Leta P. Hawk's Blog, page 18
January 22, 2016
“Biblical Christianity” has a semantics problem
There is so much truth in this.
A friend shared the following article on Facebook: The Scandal of Biblical Illiteracy: It’s Our Problem. I do agree with its main premise that Christians perhaps aren’t doing so well in their efforts to educate their own (I did laugh at the anecdote that apparently some people really think Joan of Arc was Noah’s wife). What the writer, Albert Mohler, doesn’t mention is the diverse explanation of the term “biblical Christianity.” This term is taken as a given in many churches, and it’s assumed to be understood and agreed upon by all.
There are plenty of other points I could comment on throughout his piece, but the nondescript use of “biblical Christianity” immediately lost me. If it said “evangelical Christianity” or “Anglican Christianity,” that would be a different story. But history shows there is not and has never been a singular Christianity.
Since evangelicalism is the Christianity of choice in…
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January 19, 2016
The Packing House Release
Paperbacks & Wine is pleased to bring you G. Donald Cribbs- THE PACKING HOUSE virtual book tour January 18-31.
Title: THE PACKING HOUSE
Author: G. Donald Cribbs
Publisher: Booktrope
Publication Date: 1/18/16
Pages: 261
Genre: YA
~Blurb~
When sixteen-year-old Joel Scrivener has a raging nightmare in study hall and someone records it on their phone, he awakens to a living nightmare where everyone knows the secret he’s avoided for ten years. Reeling from a series of bullying incidents posted on YouTube and an ill-timed mid-year move, Joel takes to the woods, leaving the bullies and his broken home behind. However, life as a runaway isn’t easy. Joel finds it difficult to navigate break-ins, wrestle hallucinations, and elude capture. He races to figure out who his dream-world attacker could be, piecing clues together with flashes of remembered images that play endlessly inside his head. Besides these images, the one constant thought occupying Joel’s mind is Amber Walker, the girl he’s been in love with for years. Amber sees little beyond the broken boy Joel has become, despite the letters they’ve written back and forth to each other. But Joel is stronger and more resilient than he looks, and it’s time he convinces Amber of this fact, before he runs out of chances with her for good.
Find out more about THE PACKING HOUSE on Amazon, Goodreads
Discuss this book on Paperbacks & Wine-> The Packing House Discussion Group
Join the Release Day Celebration on Facebook, January 31, 2016: https://www.facebook.com/events/893290854125403/
G. Donald Cribbs has written and published poetry and short stories since high school. Donald is a graduate of Messiah College in English and Education, and is currently a graduate student in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. He and his wife and four boys reside in central Pennsylvania where the author is hard at work on his next book, tentatively titled, UNPACKING THE PAST, the sequel to his debut novel, THE PACKING HOUSE (2016), by Booktrope Editions. Having lived and traveled abroad in England, France, Belgium, Germany, China and Thailand (you can guess where he lived and where he visited), the author loves languages and how they connect us all. Coffee and Nutella are a close second.
Find out more on G. Donald Cribbs: on Amazon, Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter and www.gdonaldcribbs.com
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January 18, 2016
Eradicating Hatred
ERADICATING HATRED by Tak tse Profit
Check out the new book by Tak tse Profit, ERADICATING HATRED. Below you can find the book’s blurb, cover, trailer, teasers, purchase links and all about the author.
‘This book seeks to affect change in its readers perception of the actual circumstances that humanity shares.’ – Eradicating Hatred.
TITLE: Eradicating Hatred
GENRE: Philosophy
PUBLISHER: Xlibris US
REVIEW COPIES: eBook | Mobi
Etiam Tu: Eradicating Hatred is the first installment in the Etiam Tu book series. It is the initial explanation of the philosophy of Etiam Tu as it applies to mankinds most immediate threat to his continued existence: Hatred. This book seeks to affect change in its readers perception of the actual circumstances that humanity shares. It identifies the sources of the Hatred we are subjected to, the motivations that create and maintain it, and the numerous forms in which it is manifested. It’s goal is to alert its reader and raise their awareness, by thoroughly exploring this multi-faceted threat; examining each form and humanity’s role in maintaining their existence. Ultimately, educating each reader in an attempt to enlist their voluntary individual efforts to assist in Eradicating this evil from the collective human psyche once and for all: forever.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
The Tak tse Profit spent most of life observing conditions, circumstances and people. He spent most his adult life in service to people known and unknown, considering and noting differing factors in life: both in his and other’s. He accepted his commission to share the Philosophy of Etiam Tu: inspired by his young son’s convicting of his heart for having given up on mankind.
REVIEWS:
‘I love most books on self improvement, or about the interactions and emotions of humans. This book focuses on eradicating hatred, things such as: morals, honor, family values, faith, trust, negativity, frustration, envy, resentment, the culture of hatred and more. From the authors experiences and observations over the past 9 years, he has brought us this book. It really opens your mind, and the way he speaks about mankind being saved from itself by stopping the hatred is so true. Hatred is the dangerous issue mankind is facing. GREAT BOOK! A MUST-READ!’ – Lifestyleandliterature.wordpress.com
SOCIAL MEDIA
https://www.facebook.com/EtiamTu/
https://www.instagram.com/tak_tse_profit/
http://ahatefreeworld.blogspot.com/
http://eradicatinghatred.weebly.com/
PURCHASE LINKS
Xlibris Website: http://goo.gl/sYNoMd
Amazon: http://goo.gl/qj8l9q
Barnes & Noble: http://goo.gl/YXtVNM
BOOK TRAILER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2RJxAYxxFU&list=PLnPZ2vtiAjbsoItzwaVyt1DgjNgGim1ro
TEASERS
January 15, 2016
Review of “The Curious Snowflake”
I just finished reading The Curious Snowflake by James C. Struck. My first impression, based solely on the title and the cover design, was that this would be a quick,lighthearted read. Well, you know the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover”? Yeah, that.
Don’t get me wrong; it was quick, and it was for the most part lighthearted, but it was so much more than that.
The story follows Curious Snowflake as she travels through the Great Cloud, asking all the other snowflakes her deep questions of life, the most important being, “What happens when we fall?” It seems that no one has the answer to her questions, and they all grow tired of her questioning. It seems she will never find the answer to her questions, until she meets First Flake. First Flake is the only one who doesn’t grow tired of her never-ending quest for answers, and it is First Flake who gives her not the answers she seeks, but the answers she needs.
This is a children’s book, but it’s also an adult book. The story line is simple enough that a child can follow it with no trouble, and the fact that most of the characters a re snowflakes will appeal to almost every young person one might know. Older children especially will relate to the emotions felt by the snowflake as she travels through the Great Cloud seeking answers to her questions and is at times accepted and at times rejected by the other snowflakes.
But you don’t have to be a child to appreciate this book. The themes woven through the story are universal, and even adults will be able to relate to the Curious Snowflake’s desire to answer her deepest questions, as well as fit in with those around her as she discovers who she is. There is also a spiritual undertone throughout the book that will resonate with anyone who seeks to develop their own spirituality, and the broad themes allow the story to be enjoyed by those of many different faith traditions.
I thought this would be a once-and-done read, but there is a depth to this book that will make me want to pick it up again at some point to see what I may have missed the first time around.
January 13, 2016
Spotlight LETA HAWK
Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock
About the Books
The Newbie
Kyrie Carter can’t believe her luck when she wins a spot on a paranormal investigation with celebrity ghost hunter Drac Petery and his heartthrob brother Gabe. As the investigation begins, her main obstacles are her unsupportive teammates and her lack of ghost hunting experience. Her biggest critic is the ruggedly handsome but enigmatic Spook Steele, who takes an instant and intense dislike to the newbie and seems determined to see her fail. However, Kyr soon realizes that her flesh-and-blood rivals are the least of her worries. The investigation takes a dark turn when the team finds evidence of a decades-old murder mystery, and Kyr becomes the victim of the resident spirit’s violent attacks. The discovery of a family connection to the Berkeleys explains the spirit’s malevolence. Will Kyr be able to help the Peterys unravel the mystery and put the Berkeley mansion spirits to rest…
View original post 399 more words
January 11, 2016
Review: School Spirits (Kyrie Carter Paranormal Mystery #2) by Leta Hawk
Thank you to Bean’s Bookshelf and Coffee Break for reading and reviewing “School Spirits!”
Bean's Bookshelf and Coffee Break
Book:School SpiritsSeries: A Kyrie Carter Paranormal Mystery #2Author:Leta HawkDate of Publication: October 2, 2015
Publisher: Booktrope
Genre: paranormal, mystery, adventure
Source: Enchanted Book Promotions
Pages: 287
Rating: 5/5 Beans
Short Summary:
In Book 2 of Leta Hawk’s Kyrie Carter Paranormal Mystery series, a paranormal investigation on the campus of Willow Lake College leads to the discovery of a decades-old murder mystery.
Kyrie Carter is thrilled to accompany her best friend JoEllyn to their alma mater, Willow Lake College, for a ghost hunt with the campus Paranormal Club. She is pleasantly surprised when celebrity ghost hunters Drac and Gabe Petery show up with their team. She is not so pleasantly surprised when her critical former teammate Spook Steele shows up with them.
What begins as a routine investigation into campus ghost stories soon turns dangerous as Kyr encounters a malicious spirit in the bell tower…
View original post 343 more words
January 4, 2016
New Year’s Musings
Hello, and Happy New Year! Welcome to my first post of 2016.
Like a lot of other people, I’m still getting back in the swing of things. Hubby went back to work, and the kids are back in school, so now I have some time to myself to get back on track with writing. Oh, and housecleaning. But most importantly, WRITING.
We spent a week in Florida over the holidays, visiting my favorite Florida spot, St. Augustine, and then heading south to Fort Lauderdale for a couple days. My husband likes to fill our days when we’re away, so I didn’t have a lot of down-time to think, much less write, and since our internet availability was limited, I wasn’t able to keep up with anything in social media. I suppose being disconnected was a good thing, although now I feel as though I’m behind on a lot of things, like blogging and keeping up with other authors.
Anyway, this post is just a little bit of musing and decompressing, an attempt to capture some of the thoughts that rambled through my head on the long drive between Pennsylvania and Florida.
St. Augustine
As a general rule, I am not a fan of Florida. The heat and humidity just leave me feeling like a wrung-out dish cloth, and so many of the places I’ve visited there are expensive, touristy, and over-crowded. And some of that holds true for St. Augustine as well, but I have felt such a deep affinity for the place since the first time we visited a few years ago. I believe our main intent in visiting that first time was to see the lighthouse—my husband is a certified lighthouse addict. After seeing the lighthouse, we did a quick spin around the downtown area, and I was quickly drawn in by the history and the many things there are to see and do there. Without question, I said one more visit was necessary.
Well, if I counted correctly, this was our third visit, and I still don’t think we’ve seen everything this beautiful little town has to offer. There are so many little side streets with their own shops, inns, and history that we have yet to discover, and I still have a strong desire to get inside the Huguenot cemetery.
Something that has me scratching my head a bit is the feeling I got as we traveled up I-95 on the way back up north after Fort Lauderdale. As we passed the exits for St. Augustine, I felt a very strong tug in my spirit. Had I been traveling alone, with no one else’s agenda to consider, I would likely have hopped off and spent another day or two there. There is only one other place I have ever had such a connection with, and that is Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, where I went to college. That’s another place that I spent time in but still feel as though I’ve only scratched the surface of the history and the real soul of the location.
Writing Life
Always, always when I travel, I carry at least one (but usually two or three) notebooks to record thoughts or story ideas that come to mind. I almost never get much if any writing done because of our habit of cramming every day with activity, and usually till we get back to the hotel for the evening, I’m too tired and the kids are too wound up, so I don’t really get time to write as much as I’d like. I tried to write some while we were at the beach; the kids were occupied “wave resisting” (a game my older son came up with, basically trying not to let the waves knock them over), and Mike was taking pictures and video or wading in the ocean. However, it was way too windy there, and I preferred watching the waves.
Inspiration did strike a few times, giving me some partial scenes for several WIPs. I’ve been working on a bothersome scene in Witch of Willow Lake, the third in the Kyrie Carter series, and I worked through a slight block there. A few ideas came to mind for the fourth, as-yet-untitled book in the series, so I jotted those down as reference for later. I also wrote out a piece of a scene for my Storybook House novel that is still taking shape.
And a character who introduced herself and then disappeared just before Christmas stopped by to say hello. I’m still trying to coax out her story, but I do have more of a visual on her. Her name is Persephone, and she is a teenager. She favors vintage clothes, which I can’t imagine makes her very popular with her peers. If anything, she seems to be a bit of a curiosity, an anachronism of sorts. I can’t wait for her to start talking to me to tell me what she’s all about and what story she has.
My Spiritual Side
For some reason I began thinking about my spiritual life as we traveled around. Being away from our home church made me take a look at things, I guess. I’m a lot more involved at our church than I was in the church I grew up in, and that’s saying a lot because I was very involved with the kids at that church. What I have noticed, though, is that I feel really disconnected from God, even though we’re in a “Spirit-filled” church. Yes, I know that that’s mostly on me, since I’m responsible for my own relationship with God. But still, it made me start thinking about ways I can reconnect, ways I can reclaim my faith. In some ways, I think the places we visited—St. Augustine, the beach—are spiritual in their own unique ways, something I feel I’m missing. I don’t have my own practices as much as I used to. I feel I need to make time to explore that side of myself again, to find what works for me to get back into a routine of devotions, prayer, meditation, or whatever. A lot of areas of my life would benefit from that.
And just putting this out there, because this isn’t the first time I’ve heard this voice speaking, maybe it’s time to unplug from some things. To unclutter my schedule and my spirit.
Well, I think that’s enough for now. There’s still a lot rattling around in my brain, but that’s fodder for another day. Again, Happy New Year, and I hope for us all that this year will be blessed, busy, and bountiful!
Review: The Newbie (A Kyrie Carter Paranormal Mystery #1) by Leta Hawk
Thank you to Bean’s Bookshelf and Coffee Break for reviewing “The Newbie!”
Bean's Bookshelf and Coffee Break
Book:The NewbieSeries: A Kyrie Carter Paranormal Mystery #1Author:Leta HawkDate of Publication: October 2, 2015
Publisher: Booktrope
Genre: paranormal, mystery, adventure
Source: Enchanted Book Promotions
Pages: 231
Rating: 5/5 Beans
Short Summary:
Kyrie Carter can’t believe her luck when she wins a spot on a paranormal investigation with celebrity ghost hunter Drac Petery and his heartthrob brother Gabe. As the investigation begins, her main obstacles are her unsupportive teammates and her lack of ghost hunting experience. Her biggest critic is the ruggedly handsome but enigmatic Spook Steele, who takes an instant and intense dislike to the newbie and seems determined to see her fail.
However, Kyr soon realizes that her flesh-and-blood rivals are the least of her worries. The investigation takes a dark turn when the team finds evidence of a decades-old murder mystery, and Kyr becomes the victim of the resident spirit’s violent attacks…
View original post 434 more words
December 24, 2015
THE NEWBIE BY LETA HAWK REVIEW!!!
Happy Holidays!! This review is for a blog tour hosted by Enchanted Book Promotions. You can check the full info about the tour over here. The review for the sequel will be up on New Years Eve!
This first review is going to be on the book, The Newbie
Let me know if you think this cover screams creeepy!
Title: The Newbie (Kyrie Carter Paranormal Mystery #1)
Author: Leta Hawk
Genre: Paranormal | Horror | Romance
My rating: 85%, 3.75/5
Source: Enchanted Book Promotions
Synopsis:
Kyrie Carter can’t believe her luck when she wins a spot on a paranormal investigation with celebrity ghost hunter Drac Petery and his heartthrob brother Gabe. As the investigation begins, her main obstacles are her unsupportive teammates and her lack of ghost hunting experience. Her biggest critic is the ruggedly handsome but enigmatic Spook Steele, who takes an instant and intense dislike to the newbie and seems determined to see her fail…
View original post 458 more words
December 23, 2015
Merry Christmas!
It’s two days before Christmas. My kids have a half day of school today. My 6th grader said his class has a choice between watching a movie or playing dodgeball. My 3rd grader’s class is hosting a Christmas breakfast. I’m still throwing together the last minute preparations for our celebrations and like a lot of others, I suspect, could use a few more days.
I just wanted to take a moment to wish you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah (although I believe that has already passed, hasn’t it?), Happy Kwanzaa, Blessed Solstice, or whatever you celebrate in your family. You have all blessed my life in your own way, whether I know you personally and we interact in the real world, or if we’ve only exchanged messages on social media.
However you celebrate this time of year, I pray that you will take time to reflect on the blessings in your life. I also hope that each of you in your own way can find and enjoy a little of the magic that surrounds us this time of year.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Leta Hawk
