Book Blog Tour Stop - Missons of Mercy series by Susan May Warren

I'm happy today to introduce you to a series of adventure suspense novels by Susan May Warren - The Missions of Mercy.

Three heroes, all on missions of mercy, who discover that God not only saves us from evil, but from the darkness inside.

Point of No Return: Can God deliver us from our mistakes? This question is posed to Chet and Mae as they race to save Mae’s nephew from an evil warlord in the Republic of Georgia. More here.

Mission: Out of Control: Does God turn his back on us when we fail? Brody and Vonya discover the answer as they conspire to capture an international smuggler and free a child soldier from war. More here.

Undercover Pursuit: What if we deliberately sin and harbor bitterness in our hearts? Is there a rescue from the dark places inside? Luke and Scarlett find out as they work to protect a bride-turned-informant whose courage could dismantle a human trafficking web. More here.

In a day and age when violence, graphic sex and just plain evil dominates so many novels, it is refreshing to find a series that features excitment and intrigue without offending your sensibilities. Susan May Warren's Missions of Mercy Series is a welcome respite - she combines action, great characters, thrilling story lines and just the right touch of romance to create a world that readers will enjoy visiting.

I highly recommend Susan's books.

To celebrate the series, Susan is giving away a Missions of Mercy Prize Pack worth over $200! One grand prize winner will receive: * A brand new FLIP HD Camera * The entire Missions of Mercy series Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. You may enter once per email, facebook, and twitter. The contest ends on May 31st. Tell your friends! Winner will be announced on June 1st at the Litfuse Publicity site and at Susan May Warren's website. (While you're there, check out her rockin' new website!)

About The Author:

 Susan May Warren is the RITA award-winning author of thirty novels with Tyndale, Barbour, Steeple Hill and Summerside Press.  A four-time Christy award finalist, a two-time RITA Finalist, she’s also a multi-winner of the Inspirational Readers Choice award, and the ACFW Carol Award.  A seasoned women’s events speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you! She is also the founder ofwww.MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice.

For more about Susan and her other books, please visit http://www.susanmaywarren.com/.

Check out other blogs that will be featuring Susan's books during this tour!   http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13307091

My thanks to Litfuse Publicity Group for including me on this book blog tour. I was not compensated for my opinions.

The Magnificent, Magical, Never Ending Adventures of Moo and Me: The Mine

The Magnificent, Magical, Never Ending Adventure of Moo and Me: The Mine

Moo and I got back today

Tried to sleep but had to play

The galaxies were so much fun

I can't sit still I want to run

"Where too now?" I ask my friend

"mmmmmoooo" he says "that may depend"

"Did you ask Momma what she thought?"

"Let's just leave, we won't get caught"

"Remember the mine you and Momma explored?"

"You mean the one where all the gold is stored?"

"Let's go!" " Let's go!" we both agreed

"You go get everything that we need"

So off Moo went to gather up things

 I gathered my light and colored strings

Flashlights and boots and a miners hat

"I hope we're able to see a  bat"

Momma's reading a book so we snuck out

I gave Moo a kiss right on his snout

Got on his back and off we went

Into the mine we walked all bent

On with the flashlights we need to see

Off we go , One, Two, Three

Down, down... the ceiling at our backs

Look how fast we're making tracks.

There's a bend up ahead and a Y

"Oh no... which way should we try?"

I said left as Moo said right

We each looked down with our trusty light

"What do you see?" I asked Moo

"A glow in the dark down a mile or two"

Our hearts speed up as we go  explore

We go to the right to see some more

It's not too far when the walls start to glisten

"Do you hear that noise, shhh,  just listen?"

I scramble alongside and cup my ear

How strange is that it sounds quite clear

"Momma wouldn't want us to go that far"

Yet on we went wishing we had her car

On  hands and knees we did crawl

Boy am I glad we're both small

Down and down this dark road

"I should've brought my lucky toad."

I ribbitt out loud  and sing  toads song

"Come on, Come on it can't be long!"

The light gets brighter as we turn the bend

Moo stops so fast I hit his rear end

WOW! Amazing would you look at that

It's glow worms dancing with a bat

You thought you knew the electric slide

The glow worm's silk sure helps them glide

They all turn at once to stop and stare

"Turn off your lights your causing a glare"

Our flashlights off yet we could see

How many glowworms  could there be

"What are you two; troglobites?

You sure to have funny looking lights?

We looked at each other quite confused

While they looked at us quite amused

"Cave dwellers gents is what we mean

You're not even slimy you don't glean"

My name is Jack and this is Moo 

We come from where the sky is blue

Come on and join our Celebration

The bat is Kate and it's her graduation

I take off my hat saying "How do you do?"

"My name's Jack and this is Moo"

I put on their hat and drank pink slime

We both started dancing  keeping time

"Whew I'm tired and I need a break"

Just then they brought out the cake

"Happy Graduation you must be proud"

I hollered to Kate above the crowd

We ate purple cake with poke-a-dots

"Ice cream and caramel.. put on LOTS!"

She opened up gifts the last one to  go

A funny lizard that looked like a toe

Moo and me each looked at the ground

"We must find a gift let's look around"

I reached in my pocket and pulled out a string

Tied it to her finger it made a cute ring

"How nice of you to think of me so

I hate to say it but it's time to go"

One last dance we danced with Kate

A wiggle dance with glow worms...Great!

Saying good bye we put on our light

"The battery's dead" we said in fright

"No worries new friends we'll help you along"

"We'll shine you a way that's not so long"

We inched along as worms tend to do

Following close were me and Moo Moo

Climbing up higher we felt the rise

Soon we saw light to our surprise

"Thank you glowworms here's something for you

Lots of colored string; Red White and Blue"

They turned and glowed back into their cave

We said good bye and turned with a wave

We squinted our eyes as we came into the sun

Talking and laughing , we had so much fun

Oh what stories we will have to tell

Of Kate and Glow worms and slimy gel

I climbed on Moo's back and off we ran

"Will we make it?" Moo answered, "I think we can"

We ran straight home, didn't stop to play

We'll have more adventures another day

Written for everyone at Camp jack:http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/campjack/journal
with Hope, Love and Light

by Nina Pauline Ploetz 4/18/2011

The Magnificent, Magical, Never Ending Adventures of Moo and Me

Written for a young man and his amazing family at Camp Jack (and Kate).

The Magnificent,  Magical, 
Never Ending Adventures of Moo and Me

I love where I am and all that I’ve met

But sometimes I yearn for more

There are many places that I've never been

I just want to go explore

I think tonight I'll give it a try

And take along co-pilot Moo

We'll fly together while in my dreams

'Cuz that's what best friends do

Flying into the night with Moo at my side

Our first stop is Mr. Moon

I say he's cheese but Moo says he's not

We'll both find out real soon

A few minutes more and we're over  the moon

Seeing a crater, we  land in its dust

Moo was right the moon is not cheese

  But it's flour on a pizza crust

We nibble a bit and then have to leave

It's time to go on our way

"Moo it's your turn to choose where we go

And it looks like you want to play"

So off we go passing twinkling stars

Waving at them as we fly

I see ahead where Moo wants to go

"Not the milky way", I say with a sigh

Moo smiles at me and waves his tail

As if he's got a plan up his sleeve

We fly really close and I'm amazed to see

White, chocolate, strawberry... I can't  Believe!

We swoop down close but he doesn't stop

It's up and onward we go

I quick lean over  and slurp a taste

Hmm, Milky way's milk, how could I know

He winks at me and moos a laugh

Snorting milk out of his nose

I giggle and laugh as he's on a roll

Curling his tail he makes a pig pose

"Where are we going?" , I ask to my friend
"  You'll see, just hang on to my back"

Traveling far we finally reach a place

Moo calls this Nebula Jack

"Wow!", I say, ""  is it named after me?"

Moo laughs and says ""  but of course"

"  Can we stay awhile and play a bit?"

"  Hey,... what?... Wait?... is that a horse?"

Riding up close comes a magnificent foal

Her mother is close behind

They stop and stare right into our eyes

Asking, if we're horses, what kind?

I laugh so hard I start falling off Moo

The foal comes up by my side

She looks at me and smiles a bit, saying

"  Hey do you want to ride?"

I slide off Moo and onto her back

And off exploring we go

It's over gas clouds and nebula bands

"  Watch out a comet! Duck low!"

We play for a while this foal and me

Until Moo and Mommy say  "" it's time"

So off I slide and give a great hug

And back onto Moo I climb

With tears in our eyes we say our goodbyes

asking "   Will I see you again?"

 ""We live so far beyond many stars

I'll call you, do you have a pen"

Exchanging numbers and telling stories

We find we share many views

I look and take notice of something peculiar

Foal changes colors and hues

Moo and Mommy keep trying to move us along

And I ask foal "What is your name?"

"Oh", she smiled, "how could I forget.

It's Kate. And I'm glad you came"

"I have surprise, it's a secret you know

I'm never that far away

I'll be in your heart and in your dreams

It's Love's magic some might say"

Mommy smiles at me and Moo winks too
And I whisper right back in Kate's ear
""If you miss me too just look around and see
in colors and rainbows; I'm near"

We wave good bye saying "see you again"

Each flying in our own way

We smile with Hope as we know the Truth

We'll see each other again some day

Written for all those with and at Camp Jack (and Kate)

(http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/campjack)

with Hope, Love and Light

by Nina Pauline Ploetz 4-13-2011

Book Blog Tour Stop and GIVEAWAY for "The Brotherhood" by Jerry B. Jenkins

WINNER OF THE GIVEAWAY IS Allisa (captainalissa40)!  Thank you everyone who entered!

I am thrilled to be hosting author Jerry B. Jenkins as he tours the blog world with his new amazing book, "The Brotherhood!" 

About The Book:

Boone Drake has it made. He’s a young cop rising rapidly through the ranks of the Chicago Police Department. He has a beautiful wife and a young son, a nice starter house, a great partner, and a career plan that should land him in the Organized Crime Division within five years. Everything is going right. Until everything goes horribly, terribly wrong.

His personal life destroyed and his career and future in jeopardy, Boone buries himself in guilt and bitterness as his life spirals out of control. But when he comes face-to-face with the most vicious gang leader Chicago has seen in decades, he begins to realize that God is a God of second chances and can change the hardest heart . . . and forgive the worst of crimes. A thought-provoking police thriller from New York Times best-selling author Jerry B. Jenkins.

My Thoughts:

I have to admit I was not prepared for "The Brotherhood" to be as powerful of a novel as it was, but as I was reading it last night (and yes, I read it through in one sitting - it was that captivating!) I found myself experiencing a wide array of emotions - from laughter, to aggravation, to times of surprising weeping.  It isn't often that a book will evoke that kind of dramatic response and I stopped to think of another piece of writing that might have had the same effect and realized - it was when I read the amazing "Left Behind" series, and Jerry Jenkins was the author of those novels as well.

Jenkins' storytelling skills draws the reader right into the heart of his work, and doesn't let go of your attention (or your heartstrings) until the last heart-pounding moment of the last mesmerizing page. "The Brotherhood" is a police-themed, action novel, but it is so much more!  Jenkins includes romance, mystery, and most importantly, a man's search for his lost faith,  in this story making it a novel that I guarantee you will be thinking about long after you put it down.  I was glad to see "The Brotherhood" will be a part of a planned three-book series, and I can't wait to read how Boone Drake's life proceeds from the cliff-hanging ending. 

Jenkins includes powerful scripture references throughout this story, and the one that stays with me well after the reading is Jeremiah 29:13 - "You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart."

Amen.

About the Author:

Jerry B. Jenkins is the most prolific and highest-selling evangelical novelist of our time. He is the author of more than 175 books, including the 70,000,000-selling Left Behind series. Jenkins has a longtime association with Moody Bible Institute in Chicago where he was former editor of Moody Magazine, vice president for publishing, and is now chairman of the board of trustees.

Jenkins owns Jenkins Entertainment (http://www.jenkins-entertainment.com/), a filmmaking company in Chicago, and the Colorado Springs-based Christian Writers Guild (http://www.christianwritersguild.co/), which aims to train tomorrow’s professional Christian writers.

For more information on The Brotherhood, visit http://www.tyndale.com/ or http://www.jerryjenkins.com/

GIVEAWAY!

Tyndale Publishers has provided a gift certificate for a free copy of "The Brotherhood" for one commentor on this post.  Just leave a comment, your name and email address, and I'll draw for a winner on Sunday, February 6th at 11 p.m.

GOOD LUCK!

Tyndale Publishers provided a review copy of this book, and I was not compensated for my opinion.