to go back and truly focus on each chapter/day for the full 50 days. 
​I recommend this for anyone seeking to better their emotions but to let God in and let Him comfort and ease our frustrations. I connected with this statement, "The rule is this: wherever you start—anger, guilt, selfish desire, contrition, or a desire to reform yourself—end with God and his goodness."  

***I received this book in exchange for an honest review. However, these thoughts and opinions are my own. I'm not required to write a positive review.***

​Edward T. Welch, M.Div., Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist and faculty member at the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF). He earned a Ph.D. in counseling (neuropsychology) from the University of Utah and has a Master of Divinity degree from Biblical Theological Seminary. Ed has been counseling for over thirty years and has written extensively on the topics of depression, fear, and addictions.
Find out more about Edward at http://stores.newgrowthpress.com.

Buy Links:
​https://www.amazon.com/Art-Winning-Matshona-Dhliwayo/dp/0797479902

This actually came to me at a great time! I follow a poet online and one of the things that she likes to do is start her day journaling. Except in her journal, she writes "I am a success. I am going to do this...etc." This short book reads like affirmations and that idea that if you wrap yourself up with this goal that you are already there or basically telling yourself that you are a success, then your dreams will manifest itself. As a poet, I came to appreciate the encouraging words that sounded whimsical in pacing but gutted out in truths. This is a short read but it took me a few days to go through it, not because of the style or format but I wanted to fully grasp each "rule" and find out where I can and should apply them to my life. 

***I received this book in exchange for an honest review. However, these thoughts and opinions are my own. I'm not required to write a positive review.***

Buy Links:
​https://www.amazon.com/Day-Between-Memoir-Miracles-ebook/dp/B075XSGYVL/

 Today is the cover reveal for Making it Complicated by Clarisse David. This cover reveal is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The cover designer is Daniel Tinagan: https://instagram.com/bknwa.p

Making it Complicated
​(I Heart Iloilo #2)
By Clarisse David
Genre: Romance
Age category: Young Adult, New Adult
Release Date: October 16, 2017

Blurb:
No promises. No expectations. Just one night on a paradise island that could mean everything.
 
Nineteen-year-old Cam has a metric ton of emotional baggage and is in no mood to unload them on anyone. After her parents' marriage imploded, stress-free is the only way she wants her life to be. And what could be more freeing than spending the summer on Boracay? Absolutely nothing... until she bumps heads with Hunter, the hot drummer who screams incoming heartbreak from a mile away.
 
Hunter has grand plans, none of which include angry-at-the-world Cam, best friend to the girl he always thought he'd end up with. He likes his life steady, thank you very much. But steady has now become synonymous with boring. His grand plans don't seem so grand anymore. So when Cam comes home to Iloilo City and reaches out to him, he surprises himself when the one answer he can think of is... yes. Definitely yes.
 
Sometimes, complications are the only things that make sense. 
 
You can find Making it Complicated on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33976999-making-it-complicated
 
You can pre-order Making it Complicated here on Amazon: http://smarturl.it/MakingItComplicated

The first book in this series is only $0.99!
Keeping the Distance
 No bets. No fake relationships. Just a very real one that has to be kept under wraps.
 
Buy Keeping the Distance for only $0.99 here: https://www.amazon.com/Keeping-Distance-Heart-Iloilo-Book-ebook/dp/B01MYB5E2C/

Clarisse David is a Young Adult and New Adult author from the land of epic heat waves a.k.a. the Philippines. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Literature and cannot survive without red lipstick and books. When not hanging out on Twitter, she can be found working on her latest writing project.
 
You can find her on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook. You can also send her an email at clarissedavidwrites[@]yahoo[.]com.
 
You can find and contact Clarisse here:
- Website: http://www.clarissedavid.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clarissedavidauthor
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/clarissewrites
- Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6367148.Clarisse_David
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorclarissedavid
- Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/clarissewrites
- Newsletter: http://tinyletter.com/clarissewrites
 
Giveaway
There is a cover reveal wide giveaway for the cover reveal of Making it Complicated. Five winners will each win an e-copy of Making it Complicated by Clarisse David. Open International.

Buy Links:
​https://www.amazon.com/THIS-NOT-SPECTACLE-Isabelle-Kenyon-ebook/dp/B075D86TBS (kindle)
https://www.amazon.com/This-Spectacle-Isabelle-Charlotte-Kenyon/dp/1976074894/ www.amazon.com/This-Spectacle-Isabelle-Charlotte-Kenyon/dp/1976074894/(paperback)

I love poetry in that it draws you in almost immediately. It uses emotions to spin an entire world for you and either lifts you up with encouragement or transport you to new places, new sounds, sights and smells. The visual in this chapbook was stunning. I saw it, "the corpse body of children with their ballooned stomachs," from the poem, Mumbai and "We are drink, we are music; we are pretending, we are stumbling, we are lost -" from Teenagers at a Bus Stop.  Each poem felt like a snapshot that may have derived from the poet's own experiences. Perhaps, she felt a pull to some of these places and used that emotional tug to pen anger or a passerby's quick interpretation of a culture. Very well done. My complaint that I shared with the poet was that I wish it was longer. I'm excited to see that it's part of a volume and can't wait to read where she takes me to next. Great job, Isabelle Kenyon for creating something that made me feel like I was there as the person whose lens you used and being simultaneously drawn into this world with horrified fascination and knowing that "this is not a spectacle" for me to witness.

***I received this book in exchange for an honest review. However, these thoughts and opinions are my own. I'm not required to write a positive review.***

Isabelle Kenyon is a Greater Manchester based poet and a graduate in Theatre: Writing, Directing and Performance from the University of York.
Her poems have been published in many poetry anthologies, such as the Inkyneedles anthology, the Great British Write Off, the Wirral festival of Music, Speech and Drama, The Tiny Tales anthology and the Festival of Firsts, as well as achieving third place in the Langwith Scott Award for Art and Drama. Her microchapbook, published by Origami Poetry Press will be out soon!
Social Media:
​https://inkyizzy4.wixsite.com/flyonthewallpoetry
https://www.facebook.com/flyonthewallpoetry/

Buy Links:
https://www.amazon.com/Lalibelas-Wise-Man-Matshona-Dhliwayo-ebook/dp/B00OYKJ59E/

For such a short read, this was heavy with wisdom and littered with inspiration. Given today's culture, we should do well to take a step back and look at the bigger picture instead of being emotional at the moment. I understood the paradox as the monk softly challenged Christian. Some challenges were more physical than others, such as hunting for food, or carrying buckets of water. But others could be learned in the midst of children playing or as even as simple as eating a meal that we don't care for. This was a simple and beautiful read that surprised me at the end. We may not all have the circumstances or fortune to fly across the world to Ethiopia but  Dhliwayo's words takes you there and for a brief while, lets you in on the secrets of Lalibela's Wise Man. 

***I received this book in exchange for an honest review. However, these thoughts and opinions are my own. I'm not required to write a positive review.***

​Matshona Dhliwayo is a Canadian based Philosopher, Entrepreneur, and author of books such as The Little Book of Inspiration, Creativity, The Book, 50 Lessons Every Wise Mother Teaches Her Son, 100 Lessons Every Great Man Wants You to Know, and Lalibela's Wise Man.


Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7978664.Matshona_Dhliwayo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatshonaD?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matshona.dhliwayo