Bridges Books

Great, quick encouragement to share yoour faith Biblically & effectively the way Jesus did. These "minutes" are also very convicting for those who might not be sharing their faith as commanded. You can never go wrong with anything by Ray Comfort.

When I first bought this book I wasn't sure how Ray and Kirk were going to be able to make good devotions that were only one minute long, but I am very happy to say they have done an incredible job. `The Way of the Master Minute' is quick, very motivating, and convicting (even if you do share your faith, you will be challenged to do it more). A must have for any Christian who has (or doesn't have) a passion to reach the lost.

I appreciate the stimuli provided by the book to share one's faith in Jesus Christ.

Ray Comfort's passion for the lost is contagious. You can never go wrong with any of his books in your personal library.

I received my copy of "Who Stole My Joy?" on Monday. I don't know if everyone receive the nice package that I've received but I was very pleased. I can't wait to try the Ms. Steen's Oats to Joy Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip cookie mix and the Ms. Steen's Oatmeal-Raisin-Cranberry cookie mix that came with my book.

Sandra Steen a motivational and inspirational speaker and author have put into prospective and help us to answer the question when felling sadness and hurt -Why? "Who Stole My Joy?" is truly an encouraging read for when you feel that someone has taken away your happiness.

Each chapter begins with an inspirational and empowering quote. "Who Stole My Joy?" teach us that joy is always around us. It is necessary for us to invite happiness into our life. When overshadowed with adversity "Who Stole My Joy?" will help your realize that you can change your circumstance and redefine your place to achieve your God given purpose, find the hope, happiness and focus on that vision. This book teaches sustainable life skills in keeping your life in balance. Sandra Steen is creative in the use of metaphors to make you the reader think, analyze and discover a breakthrough which will make you want to smile.

Her main character is JOY. Metaphorically Joy takes the time while exercising patience in learning from evil; evil being all the things that takes happiness and fulfillness out of your life and in the end Joy is triumphant. "Who Stole My Joy" is about dealing with all the challenges good, bad or otherwise that come your way. This is no ordinary self-help book.

The book comes with a CD titled Discovering Joy. It is packed with Affirmations, and concludes with All Things Are Possible. You'll have to buy the book to truly appreciate the message. I plan to give it to my teenager. I will also ask her to write a review.

Enjoy and let devine peace lead you into your Joy!

I received a copy of Who Stole My Joy? by Sandra Steen and I have to tell you that I found it quite interesting. It's not your usual self-help book. It's written in the form of a dream where good takes the time to learn from evil so that in the end, good wins. Good in the book, is Joy. Evil is everything that robs the joy from our lives, like: broken relationships, jealousy, negative attitudes, selfishness, hatred, lack, loneliness, betrayal, anger, worry, fear, insecurity, rejection, arrogance, and pain. There's even a CD in the back of the book on "Discovering Joy" with positive affirmations.

Sandra Steen has did the most creative things with this topic...the book is an allegory that makes you think and smile. I love her CD in the back...she is the next Oprah. Just keep watching!

Pam Perry
Chocolate Pages Reviewer
www.MinistryMarketingSolutions.com

This book is excellant. For those who know the word of God, it makes things so much clearer. For those who do not, it is still a great book to help understand what happens to your joy! I love it!

I found the book to depict in an excellent way the unspoken between a parent and child. The depth of the author's understanding the emotional bond is clear and profound. The illustrations are wonderfully crafted, and lend significantly to the narrative.

This book made me very emotional because it said everything that I feel about my child. No matter what a mother is always there through everything. This book says exactly what every mom thinks about her child.

This is a wonderful story, in question and answer format, of a young one and its mother heading home. As they go, Baby wonders if Mother would still take care of it if it was something else -- animate or inanimate. A number of possibilities are ventured, and Mother answers, as mothers do, that she will be there in some perfect way to take care of Baby. The illustrations are warm and cozy and this is a terrific read. This book deserves much more attention than it has apparently received, as it communicates a message that is very comforting to young children.

This book also makes a terrific present.

Author does an excellent job of telling abut unconditional devotion and love. The young kangaroo is not identified as being either male or female, so every child can imagine him or herself as having this conversation with a loved adult. Wonderful addition to bedtime rituals or cozy one-on-one time!

I'm not going to do a synopsis of the story. You can read that in the other reviews. I just want to say that I found Wizard's Bridge a delightful tale. It's a fast read, it entertains and it has a wizard and dragon in it. What more could you want?

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

This was a fascinating fantasy romance by the talented Karen McCullough that will carry readers away into another world where dragons live and wizards dream.

Alsa feels the stirrings of wizardry within her and makes a desperate bargain with a reclusive wizard to expand them. She needs to learn to use her magick to aid her village in winning a battle against amassed enemies who could wipe out everything she has ever known. She asks the wizard Korlen to teach her in the ways of magick and in exchange, she will bear him the son he desires, so as to pass his powers on to the next in his line.

Her adventure thus begins when she learns magick is not what she thought, nor is training in her abilities anything she ever would have expected. In the months spent with Korlen, she discovers many hard lessons about his way of life, soon to become hers once her training is complete. Never in a million years though, did either of them expect what the greatest lesson of all would be... that of sacrificing all for love. Can he help her learn what she needs to help her village survive? Can she finally begin to comprehend the choices he has made in his life, and how they will change her forever?

This is a delightful story and Ms. McCullough proves once again why she is a rising star in the world of romance. The world-building is vivid and has so many facets to it that readers will feel as though they are in the village with Alsa and her family, or in the castle where she learns wizardry. Landscapes are so beautiful that one senses the faint stirrings of Breath, the air elemental whom Alsa befriends, and feels the pillowy softness of the rainbow bridge under her feet as she crosses into the wizard's lair.

Most of the characters are skillfully rendered and full of life, from Dragon, the sulky, yet satisfied guardian of the castle and rainbow bridge, to Dortee, the wizard healer, to Adam the precocious child of Korlen and Alsa. Alsa comes across as a brave and selfless young lady willing to do anything to help the village she loves, yet vulnerable enough to cry over the accidental damage she causes in her lessons in magick.

Korlen is a complex individual. He is a loner; having withdrawn from others after something scarred him emotionally in his past, and is afraid to speak of his feelings, even if he's not afraid to show them in other ways. One will love him for his vulnerability at the same time as being frustrated with his refusal to interact with others. The only thing this reviewer would have liked to see regarding him is a look into the events in his past that is alluded to many times throughout the story, but never explained. That is left out and this reviewer can't help but feel that may have made her understand him even more.

In short, this is a very satisfying and quick read that will captivate readers from the first page all the way through to the beautiful happy ending. Karen McCullough is a wonderfully talented up and coming author who is guaranteed to have quite a future in the fantasy romance genre.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, October 2004. All rights reserved.

Her village is in trouble from hostile neighbors so Alsa, who has elementary wizardry skills, decides she must save her town. However, though she has latent talent she has no training to focus her flair. Alsa knows her only hope for mentoring comes from the nearby wizard, who lives in a castle on the top of a mountain across a bridge of light particles guarded by a dragon.

Frightened by the rumors she has heard of the hermit wizard, Alsa crosses the bridge and meets face to face the dragon, who sends her onto the castle following her explanation. Inside the castle she meets her host who wears a mask to hide what Alsa assumes is his hideous face from her. The wizard listens to her plea without displaying any emotion. Instead he offers to train her if she bears his child. She agrees. As she learns how to use her talent under the tutelage of a difficult harsh instructor, Alsa falls in love with her teacher and the other castle minion, but believes she will be sent home once she gives birth because though she knows her wizard cares he hides his feelings from himself.

WIZARD'S BRIDGE is a beautiful retelling of the classic Beauty and the Beast story enhanced by fantasy elements. The lead couple is a delight as both will soon learn that they received much more than their original deal's considerations. The action starts right away when the "Little Mortal" meets the dragon and never slows down until Alsa finally learns the first rule of wizardry on what ingredient casts the most powerful spells. Adult fairy tale fans will want to read this delightful romantic fantasy.

Harriet Klausner

Hoping to turn her talent into power enough to save her people from raiders, Alsa dares cross the wizard's bridge and strike a bargain with its owner. The wizard will train her in his art and she will bear his child. To make the latter easier for her, he wears a handsome mask with such ease she must wonder if the hideous face she first beheld is the lie, or if both are. Despite the difficult monotony of her training and hard taskmaster, Alsa grows to love her new home and all of its occupants, yet believes that the wizard is incapable of returning that feeling, even after she gives birth. When the truth comes, it may be too late and too painful.

**** With all the wonder of Beauty and the Beast, a truly magical tale about the greatest enchantment of all will capture your heart. Truly, it is regretable it finishes so neatly that a sequel seems impossible. The most endearing character is not one of the protagonists, however. The dragon who guards the bridge makes it worth reading to meet him. ****

This author of this book, Mr. Takenishi, is my 6th grade teacher. I'm really proud that he wrote this to make a difference in kid's or even adults lives. Mr. TAkenishi did this to give children a better understanding in writing. I mean, the way he explains it sounds so simple; and when it's time to do Pictures, the format is so easy to follow. You can even teach kinders! i'm already trying to teach my sister, but her short attention span doesn't help. Thanks Mister!! i would think it's rate is 5, from what i heard from other people, but i'll get a chance one day to read this book.

As the author's student, I'm sure this book is great! I have done picture writing and from my point of view, it's a great way to help describe everyday actions into a MUCH more detailed level. I recommend this book to all teachers because it really helps in the students vocabulary, descriptive writing, and Beauty of Language ;)

I am a 4th grade teacher in Miami-Dade County and received this book at my school. Honestly, I was skeptical at first. I thought another writing program. I have been teaching writing for 10 years what new thing could they possibly tell me. How wrong I was! This approach is wonderful! The books takes you through step by step of the Writing Pictures program. The authors include numerous student examples at various levels of achievement. The book also outlines an approximate time line of the program and when to proceed to the next step. My students have been extremely successful with this program. They look forward to their Writing Picture time daily. The book also provides ways to integrate this writing approach into all areas of the curriculum. I have 37 students and reviewing their writing can be time consuming. This book offers guidence in how to correct and grade their writing objectively. The authors also provide record keeping suggestions. I whole-heartedly recommend this book to any teacher who is looking for a new and exciting approach to writing in their classroom. Parents may also benefit a great deal from this book. It is written such that you do not have to have a background in education or writing to implement the strategies. Happy Reading!

I'm a student of the author (2001-2002) and I have been doing picture writing since the first day of school. We're at level 4 now and each time, it's been VERY helpful for my writing skills. I've always wanted to be an author and this helps me a lot.

It's an excellent way to write everyday actions with more 'spice' and beautify it with words othe than 'good' and 'like' but with 'excellent' or 'vibrant' the action words transformed from 'walked' to 'glided' in one simple lesson.

This helped me in my descriptive writing, Beauty of Language, and my vocabulary was broadened over the months I've done this.

I was recommended to this wonderful book written by Canon Glennon and was delighted and edified by it. I have found deep wisdom, an easy to read style and excellent scriptural references. I would highly recommend this volume to anyone involved in healing ministry or seeking information on your path following Jesus Christ. One word of caution, the paperback current edition is not of high quality, I found that rereading and highlighting led to breaking of the binding.

Jim Glennon, in this pathbreaking book, enlightens us about one of the most important truths than any of us could ever learn, and this is present reality of the Kingdom of God. More than that, he gives us the practical tools that enable us to make this a transformative force of our lives. Faith is a decision and we can make the power of faith ours by accepting the promises of God by a decision and by affirming that decision as often as needed so that the promises we have by faith we will begin to have in our actual experience. Problems are permitted into our lives by God to make us more dependent upon Him and as we live out that powerful fact, we find that our experience of God is deeper, that we know more of the "joy and peace of believing" and that God's grace causes the problems to melt away. The atoning death of Christ has made all this possible and it is up to us to quietly adopt this vision and experience, over time, the tremendous blessings that come as a consequence. Read this book more than once and apply its message to your life in a persevering way and you will not possibly be disappointed.

Jim Glennon writes about a God-centered approach to healing which can happen either instantaneously or gradually and be applied to both physical and emotional disorders. I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in this subject.

Written by a man with a well-known healing ministry in Sydney, Australia, this book offers a clear prescription for a successful healing. Glennon states that it is necessary to learn the broad promises of God as revealed in the Bible. It is also important to forgive others unconditionally. Above all, it is essential to have faith. By faith Glennon means a belief that God's promises are received with a resulting healing and that no lingering doubt about it is retained.
Glennon's style is not flashy and the tone of his book will be welcomed by those who are repelled by the overly dramatic antics of some Christian healers seen on television.

For anyone who has visited the San Francisco area, one of the highlights of a trip is always seeing the Golden Gate Bridge. But have you ever tried to take a photo of this iconic place and been unhappy with the result?

I have tried, and I have been unhappy. And now this terrific book has been published that shows that not only can a good photo be taken, but that 100 stellar shots are possible in all types of weather and from all types of vantage points.

Mirroring the style of the famous Japanese artist, Hokusai, who crafted a similar number of different views of Mount Fuji, author and photographer Harold Davis has created a masterpiece of his own with this tome. Clearly Davis knows his way around a camera and a lens, and the results are impeccable landscape images - full of color, light and at the same time amazing in their completely different renditions of the same structure. We see the Golden Gate at all hours of the day and night, and we see how no view can ever be considered the definitive view, since each view captures the landmark so differently

The text is also quite illustrative and author Davis points out many of the locales in which the photos were taken and he gives the reader a true feel for what it must be like to be out hunting with a lens with the Golden Gate as one's prey.

You are probably reading this review because you are interested in buying this book for yourself or as a gift for a family member or friend. If that is the case, I can reassure you that this will be a gift that is treasured by the recipient for the rest of their lifetime, and if they are a fan of the Bay area, it will probably be one of their all-time favorite books.

The photography throughout is simply stunning and this is one of those rare cases when the artist/author has captured the true essence of a place perfectly in both image and text.

Highly recommended.

Beautifully photographed and lushly printed hardcover book, "100 Views of the Golden Gate" would be the perfect tourist souvenir for any San Francisco visitor who wants to remember the GGB in a mystical and epic light. Shot at virtually every time of day and from hundreds of vantage points, Harold Davis really covered all the bases and did his homework. The book is loaded with beautiful, Kismet moments like the crepscular tower shadows and the vivid red reflection cast on the receding surf from the towers are scenes which show the photographer's patience and ability to see. This supersaturated and vivid book belongs in the suitcase of every tourist.

If you have ever lived in, or loved, San Francisco...this book is for you. Stunning photography of the San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate are presented in excellent reproductions. You'll find information about where each photo was taken, but this is no standard tourist book. It comes from the hand and eye of a Bay area insider who is an artist with the camera. See San Francisco and the Golden Gate has you remember it, and as you've never seen it! Highly recommended.

This book is educational, entertaining, and inspiring. I had one friend turning 50 and one turning 60, and I wanted a fun and practical gift for their birthday celebrations... this book was the hit of both parties!

All my life I had wanted to read the Bible, but I kept putting it off for various reasons: not enough time; thought I wouldn't understand the language; or it just seemed like a lot of work! The style used in 1001 Things You Must Know Before You Die makes the process really a lot of fun. The questions lead to discussions about life that are not only interesting but thought provoking, too. I recently read this book with a friend on a long driving trip. As a passenger, I would read from the Bible and then together we would answer the questions. It was so much fun, we found ourselves looking forward to getting back into the car to continue the drive across the country. It is trully the greatest story of all time, and therefore a "must read". The format used in this particular book, surprisingly, made reading the entire New Testament such a pleasant experience, that now I will look forward to doing it over and over again! This could be a great Sunday night study with the kids or a wonderful travel book to make a long drive shorter. I would not hesitate to recommend 1001 Things You Must Know Before You Die to anyone who has wanted to know more about the Scriptures.

1001 Things You Should Know Before You Die I LOVE THIS BOOK!!! I first started reading this book with my husband and kids. We had such a fun time searching for the answers and had some great conversations! Later that night I snuck off to do more questions on my own. Prior to reading this book I would try to start reading my Bible all the way thru, staring with John. It was such a slow process for me that I would become disinterested and start skipping around. With this book I find myself reading straight thru the scriptures. Even if I know the next question is in the following chapter I don't want to miss anything! Using this question and answer technique makes it a game and I find myself not wanting to put it down but hurry up and find the next answer to the question! I love the fact that it's not a guessing game, that the answers are easily found, and that it doesn't require any interpretation. What a great and non threatening way to share God's word with both believers and non believers. This is a book you want to share not only with your family, friends, and bible study group, but also with the world! I'm excited to see where God will take this and the lives it will touch. Goose Bumps!!!

21 PROMS tells the stories of, well, twenty-one proms. Twenty-one fantastic authors contributed to this collection, and each and every one of the stories is fabulous and enjoyable. A few, however, really stick out in my mind after finishing this book.

Holly Black's IN VODKA VERITAS is a creepy story about an evil Latin club. "MOM CALLED, SHE SAID YOU HAVE TO GO TO PROM" is Adrienne Maria Vrettos' contribution to the book. It's a great story that manages, in just a few pages, to create wonderfully three-dimensional characters that I'd love to read more about. BETTER BE GOOD TO ME by Daniel Ehrenhaft is a brilliantly written and romantic story. Aimee Friedman's THREE FATES is a hilarious story about what happens when Abby ends up with three dates instead of going dateless the way she thought she would. THE QUESTION is Brent Hartinger's one-act play that would be wonderful to see performed. PRIMATE THE PROM is Libba Bray's very interesting, original, and unusual story of a boy going to prom with his boyfriend -- who just happens to be a gorilla. THE BACKUP DATE, by Leslie Margolis, is a fabulously well-written story about Jasmine, a whiny but completely believable character, going to prom with her boyfriend and brother's best friend.

As you can see, there are quite a few fabulous stories in this collection. The two that I loved the most, however, were these: Melissa de la Cruz told the absolutely true and absolutely hilarious story of her prom in A SIX-PACK OF BUD, A FIFTH OF WHISKEY, AND ME. THE GREAT AMERICAN MORP is John Green's absolutely brilliant story and one of my two favorites about a couple of girls having a "morp," a party that is a backwards prom. In this funny and fantastic story, he introduces characters that I'd absolutely love to see again.

I did notice one thing that is interesting, and I want to know why this is: people seem much more likely to write about two gay guys than two lesbians. Quite a few of the stories had gay guys in them, but I can't think of any about two girls who wanted to go to prom together; I don't know why. In fact, I can only think of one book that I've read where the main character is a lesbian: KEEPING YOU A SECRET, by Julie Anne Peters.

A good short story, one that has good characters or a hold-your-breath-suspenseful plot or something, has to do it in just a few pages. These were some of the best short stories I can ever remember reading!

Reviewed by: Jocelyn Pearce

This book was awesome. It's a powerful collection, with a wide range of prom stories. There are the traditional prom stories, where a good time is had by all ... or most. There are the anti-prom people, who want nothing to do with the dresses and the disco balls, but make their own fun. And there are a bunch of other stories involving gorillas, chickens, condom dresses, and six-packs of Bud.

My favorites from the collection were three amazing stories that stood out against the rest:

- "Mom called, she says you have to go the prom" by Adrienne Maria Vrettos
- Chicken by Jodi Lynn Anderson
- The Great American Morp by John Green

I liked them all for different reasons, and I'm not going to spoil the surprises that are hiding in this book. I'm just going to tell you that it's worth the read.

I loved every minute of this book. I have read most of the authors' other works, so I shouldn't have been so surprised with how much I enjoyed reading every story, every page.

As with any compilation, there were some real standouts, but they were mostly because I could totally relate to them or laughed out loud. "`Mom called, she said you have to go to the prom'" by Adrienne Maria Vrettos was a fantastic story about an uninhibited girl who has the time of her life putting her oddities on display for the world to see. "Prom for Fat Girls" by Rachel Cohn was great because, honestly, what fat girl doesn't want to read about another fat girl getting the guy? And they saved the best for last. John Green's "The Great American Morp" rocked--it was the reason I gave this book five stars rather than four.

Great Authors + Great Stories = A Great Read. (Okay, that was pretty cliché and cheesy even for me.)

It was hard for me, but I helped people I hardly knew who demonstrated they needed help and to this day it was one of the highlights of my life--to bring them out of their troubles. Get it. Learn it. Use it. (It's so easy, even I can do it.)

This book has some amazingly simple techniques that one person does to another person to ease pain, sober someone up, and help someone heal and get well, etc. I dropped a heavy chair on my toe and it turned blue and swelled - agony! Using a technique in this book, it healed in three days.

I like this book because it gives practical, exact methods you can use to help others when they are hurt or ill.

Not designed as a method of healing, this book addresses the emotional and mental aspects of illness and injury. I've seen reports in the news in the past few years, that show that new research indicates that one's mental state affects how quickly healing occurs. I'm sure you've read them - older people with a pet at home recover faster from stroke. People who laugh often are less likely to have heart attacks. People who get hugged every day heal faster from certain illnesses.

Well, the idea is that the mind is a very powerful thing - that our bodies are affected by our state of mind.

This booklet gives these actual techniques you can use with someone who has been hurt, to help them with the mental and emotional affects of the illness or injury.

I'm telling you, these work!

These methods are called assists. My favorite assist is called a Locational. The technique is detailed in the book - exactly how to give someone a locational. I use this one on my children pretty often.

You know how kids sometimes will get upset about something, and stay upset for a while? For instance, a toddler runs across the room and falls down. Then proceeds to cry - for too long. You know he isn't really hurt, he's just upset. What do you do to help him get over it?

Well, I would give my toddler a locational - and by the end of the locational (usually less than a minute, in this kind of situation), he is laughing and happy!

My kids don't get sick very often, but when they do, we give them assists. They've learned to give them, too, and will give them to one another. They heal very quickly. When my youngest had RSV, a potentially deadly illness in a child his age, we gave him an assist in the hospital.

He was really sick - we took him to the emergency room when he developed a sudden fever and was having obvious respiratory problems. They transferred us to a larger hospital less than 2 hours later, as he wasn't responding to medication (his fever kept climbing - was at 104, and despite treatment he was having more difficulty breathing). It looked very scary, since nothing was helping him.

As soon as we arrived and got him settled into the emergency room at the second hospital, I gave him an assist outlined in this book. 20 minutes later his fever was suddenly GONE and his breathing was totally normal. The doctors were very surprised. They had him stay under observation for 4 more hours, then released him. His fever and other symptoms never returned.

The techniques in this book do not heal the person - but they help his state of mind so he CAN heal. So he CAN respond to treatment. So he isn't so distressed, and the power of his own mind can aid him, rather than hurt him in his healing process.

This is a vital book for anyone, but especially parents, because kids tend to live such rough-and-tumble lives. (At least my boys do!)