Life Creative by Wendy Speake and Kelli Stuart (Book Review!)

Life Creative:

Inspiration for Today’s Renassance Mom

by Wendy Speake and Kelli Stuart

(received in exchange for an honest review)

Genre- Religion / Christian Life / Inspirational

Published by- Kregel Publications

Copyrighted- 2016

Number of pages- 207

Age Group- Adult

Description of book- paperback, listed price- $14.99, ISBN 978-0-8254-4410-4

Are you a creative person?  Are you a mom?  Do you have problems fitting your creativity into your life as a mom?  This book can help you.

Life Creative helps creative moms fit their creativity into their day to day life.  It is a new Renaissance time.  Some of the women who are talked about are Melissa Michaels, Lisa Leonard, Angie Smith, and Ellie Holcomb.

About the Authors-

Wendy Speake has written Triggers.  She is also an actress.

Kelli Stuart has written Like a River from Its Course and 30 Days to Becoming a Writer.  She is a speaker and blogger. 

My thoughts-

This is an inspirational book.  I liked all of the definitions of words, quotes from the text, and stories about the women.  The stories about the different women helped me realize that there is a time and a place for everything.  Your creative side might have to wait until the children are older, or you might need to find a way to have child care while you are being creative.  It is just important to remember that while you are important, the care of your family is more important and that the time will come that you can unleash your creative side.  You might even be able to be creative with your family.  If you like baking, you can do it for them until you can bake full time for others.

It would have been nice if there had been questions and/or a summary at the end of each chapter.  It would have given me a lot of good ideas to do in my life.

I highly suggest that you find this book, enjoy reading and learning from it, then pass it on to other creative women that you know.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received Life Creative, by Wendy Speake and Kelli Stuart, for free from Kregel Publications’ Blog Tour.  All links were current when posted.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Like a River from Its Course by Kelli Stuart (Book Review!)

LIke a River from Its Course

by Kelli Stuart

(received in exchange for an honest review)

Genre- Fiction / Christian / Historical

Published by- Kregel Publications

Copyrighted- 2016

Number of pages- 363

Age Group- Adult

Description of book- paperback, listed price- $14.99, ISBN 978-0-8254-4414-2

The country of Ukraine and its role in World War II is not known to many.  Kelli Stuart spent fifteen years researching and interviewing survivors for this book.

In this book the reader meets Maria Ivanovna (fourteen and sent to a German labor camp), Luda Michaelevna (sixteen and raped and pregnant by German soldiers), Frederick Hermann (wanting to do the best for Nazism), and Ivan Kryilovich (mistaken for a Jew and sent to Babi Yar, the “killing ditch”).

What will happen to them and their loved ones during the war?  Will they survive?  What will happen to their city, Kiev?

About the Author-

Kelli Stuart currently lives in Florida.  Her blog is KelliStuart.com.  She has written for American Girl, Disney, and Short Fiction Break.  Stuart is also a coauthor of Dare 2B Wise and Life Creative.

My thoughts-

I have never studied much about World War II.  I know some of what happened in England, France, and Germany, so I was very interested when I learned about this book.  I knew nothing about Ukraine’s involvement and Babi Yar.  Since part of this novel is about Ivan Kryilovich, who was sent to Babi Yar by mistake, it must mean that there many Jews living in Kiev at the time.

As with many books of historical fiction, I make sure I read everything about the book, from the testemonials to the acknowledgements.  Since this book didn’t have a special section discussing the historical background of this book, it is important to read the acknowledgements, because Stuart discusses some of her research.  It would have been nice if she had included more about her research and the people that the characters were based on.

This was a book I had hard time putting down.  I wanted to always learn more about their circumstances and what happened to them. 

If you want to learn more about World War II in the Ukraine, I would suggest that you read this one.  It is good for both men and women.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received Like a River from Its Course, by Kelli Stuart, for free from Kregel Publications’ Blog Tour.  All links were current when posted.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.