Why I Wont Eat Non-Organic Potatoes - A Short & Sweet Explanation

We rarely eat potatoes - even though I LOVE them. I have a plethora of reasons for this - the overabundance of starches and carbohydrates in the Standard American Diet, the way they make me feel overfull and sluggish, the fact that every good way to eat them requires massive amounts of calorie and fat-laden ingredients to be piled atop (and OH, how I LOVE those calorie and fat-laden ingredients!) But the main reason we don't eat non-organic potatoes (when we eat them at all) - and why you shouldn't either? Because they're root vegetables! Allow me to explain.

Root vegetables absorb every chemical that is put into the soil around them. Most of the time we eat either the leaves or the 'fruit' of a plant. Even if they are treated with fertilizers and/or chemicals, the majority of the bad stuff is stored in the plants' roots. In the ground. Where we don't EAT IT.

When you eat a potato - or carrots, turnips, radishes, or yams - you are eating the ROOT of the plant. The very part of the plant that absorbs all of those nasty chemicals. There have been studies that have shown that root vegetables that have been grown with all of those chemicals actually have incredibly high concentrations of them INSIDE the vegetable. No amount of washing or peeling is going to fix that! As a result, I spring for organic on the rare occasion that we eat them. 

There are several other foods that we don't touch. This article touches on a few of them (and freaked me out about a few more). I suggest a quick read.

I'm still here.

The last 6 months have been... hard. Very hard. While most of the hard stuff has been good (at least in the end), some has tested my mental, physical and emotional limits to my absolute core.

In April we found that we would be relocating to another state for my husbands' employer. While we were very excited about this, moving is extremely stressful. It was also a corporate relocation, which is monetarily fantastic, but you have a LOT of people with their 'hands in the pot'. This makes it a LOT more stressful. We had relocation liasons, realtors, inspectors (4 different ones!), loan officers, etc. And everyone wanted to talk to us or have us fill out paperwork or meet with them RIGHT NOW.

3 weeks after we found we were moving, I found that I was pregnant. I'll be honest, I wasn't very happy about this. The timing was awful and I felt terribly overwhelmed. I develop hyperemesis gravidarum when pregnant (the entire 9 months) and just functioning is a trial. My daughter was only 17 months old at the time and I felt pretty panicked when I thought about having a 4.5 year old, a barely 2 year old and a newborn a week before Christmas... mere months after moving to a new place where I didn't know a soul.

I eventually told myself to suck it up and make the best of it. No sense in dwelling on something that I had no control over. Be happy and figure it out as you go, right?

So my husband and I started house hunting and preparing for our move. I was focusing on finding a house that would work for our soon-changing family dynamic and actually started to get a little bit excited about a warm, tiny cuddly baby again.

Then I had my first OB appointment and everything fell apart. I went through the appointment with the usual 'congratulations' at every step and then went for a preliminary ultrasound to confirm how far along I was. All I wanted was to hear that there was only one baby. What I got was far different news.

My baby was anencephalic. You can do an internet search if you'd like, but in short, it didn't have a brain. There was also no heartbeat and it looked as though my baby had died about 5 days earlier - when I was looking at houses and trying to visualize a nursery for my cuddly new baby. I was also 2 days shy of 11 weeks along, which is a bit farther along than normal to lose a baby. I dissolved... and then I drove the 25 miles back to my home to cook dinner, trying all along to keep it together in front of my kids.

The next few days were a blur. I'll spare you the details, but I had to have a D&C (terrifying and heartbreaking), in which they missed some 'tissue'. I then got to experience the horror of a miscarriage anyway - at 3 am, by myself, while my husband was out of town and my children slept.

8 days later was moving day.

I numbly went through the motions of moving my family into a corporate apartment, and tried to quickly claim some semblance of normalcy and peace in my life. Sometimes it was ok, and a lot of the time it wasn't. Over the next 2 months we sold our old home, closed on a new one and moved for the 2nd time in 8 weeks. I also started a new work at home job and got back on track with my sons homeschooling.

We've now been in our new house for 2 months. Our things are unpacked and (mostly) put away. We've fallen back into a routine and life seems comfortable again. My kids love their new rooms, and I love my screened in porch (and the view of my 15 partially forested acres I look out at from it).

I still struggle a bit with the emotions of the roller coaster that the last 6 months has been. I still feel a little beaten up. I do know that everything will be okay. I also know that in spite of the bad that we've gone through recently, I'm blessed. God has been good.

I'm going to jump back into the saddle here again. I enjoy my blog. It brings me happiness to have this little thing that is mine. I have 6 or 7 book reviews coming (a backlog from the last 6 months), so stay tuned.

Super Easy Dairy Free Popsicles!

On Friday my son was BEGGING me for ice cream. We've been trying to eliminate dairy from his diet over the past 2 weeks due to some behavior issues that we're trying to take care of, so ice cream was obviously out of the question. I was racking my brain to figure out something fun for him... to no avail. Then I had an epiphany - Chocolate Almond Milk! Here is our creation - they're delicious!

Banana and Dark Chocolate Dairy Free Popsicles:
2 c. Dark Chocolate Almond Milk
1 ripe banana

Blend until smooth and pour into popsicle molds or small dixie cups (with popsicle sticks). Freeze for at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight. Enjoy!

Bloging for Books book review: 'The Dragon and the Turtle Go on Safari' by Donita K. Paul and Evangeline Denmark

Publishers' Description: 
Padraig the dragon and his best friend, Roger the turtle are determined to spend the whole night outside. As brave explorers at the base of Mount Sillymanborrow, the boys use their imaginations to have fun while munching on crunchy baked bugs and toasting s’mores over their campfire. But when the sky gets dark and the sounds of strange animals fill the forest outside their tent, their safari gets scary. This adventure is just what the boys need to discover that the dark might be frightening, but their friendship is stronger than fear.

This is the third book by Donita K. Paul that I've read, and I still love her. This book is a cute little follow up to the previous children's book about Padraig and Roger - 'The Dragon and the Turtle'.

In this story, Padraig and Roger decide to go on safari to Mount Sillymanborrow. During their expedition, they discover wild animals and eat bugs and S'mores while battling their fear of the dark. While they exchange stories over the campfire, Roger does his best to calm Padraig's fears and encourage him to stay all night outside under the stars. Because of Roger's friendship, the two manage to brave the wilds all the way until morning.

I thought this story was a nice one - as did my (almost) 4 year old son - but I did find it a tad long. I suppose this is really because my child is younger and I suspect that it will cease being an issue in another year or two. I also found the British English a little distracting. I didn't notice it being used in the first book, so I was surprised that it was so prevalent in this one. I don't necessarily dislike it, it just took some getting used to. The illustrations are absolutely lovely - just like the first book.

All in all, great book - I'd rate it 4/5. I'd estimate the age range around 5-9, though it's perfectly readable for younger kids. You can pick it up on Amazon for under $10 - I say that's a good price for a kids book like this one.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Blogging for Books book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Just to Let You Know I'm Still Alive

I've had to deal with some things in my normal 'real-world' life lately, and thus I've been unable to blog. I've got a backlog of books that I'll be bringing you reviews on over the next couple of weeks.  I also have decided that I am going to be posting more about our Gluten Free eating habits and recipes and about our homeschooling adventure. In fact, I've just finished selecting my son's Kindergarten curriculum which we *should* be starting in August.

Sit tight - I'm coming back!

Book Review: 'ABC is for Circus' by Patrick Hruby

Copyright: © Patrick Hruby 2010/Courtesy of www.ammobooks.com

Publishers' Book Description:
ABC IS FOR CIRCUS celebrates the colorful and festive world
of the circus through each letter of the alphabet. Young children
will enjoy memorizing letters and words like A is for Acrobats,
B is for Big Top, and C is for Calliope in this imaginative chunky
board book.
 
ABC IS FOR CIRCUS is an awesome addition to AMMO Books' artistcentric line of ABC books and is sure to delight an audience of children and adults alike.

'A' is for apple, 'B' is for ball, 'C' is for cat, blah, blah, blah... Most of us with children have a board book or two that sound very similar to that, right? I know I do - and I avoid reading them like the plague. This book? It's not like that. This book took some imagination. This book took more than 45 minutes looking for free-use clip art to put together. This book is original. This book... is magic.

I have a 3 year old son (he says he's not 3 - he's almost 4!) that has been a book lover since he was 6 months old and a 15 month old daughter that I can't, for the life of me, get to care at all about them. Until, that is, I got this one.

The day after 'ABC is for Circus' came in the mail, I sat down on the floor and pulled my daughter into my lap. She's a girl on the move, so she immediately tried to push me away and get back to whatever she thought was important at the time. I showed her the book - and she sat down and stared. 

By the time we got to 'C is for Calliope', she was hooked. We stopped on every page for a minute or so while she touched all of the shapes and colors with her chubby little fingers. I've never seen her that quiet for that long.

Then we came to the letter 'F'.  'F is for Fireworks'. People, she jumped out of my lap and started clapping when she saw the page. Seriously - you can't make that up.
 
Every page seemed to be better than the last. Every page a new buffet of color. More shapes, more imagination, more excitement.

She sang 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star' when we got to 'N is for Nightime'. She roared at the Tiger. She called the weightlifter 'Daddy' (heehee). And when we were done? When we were done she picked up the book, carried it to her room, and sat on her floor to look at it again.  That, for me, says it all.

If you know someone with children from birth to 5 and need a gift idea - get this book. If you are a parent that is bored to tears with the furry kitty cats and the unoriginal fluff - get this book. If you have an appreciation for kids books with modern illustrations and lots of color - get this book. You can get it on Amazon, or from AMMO Books. I promise you'll love it.

About the Author/Artist:
Los Angeles-based illustrator Patrick Hruby grew up in a log cabin within an Idaho forest. As a young boy he
dreamt of running away to join the circus and become a trapeze artist. Eventually, however, he grew up to
study math and physics before attending the renowned Art Center College of Design and pursuing a career
as an illustrator. His interest in the geometry of nature is central to his work.

Influenced by artists and designers such as Charley Harper, Paul Rand, and Mary Blair, Hruby has gone on
to develop his own stunning and modern aesthetic. Hruby’s clients include The New York Times Magazine,
Playboy Jazz Festival, Varsity Pictures, and Brand New School. CMYK Magazine recently named him one of their Top 100 New Creatives

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher, AMMO Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Next Book Review: 'ABC is for Circus' by Patrick Hruby

Publishers' Book Description:
ABC IS FOR CIRCUS celebrates the colorful and festive world
of the circus through each letter of the alphabet. Young children
will enjoy memorizing letters and words like A is for Acrobats,
B is for Big Top, and C is for Calliope in this imaginative chunky
board book.
 
ABC IS FOR CIRCUS is an awesome addition to AMMO Books' artistcentric line of ABC books and is sure to delight an audience of children and adults alike.

Copyright: © Patrick Hruby 2010/Courtesy of www.ammobooks.com

I will be bringing you my review of this delightful childrens' board book on Friday. Keep a look out - I'll see you then!

Booksneeze Book Review: 'Fasting' by Scott Mcknight

Publishers' Book Description:
Building a body and mind that hungers for God.

Is the practice of faith centered solely on the spirit? Is the body an enemy, or can it actually play a role in our pursuit of God? In this installation of the Ancient Practices Series, Dr. Scot McKnight reconnects the spiritual and the physical through the discipline of fasting.

The act of fasting, he says, should not be focused on results or used as a manipulative tool. It is a practice to be used in response to sacred moments, just as it has in the lives of God's people throughout history. McKnight gives us scriptural accounts of fasting, along with practical wisdom on benefits and pitfalls, when we should fast, and what happens to our bodies as a result.

For those who have wondered how to grasp the value of this most misunderstood ancient practice, this book is a comprehensive guide.

A volume in the eight book classic series, The Ancient Practices, with a foreword by Phyllis Tickle, General Editor.

I wanted to like this book.  No, I wanted to love this book. It sounded absolutely fascinating to me and I couldn't wait to read it. My husband also wanted to read it and kept asking me to hurry up so it would be 'his turn'. Finally, this books' ticket came up and I dove in, eager to soak up everything Scott Mcknight had to offer. I gave up about halfway through - and my husband lasted about 40 pages. Neither one of us could finish it - although my husband says he may try again.

The book, to be perfectly honest, was one of the most dry, repetitive, and redundant books I've ever read. It had all of the potential in the world and it fell way short of expectations. It was very critical of the modern perceptions and treatment of fasting and, while I agreed with a good chunk of his positions, it came across as quite negative sometimes. That's not the feeling I would think you'd generally be going for when you're writing about something as spiritual in nature as this. Mr Mcknight also tended to repeat the same subject matter over and over in each chapter, adding very little new information - just re-formatting and repeating what had already been said. My opinion is that people could understand the main viewpoint from the book in the 2 page conclusion at the end.

As much as it pains me to write a bad review (and, I assure you, it does pain me), I can't help but be honest with you. I think this book is one that can be skipped. Now, in the spirit of full disclosure, I must tell you that according to the reviews on Amazon.com - I'm in the minority when it comes to my opinions on this book. As of the time this post is being written, 'Fasting' has 4 stars with 67 reviews.

What can I say? I've never been one that goes along with the crowd...

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Litfuse Blog Tour: 'The Rhythm of Secrets' by Patti Lacy

Publishers' Book Description:

Since 1955, Sheila Franklin, a talented musician, has perfectly performed the role of devout pastor’s wife, locking away her past as Sheba Alexander and Sylvia Allen. Her carefully constructed façade crumbles with a single phone call from a young Marine named Samuel, the illegitimate son she secretly put up for adoption. Samuel begs Sheila to use her government contacts to get his fiancé, Mali, a Thai prostitute, into America. A dangerous mixture of love and guilt spurs her to help her only child even though it devastates her husband Edward and exposes her questionable past. After a quarrel with Edward, Sheila and Samuel board a C-130 for Thailand and then search Bangkok’s steamy streets for a Madonna-faced prostitute. The two whisk Mali from a brothel but are seized by a warlord who considers Mali his “number one girl.” In a teak “ghost house,” Sheila discovers God’s grace and gains the freedom she needs to find her own identity—Sheila, Sylvia, and Sheba. A framed story, this novel has roots in the bohemian 1940s New Orleans French Quarter and spans three decades, including the turbulent Vietnam era.

Rarely do you read a book that spurs emotion and sympathy for the characters. This book did just that.
  
I must admit, when I first started reading this book, I wasn't convinced. I had a hard time 'getting into it' at first. I would pick it up grudgingly and soldier on, but I just didn't want to read it. I recognized that the author was talented and the book was a good one - the problem was mine. I think that I just wasn't in the mood for such a 'heavy' book. I'm so glad that I kept with it. This book is one of the most brilliant, inspirational, emotional, honest, and unique books that I've read. Ever. Patti Lacy is a literary genius and I've become a fan for life. I think I may even re-read it when things slow down for me a bit. It's an astoundingly good book.

Most of the book is about Sheila's story - as she tells her son Samuel about her past and how they both got to the places in life that they are then.  Her story, wrought with tragedy and heartbreak, is a touching one. Watching the journey of learning, understanding and accepting God and his love is an emotional one under the best of circumstances. Watching Sheila's journey is awe inspiring. The reader can really feel every emotion that has wrenched at her heart over the three decades long battle for peace.

'The Rhythm of Secrets' is a poignant, detailed, well-written novel. Patti Lacy has a truly unique writing style that I really feel most people will enjoy. I will, without a doubt, be seeking out more of Lacy's work in the future. This is my most highly recommended book to date - and it can be purchased here. 

If you would like to read other reviews of this book, visit this website.

About the Author: 

Baylor graduate, taught community college humanities until God called her to span seas and secrets in her novels, An Irishwoman's Tale and What the Bayou Saw. She has two grown children and a dog named Laura. She and her husband can be seen jog-walking the streets of Normal, Illinois, an amazing place to live for a woman born in a car. For more information, visit Patti's website at www.pattilacy.com, her blog at www.pattilacy.com/blog, and her Facebook daily Artbites. Patti's longer bio here.  

Patti Lacy is celebrating the release of her latest book with a NOOK Giveaway, blog tour and Book Club Party!

Follow the blog tour and read the reviews!

Patti and her publisher, Kregel Publications, are giving away a NOOK prize package worth over $150 to one lucky winner!!!! 

Enter the Nook eReader Giveaway and you could win:

• A brand new Nook eReader with Wi-Fi
• $25 gift certificate to Barnes & Noble

To enter, simply click on the icons below to fill out the entry form/s, then tell 5 or more friends about the contest. Oh, and enter soon! Winner will be announced on February 16th at Patti's Rhythm of Secrets Facebook Party.

Patti will be announcing the winner of The Rhythm of Secrets NOOK giveaway at her Party on Facebook  February 16th! 

She’ll be hosting a book club discussion of The Rhythm of Secrets and giving away other fun prizes! (signed copies of her books and gift certificates to Barnes & Noble, Starbucks, & iTunes!). Don’t miss the fun at Patti’s FB Author Page on February 16th at 5pm PST ( 6 pm MST, 7 pm CST, & 8 pm EST)!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from LitFuse Publicity. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Blogging for Books book review: 'The Dragon and the Turtle' by Donita K. Paul and Evangeline Denmark

Publishers' Book Description:
Friends come in all sizes, shapes, and colors. Sometimes they’re even dragons.

 Roger loves adventure. Today he’s playing pirate, sailing the high seas, dancing to the hornpipe, and catching fish. But the wind’s blown him off course and he’s . . . well . . . lost.

When Padraig, a kitten-sized, bug-eating dragon, encounters the lost turtle, he offers to help Roger find his way home. Roger’s directions take some time to follow—his house looks brown, sounds like singing, smells like baking, feels like sand, and tastes like strawberries—and along the way, Roger and Padraig become friends. And friendship always yields unexpected rewards. Like cookies.

I know, I know... I said I'd have this up yesterday. We had sick germs in our house. Those little beasts are not conducive to writing book reviews. I apologize for my tardiness, though. Without further adieu, the review (see how I get all fancy and rhyme when I feel bad?)

 I love, love, love this book. It's without question a total winner. It's written by Donita K. Paul - who wrote 'Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball', which I reviewed here - and her daughter, Evangeline Denmark, and it's illustrated by Vincent Nguyen.

Roger is a turtle who loves to imagine that he's a pirate (which is a common playtime theme with my son as well). He has all sorts of adventures in his little fantasy land, but on this particular day Roger realizes that he is lost. He's feeling a little nervous when who should show up but a small, bug-eating dragon named Padraig.

Padraig - kind, self-sacrificing dragon that he is - offers to help Roger find his house since he can fly up high and therefore cover ground (sky?) more quickly. Rogers' descriptions of home take some figuring out. His house looks brown, sounds like singing, smells like baking, feels like sand, and tastes like strawberries. Through much trial and error - and great patience and compassion - they finally find Rogers home. Once there, they are treated to a plateful of Chocolate Chip Snappers (which every pirate needs after a day of sailing the High Seas).

This book had so many wonderful teaching aspects that it's hard to know where to begin... You have character traits - patience, compassion, self-sacrifice, kindness, respect. You have the five senses - look, sound, smell, feel, taste. You could also use it to teach your child how they would describe their home to a stranger if they were lost, which is something they may not think about.

The illustrations are lovely. The characters look warm, friendly and happy. You don't see many dragons that look sweet! The pictures are somewhat fairy-tale like and the colors are rich, warm and comfortable. They were a perfect reflection of the sweet story.

My son loves this story. We've read it at least a dozen times over the last few weeks and he's dying to make the Chocolate Chip Snappers recipe in the back of the book (though we'll have to do some tweaking since it's obviously not a gluten free recipe). He also saw me looking at the next book by Donita K. Paul and Evangeline Denmark - 'The Dragon and the Turtle Go on Safari' - and is begging me to get it for him.

Two thumbs WAY up. Publishers' age recommendation is 4-8 and I'd agree with that. My 3 1/2 year old loves the book, but there are some subtleties that are lost on him so far. You can purchase it here.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Blogging for Books book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

How flattering!

It was just brought to my attention that Craig Froman, author of 'Passport to the World' which I reviewed here, linked to my review on his Writer's Cafe page. How flattering for an author to want to showcase my review. I'm so honored. It really is an exceptional book and I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to review it.

Next Book Review: 'The Dragon and the Turtle' by Donita K. Paul and Evangeline Denmark

Publishers' Book Description:
Friends come in all sizes, shapes, and colors. Sometimes they’re even dragons.

 Roger loves adventure. Today he’s playing pirate, sailing the high seas, dancing to the hornpipe, and catching fish. But the wind’s blown him off course and he’s . . . well . . . lost.

When Padraig, a kitten-sized, bug-eating dragon, encounters the lost turtle, he offers to help Roger find his way home. Roger’s directions take some time to follow—his house looks brown, sounds like singing, smells like baking, feels like sand, and tastes like strawberries—and along the way, Roger and Padraig become friends. And friendship always yields unexpected rewards. Like cookies.

I  will have this book review up on Monday. It's really a lovely book. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Blogging for Books book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Litfuse Blog Tour Book Review - With GIVEAWAY: 'The Search' by Suzanne Woods Fisher

For a list of other bloggers that are reviewing 'The Search by Suzanne Woods Fisher, you can find the Blog Tour schedule HERE.
Thank you to Revell/Litfuse for providing me with the review copy.

Publishers' Book Description:
Fifteen years ago, Lainey O'Toole made a split-second decision. She couldn't have known that her choice would impact so many. Now in her mid-twenties, she is poised to go to culinary school when her car breaks down in Stoney Ridge, the very Amish town in which her long-reaching decision was made, forcing her to face the shadowed past.

Bess Reihl is less than thrilled to be spending the summer at Rose Hill Farm with her large and intimidating grandmother, Bertha. It quickly becomes clear that she is there to work the farm--and work hard. The labor is made slightly more tolerable by the time it affords Bess to spend with the handsome hired hand, Billy Lapp. But he only has eyes for a flirty and curvaceous older girl.

Lainey's and Bess's worlds are about to collide and the secrets that come to light will shock them both.

Beautifully written, The Search is a skillfully woven story that takes readers through unexpected twists and turns on the long country road toward truth. Fans both old and new will find themselves immersed in this heartwarming--and surprising--tale of young love, forgiveness, and coming to grips with the past. 

Bess has basically been tricked into coming to Lancaster from her own Amish community in Ohio to take care of her grandmother that she thought was ill. Bertha was far from ill, she just had her own sneaky ways of getting what she wanted - time with her granddaughter, her son to come home, and for a big secret to be revealed so her family could heal.

I really enjoyed this book. I have to say, I've read several Amish fictions now, and I'm generally a little bit disappointed with them - they just tend to leave me unsatisfied for some reason. That was not the case with The Search. The characters were dynamic, the location was described vividly and the storyline, while dramatic, was believable. It had everything you could want - romance, mystery, heartbreak, excitement, joy... The book truly is superbly written.While this novel can definitely be read on its own, it’s the third in The Lancaster Series and I would recommend picking up the first two novels and start at the beginning.

About the Author:

In no particular order, Suzanne Woods Fisher is a wife, mother, writer, lifelong student of the Bible, raiser of puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind, a gardener and a cook...the latter two with sporadic results.

Suzanne has loved to write since she was a young teen. After college, she started to write for magazines and became a contributing editor for Christian Parenting Today magazine. Her family moved to Hong Kong for four years, just as the internet was developing, and she continued to write articles in a 44-story high-rise apartment, sending manuscripts 7,000 miles away with a click of a key.

After returning from Hong Kong, Suzanne decided to give her first novel a try. For four and a half months, she worked on an antediluvian computer in a cramped laundry room. She didn't even tell her husband what she was up to. When the novel was completed, she told her family at dinner one night that she had written a book. "That's why there's no food in this house!" said her slightly insensitive sons.

Undaunted...Suzanne found a small royalty publisher for that book and wrote three more (all earned multiple awards). With help from an agent, she now has numerous  books under contract with Revell. Also look for Suzanne's Amish non-fiction, Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World, a non-fiction book of stories and examples about the Old Order Amish, as well as Amish Proverbs, and coming in Spring of 2011, look for Amish Values for Your Family. The Choice and The Waiting are the previous books in the Lancaster County Secrets Collection.

Writing, for Suzanne, is a way to express a love of God and His word. With every book or article, she hopes readers get a sense of what faith really looks like in the daily grind. She hopes they realize that life can be hard, but God is good, and never to confuse the two.

Suzanne can be found on-line at: www.suzannewoodsfisher.com

About the Contest:
Suzanne Woods Fisher's latest installment of the Lancaster County Secrets, The Search,  is just out and to celebrate Suzanne is hosting The Search iPad Giveaway!

One Grand Prize winner will receive an iPad Prize Package worth over $500 and includes:

• A brand new iPad (16KB with Wi-Fi)
• Signed copies of all three Lancaster Country Secrets books (The Choice, The Waiting, & The Search)

To enter, simply click on the icons below to fill out the entry form/s, then tell 5 or more friends about the contest. Oh, and enter soon! Winner will be announced on February 3rd at Suzanne's Everything is Coming Up Roses Facebook Party. (Did you know The Search takes place on a rose farm?)

 

Facebook Party:

Join Suzanne for the Everything is Coming Up Roses Facebook Party on February 3rd! She’ll be announcing the winner of the The Search iPad Giveaway, hosting a book club discussion of The Search, giving away copies of all three books and HEAPS of other readerly prizes! Including roses delivered to your door for three months for you AND a friend! Be sure to join us on Thursday, February 3rd at 5:00 PM PST (6:00 MST, 7:00 CST & 8 EST) at Suzanne’s Author Page. 

Other Bloggers that are reviewing this book Today: 

Jenifer @ Parris Ponderings                

http://www.jmparris.blogspot.com                 

Janet @ Janet at Home Is Where God Sends You

http://www.homeiswhereGodsendsyou.blogspot.com             

Jennifer @ Mrs. Q: Book Addict       

http://web.me.com/quirion               

Paula @ Thrifty mommas brain food

http://www.thriftymommasbrainfood.blogspot.com/               

Thanks for stopping by!

Tyndale House Review: 'Gray Matter' by David Levy, MD

Publishers' Book Description:
A perfect blend of medical drama and spiritual insight, Gray Matter is a fascinating account of Dr. David Levy’s decision to begin asking his patients if he could pray for them before surgery. Some are thrilled. Some are skeptical. Some are hostile, and some are quite literally transformed by the request.

Each chapter focuses on a specific case, opening with a detailed description of the patient’s diagnosis and the procedure that will need to be performed, followed by the prayer “request.” From there, readers get to look over Dr. Levy’s shoulder as he performs the operation, and then we wait—right alongside Dr. Levy, the patients, and their families—to see the final results.

Dr. Levy’s musings on what successful and unsuccessful surgical results imply about God, faith, and the power of prayer are honest and insightful. As we watch him come to his ultimate conclusion that no matter what the results of the procedure are, “God is good,” we cannot help but be truly moved and inspired.

I had a hard time making up my mind about this book. Overall, I liked it. I think that David Levy is a courageous man for being willing to do what he has done - pray with his patients before and after procedures - but a few parts of the book really bothered me.  I admit that it could just be my being overly sensitive and possibly over analyzing the authors words or attitude, but there were several parts where, while trying to 'prove' how humble he was, he instead came across as arrogant. He tried way too hard (and way too many times) to show that he, a highly trained neurosurgeon who is basically regarded as God by his patients, had to come down to their level and show them that he was just a man, and God was there for them. If he'd only written it once or twice in the book,  I would've bought it and never thought twice about it, but I would guess that he mentions that same thought at least 6 times. It just felt disingenuous at times. Now, that being said, I don't feel at all that that was his intention, and I don't feel that he is arrogant or self serving - I believe that he really is a servant of God and truly had the best of intentions.

And now, onto the positive part - I just had to get that out of the way first. David Levy, I think, has had a pretty remarkable ride to the place that he's currently at in his life. He started out as a nonreligious Jew (one Christian parent, one Jewish parent - neither one religious - and of half Jewish ancestry), while in medical school he started attending Synagogue and socializing and identifying with the local Jewish population. But, something just didn't feel right. Later, after he was already a surgeon, he started attending a Christian church and he felt that he had finally found what had been missing in his life - Jesus.

Over the next several years Dr. Levy starts feeling strongly that he should be praying with his patients. He is, understandably, quite leery of doing this and very nervous as to how he - and his actions - would be perceived not only by his patients, but by the medical community as a whole. His reputation was something extremely important to him and he was quite fearful of the ramifications of doing something so frowned upon - bringing God into the hospital. However, one day he decides that he can put it off no longer. He had to do what God was asking him to do. Once he starts, amazing miracles start to take place - and the reader is allowed the opportunity to be a witness to it all.

This book really was amazing - even in spite of my reservations. I admire the courage that it must have taken for Dr. Levy to take that first step. He seems to understand that medicine is only one part of the equation; if we don't have God, nothing will be complete. I would recommend this book for anyone that enjoys inspiring Christian literature - especially anyone that works in the medical profession. I think this one's a winner.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher, Tyndale House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Next Book Review: 'Gray Matter' by David Levy, MD (Tyndale)

Publishers' Book Description:
A perfect blend of medical drama and spiritual insight, Gray Matter is a fascinating account of Dr. David Levy’s decision to begin asking his patients if he could pray for them before surgery. Some are thrilled. Some are skeptical. Some are hostile, and some are quite literally transformed by the request.
Each chapter focuses on a specific case, opening with a detailed description of the patient’s diagnosis and the procedure that will need to be performed, followed by the prayer “request.” From there, readers get to look over Dr. Levy’s shoulder as he performs the operation, and then we wait—right alongside Dr. Levy, the patients, and their families—to see the final results.
Dr. Levy’s musings on what successful and unsuccessful surgical results imply about God, faith, and the power of prayer are honest and insightful. As we watch him come to his ultimate conclusion that no matter what the results of the procedure are, “God is good,” we cannot help but be truly moved and inspired.

I enjoyed this book, although I WILL say that there were a few things that bothered me about it. I look forward to bringing you the review on Monday. See you then!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher, Tyndale House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”