Any story I can get my hands on, regarding World War II, is right up my alley. There’s just something about that time in history that fascinates me. Tricia Goyer and Ocieanna Fleiss teamed up to write Love Finds You in Victory Heights Washington, a story set back in the tumultuous times of World War II when men went off to fight, and women were left behind to back them up from the homeland. The main character of the story is Rosalie, whose fiance was killed in action.  She works at a Boeing plant, helping to put rivets in the flying fortresses for the boys fighting overseas.  When her fiance is killed, she feels both sadness and guilt, guilt over not having loved her fiance enough to marry him before he left.  This makes her a bit frightened and so guilt-filled that she doesn’t want to even think about another relationship until she’s “made it up” to her fiance somehow.  Then she meets Kenny, the photographer/reporter that runs smack dab into her at a Lana Turner show.  Is it possible that she could give her heart?

I really enjoyed this book, especially because of the setting and the time period in history.  Tricia and Ocieanna have written a very captivating story that is filled with tidbits of history, as well, just from their research and interviews with some of the women whose lives inspire this story.  They also have made the story very real, entertaining, and sometimes very humorous. You can purchase Love Finds You in Victory Heights Washington for $9.35 from Amazon.  I highly recommend it.  Read more about the story below.

About Love Finds You in Victory Heights, Washington: The war has stolen Rosalie’s fiancé, Vic, from her forever. But rather than wallow, Rosalie distracts herself by cramming her days full of activity—mainly by shooting rivets into the B-17 bombers that will destroy the enemy.

When a reporter dubs her “Seattle’s Own Rosie the Riveter,” even more responsibility piles up. Her strong arms bear all this, but when intense feelings surface for Kenny, the handsome, kind-hearted, and spiritually unwavering reporter, the fear of losing another love propels Rosalie to leave.

It’s only when Rosalie realizes that God has brought her to this place—and this person—for a reason, the sparkling grace of God compels her to let go of her own strength and lean on His, as well as open her heart to love.About Tricia Goyer: Tricia Goyer is the author of twenty-four books including Songbird Under a German Moon, The Swiss Courier, and the mommy memoir, Blue Like Play Dough. She won Historical Novel of the Year in 2005 and 2006 from ACFW, and was honored with the Writer of the Year award from Mt. Hermon Writer’s Conference in 2003. Tricia’s book Life Interrupted was a finalist for the Gold Medallion in 2005. In addition to her novels, Tricia writes non-fiction books and magazine articles for publications like MomSense and Thriving Family. Tricia is a regular speaker at conventions and conferences, and has been a workshop presenter at the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International Conventions. She and her family make their home in Little Rock, Arkansas where they are part of the ministry of FamilyLife. For more on Tricia visit www.triciagoyer.com.

About Ocieanna Fleiss: Ocieanna Fleiss is a published writer and has edited six of Tricia Goyer’s historical novels. She lives with her husband and their four children in the Seattle area. For more about Ocieanna visit her blog.

Link to buy the book: http://www.amazon.com/Love-Finds-Victory-Heights-Washington/dp/1609360001/ref=sprightly-20

Contest info: Tricia is giving away 5 Victory Prize packs during the blog tour. This contest is open to both you and your blog readers so please share it in your blog post too. That info can be found on this blog post (which will be live on August 14th). http://triciagoyer.blogspot.com/2010/08/win-victory-prize-pack.html.

Find more reviews here: http://www.litfusegroup.com/Blog-Tours/love-finds-you-in-victory-heights-washington.html.

(Disclosure: I received a copy of this book, free of charge, from Litfuse and the authors, for the purposes of this review.)

For about two years now, I’ve been eyeing the Word of Promise New Testament Audio Bible, NKJV, a dramatized version.  Thanks to Book Sneeze, I was able to review this awesome set, which was produced by Carl Amari.  A set of 21 discs, including a Behind the Scenes DVD, this Audio Bible is a wonderful resource to anyone’s bookshelves.  The CDs come in a convenient zippered case that is durable and attractive.  There is a separate pocket within for each CD, so that they stay protected.  The case really makes it easy to carry with you anywhere you go.

The New Testament Scriptures contained on these CDs are dramatized, with the help of actors, such as Jim Caviezel, Richard Dreyfuss, Marisa Tomei, Louis Gossett, Jr., Michael W. Smith, and Kimberly Williams-Paisley, etc.  The depth of meaning within the verses just comes alive for me as I listen, and it really makes me feel as if I’m watching a movie in my head or that I’m really there.  The music in the bacground that rises and falls, along with the voices of the actors, really balance each other out and make this a great thing to listen to for both adults and children.  It’s something that I can carry in my car when we’re going back and forth to soccer practice or Tae Kwon Do; yet it’s also something I can put on while I’m cooking supper.  It’s a great way for a busy mom with two littles running around, to really glean Scripture day in and day out.

The Behind the Scenes DVD includes footage from the recording studio and interviews with the actors and crew.  You get to listen to them relate how making Word of Promise and being involved with this project really affected their lives.  The DVD also includes Michael W. Smith’s song, The Promise.

The parts that most affected me were the Scriptures about Jesus’ crucifixion.  With Easter coming, I can’t help but think about that time and what it meant for all of us as Christians, just the sacrifice that it took for us to be free and to truly live.  The dramatization really makes the crucifixion story come alive and would be a great witnessing tool…..not just that, but a great reminder for all of us because sometimes we just, not really forget, but we don’t remember as much as we should how much Jesus sacrificed.

I definitely recommend this set for every person who is reading this.  You can read more reviews on Book Sneeze, and you can purchase the Word of Promise New Testament from Thomas Nelson for $49.99 or from Amazon for $30.70.

(Disclosure: I received a copy of the Word of Promise New Testament, free of charge, from Thomas Nelson, for the purposes of this review.)

We have certainly been blessed in supplementing our math curriculum this year through the Crew, and this next program that we were allowed to try is something I’m excited to write about.  Maria Miller sent us part of her Math Mammoth series.

Maria used to teach math, but has since turned her skills to staying home with her children and homeschooling, as well as writing math curriculum and books.With a master’s degree in mathematics (with teacher educational studies), as well as minors in physics and statistics, Maria is an expert in the field of mathematics, and she really enjoys being able to help homeschooling families get the most learning out of math, as it’s sometimes a subject that these families struggle with.  Math Mammoth is aimed at helping the student not just memorize a set of rules but to help him to understand why he is doing what he is doing in math.

We received the Math Mammoth Light Blue Series, Grade 1-A and 1-B, along with a few supplemental materials.  This curriculum is a complete curriculum with worktexts, answer keys, tests, cumulative reviews, and a worksheet maker.  If you buy this program as the downloadable form, you also get the Soft-Pak, which contains activities for math, language arts, and testing.  Here is what the Light Blue Series aims to teach your child:

• Addition Within 0-10
• Subtraction Within 0-10
• Addition and Subtraction Facts
• Place Value Within 0-100
• Clock
• Shapes and Measuring
• Adding and Subtracting Within 0-100
• Coins

You can purchase the full downloadable first grade curriculum from Math Mammoth for $29.70, or you can buy each worktext individually for $15.50, with supportive materials priced at $14.  Printed versions are available, as well.  This is completely affordable, in my opinion, as it can be used over and over for multiple students.  I highly recommend Math Mammoth.

To read more reviews, visit the TOS Homeschool Crew blog.

(I was provided the 1A & 1B curriclum, free of charge, by Math Mammoth, in association with the TOS Homeschool Crew.)

(I was given a copy of this book, free of charge, by Anthony DeStefano, for the purpose of a review.)