Saturday, June 23, 2012

Book Review: To Heaven and Back
by Dr. Mary Neal


A kayak accident during a South American adventure takes one woman to heaven — where she experienced God’s peace, joy, and angels — and back to life again.

In 1999 in the Los Rios region of southern Chile, orthopedic surgeon, devoted wife, and loving mother Dr. Mary Neal drowned in a kayak accident. While cascading down a waterfall, her kayak became pinned at the bottom and she was immediately and completely submerged. Despite the rescue efforts of her companions, Mary was underwater for too long, and as a result, died.

To Heaven and Back is Mary’s remarkable story of her life’s spiritual journey and what happened as she moved from life to death to eternal life, and back again. Detailing her feelings and surroundings in heaven, her communication with angels, and her deep sense of sadness when she realized it wasn’t her time, Mary shares the captivating experience of her modern-day miracle.

Mary’s life has been forever changed by her newfound understanding of her purpose on earth, her awareness of God, her closer relationship with Jesus, and her personal spiritual journey suddenly enhanced by a first-hand experience in heaven.  To Heaven and Back will reacquaint you with the hope, wonder, and promise of heaven, while enriching you own faith and walk with God.

*          *          *

Within the last few years, I've enjoyed reading a couple of books that recounted the testimonies of those who have had experiences in heaven.  Don Piper’s book 90 Minutes in Heaven was amazing, and his continued testimony of how he has endured physical and emotional pain since his return is inspiring.  I had the pleasure of meeting him a couple of years ago, and I look forward to finishing his follow-up book of encouragements, Heaven is Real.

This past Christmas I also read the jaw-dropping story of Colton Burpo in Heaven is for Real, which has spent many weeks on the bestseller lists.  In both cases, I was awed, inspired and given so much hope from the experiences of these two individuals.  As a Christian I do believe in heaven, but to hear direct testimony from these guys was just incredible.  And while their stories are amazing, I felt comfortable believing in what they’ve been sharing with their audiences.

Recently I saw Dr. Mary Neal on a national news program sharing her own heavenly story as well, and my interest was piqued.  I read her book To Heaven and Back, and while I found it interesting and at times amazing, I didn’t feel as compelled to buy into everything that was shared in her story.  I believe that she’s sharing from her heart, that she has good intentions and that she did have these experiences.  I just felt that theologically there were some “red flags” in her story.  I always try to apply what I know of God’s word whenever I hear stories like hers, and for some reason, I felt that some of it just didn’t line up.







I’m not trying to discount eyewitness accounts of miracles that most certainly occurred the day of Dr. Neal’s accident.  I do believe in miracles, both ancient and modern, and I do accept that many miraculous things have happened to Mary.  There were just some subsequent spiritual moments and revelations in her life that I cannot be certain were from the Lord.

For example, she believes that we existed before our birth here on earth, and that we have already seen the basic outline of how our lives are going to play out.  She also believes that very young children still hold the memories of their pre-earth lives.  She states:

In preparation for our journey to earth, we are able to make a basic outline for our life. This is not to imply that we, the humans, are entirely in charge of our life’s design. It is more like God creates it, then we review it and discuss it with our “personal planning” angel. Within the algorithm are written branch points in our lives at which times we may exit, returning to God, or we may be redirected to a different task and goal.


I know that Dr. Neal is just writing from her heart, sharing what she has experienced and truly believes.  I also know that there is much about the spirit world that we cannot begin to comprehend, sometimes making it very difficult to verify.  There are forces that can disguise themselves as angels of light, deceiving us into believing things that seem to be lovely and true, but in actuality go against what the Lord has told us in His word. 

Unfortunately, I’m not enough a Biblical scholar to specifically refute the things that didn’t sit well with me in this book.  Much of To Heaven and Back was encouraging and amazing, showing God’s definite hand in the life of this intelligent, caring woman.  There were just enough doubtful elements that keep me from accepting the whole of the book.  My recommendation would be to read her story with both an open mind and a skeptic’s heart as well.  There’s much to learn from Dr. Mary Neal’s testimony, but I would take care as you experience it for yourself.


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In order to be an informed reader,
here are some To Heaven and Back book resources:















          
 






 I received this book for free from
WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group
for this review.

Friday, June 22, 2012

Movie Review: Disney/Pixar's Brave


In my household, going to the theater is de rigueur for any Pixar film. The amazing animation absolutely must be seen on the big screen.  The acquisition of the video for home viewing is pretty much inevitable, too.  So this review is coming from someone who considers herself a fan of the studio and just about everything they’ve ever done.

That being said, my comments today are aimed at a very specific audience:  conservative parents of young children who don’t care about spoilers.  If you have older kids or are going to the movie on your own without them, you can disregard at least half of what I’m about to share.  In fact, you may want to skip this altogether and come back after you’ve seen it for yourself.  I’d hate to spoil anything for you!

Today I went to the 12:00pm showing of Brave in glorious 2D, free from the encumbrances of those annoying 3D glasses that make the images dark, and my peripheral vision go crazy. My husband had to work and my eldest son is away at Centrifuge camp, so it was just a mommy/son date for me and Colson, age seven.  We snuggled up together and settled in for a fun couple of hours.

Pre-feature comments:  Can I just tell you how much I love watching the previews for the upcoming Hobbit films?!?  And the Pixar short that precedes the movie is sweet, touching and beautiful.  But on to the movie…

I don’t know what it is about animated movies with female leads:  They are either of the old-school variety, where the girl is a fair damsel in distress and/or looking for her one true love, or she’s a rebellious teenager fighting against the powers that be. Brave’s Merida falls into the latter “modern” category, of course.  Now don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and The Hunger Games.  But I can’t help but wish for a different motif once in a while.

Merida’s rebellion isn’t completely unjustified—her parents seem to be completely oblivious or intentionally ignoring her true nature, to be a free and spirited girl.  At the same time, as a parent I’m just weary of seeing parents portrayed in this fashion, and princesses always rebelling against them.  At one point, I thought to myself, “I’m glad my sometimes-rebellious preteen son isn’t here right now.  He doesn’t need to see this.”  And fortunately, I think most of the teen angst went over my younger son’s head.  The first thing he said to me as the credits rolled was, “What was that movie about??”  A lot of the content was just lost on him, I think.


As I said to a friend earlier this morning, I don’t care how beautiful the animation is. For me, my enjoyment of a film is grounded in the story.  It’s all about the story.  When it comes to beautiful animation, Brave has it in spades.  It is so gorgeous!  I wanted to get on a plane to Scotland immediately.  And Merida’s hair is almost a character unto itself.  It’s so multi-dimensional and dynamic.  But sadly, I wasn’t captivated by the story.  Yes, the overall theme is wonderful, emphasizing compassion, reconciliation and forgiveness.  Yet somehow it just didn’t hold my interest.  The film relied too much on silly pratfalls, spit takes and occasional potty humor, which is so unnecessary to me.  Do I really need to see a 6-inch line of snot hanging from a child’s nose for half a scene before he sucks it back in again? 

Other thoughts:  There are five bears in this film.  Four are “good” and one is, well, really horrible.  He’s quite a nasty beast, and even gave me the willies whenever he was present. Parents of small children:  this guy may give your kids nightmares.  He’s pretty frightening. I put my arm around Colson whenever the creature was on screen.

Another minor note:  These aspects didn’t offend me in the least; I actually thought they were funny, but their presence took me by surprise.  In one scene, a group of men have to lose their pants, and they walk away, naked from the waist down.  Yes, we see their animated tushies, but still—I was surprised to see it.  Later Merida’s three brothers run around naked as well.  In one scene, a character must literally dive down into a woman’s ample bosom from up above, and we get a VERY close shot of her generous cleavage.  Again, I found these moments to be funny, but some parents might want to be aware of them just in case they’re more conservative than I am.

All in all, I don’t want to give Brave a completely negative review.  The animation is striking, the overall theme of forgiveness and reconciliation is beautiful and the music is lovely.  I was just somewhat unimpressed with it for some reason.   My recommendation to parents is to view this film first.  You may find that your kids can handle some of these questionable moments just fine.  Only you know what is appropriate for your children.  I’d also recommend reading the review from the folks at Plugged In Online. They reiterate some of the same concerns and disappointments that I have.

I’m glad I was able to see the film, and enjoyed going with my seven year-old.  That being said, I’m not going to take great measures to make sure my elder son sees this anytime soon, and I don’t feel the need to own the video. I’m sad to say that about any Pixar film, but that’s where I am with this.  I still hope Brave is wildly successful and that the studio continues on so that they can make great movies. Although they have slightly missed the target on this one, I know there will be many more perfectly-executed stories from them in the future.



Sunday, June 17, 2012

Book Review and Giveaway: Bewitched, Body and Soul: Miss Elizabeth Bennet


"Well, my comfort is, I am sure Jane will die of a broken heart, and then he will be sorry for what he has done."

--Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

Determined to right a wrong against her family by reuniting her sister with the man she loves, Elizabeth finds that Society's expectations and decorum are only a few of the things standing in her way.

Upon discovery, will she forgive the one man who has been the means of disappointing the hopes of a most beloved sister?


*          *          *


In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Miss Elizabeth Bennet comes from a modest family of five sisters.  Her most dear sibling Jane develops an affection for the delightful and wealthy Charles Bingley, who is obviously far above her in the social strata.  His close friend, the sometimes haughty Fitzwilliam Darcy, feels it is in Charles’ best interest to not become involved with the lovely yet middle-class Jane Bennet and takes measures to keep them apart.

In Bewitched, Body and Soul, author P.O. Dixon develops Austen’s original plot in similar and entirely new ways.  Miss Elizabeth discovers Darcy’s efforts to thwart this budding romantic relationship and is horrified at his assumptions and interference.  Seeing Jane’s dejected state of mind, she takes it upon herself to call on Mr. Darcy to try to right the wrong he has done.  Unfortunately, she is caught in a rainstorm and is forced to spend more solitary time with Darcy than she had ever intended.

P.O. Dixon’s novel may be a brief one at only 165 pages, but what it lacks in length it makes up for in quality.  The writing is superb, balancing modern readability with period customs and turns of phrase.  The characterization of these classic figures is just perfect; the choices made in this incarnation of Austen’s world could easily have been made in the original work.  And while the plot choices were very reasonable for the genre, I was kept guessing in between the established beginning and the expected outcomes.

I also appreciated Dixon’s choice in keeping things very chaste in her romantic scenes.  There is certainly more detail than was given in Austen’s original work, but compared to many Austenesque novels in today’s market, this one is decidedly clean.  Bewitched, Body and Soul may have a sultry title, but in its world, the ultimate gentleman not only feels great passion, but he is devoted enough to his future bride to keep it in check until the appointed time.

Bewitched, Body and Soul cannot be recommended highly enough.  I have given it a rare five-star review on Goodreads.com.  My only complaint for this novel would be that I wish it had been longer. Dixon could easily have spent more time with Jane, Bingley and Caroline, giving us more of her excellent storytelling. This was my first exposure to her writing, and I’m eagerly looking forward to reading more of her.  I offer my highest praise to P.O. Dixon, and congratulate her on a fabulous work of Austenesque fiction.


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P.O. Dixon Around the Web

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Bewitched, Body and Soul Giveaway! (USA)

As much as I enjoyed P.O. Dixon's novel, I'd like to share my gently-read copy with one of you!  Be sure to read the guidelines below, enter via the Rafflecopter widget, and good luck!

  • The contest period ends at 12:01am EST on July 8th, 2012.
  • Contest is open to U.S. entrants only. Sorry-- gotta stay domestic on this one.
  • Make sure you leave your email address in the one required portion of the Rafflecopter form. Should you win, I will contact you on Sunday, July 8th.  Please take measures to ensure that my email will make it past your spam filters, lest you miss my message. (CalicoCritic@gmail.com) You'll have 72 hours to respond before I pick another winner.
  • All entries must go through the Rafflecopter form.  For example, if you leave a blog post comment and would like it to count toward your contest entry, be sure to indicate this through the "Leave a Blog Post Comment" button on the form.
  • You may tweet about the giveaway once per day for bonus entries. Please report the direct URL to the tweet in the Rafflecopter form.
  • Entries will be verified.  If a fraudulent entry is detected for the winning name, another winner will be drawn.
If you can't see the Rafflecopter form below,
try clicking on the "Read more »" link







a Rafflecopter giveaway






Want another chance to win? 
Stop by So Little Time and enter! (Ends July 1)





        




CymLowell

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Romanov Birthday and Giveaway!


I don't know about you, but ever since the 1997 animated movie Anastasia was released, I've been intrigued with the history and lore surrounding the fate of Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov of Russia.  This April the novel The Last Romanov was published, and while I haven't had a chance to read it yet, it has definitely piqued my interest.  The book's publisher, Sourcebooks Landmark has graciously offered my readers the opportunity to win a copy of Dora Levy Mossanen's alluring novel. This event is being held in conjunction with what would have been Anastasia's 111th birthday, or as us Lord of the Rings fans would say, the "eleventeenth" birthday of this mysterious figure on June 18th.  Here's some more information about The Last Romanov:


In a Time of Rasputin's Magic and Romanov Mystery,
A Young Girl Finds Herself at the Heart of the Royal Family

She was an orphan, ushered into the royal palace on the prayers of her majestry. Yet, decades later, her time spent in the embrace of the Romanovs haunts her still. Is she responsible for those murderous events that changed everything?

If only she can find the heir, maybe she can put together the broken pieces of her own past-maybe she can hold on to the love she found. Bursting to life with the rich and glorious marvels of Imperial Russia, The Last Romanov is a magical tale of second chances and royal blood.

"A master story teller at the height of her game...weaves history and magic into a riveting page-turner."—Robin Maxwell, bestselling author of Signora da Vinci and The Seceret Diary of Anne Boleyn

"This haunting tale of prophecy and redemption sweeps up into an opulent world of glamour, myth, tragedy and unforgettable humanity."—C.W. Gortner, author of The Confessions of Catherine de Medici

DORA LEVY MOSSANEN is the bestselling author of the widely acclaimed novels Harem and Courtesan, which have been translated into numerous languages, and is the recipient of the prestigious San Diego Editors' Choice Award. She blogs for the Huffington Post, reviews fiction for the Jewish Journal, and has been featured in various publications.






The Last Romanov Giveaway!

Sound good?  One of you can win a copy! Be sure to read the guidelines below, enter via the Rafflecopter widget, and good luck!

  • The contest period ends at 12:01am EST on July 23rd, 2012.
  • Contest is open to U.S. and Canadian entrants.
  • Make sure you leave your email address in the one required portion of the Rafflecopter form. Should you win, I will contact you on Sunday, July 8th.  Please take measures to ensure that my email will make it past your spam filters, lest you miss my message. (CalicoCritic@gmail.com) You'll have 72 hours to respond before I pick another winner.
  • All entries must go through the Rafflecopter form.  For example, if you leave a blog post comment and would like it to count toward your contest entry, be sure to indicate this through the "Leave a Blog Post Comment" button on the form.
  • The winner's mailing information will be sent to Sourcebooks for prize shipment. 
  • You may tweet about the giveaway once per day for bonus entries. Please report the direct URL to the tweet in the Rafflecopter form.
  • Entries will be verified.  If a fraudulent entry is detected for the winning name, another winner will be drawn.  

If you can't see the Rafflecopter form below,
try clicking on the "Read more »" link





Want another chance to win?
Here are some other giveaways of The Last Romanov!









Thursday, June 7, 2012

Book Review and Giveaway - The Secret Keeper by Sandra Byrd




The author of To Die For returns to the court of Henry VIII, as a young woman is caught between love and honor.

Juliana St. John is the daughter of a prosperous knight in Marlborough. Though her family wants her to marry the son of her father’s business partner, circumstances set her on a course toward the court of Henry VIII and his last wife, Kateryn Parr.

Sir Thomas Seymour, uncle of the current heir, Prince Edward, returns to Wiltshire to tie up his business with Juliana’s father’s estate and sees instantly that she would fit into the household of the woman he loves, Kateryn Parr. Her mother agrees to have her placed in the Parr household for “finishing” and Juliana goes, though perhaps reluctantly. For she knows a secret. She has been given the gift of prophecy, and in one of her visions she has seen Sir Thomas shredding the dress of the king’s daughter, the lady Elizabeth, to perilous consequence.


As Juliana learns the secrets of King Henry VIII’s court, she faces threats and opposition, learning truths about her own life that will upset everything she thought she once held dear.

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Although I tend to gravitate toward the 18th Century when I delve into historical fiction, the premise of Sandra Byrd’s The Secret Keeper was intriguing, and I delighted at the chance to join in the Secret Keeper Virtual Book Tour, sponsored by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours. The lure of the royal court, prophecies and secrets was undeniable.

Sandra Byrd does a magnificent job of transporting her readers to mid-16th Century England, in particular to the court of Kateryn Parr. Her writing style is such that we as modern readers can comprehend the language of the characters, but she also inserts enough appropriately antiquated terms that the environment seems authentic.

While the bulk of the story revolves around the court of Kateryn Parr, the main character is actually Juliana St. John, a young woman who is brought into Kateryn’s court through her family’s relationship with Sir Thomas Seymour. Juliana, like several female Biblical characters, has the gift of prophecy that has allowed her to see remarkable visions, messages of events that are to come. Through this God-given gift, she is able to occasionally help others, but in incredibly crucial moments in time.

Juliana also has a bit of drama of her own.  She experiences a horrific event, which changes her life seemingly forever.  Miss St. John also has affection for one male in particular, and this also brings interesting aspects to her story.  I found Juliana to be the most interesting character of this novel, as she seemed very real, imperfect, compassionate and brave.  Her growth as a woman was evident throughout the storyline, and I enjoyed seeing her overcome some amazing obstacles in the eight years that are covered in the plot.

Certain Christian topics are a part of The Secret Keeper, such as prophecy, the English Reformation, the debate over scriptural accuracy and other issues.  Sandra Byrd also states in a post-novel interview that she herself is a Christian.  And it’s notable that certain adult concepts were handled in a realistic, yet non-gratuitous fashion. That stated, I would not pigeonhole this novel into the limited Christian Fiction genre.  The church was a dominant force during the 16th Century, sometimes for ill as well as for good.  The Secret Keeper is simply covering events that either did occur or easily could have occurred during that time period.  Those not sharing the Christian faith could easily enjoy this novel, regardless of their religious persuasion.

Although I did appreciate much of Sandra Byrd’s choices in her storytelling, at times the recounting of events and goings-on within the court became confusing and weighty.  The family trees included at the book’s outset were helpful, but I still found myself frequently trying to remember the identities of the litany of people within the story.  Fortunately, the handful of main characters that were always near the forefront were easy to recognize and follow, and I did enjoy their contributions to the narrative.  I’m not sure how the accuracy and veracity of the story could have been retained with some simplification, but if that could have been accomplished, I would have enjoyed this novel more overall.

That reservation aside, I find Sandra Byrd to be an excellent, well prepared writer who has clearly done her homework and cares about her characters.  She plays with history just a bit, but never takes the story beyond what is reasonably plausible for the time period.  I especially enjoyed the characters of Juliana, Kateryn and Jamie, and Sandra’s ending was so sweet and satisfying.  If you’re looking for a bit of royal intrigue, spiritual wonderment, romance and adventure, The Secret Keeper would be a fine way to start off some quality summer reading.

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About the Author

Sandra Byrd has published more than three dozen books in the fiction and nonfiction markets, including the first book in her Tudor series, To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn.  Her second book, The Secret Keeper: A Novel of Kateryn Parr, illuminates the mysteries in the life of Henry's last wife.

For more than a decade Sandra has shared her secrets with the many new writers she edits, mentors, and coaches. She lives in the Seattle, Washington, area with her husband and two children. For more Tudor tidbits, please visit www.sandrabyrd.com.


Follow the Book Tour on Twitter using hashtag #SecretKeeperVirtualTour


Secret Keeper Giveaway!

Thanks to Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, I have two copies of The Secret Keeper to offer our readers!  Winner #1 will win a new copy of the novel from the book tour, and Winner #2 will win my gently-read review copy.  Be sure to read the guidelines below, enter via the Rafflecopter widget, and good luck!

  • The contest period ends at 12:01am EST on July 8th, 2012.
  • Contest is open to U.S. and Canadian entrants.
  • Make sure you leave your email address in the one required portion of the Rafflecopter form. Should you win, I will contact you on Sunday, July 8th.  Please take measures to ensure that my email will make it past your spam filters, lest you miss my message. (CalicoCritic@gmail.com) You'll have 72 hours to respond before I pick another winner.
  • All entries must go through the Rafflecopter form.  For example, if you leave a blog post comment and would like it to count toward your contest entry, be sure to indicate this through the "Leave a Blog Post Comment" button on the form.
  • The first winner's mailing information will be sent to Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for prize shipment. The second winner's information will be used by The Calico Critic to mail the gently used review copy.
  • You may tweet about the giveaway once per day for bonus entries. Please report the direct URL to the tweet in the Rafflecopter form.

Entries will be verified.  If a fraudulent entry is detected for the winning name, another winner will be drawn.


If you can't see the Rafflecopter form below,
try clicking on the "Read more »" link






a Rafflecopter giveaway




Want more chances to win? 
Check out these other giveaways of The Secret Keeper!























CymLowell

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