Saturday, February 24, 2024

Cabrini Movie Review & Giveaway


 

 About the Movie

 From Alejandro Monteverde, award-winning director of 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘰𝘮,
comes the powerful epic of Francesca Cabrini, an Italian immigrant who arrives in
New York City in 1889 and is greeted by disease, crime, and impoverished children.
Cabrini sets off on a daring mission to convince the hostile mayor to secure housing
and healthcare for society's most vulnerable. With broken English and poor health,
Cabrini uses her entrepreneurial mind to build an empire of hope unlike anything
the world had ever seen. 

 

Buy tickets today to see Cabrini in theaters starting March 8th!

 


 

Over the course of 34 years Cabrini established an astonishing 67 hospitals, orphan-
ages, and schools. Her energy was fueled by an intense focus on serving Jesus in
whatever he asked of her and her legacy still stands today.

 

Learn More HERE


My Thoughts

I love movies that are based on true stories and I was excited to see the story of Cabrini. I had never heard of her and knew nothing about the history surrounding this film. Set in 1889 New York the viewer gets a front row seat to the sad and unheard of living conditions that the immigrants, specifically the Italians, survived on a daily basis. How other people treat another people group is appalling and during this time you could do what you wanted and pretty much get away with it or even be encouraged to do so. 

In steps a very strong willed woman who wants to help the young children who are surrounded by the violence and who are in poor living conditions in New York City. The film doesn't back away from showing the hard things. There are prostitutes, gore from a hospital scene, murder while trying to protect oneself, and overall violence of hate for a specific people group. This isn't a movie I would watch with young children. It is rate PG-13 for a reason. Also, this movie is very long as it covers so many details from Cabrini's life and what she accomplishes. It is a slow moving film that is also spoken mostly in Italian. You have to be able to read the subtitles or you won't understand much that is happening. Going into this movie I wish I had known that or been better prepared because you really have to read what is being said and pay attention. 

All that to say I have a deeper interest in the life of Cabrini and what she did is incredible. She knew her life mission and she did it no matter what. She was a servant to others and it is evident in this film what she accomplished. This is a tough movie to watch due to the content so I am not sure I would want to watch it twice. Films like this tend to stick with the viewer for a long time. If you are interested in history and true stories you might enjoy this film!

 

GIVEAWAY

$10 Amazon gift card giveaway! Enter below. 

US Entries only.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

 


 

 Many thanks to Angel Studios for providing a sample of the product for this review.
Opinions are 100% my own.

 

 

 

#CabriniMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork

 

 

 

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Ordinary Angels Movie Review and Giveaway!

 


 

About the Movie

Based on a remarkable true story, ORDINARY ANGELS centers on Sharon
(Hilary Swank), a fierce but struggling hairdresser in small-town Kentucky who dis-
covers a renewed sense of purpose when she meets Ed (Alan Ritchson), a widower
working hard to make ends meet for his two daughters. With his youngest daughter
waiting for a liver transplant, Sharon sets her mind to helping the family and will
move mountains to do it. What unfolds is the inspiring tale of faith, everyday miracles, and ordinary angels. 

 

BUY TICKETS TODAY

 

 


My Thoughts

This is a great movie! Hilary Swank is a great actress and she does an incredible job in this film. It is based off a true story and it is pretty remarkable what a person can accomplish. There are more layers to this story than I was anticipating which is a good thing. Sharon is a pretty broken person who struggles with alcohol. The film digs deeper into her story and it was well done. The main story line of course is hard and deals with a little girl who needs a transplant. This movie deal with hard life things in a tactful way that gives the viewer glimpses into such lives. There isn't much of a faith element and I wouldn't say this is a "Christian"movie per se. They attend church and talk about prayer. There is forgiveness and healing but there isn't a great Biblical message. It shows that people can be kind to others but Sharon acted out her kindness from a motive that had nothing to do with being a believer. 

The ending is dramatic and well done and also true to what actually happened which is amazing. The acting is superb all the way around. This is a great tear jerker and gives hope that there is some goodness in the world-watch this movie! 

Buy tickets today to see Ordinary Angels in theaters starting February 23rd!

 

$10 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway! 

Enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway  




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Many thanks to Kingdom Faith Marketing Services, LLC for providing a sample of the
product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.

#OrdinaryAngelsMIN #OrdinaryAngelsMovie @KingdomStoryCompany and @Lionsgate

Friday, February 9, 2024

When the Waters Came Review


 

About the Book

Book: When the Waters Came

Author: Candice Sue Patterson

Genre: Christian/Historical/Romance

Release Date: January, 2024

An act of greed or an act of God?

Introducing a new series of 6 exciting novels featuring historic American disasters that transformed landscapes and multiple lives. Whether by nature or by man, these disasters changed history and were a day to be remembered.

Pastor Montgomery Childs has tended his flock in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, for two years. While his pews are full every Sunday, he most desires to see a reckoning between God and the kings of industry who recreate on Lake Conemaugh. The pleasure grounds, flowing alcohol, and business dealings of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club taunts Monty as he works to heal the wounds inflicted from his own privileged childhood among Pittsburgh society. Like Noah, Monty prays against the evil surrounding him, but he never expects God to send a flood.

It takes five days for the Red Cross to respond to the Johnstown flood disaster, but when it does, Annamae Worthington is ready to help. Apprenticing under Clara Barton has prepared her for the job, but nothing can prepare her for the death and destruction that awaits. As if the survivors haven’t suffered enough, typhoid fever ravages the town, resurfacing suppressed emotions regarding her father’s death.

Narrowly surviving the flood and the horrifying things he’s witnessed, Monty’s faith is floundering. Then a Red Cross nurse puts him to work helping with the typhoid fever victims arriving at the hospital tents every hour. Monty and Annamae work together distributing disinfectants and supplies, housing orphans, and serving those left behind. Slowly, his faith resurfaces. A kinship forms between them neither can ignore. But when an investigation into the collapsed dam points to the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club, secrets emerge that may tear them apart.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Candice Sue Patterson studied at The Institute of Children’s Literature and is an elementary librarian. She lives in Indiana with her husband and three sons in a restored farmhouse overtaken by books. When she’s not tending to her chickens, snuggling with her Great Pyrenees, or helping children discover books they love, she’s working on a new story. Candice writes Modern Vintage Romance–where the past and present collide with faith. For more on Candice and her books, visit www.candicesuepatterson.com.

 

 

 

More from Candice

On May 30, 1889, the industrious residents of Johnstown, Pennsylvania fell into slumber to the sound of rain pattering their rooftops, unaware that, for many, it would be their last night on earth. This was the thought I carried with me through the entire journey of writing When the Waters Came. Every survivor’s account of that day, every loss, every miracle, every emotion will stick with me for years to come.

My first knowledge of the Johnstown Flood came several years ago when I watched The Men Who Built America in its first airing on the History Channel. The idea that so great a loss of life could’ve easily been prevented by some of the richest men in the world strummed an invisible chord inside me. I remember looking at my husband and saying, “I’m going to write a book about it someday.”

A few more years went by and each time I sat down to plot a new story idea, Johnstown whispered across my heart, but the timing wasn’t right. Then, in 2021, I was shopping at our local community book fair and stumbled upon a first edition of History of the Johnstown Flood, Illustrated by Willis Fletcher Johnson, published in 1889, months after the disaster. Not meaning to sound hokey, I felt as if God handed me the book Himself and confirmed He wanted me to write this story. The next year, at the same book fair, I found a first edition of The Life of Clara Barton by Percy H. Epler, published in 1919. It contained transcripts of her journals and correspondence, some specifically mentioning the Red Cross and her role in aiding the survivors of the Johnstown flood. Once again, I felt that God had provided all the material I would need to tell my tale. Then, in 2022, when my publisher reached out looking for proposals for a new series centered on disasters, I knew the time had come to remind folks of that tragic day.

I’ll be honest, I shed a lot of tears during my research. The accounts are heartbreaking. But the faith and determination in some of those accounts are inspiring as well. Many of the characters in When the Waters Came are real survivors of the flood, and Clara Barton, herself, walks on and off the pages throughout the story.

In May 2023, a month before I turned the manuscript in to my publisher, my husband and I traveled nine hours to Johnstown to experience what we could for ourselves and to make sure my historical facts were correct. I stood where the South Fork Dam once did. I imagined the roar of the water as the dam crumbled. I toured the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club clubhouse, where America’s elite once recreated. I stood at Colonel Unger’s homestead where he’d stood that fateful day, powerless to reinforce the dam and save the folks in Johnstown below. I walked the rows of 777 graves in Grandview Cemetery honoring the unidentified bodies that were rescued. I thought of all the lost loved ones never found.

Where the retelling of the Johnstown Flood is hard and tragic, I also packed the story with plenty of faith, hope, and love to give readers a well-balanced experience. For on-site videos, behind-the-writing-scenes info, and more details about the Johnstown Flood, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Facebook and Instagram.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, January 27

Devoted To Hope, January 27

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 28

Tell Tale Book Reviews, January 29

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 30

Mary Hake, January 30

Texas Book-aholic, January 31

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 1

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, February 2

She Lives To Read, February 3

Blossoms and Blessings, February 3

Simple Harvest Reads, February 4 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Cover Lover Book Review, February 5

Book Looks by Lisa, February 5

Life on Chickadee Lane, February 6

Pause for Tales, February 6

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 7

For Him and My Family, February 8

Connie’s History Classroom, February 9

To Everything There Is A Season , February 9

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Candice is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon e-gift card and a copy of the book!!

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

 GIVEAWAY



My Thoughts


This was an interesting book about the flood that happened in Johnstown, Pennsylvania in 1889. I had no idea that this was a part of history and so that aspect had me focused on the story at the start. I can't imagine what those people went through and this book doesn't hold back on the hard parts. It is a clean read but with such a disaster you can't avoid the hard things of death and some details. There is a bit of a love story and you really get to see into the life of Pastor Montgomery Childs. I had a difficult time really getting into the last part of the book. I hate to say it but it just didn't hold my attention. I didn't care a lot about the romance and the historical aspects were interesting but just didn't grab me at the end. I think many people will love this story but it is just okay for me. I am glad that authors are taking little known historical events and making them come alive. 


Three Stars. 

"I received this book from the publisher for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."

Sunday, February 4, 2024

A Lady's Guide to Marvels and Misadventure Review




About the Book

 When Clara Marie Stanton's ex-fiancé begins to spread rumors that her family suffers from hereditary insanity, it's all Clara can do to protect them from his desperate schemes and society's prejudice. Her family may be eccentric, yes, but they certainly aren't insane. Then Clara's Grandfather Drosselmeyer brings on an apprentice with a mechanical leg, and all pretense of normalcy takes wing.


Theodore Kingsley, a shame-chased vagabond skilled in repairing clocks, wants a fresh start far from Kingsley Court and the disappointed father who declared him dead. Upon returning to England, Theodore meets clockmaker Drosselmeyer, who hires him as an apprentice, much to Clara's dismay. When Drosselmeyer spontaneously disappears in his secret flying owl machine, he leaves behind a note for Clara, beseeching her to make her dreams of adventure a reality by joining him on a merry scavenger hunt. Together, Clara and Theodore set off to follow Drosselmeyer's trail of clues, but they will have to stay one step ahead of a villain who wants the flying machine for himself--at any cost. (Goodreads)





My Thoughts


This book has such a fun cover and as a debut novel I wasn't sure what to expect. I imagined this story to be fun and light and a tad silly. It did prove to be a light and silly read with needed life lessons throughout. The silliness at times was a bit over the top for me. There are some fun family dynamics that I enjoyed and this truly has a cast of colorful and unique characters. I struggled to fully be engrossed in this book. I love the idea and the travel adventures is great but at times it felt a bit slow. I did appreciate how this story shows a different side to personalities. Often with books set in this time period the people tend to be very much the same with perhaps one quirk about them. In this book it veers greatly and shows how people all have different personalities. This has always been true, it just isn't often written into the books we read. So I commend the author for taking a leap and writing something different. I am eager to read what comes next! 

Three Stars. 

" I received this book for free from NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review." 










Thursday, February 1, 2024

One Wrong Move Review




About the Book

 Taunting riddles.

A deadly string of heists.
Two broken hearts trapped in a killer's game.

Christian O'Brady was pulled into a life of crime at a young age by his con artist parents. Now making amends for his corrupt past, he has become one of the country's foremost security experts. When a string of Southwestern art heists targets one of the galleries Christian secured, he is paired up with a gifted insurance investigator who has her own checkered past.

Andi Forester was a brilliant FBI forensic analyst until one of her colleagues destroyed her career, blaming her for mishandling evidence. She now puts those skills to work investigating insurance fraud, and this latest high-stakes case will test her gift to the limit. Drawn deep into a dangerous game with an opponent bent on revenge, Christian and Andi are in a race against the clock to catch him, but the perpetrator's game is far from finished, and one wrong move could be the death of them both. (Goodreads)





My Thoughts

Wow, this story starts off with a bang and keeps your hanging on until the very end! I love that this is the start of a new series.I think this is the best book that this author has written since her Alaska series. I love the setting and I am eager to see where the next book takes us. The characters in this story have a lot of layers and I really enjoyed getting to know each of them. The suspense and mystery is fantastic and it is all a tangled mess of murder and robbery and past history. I loved it! There is a lot happening and as a reader you really have to pay attention because there are a lot of details and moving parts that conclude in the end. The romance I honestly could have done without or perhaps just not as much. It isn't over the top it was just kind of there and I thought it happened way too fast. All that to say that this is a great read and kept me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend! 

Five Stars. 

"I received this book from NetGalley for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."