Monday, January 19, 2026

"Increase Your Bloom Ability": Devotions for Unleashing Your Most Flourishing Self by Cheri Strange

About the Book

Book: Increase Your Bloom Ability: Devotions for Unleashing Your Most Flourishing Self

Author: Cheri Strange

Genre: Christian Living / Devotional for Women / Prayer Books

Release Date: May 7, 2025

ARE YOU READY TO BLOOM?

Do you feel stuck in your spiritual growth, unsure if God can truly bring beauty and purpose to your life? You’re not alone. Cheri Strange knows the ache of feeling spiritually barren, but she’s discovered the secret to living a profoundly fruitful life—and she’s ready to share it with you.

In Increase Your Bloom Ability, Cheri blends biblical truth with practical encouragement to help you:

Embrace God’s call to flourish, even in hard seasons
Stay rooted in Christ to live abundantly
Trust God’s plan to cultivate spiritual fruit in you
Take simple steps to grow your faith and accelerate your bloom

Your life was meant to thrive. Step into the vibrant, fruit life Gd created you for—starting today.

Click here to get your copy!

"Increase Your Bloom Ability": Devotions for Unleashing Your Most Flourishing Self " by Cheri Strange is a book of devotions and prayers. The illusions are beautiful. On Amazon it says the reading age is 12-18 years, I think it good for all ages, I am 66 and am enjoying it. E Especially the prayers at the end of each devotion, some of them are actually what I need to be praying! I got a print copy from the author for this review, but I went and brought an eBook version as well because I think it would be good to have these devotions and prayers handy at all times, and right now the eBook is only 2.99. Most of these devotions are only 3 pages. I recommend this book.

I received a complimentary copy from the author and Celebrate Lit and these opinions are my own.

About the Author

Cheri Strange is an award-winning author, speaker, and digital creator. She is passionate about helping women grow spiritually and flourish in their faith. With a Ph.D. and twenty years of ministry experience, she shares practical wisdom and biblical truth that meets women right where they are. Through her books, resources, YouVersion Bible plans, and digital art, Cheri inspires thousands to desire more of God in everyday life. She and her husband, Chad, live in Houston, Texas, with their eight children, and one bonus son.

More from Cheri

Have you ever wondered why, even as devoted followers of Jesus, your spiritual growth sometimes feels stalled? Why the abundant, fruit-filled life God promises can feel just out of reach? I’ve asked these questions of my own heart—and what I discovered in Scripture inspired me to write Increase Your Bloom Ability.

The Bible makes it clear: spiritual fruitfulness isn’t reserved for the gifted or the theologically trained—it’s for every believer (John 15:8). Yet many of us feel stuck, questioning whether we’re doing enough or if real growth is even possible. I dug into Scripture to uncover truths that can help unlock a life that truly bears fruit.

This devotional is the culmination of years of teaching, study, and personal reflection. I wanted to create something that equips you to experience more of God’s promises for your life. Inspired by Andrew Peterson’s words in Adorning the Dark, where he describes his ministry as “telling the truth as beautifully as he can,” I sought to do the same in this book.

I illustrated Increase Your Bloom Ability myself, filling it with over 200 pages of floral artwork—an offering of beauty alongside truth. My hope is that these pages will speak to your soul and draw you into a more vibrant, fruitful walk with Jesus.

My mission is simple: to help you experience a life of profound spiritual growth, one that blooms and flourishes as God intended. Through Scripture, reflection, and the visual beauty of this devotional, I pray you are encouraged, equipped, and inspired to embrace your calling and take intentional steps toward greater fruitfulness.

Blog Stops

Leslie’s Library Escape, January 15

History, Hope & Happily Ever After, January 16 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 17

Simple Harvest Reads, January 18 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, January 19 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 19

Guild Master, January 20 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, January 21

Fiction Book Lover, January 22 (Author Interview)

Because I said so – adventures in parenting , January 23

A Reader’s Brain, January 24 (Author Interview)

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, January 25 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, January 25

Books Less Travelled, January 26 (Author Interview)

Cover Lover Book Review, January 27

Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, January 28 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

Increase Your Bloom Ability Celebration Tour Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Cheri is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a hardcover copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/waoaC/increase-your-bloom-ability-celebration-tour-giveaway

Sunday, January 18, 2026

The Road Unveiled by Tim Bishop

About the Book

Book: The Road Unveiled

Author: Tim Bishop

Genre: FICTION / Christian / Contemporary FICTION / Romance / Action & Adventure

Release Date: November 4, 2025

Two wounded hearts. Long, winding roads. And second chances neither saw coming.

Lauren Baumgartner pedals toward Yellowstone National Park, anticipating a grand celebration when she reaches the Atlantic Ocean. But when her wedding plans collapse, old wounds resurface—and a haunting secret still holds her heart hostage.

Traveling alone with bear spray and a one-woman tent, she shares the highway with motorcyclists bound for a massive rally, including gang members who eye her as theirs for the taking.

Doug Zimmer, another lone cyclist, is grappling with loss and wondering if anyone will be alongside him when he figures out what’s next. He isn’t the only one drawn to Lauren’s vitality and spirit.

But Lauren may already be in too deep. What she faces on the Golden Prairie Indian Reservation tests her courage—and her faith—more than anything she encountered as a missionary in Uganda.

A woman with a secret and a man healing from loss pedal the rugged roads of the American West on a quest for love and purpose that leads to unexpected horizons.

Click here to get your copy!

" The Road Unveiled "by Tim Bishop is the second book in the series. I suppose a reader could enjoy reading this book without reading the first one but again I say why not read the entire series in order to get the whole story. I am glad that this story shares the Gospel without being preachy, so I think even unbelievers would like this series. This is a story that follows Lauren and Doug as they bicycle the rugged roads of the American West. There is relationship issues and danger and even through this book is about bicycling, it is much more. I really could imagine myself watching the scenes unfold as I was reading them. I truly recommend this book. Ok, I also have to say when Lauren trusted Doug and Lars at first, I was thinking she shouldn't be so trusting because she didn't know these guys. ok, I said Enough on this subject, you just have to read the book.

I received a complimentary copy from the author and Celebrate Lit and these opinions are my own.

About the Author

After a thirty-year career in business, Tim Bishopleft his corporate treasurer position, married his dream girl, and embarked with her to parts unknown—on bicycles. Ten thousand miles later, the first-time newlyweds have written four books about their cycling adventures. Their devotional, Wheels of Wisdom, won four first-place book awards. Publishers Weeklydubbed it “a road map for life.”

Tim’s first novel, The Persistent Road, won the Ames Award in General Fiction. The award acknowledges excellent books that encourage living a courageous and obedient Christian life, especially under challenging circumstances. The audiobook edition of The Persistent Roadwas selected as a Selah Award finalist.

Tim volunteers as a coach for a ministry that reaches people who are dealing with challenging life issues. He has written numerous articles for various Christian content providers.

A graduate of the University of Maine, a CPA, and a three-time Maine chess champion, Tim and his wife, Debbie, live in Middle Tennessee.

More from Tim

What is Christian Fiction?

I categorize my latest novel, The Road Unveiled, as Contemporary Christian Fiction. With the story set in modern times, the contemporary part makes sense.

But just what is Christian Fiction?

Is it a story with characters—and exclusively for readers—who espouse Christian values, believe in God, and exercise faith in Jesus Christ? Is it content fabricated to preach biblical truth? Or is it an entertaining tale so sanitized it won’t offend even the most sensitive of believers, even if it resembles little of what goes on in the world? Maybe it’s all the above. Or a touch of each.

I recently told my wife, Debbie, “I don’t write fantasy.” I wasn’t referring to genre but to placating readers who want only entertainment, escapism, and content that reinforces their beliefs. They’re looking for happily ever after in a world with far too little of it.

I like happy endings too. And I see entertainment as essential in fiction because a novelist must keep readers engaged if he hopes to influence them.

But I want my stories to have redeeming qualities beyond mere entertainment. Rereading my bio recently reminded me of this. It says, “Tim writes to create content that can change people’s lives.” That’s a tall order, but I wouldn’t be publishing books at my stage of life unless I wanted to touch a reader.

In The Road Unveiled, I promise I’ll take you on a journey. And certain parts of it won’t be easy. I want you to feel the pain of my characters’ relational woes so you can rejoice when they grow through them. If I can bring sweat to your brow as we climb steep ascents, you can bask in the magnificent surroundings and feel the rewarding rush when we sail down the other side. And if you feel the chill down your spine when danger looms, you’ll savor the peace at deliverance even more.

I’ll invite you to grapple with challenging cultural issues, too, so you can reconsider them with a fresh perspective. Could the difficulties we navigate with these characters make us all a little more compassionate, more aware of injustices, and more appreciative of everything God created for us? Could the nuance of a Bible passage jump from the pages of this story and smack us in the noggin? Maybe, like my protagonist, we’ll gain a better awareness of the toxic effects of a deep secret.

Strap on your helmets because we’re going for a ride. I don’t guarantee it will be smooth, but I do believe it will be worthwhile. Yes, I hope the story will entertain you. But I also want to leave you with something to think about, something that will stick with you long after you close the book. I sure hope I’ve accomplished that, but you’re the judge!

Blog Stops

Stories By Gina, January 9 (Author Interview)

lakesidelivingsite, January 10

Simple Harvest Reads, January 11 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, January 12

Artistic Nobody, January 13 (Author Interview)

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, January 14

Guild Master, January 15 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, January 16

Fiction Book Lover, January 17 (Author Interview)

Tell Tale Book Reviews, January 18 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 18

Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, January 19 (Author Interview)

Cover Lover Book Review, January 20

Vicky Sluiter, January 21 (Author Interview)

For the Love of Literature, January 22 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 22

Giveaway

The Road Unveiled Celebration Tour Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Tim is giving away the grand prize of a $75 Amazon Gift Card and the two books in the Bicycle Adventure Series!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/nJ2bn/the-road-unveiled-celebration-tour-giveaway

Friday, January 16, 2026

My Maker And Me by Pat Domangue

About the Book

Book: My Maker And Me

Author: Pat Domangue

Genre: Christian Living/Bible Study

Release Date: July 22, 2025

A six-week guided Bible study based on Isaiah 64:8, My Maker & Me helps Christian women discover God as their potter and understand His continual presence in their lives.

Through the unique perspective of viewing God and themselves through Scripture and the art of pottery, Christian women will learn how God intimately works to shape them into the beautiful vessels He created them to become, much like a potter shapes clay.

Many Christian women struggle with trusting God because they don’t know Him from the intimate perspective of their potter. My Maker & Me helps women grow in understanding God’s love and care for them especially when they face difficult seasons or walk through fiery trials. As their trust grows, they will also find security, purpose, and meaning even in the most difficult seasons of life. If they are struggling with who they are and discovering their purpose, they will gain a greater sense of their true identity and purpose, setting them up to embrace God’s plan for their life. Women committed to completing this six-week study will experience spiritual growth and personal transformation.

Click here to get your copy!

"My Maker and Me" by Pat Domangue is a 6-week study based on Isaiah 64:8. This study requires about 20-30 minutes of personal study five days each week. The author suggests praying Ephesians 1:17-19 each day before beginning the study.

I just started this study and yes, I know I probably have done enough of the study to do a full review but I am feeling really hopeful with just doing one day and reading other's reviews. Here is what I posted on Facebook

I am starting a new Bible study and I think it's gonna be really good. This is from day 1

God formed you with a clear and perfect plan and purpose. He knew what He wanted you to look like and how He wanted to use you in His kingdom work, and He gave you a personality fitted for His perfect work. Then He placed you on earth at the exact moment and place He wanted you, and He placed you in the family He created for you. The God of purpose purposed you. So if you ever wonder why you are here, remember that the God of the universe—your Creator—wants you here. He had a reason for creating you and a special purpose planned for you, and only you (Jeremiah 29:11)..

There are different Scriptures to read and then there are questions to answer. There is room on each page to write your notes from the study as well.

This study is to help women gain a greater sense of our true identify and worth and build our trust in God and helps us become the vessels He created us to become!

I was given a complimentary copy by the author and Celebrate Lit and these opinions are my own.

About the Author

A resident of West Monroe, Louisiana, Pat Domangue has spent the past twenty years in women’s ministry inspiring and igniting a passion for Jesus through writing and teaching Bible studies for women. Pat has an advanced certification in Women’s Ministry, a bachelor’s degree in Christian Ministries through New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and a master’s degree in Biblical Studies from Trinity Seminary in Newburgh, Indiana. She has published four Bible studies for women: Quest for Wholeness: Healing The Broken; Equipped & Empowered: Preparing Women for Spiritual Battle; DIG: Digging Into God’s Word, a how-to guide for studying the Bible; and her latest, My Maker and Me: A Six-Week Bible Study of Becoming God’s Beautiful Vessel. Pat has also produced and hosted a Christian women’s television program and radio shows, and she currently hosts H.E.R. Podcast, bringing healing and encouragement to women in real life.

More from Pat

My Maker and Me: A Six-Week Bible Study of Becoming God’s Beautiful Vessel

Have you ever watched a potter at work? Strong hands caress and move the clay, shaping it as it spins on the wheel. The potter leans close, eyes focused, applying just the right pressure to bring something beautiful to life.

That’s where my writing journey began — watching my first pottery demonstration and hearing the potter share the treasures he had discovered about God at that wheel. God had revealed Himself through the art and process of pottery, opening the potter’s eyes to see His intimate work in his life and the great value God saw in him.

As I listened, something stirred deep inside me. I wanted to know God like that — intimately, personally, as the Potter who shapes and molds my life. Within days, I was sitting in the potter’s class, craving to experience God in that same way. The potter guided us through every stage of creating pottery — from dry clay, to shaping damp clay on the wheel, to firing and glazing.

Each week, I carried what I learned from class into prayer, asking God to reveal Himself and show me how Scripture mirrors the process. Just as the potter shapes the clay, God shapes us into His beautiful vessels — molding us through seasons of pressure, waiting, and refining.

My Maker and Me was born from the revelation of Isaiah 64:8:

“But now, O Lord, You are our Father;
We are the clay, and You our potter;
And all we are the work of Your hand.”

Through this study, women will discover the heart of the Master Potter who is intimately at work in their lives—shaping, refining, and transforming them into the vessels He created them to be.

A Season of Waiting and Shaping

One of my favorite sections of the study is Week 4: The Master’s Design. It explores how God uses waiting seasons not as wasted time, but as sacred shaping time. Even in the waiting, God is still working—molding and strengthening us to become His beautiful vessels.

Much like a potter allows the clay to rest before the next stage of forming, God allows us moments of stillness to prepare us for His next move. In those seasons, even when we can’t see or feel His presence, He is working—always with intention and love.

Writing this study wasn’t easy. God allowed me to live many of the lessons He was teaching me. I had my own moments of testing, trial, and surrender. Yet in every challenge, He revealed His faithfulness and assured me of His nearness.

An Invitation to the Journey

My prayer for My Maker and Me is that women everywhere will experience what I did—a deeper awareness of God’s hand at work in their lives. Whether you’re in a season of stretching, refining, or resting, I believe this study will help you see how the Potter is crafting something beautiful in you.

Come join me on this journey of becoming God’s beautiful vessel.

Blog Stops

Simple Harvest Reads, January 16 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 17

Artistic Nobody, January 18 (Author Interview)

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, January 19

Guild Master, January 20 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, January 21

Fiction Book Lover, January 22 (Author Interview)

Tell Tale Book Reviews, January 23 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, January 23

Blossoms and Blessings, January 24 (Author Interview)

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, January 25

Stories By Gina, January 26 (Author Interview)

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, January 27 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 28

A Reader’s Brain , January 29 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, January 29

Giveaway

My Maker And Me Celebration Tour Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Pat is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/Ft6nd/my-maker-and-me-celebration-tour-giveaway

The Silver Lode by Suzanne J. Bratcher

About the Book

Book: The Silver Lode

Author: Suzanne J. Bratcher

Genre: Mystery

Release Date: 2020

JEROME, ARIZONA:

Billion-dollar copper camp alive with rags-to-riches tales

Beneath the ghost town that clings to the side of Cleopatra Hill, a maze of abandoned mine tunnels conceals a vein of silver ore mixed with pure gold. Seventy years ago, the discovery of that silver lode caused a murder. Are more coming?

Historian Paul Russell is about to lose his job and the woman he loves. He doesn’t have time to search for the legendary silver lode. But when a student drops a seventy-year-old unsolved cold case on his desk, a murder connected to the silver lode, the mystery offers Paul the perfect opportunity to work with Marty Greenlaw and win her back.

As Paul and Marty search for the silver lode, suspicious deaths begin to happen. When Paul’s son disappears, the stakes become personal.

Click here to get your copy!

"The Silver Lode" by Suzanne J. Bratcher is the second book in the series. I haven't read the 1st one but plan on it asap. This is a story of greed. It is about a ghost town and an old mine. This book kept me turning the pages. This wasn't always a fun read; there is a child that need a medical surgery to live and another child with child abuse, so as you can see this book deals with hard issues and a little romance. I loved that the main twist to the book is one I didn't see coming.

I received a complimentary copy from the author and Celebrate Lit and these opinions are my own.

About the Author

Suzanne J. Bratcher, Ph.D., delights in writing contemporary mysteries sprinkled with history. Her award-winning novels are set in the very real ghost town of Jerome, Arizona as well as the Four Corners states: New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah. Bratcher lives in Phoenix, Arizona. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading with her granddaughter, laughing at her rescue cat, and piecing colorful quilt scraps.

More from Suzanne

When readers ask me where I get my ideas, I sometimes wonder if they expect me to reveal a secret process for starting a book. I only wish I could. But far from proceeding along the steps of a process, each of my books begins with nothing more than a spark that catches my imagination like a match catches a piece of kindling. I pile ideas on the spark and when I have enough for a blaze, I start to write. The spark for The Silver Lode was a 3-D display of the myriad abandoned mining tunnels that crisscross the hill beneath the ghost town of Jerome, Arizona.

The idea for The Silver Lode came to me while I was still an English teacher. So, what was I doing studying a model of a long defunct copper mine when I should have been reading William Faulkner or e.e. cummings? The reality was-at the time, I had no idea I was studying a copper mine. I thought I was visiting an old house.

The first time I turned off Arizona Highway 89A to visit Jerome State Historic Park, I wanted to tour to the Douglas mansion, the park headquarters. I love old houses. I’ve visited Thomas Jefferson’s home, George Washington’s, numerous antebellum mansions scattered throughout the South, and the family homes of many famous American writers. The Douglas Mansion, then, was a natural stop. But besides old houses, I also love research-learning simply for the sake of learning. I don’t have to have a specific goal in mind to enjoy adding bits of information to my hodgepodge of knowledge.

So…as I strolled through the high-ceilinged rooms in the Douglas mansion, I found myself drawn into the history of copper mining in Jerome. In addition to the three-dimensional display of the mine tunnels, I saw shelves of rocks and minerals bathed in ultraviolet light, a wall of photographs of the Douglas family that included one of Winston Churchill’s sisters, and a video that told the story of the ghosts of Cleopatra Hill. My interest piqued, I plunged more deeply into research. I bought books and read firsthand accounts of life in the billion-dollar copper camp. I visited the Jerome Historical Society and read yellowing newspapers. I ventured into the Mining Museum and wandered through a reconstructed mineshaft. I searched the internet for information about mining in the late 1800s and early 1900s, whether for copper, silver, or gold.

By now I was actively working on a plot that would revolve around mining for silver in Jerome. Because The Silver Lode was the second book in my trilogy of Jerome mysteries, I already had the main characters for the story. In my head I could see Scott, a young teenager, exploring those interlocking tunnels under the town. But I didn’t know what he was looking for. I needed another spark to start that fire.

I ran across it quite accidentally as I was reading about a large deposit of silver mixed with gold discovered in Virginia City, Nevada in 1859. Dubbed a silver lode, it was one of the richest deposits of its kind ever discovered. Of course, the Comstock Lode had nothing to do with mining in Jerome between the two World Wars. Nor did the history of Nevada influence the history of Arizona in the 1920s. Still, as I read about a large deposit of silver mixed with gold called a silver lode, I knew I had found both the treasure and the title for the story I was working on.

The next big story question was “Who else is looking for the silver lode?” In other words, “Who is the villain?” It was clear I needed secondary characters to drive the search for my imaginary silver lode buried deep in Cleopatra Hill. These characters came from my research into the families who built the town of Jerome and spread down the hill to build Clarkdale. I had my ideas.

Now…back to the question my readers sometimes ask: where do I get the ideas for my mysteries? The answer is as simple as it is complicated: I get my ideas from research. As I write, I use these ideas as a springboard so that they appear in camouflage. When you read The Silver Lode, I hope you find these nuggets of fact buried deep in the imaginary story of the long ago murder of a college student’s grandfather, a contemporary search for a legendary silver lode, and a desperate rush to save a child’s life.