Andy Andrews tells the powerful stories of two men in his new book The Butterfly Effect: How Your Life Matters.

The first is the story of Colonel Joshua Chamberlain, fighting at the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War. Andrews details how, because of Chamberlain’s actions in this battle, the United States is a unified nation today. And if the outcome of Chamberlain’s actions was different, the USA would not exist in the manner in which it does today, potentially changing the course of 20th century history and the spread of democracy around the world. It’s amazing that one man’s decisions can be so pivotal…

The second story is the tale of Norman Borlaug, ABC News’ Person of the Week in 2004. Who? Who in the world is Norman Borlaug? He is the man responsible for hybridinzing a high yield variety of corn and wheat, saving the lives of over two billion people as a result.

But is Norman Borlaug really the one responsible? Or does the credit go to the man responsible for creating Borlaug’s research opportunities? Or does it go to the person who influenced this man’s life as a child? Or does it go to the family who saved this person’s life. Or…

Just how far does the chain go back? How many people have taken their turn in this chain of people and events that resulted in Norman Borlaug’s action?

The point is this: each and every life on this planet matters. You influence the people around you; and you have no idea just how far reaching that influence can be.

“How far forward would we have to go in your life to see the difference you make? Every single thing you do matters.”

The Butterfly Effect is a quick and easy read; and yet the impact very well could be earth changing.

Put this simple little gift book on your shelf today!

If you are interested in reading The Butterfly Effect, you can purchase it at Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Andy Andrews tells a powerful story of changing lives in his children’s book The Boy Who Changed The World.

He takes the story of Norman Borlaug and tells it in a fashion that will captivate children of all ages. I know this is true, because it captivated all four of my kids. They were spellbound.

Andrews tells the same story in his book The Butterfly Effect, written in a manner that is more appealing to adults. You can read my review of The Butterfly Effect here.

Titus

In The Boy Who Changed The World, Andy Andrews has taken the same story and written it on a children’s level. And he has done a great job telling the story. After reading it aloud to my four children, here’s what they had to say about it:

Titus, age 6: “I liked it that Norman changed the world. And I liked that other people changed his life so he could change the world.”

Lydia

Lydia, age 8: “I liked that Norman ended up helping 2 billion people with food. And everyone was always helped out by someone else. It’s true: everything I do matters.”

Hannah, age 11, wrote her own blog about this story. You can read her post here.

My family and I really enjoyed reading The Boy Who Changed The World together. I’m sure your family will enjoy it as well. This book is well worth the investment of a little money and time. And your family will love it!

If you are interested in reading The Boy Who Changed The World, you can purchase it at Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Recently I read and reviewed Randy Singer’s forthcoming new book, Fatal Convictions. I thoroughly enjoyed this John Grisham-esque legal thriller. You can read my review for more details. You can also read a special Q & A session with the author, Randy Singer.

Tyndale House Publishers is promoting Fatal Convictions with a blog tour, of which The Randleman Review is a part. One of the features of this blog tour promotion is the opportunity for me to give away a copy of Fatal Convictions through The Randleman Review.

So, over the next week, I will conduct a contest to determine a worthy recipient for Fatal Convictions.

This is not a typical book giveaway. Rather than giving away the actual book, we will be giving away gift certificates good for a copy of the book from the winner’s local Christian bookstore. If the winner does not live near a Christian store, or the store won’t accept it for some reason, it can be redeemed directly through Tyndale. All of the instructions will be on the back of the certificate. Along with the certificate for the book, the winner will also receive a signed bookplate from Randy Singer. Tyndale House Publishers will handle the mailing of the certificate and book plate. I will notify Tyndale House of the winner, giving them the winner’s name and address.

Here are the rules:

The winner will be selected at random from the comments section of this post using an automated generator, such as Random.org. Comment as many times as you like, however, each person will be entered into the contest only once. (Last time I ran a give-away, I allowed each comment to be worth one entry. This method dissolved into a very entertaining comment war between a few individuals.) This time, the more you comment doesn’t improve your chances of winning at all. But feel free to comment as many times as you like.

The comments must appear on this post, and not on the copy of this post that is posted on my FaceBook account. Comments on the FaceBook note are appreciated, but will not be considered as entries into the contest.

This contest is limited to US winners only. Sorry for any inconvenience to international readers.

The contest will end at midnight on Monday, September 4th. The winner will be announced on Tuesday, September 5th.

Comment away!

If you don’t win, or would simply prefer to purchase your own copy to begin with, you can get it at Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

One of the publishers that I review books for on this blog is Tyndale. I recently read and reviewed Randy Singer’ forthcoming book, Fatal Convictions for Tyndale, and posted my review. I really enjoyed the book. It is one of the better legal thrillers, in a style similar to someone like John Grisham, that I’ve read in a long time. You can read my review here. And you can enter to win a copy of Fatal Convictions here. Or, purchase your on copy at Amazon.com.

Part of the blog tour that Tyndale is sponsoring for Fatal Convictions is a Q & A with the author, Randy Singer. Here are the ten question posed to Randy, along with his answers, concerning Fatal Convictions, his life and his next project. Enjoy!

1. Randy, how did you first come up with the idea for this story?

My idea for the book came when I asked this question: What makes To Kill A Mockingbird the best legal thriller of all time? My answer: Because Atticus Finch performed the highest duty of a lawyer, representing a man he believed was innocent, a man nobody else would defend. Then I asked a related question: What would that look like today? My answer was Fatal Convictions. A Christian lawyer defending a Muslim imam accused of honor killings.

I am a huge John Grisham fan. Huge.

And so I have to admit, that when I was told that Randy Singer’s new book, Fatal Convictions, was Grisham-esque, I was skeptical to say the least. I mean, come on. Who can compare to the master in the legal thriller genre? Anyone?

But once I started Fatal Convictions, I couldn’t set it down (which presented a problem, since I started it just before I left to dean a week of junior high church camp). I grabbed every spare moment I could find and simply devoured this story.

The story is simple, at least until you get into it; there are so many plot twists and unexpected occurrences that keep you turning page after page.

Here’s the story. Alex Madison is a part time pastor, and a small-time attorney in Virginia Beach, with a very promising personal injury case involving the wife of an imam at the local mosque. When the wife of another high-profile Muslim leader is murdered, and his client is the one accused of the crime, Alex must make a choice. Will he take the case and defend the imam, who he believes is innocent? Or will he decline, and concentrate his energies on his small practice and small church?

Randy Singer

With the pressures of his church leadership, the media, and building tensions within his own office all weighing heavily on his heart, Alex must find a way to prove the innocence of his client. And the presence of the imam’s beautiful daughter doesn’t help the situation at all; she has her own ideas about how to handle the case.

Alex must decide how best to defend the imam, and prove his innocence, without endangering his own life or the lives of his closest friends and family. Can he do it? Or is he in over his head?

Fatal Convictions is a story that will grip your attention and not let go until you turn the final page. If you are a Grisham fan, then you will need to pick up Randy Singer’s book and check it out. If you love a suspenseful page-turner, then you need to check this one out.

Want to find out more about Fatal Convictions? Check out this Q & A with the author, Randy Singer!

Want to read it for yourself? Here’s a contest you can enter for a chance to win a copy of Fatal Convictions for yourself!

If you are interested in reading Fatal Attractions, by Randy Singer, you can purchase it at Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Tyndale House Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

It’s that time of year again. Every year, as I wrap up the summer and initiate plans and actions for the fall, I try to take a break and review my year spiritually. Every August, I try to limit my busy-ness in ministry and spend some time with family and friends, and spend some time alone to refresh and renew myself spiritually.

At this point each year, I try to set for myself several goals that I want to accomplish. I’ve learned that my goals are more likely to get finished if I break the year down into quarters. I started doing this last year, and my percentage of goals and tasks completed shot up drastically. It is simply easier to view my near future, over the next three months, and accomplish goals in shorter time frames, than it is to view the year as a whole. At least for me, in most cases.

One of the goals that I set for myself for the year is putting together a pretty extensive reading list. I will break this list down into smaller chunks throughout the year, to be read as part of my quarterly goals lists.

This year, part of my “down time” was with the family, as we took a few days and spent it at some friends’ home on Table Rock Lake. I prayed over this list extensively. Hopefully, I will be able to take a couple of days early in September to get away with a few of these books and my Bible, just to spend some time allowing God to completely refresh me.

And so, I’ve gathered this collection of books, most of them over the course of the last several months, placing them in a stack ready for this year’s reading. Of course, there are other books that will be added to this list as the year goes on; books that catch my eye at the bookstore, or that are recommended to me by a friend, or a new book out by a favorite author (Ted Dekker). And, as always, there were several books that didn’t make the list. Some of these are sitting in my office, waiting for next year, or the off-chance that I might get to them this year.