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Elijah’s House

July 6, 2025 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

Back in March, I wrote a post about the house Elijah bought. We spent practically every Saturday in February, March and April working on doing it up, and he spent his Saturdays, as well as a lot of weekday evenings, working on it through May and June, too. It is finally ready for renters, after he cleans the oven and removes a pile of gravel, and his renters plan to move in in a few days. I didn’t get many pictures inside the house; it looked so bad I didn’t think to do that. I got a few pictures during the process, though.

I took the children to work at the house a couple of times when we needed to be in town during the week. Both times, we worked at masking the walls, since Simon spray-painted the ceilings and trim. We had already painted the walls with rollers.

James hates painting, but he rebuilt the wall of the garage and did other repairs, with his trusty sidekick Mr. Sweetie.

When I was getting ready to paint the window trims in the living room, after the carpet had already been laid, I asked Elijah what to protect the floor with. He got the roll of leftover carpet and turned it upside down! I don’t think I dripped onto it, but I was glad to have it there anyway.

This day, Elijah and James were working on running wires for the new lights and fans that needed to be installed in the kitchen and bathroom. An electrician was going to hook them up, but he didn’t want to run the wires. They had to take up some of the roofing iron because there wasn’t any other way to get at the space.

The last day I worked there was a day in June when we went to town for a funeral. After the funeral, we all went to the house to try to knock out the last few jobs, including a final clean. When it was time to go to the cemetery for the burial, I stayed to wash the kitchen floor while everyone else went, because I knew I wouldn’t be getting back to do that job and wanted to see it done. Just as I finished the floor and was ready to do the outside of the kitchen door, it started bucketing down–I decided to wait a few minutes to do that washing, and walked around the house to take pictures of the finished project, instead.

The kitchen. Not much has changed here, other than scrubbing the walls and cabinets and floor. Elijah patched the floor in a couple of places, and I painted two walls that needed patches.

The laundry, with toilet and bathroom to the left. This area looks 100% better! The walls and ceiling were very patchy, and the floor was rough.

The living room. There is a picture of this room on the post linked above. It has new carpeting, the walls and ceiling have been painted, and the old rusted-out stove has been replaced. The new one is larger, so the boys enlarged the hearth by adding a border.

The bedroom off the living room. This one needed to be sanded back and plastered all over.

Bedroom 1. This room had old, rough gib (drywall) that needed a skim coat all over. It had carpet–the only room that did–but it stunk. There was no door in the main doorway to the room. That door you see was there; see the next picture to get an idea of this gem!

Bedroom 2. This room had gib (drywall) that someone had started finishing but never got done. It also had a cracked window.

It is very satisfying to see this house shining! It looks immensely better than it did before, and smells nice and clean, too.

Filed Under: Away From Home Tagged With: Elijah

Book Review–Logan vs. the Hateful Strawberries

July 2, 2025 by NZ Filbruns 4 Comments

About the Book:

Book: Logan vs. the Hateful Strawberries : A Towers of Light Early Reader (Logan’s Search for the Fruits of the Spirit Book One)

Author: Allen Brokken

Genre: Christian Fantasy

Release Date: May 8, 2025

Logan was important…once! He helped slay a Dragon. Now all his days are chores, chores and more chores.  Will nothing relieve the drudgery?

But when he happens upon a hidden grove of strawberries with mysterious powers, his whole perspective changes and he wonders if he’s found the mysterious fruit of self-control?  Will Logan and his new pet raccoon Rascal solve the mystery before Logan’s Pa turns the rodent into a new hat?

My Thoughts:

I read this book aloud to the children who are at home during the day, ranging in age from 15 down to 5. The older ones thought it was pretty lame, but when I asked my 5-year-old what she thought about it, she said she liked it. I asked her if she understood it, and she (being a very articulate little girl) was able to explain the allegory to me very well. Based on the feedback I have gotten from my children, I would recommend this book as an early introduction to spiritual warfare and allegory, for 6-8-year-olds. It’s gentle enough for most children in that range; there is some tension, but not much danger. Logan disobeys his parents—and later repents and makes things right as far as he can. As with this author’s other books, it is not great literature, and could do with better proofreading, but it has a sound message and appeals to the age range it is written for.

I received a review copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it. Links may be affiliate links, which will benefit Esther’s website if purchases are made through them.

About the Author:

Allen Brokken is a teacher at heart, a husband and father most of all. He’s a joyful writer by the abundant grace of God. He began writing the Towers of Light series for his own children to help him illustrate the deep truths of the Bible in an engaging and age appropriate way. He’s dedicated 15 years of his life to volunteer roles in children’s ministry and youth development. Now that his own children are off to college he’s telling stories and sharing clean humor on social media and through his blog.

More from Allen:

As a writer, I tend to lean toward what I know for inspiration.  Actual life events or people I know shape what I write about.  As a ministry volunteer in church for over 15 years, I regularly saw the challenges children with ADHD or other spectrum disorders had with the church.  Volunteers are ill-equipped to understand their unique needs, and many of the young boys I worked with ended up having terrible experiences at church because they just couldn’t fit in.

So when I set out to write an early chapter book for boys I wanted to find a way to shine the light of God’s truth right where they lived.  Having been diagnosed with A.D.D., I understand these challenges and the general mentality.  On the one hand, this can have detrimental effects when being forced to sit in a chair with nothing to do but listen; on the other hand, it can supercharge tasks that require intense focus.

I also had inspiration from the existing Towers of Light series I wrote for a middle grade audience and pre-existing characters that children love.  So I worked with the real-life Logan to craft this story that exemplifies the spiritual gift of love as the antidote to the poison of the hateful strawberries.  Plus, the antics of Rascal the Raccoon add just the right touch of comedy and action to keep young children turning the pages.

To purchase your copy, click here.

To visit more of the blog stops on this tour, click here.

To enter a fun giveaway, click here.

Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: Book Review, CelebrateLit

New in the Library! June 2025

July 1, 2025 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

More new books (no one except Esther and I get excited about book mail–it happens too often)!

Esther was delighted to be able to get this beautiful edition of The Story Girl. It’s hardcover, and the perfect size to hold, and matches some of her other classics.

I found some more Jungle Doctor books. We now have 11 of the chapter books, and two of the picture books. The chapter books are on the Junior Fiction shelf.

I have also been able to read a few more books that I bought in the last several months. These are good enough that I added them to the shelves (there were some that didn’t make the cut, unfortunately, for one reason or another). Goodnight Mister Tom is a heart-wrenching story, set during the London Blitz–but that is not the hard part. The main character is a little boy who had been terribly abused by his mother, and has now been sent to live with a crusty old man whose love died many years ago along with his only child. As with many of the My Story books, Plagues and Federation has some attitudes I don’t care for, but I decided to keep it because it tells of a time and place in history that I had never read about before. This book about William the Conqueror is an amazing glimpse into a time long gone–I learned a lot about that famous man!

Circle of Gold is a beautiful story about a girl’s love for her mother, and about being honest even when it’s very hard to do so. The Dolphin Crossing describes the rescue at Dunkirk, near the beginning of World War II, from the perspective of two boys, one of whom had been evacuated. I loved the way the two boys cared for the mother of the one when she badly needed help. These two books are on the Junior Fiction shelf. Treasures Beneath the Sea was a book I picked up at a local secondhand shop recently. It describes the search for treasures from ships that sank while carrying large amounts of gold. I’ll put it on the Junior History Shelf. Arctic Hero is the amazing story of Matthew Henson, who accompanied Robert Peary to the North Pole; it goes on the Junior Biography shelf. Both of those are the same reading level as our Independent Readers, a step above Easy Readers, for those who are ready for short chapter books. The Secret Three is a delightful story about three boys who created adventure together. It will go to the Easy Reader shelf.

Lisa Settles In is a delightful story about a little girl who moved to a new place and had to figure out how to make friends. She did wrong things a few times, and always made them right. Interestingly, this book was translated into English from some other language! I am placing it on the Independent Readers shelf, for children who have grown past the Easy Readers but are not ready for Junior Fiction yet. Swallows and Amazons is a classic from the 1930s, about a family of children who enjoyed a summer of freedom, camping on an island and sailing a small boat about the lake. It will be on the Junior Fiction shelf.The Red Pony has been on my TBR stack for a long time. It is called a children’s book, but because of the subject matter I’m putting it on the Classics shelf instead. I picked up The Magic School Bus: The Fishy Field Trip because my children enjoy those books. It is a chapter book about the Great Barrier Reef. It would go on the Independent Readers shelf if I didn’t keep the Magic School Bus books together on the Junior Science shelf. Trina is another delightful story of a little girl trying to make friends. Trina and her family are Mexicans, living in a small town in Wyoming because her father works on the railroad. Her problem with making friends is that she can’t speak English, so her father sets to work to help her.

Here are a few more books we bought secondhand, recently. I loved Encyclopedia Brown books when I was young, and my children love them, too, so I was delighted to find two that we didn’t have already–and one of them is hardcover! The two books in the next photo are written with a second-grade reading level, what we here call “Independent Readers.” However, the subject matter is for a much more mature audience, so I decided to put them on the Readers shelf, which is above eye level for most children. They are books that I will offer to mothers who have early-mid teens who struggle with reading. Then there are three hardcovers from the Narnia series that Esther was delighted to find! She will keep them on the Classics shelf.

I also found a copy of Shakespeare’s Globe, a pop-up model of the famous theatre. I’ve seen this in the home of a couple of friends, and thought it would be great to have on hand when we read The Shakespeare Stealer again, so we can see the setting.

We also reread a couple of books that have been on the shelf for many years, which I decided to feature here. We are studying the Reformation for history, and have reached the Anabaptist movement, so I picked out all the books from the shelves that cover that time and had the children choose the ones they wanted me to read aloud. Fire in the Zurich Hills is the story of the first Anabaptist congregation, in a small village near Zurich, Switzerland, in 1525. It really brings the history of that time to life. Not Regina is a fictional story of a young woman who lived near Zurich in 1525 and had to figure out for herself what the truth about the Anabaptists was. Forever With the Lord tells the story of Michael Sattler, one of the early martyrs of the Anabaptist movement.

Esther spent a weekend with some friends, and they all went op shopping together. Esther found these beautiful hardcover copies of the Winnie the Pooh books and Wind in the Willows, and couldn’t resist. Then, she found Tactics, which Elijah had just listened to and decided he want to buy a physical copy of. He was delighted!

Filed Under: Library Tagged With: Library

May 2025 Photos

June 29, 2025 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

After spending most of the summer living in someone else’s house, Princess has, for the most part, moved back here. We’re surmising that they are keeping their house closed now that it’s cold. She likes our fire–look at that blissful sleep!

While we’re on the topic of Princess, someone grabbed my phone to document her with her tongue hanging out, and, another time, eating roasted eggshells!

I am guessing this was Little Miss’s breakfast one day. She loves to get creative.

The girls love dressing up as royalty!

Our pumpkin crop was quite good this year. This is about 2/3 of the total.

We took the three youngest with us to visit some friends on the other side of the island, and while we visited after church, the girls built themselves a house with the chairs. They had several rooms.

I found these pictures on my camera–I think someone was thinking of Grandma!

A friend gave us a new rangehood for the kitchen, and one evening James got it installed. It is wonderful to have one that works and isn’t extremely loud!

James decided to grow a beard (he didn’t want to take the time to shave one evening). After a month or two, one of his brothers took him in hand and tidied it up while they were getting haircuts.

Apparently, someone was being given lessons in flying a helicopter with a fertilizer spreader underneath one day; we saw this flying around in circles for a quarter of an hour or so. There is a helicopter company based just up the road a kilometer or two.

Filed Under: Activities at Home Tagged With: Ahaura, Random Photos

Book Review–The Aftermath

June 25, 2025 by NZ Filbruns 5 Comments

About the Book:

Book: THE AFTERMATH: Ladies of Oberlin Book 3

Author: Tamera Lynn Kraft

Genre: Historical

Release Date: February 1, 2025

Betsy loves her husband, Nate, but losing his leg in the Civil War has changed him. He never touched alcohol before the war, but now he’s turning into a drunk. She doesn’t know how to help him, but to save their marriage, she’s going to do everything she can. If only she can figure out how.

Tormented by the loss of his leg, Nate feels worthless. His drinking only makes things worse, but he can’t stop. It’s only a matter of time before he drives Betsy away. Why did God allow this to happen? What does he owe God now, after this betrayal?

Nate’s anger and bitterness are building a wall that neither he nor Betsy can break down of climb over. Only God can help them, but Nate is no longer on speaking terms with the Lord. Is there any hope for them?

My Thoughts:

I had never read any books by this author and had no idea what to expect. I found myself pleasantly surprised with the story. I do not enjoy straight-up romance, so was happy to come across a historical Christian fiction book that was not romance! There were heart-breaking scenes in this story; drunkenness and abuse were rife in the Ohio town in which it was set. I really liked the way Betsy did her best to be the wife God wanted her to be, and constantly worked to trust Him and follow His direction even when her abusive husband mistreated her. The parts of the story that I did not appreciate so much involved Christians being part of the legal/justice system, and using violence against other people. I don’t see that as Scriptural. So, while I really like parts of the story, there are other aspects of it that I don’t like so well.

I received a review copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it. Links may be affiliate links, which will benefit Esther’s website if purchases are made through them.

About the Author:

In her spare time, Tamera Lynn Kraft loves to watch classic movies, drink quality teas, and ride on roller coasters, but not while drinking tea. She does drink tea while writing and working as managing editor for Mt Zion Ridge Press, a traditional Christian publishing company. She has always loved adventures and loves to write historical fiction set in the United States because there are so many stories in American history. Forks in the Road, The Aftermath, Lost in the Storm, Red Sky Over America, Anna’s Christmas Promise, Alice’s Notions, and Resurrection of Hope are among her published works, some of which have won awards.

Tamera has been married for a very long time to the love of her life, Rick, and has two married adult children and the most adorable and smartest grandchildren in the world. She was a children’s pastor for over 20 years. She is now the leader of a ministry called Revival Fire for Kids where she mentors and coaches children’s leaders, teaches workshops, and is a children’s ministry consultant and children’s evangelist. She has written children’s church curriculum including Building Foundations and is a recipient of the 2007 National Children’s Leaders Association Shepherd’s Cup for lifetime achievement in children’s ministry.

More from Tamara:

Oberlin College: Ahead of It’s Time

All three of my Ladies of Oberlin books feature women who graduated from Oberlin College shortly before the Civil War. Oberlin College, founded in 1833 in Northern Ohio, was a college ahead of its time in many ways. In 1835, it became the first college in the United States to regularly admit African Americans. It’s also the oldest co-educational college in the US. In 1837, it admitted four women, three of whom graduated and earned a college degree. Mary Jane Patterson, another Oberlin graduate, became the first African American woman in 1862 to earn a Bachelor of Arts college degree.

One of Oberlin’s founders once bragged that “Oberlin is peculiar in that which is good”. Oberlin was peculiar in many ways in advancing the causes of the time. Charles Finney, the second president of the college, helped it earn its controversial reputation. He was the founder of the Second Great Awakening, a Christian revivalist movement in the early and mid 1800s.

Oberlin College was the hotbed of abolitionist activity and a stop for the Underground Railroad before the Civil War. It was once called “the town that started the Civil War” because of its participation in the Oberlin Wellington Rescue in 1858. Slave catchers came to Oberlin to capture an escaped slave and return him to Kentucky. Most of the town came to the slave’s aid and rescued him. For their trouble, over twenty were arrested and put on trial for violating the Fugitive Slave Act. During the raid on Harper’s Ferry by John Brown, three men from Oberlin participated.

Oberlin graduates have been involved in all of the movements of the late 1800s including abolition, women’s suffrage, the suffrage movement, and education as well as many charities and helped shape the nation for the twentieth century.

Oberlin was also very well known in the missionary movement of the late 1800s. Between 1860 and 1900, 90% of missionaries sent overseas by the American Missionary Society were graduates of Oberlin College. Between 1899 and 1901, thirteen missionaries from Oberlin were martyred during the Boxer Rebellion of China. An arch in Tappan Square at the center of Oberlin pays honor to their sacrifices.

To purchase your copy, click here.

To visit more of the blog stops on this tour, click here.

To enter a fun giveaway, click here.

Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: Book Review, CelebrateLit

Book Review–Oakwoods Series

June 24, 2025 by NZ Filbruns 13 Comments

Welcome to the Blog Tour for the Oakwoods Series by Kathy J. Perry, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Series

Pip O’Possum (Work Then Play)
Sally Skunkskin (Grumbles to Grateful)
Benjamin Bat (Humility)
Nuts (Caring is Sharing)
Jeremy Jay (Resilience)
Author: Kathy J. Perry
Publisher: Chickadee Words
Release Date: April 4, 2025
Genre: Early Reader Chapter Books (ages 5-8)

These warm stories invite readers into a woodland world that feels very classic and fun. Kids will like meeting the animals in the Oakwoods series. As they read about the animals’ adventures, friendships, and foibles, they’ll also discover timeless lessons that feel authentic to the characters and the Oakwoods world—and also applicable to our daily lives.

Teachers and parents of young readers transitioning from picture books will appreciate the easy-to-read font, a glossary, “What If?” discussion questions about the story & application to real life, and a “Did You Know?” section with surprising facts about the real animal. (i.e. blue jays aren’t really blue!)

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | KathyJPerry.com | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

My Thoughts

These are very cute books. Each one portrays an animal interacting with the other animals around it, and learning character lessons. One learns to be diligent, another to be thankful, and another to be humble. The pictures are delightful. Young children who like animals will love these stories. My youngest is one of those animal lovers. I read her one of these books, and she told me at the end that she loved the way the animals worked together, and their relationship. That one happened to be a bit of a romance, which she loves. I’m saving the other ones for reading to her later, when we’re traveling.

About the Author

Of the many jobs I’ve held in the past, including thirty-five years of designing and constructing stained glass windows part-time, teaching was one of the most enjoyable for me because investing in kids is so important. To this end, I continue to encourage good character with clean, moral stories kids and teens love to read. Good books make such an impact.

Writing is hard work, but there’s nothing like a good story to run off with your imagination. When things are flowing, it’s like a vacation. Sometimes the best ideas come in the middle of the night.

When not writing, you’ll find me painting with watercolor, doing school visits, writing a blog, interviewing other writers, designing websites, working as an administrative assistant part-time, and renovating houses.

Is this retirement? Apparently so! I’m loving every minute of it with my husband of 43 years.

Connect with Kathy J. Perry by visiting kathyjperry.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email updates.

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a 5-book signed softcover bundle of the Oakwoods Series, bookmarks, and a $50 Amazon digital gift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight June 24, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on July 1, 2025. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway


Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

JustRead Publicity Tours

Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: Book Review, JustRead

Miss Joy

June 22, 2025 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

A common theme in pictures of Miss Joy? Cats and books! They are her two great loves. Esther caught this picture of her studying comics one day.

One day when she was bored, I told her to take my camera and take pictures of the cats. Here are a few of the ones she took, along with some selfies. The cockeyed one was done deliberately so she could get both cats in one frame.

After being stored away from home for 9 or 10 months, the legos have finally come home, and the three youngest are enjoying them. Miss Joy made these vehicles, and then wanted to document them.

She drew this picture one evening, and wanted me to send a photo of it to a friend.

Cats, flowers, the bird…more things that make her happy!

I’m not sure what this was about, but she was dressing up as something. The girls have been doing that a lot lately.

Filed Under: Activities at Home Tagged With: Ahaura, Miss Joy

Mr. Imagination

June 15, 2025 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

As I looked through our photos from May, I found a lot that featured Mr. Imagination! He has been very busy. This is a picture he drew on the whiteboard one day.

More of his weaponry! He likes to test his knives by seeing if they will shave, but he ran out of hair on his arm so he got a brother to test it. The hatchet is made from rebar! The crossbow really shoots.

One day, he let Reepicheep watch him practice his math facts. The bird was fascinated with the pictures moving across the screen!

Reepicheep is getting quite tame. All the children enjoy playing with him.

Filed Under: Activities at Home Tagged With: Ahaura, Nathan

April 2025 Photos

June 8, 2025 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

I have some time this afternoon, so maybe I can catch up with posting photos! I’ll schedule posts ahead to spread them out a little.

We had fun one evening attempting to make Pippi Longstocking-style braids on Miss Joy!

One special evening, we got to attend a graduation ceremony for a number of local apprentices, including both Elijah and James. Elijah actually got signed off in September, but James was only signed off that week! The company who handled their studies invited all the new tradesmen and their families and workmates to a dinner at a local restaurant, and after the meal, presented them with their diplomas. It was quite a special occasion!

We are really enjoying these two budgies! The blue one, Reepicheep, is especially interesting–quite a character!

Mr. Imagination has a new obsession. He makes knives! These are a few of his recent creations.

I missed a couple of pictures of the cat who likes boxes! Here they are. Elijah had his bedroom door in the carport for a week or two to be painted, and Grizzly was delighted to find a piece of newspaper in one of the panels. Two of her favorite things–newspaper, in a “box!” The trailer makes a large box when she can’t find a cardboard one.

Little Miss cracked an egg one day and found a strange “egg” inside it. She decided this needed to be documented!

Filed Under: Activities at Home, Away From Home Tagged With: Ahaura, cats, Random Photos

Book Review–Lion of Judah

June 4, 2025 by NZ Filbruns 6 Comments

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Lion of Judah by Henry O. Arnold, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Lion of Judah
Series: The Song of Prophets and Kings #5
Author: Henry O. Arnold
Publisher: WhiteFire Publishing
Release Date: May 15, 2025
Genre: Biblical/Historical Fiction

The new king is crowned in triumph…
But his pride proves to be a fatal flaw…
And from out of his own house calamity falls upon him

Once a shepherd, a captain, and a fugitive, David is now king. He left behind the dangers of life on the run and embraced the comforts of living in the palace. No longer known as the “giant-slayer,” but as the “lion of Judah,” King David enjoys the popularity and prosperity brought on by his victories.

But peace in the nation of Israel has a double-edged sword. David’s pride subverts his judgment, and his desires overwhelm his heart leading him down a dark pathway. The king will go to any lengths to cover up his crimes, but disaster falls upon the House of David bringing this broken and contrite king to cry out to Yahweh for mercy.

Lion of Judah continues the tale of triumph and tragedy, deepest love and burning rivalries; the new epoch is given a voice…and it is The Song of Prophets and Kings.

My Thoughts

When I discovered that the book I was being asked to review was the fifth in a series, I gulped. I do not like reading a series out of order, or jumping in in the middle or end. The author assured me that Lion of Judah can stand alone, though there are story arcs that go throughout the series. I went searching for a way to read or listen to the first four books, however, and found the audiobooks on a library I use. So, for the last month, I’ve been listening to this series when I can! I’ve made it through the first two, and am almost to the end of the third, and have read about half of Lion of Judah.

I’m finding these books quite an interesting peak into what it might have been like to be Samuel, or Saul, or David, or Michal, or the prophets Gad and Nathan. I really like the picture painted here of what happens when pride is allowed to take over a person’s life. (The scene where Samuel realizes what his sons have become? Ouch.)

What I could do without in every one of these books that I have read is the scenes in which married couples are attracted to each other. They are more sensual than I like. There are 2-3 such scenes in each book. I have been careful not to listen to them while my children are around. So, as in many books, there are aspects I really like, and things I don’t appreciate so much.

Also, I’m not sure about the author’s timeline. Our family has just read through the life of Saul in our current trip through the Bible together, and we were paying attention to the timing of various events. What we found in the Bible seems quite different from the timing of events in these books. So, read them for the lessons that can be learned, not as history!

I believe I like this final book, Lion of Judah, best of the series. Though David fell into sin, and then sinned even more grievously to cover it up, he repented. The story is quite sad—as we know from reading the Bible. It ends with hope, however. 

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | WhiteFire Publishing | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Links in this post may be affiliate links, which will help to support Esther’s website.

More In This Series

About the Author

Mr. Henry O. Arnold‘s career as an actor/author spans over five decades with multiple stage and film credits. He has recorded over one hundred audiobooks and is the author of the Urban Chronicles suspense series and the multi-volume biblical/historical fiction series entitled The Song of Prophets and Kings (available in all formats wherever books are sold). When not writing, he can be found hiking on a trail somewhere in the world. He and his lovely wife Kay have two beautiful daughters, married to two handsome men, with three above-average grandchildren.

Connect with Henry by visiting henryoarnold.com to follow him on social media and subscribe to email newsletter updates.


Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a print copy of Lion of Judah & $20 Amazon Gift Card plus a print copy of The Mercy Seat, also by Henry O. Arnold!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight June 2, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on June 9, 2025. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway


Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

JustRead Publicity Tours

Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: Book Review, JustRead

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The Family:


Dad and Mom (Gayle and Emma)

Girl #1, Esther, my right hand

Boy #1, Seth (Mr. Handyman)

Boy #2, Simon (Mr. Inventor)

Boy #3, Mr. Intellectual

Boy #4, Mr. Diligence

Boy #5, Mr. Sweetie

Boy #6, Mr. Imagination

Girl #2, Little Miss

Girl #3, Miss Joy

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