Family Relationships – Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions

About the Book

Book: The Winnowing Fork

Author: Betty Ruth Weatherby

Genre: Biblical Fiction

Release date: September, 2022

NEW CHRISTIAN NOVEL FILLED WITH ADVENTURE

ZACCHAEUS EXPERIENCES ROMAN OCCUPATION AND THE FAMILY SHAME OF LEPROSY AS HE SURVIVES IN THE HISTORICAL SETTING OF 2000 YEARS AGO.

Betty Ruth Weatherby travels the world and uses her experiences to create the Biblical Fiction of “The Winnowing Fork” to convey the message of God’s sustaining, eternal love.

The tax collector’s mother is banned with a skin disease when his father is conscripted by the occupying Roman army.

Follow Zacchaeus as he grows to love the sound and glitter of gold coins while his greed consumes him, overcoming even his love of family.

Zacchaeus in his lonely, self-isolation discovers that the real author of peace and serenity is in a man called Jesus whose father is God himself. Jesus passes through Jericho on his way to Passover in Jerusalem.

Zacchaeus tries to see through the crowd as the entourage passes:

“He yanked the leaves back again, and found the Rabbi looking at him,

His eyes fastened on Zacchaeus.”

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Betty Ruth Weatherby is a graduate of California State University, Stanislaus. She earned her teacher’s credential from Chapman University as well as a cross-cultural language and academic development certificate from Sacramento State University. Weatherby has sold her books across America. She is the author of the Lanover Adventure Series, Pepper’s children’s series and excels in Women’s Adventures. Women can travel the world as part of God’s Plan to enjoy life at its fullest and step out in faith.

Weatherby was born in the shipbuilding community of Sausalito, California and writes from a world of experience in fulfilling the Christian walk. Her most recent novel “The Girl on the Tombstone” is a nostalgic historical piece based in San Andreas, California where she grew up and attended Calaveras High School.

More from Betty Ruth

Zacchaeus was always a puzzle to me. How did he become a hated tax collector and only

One meeting with Jesus turned his life around. So, I imagined a story, gave him a family and neighbors to create a life around him as he accumulated his “taxes.”

My Impressions

Have you ever wondered what would possess Zacchaeus to be a tax collector? He was a Jew hated because he gathered taxes for the Romans from his own people, not to mention lining his pockets while doing so. Betty Ruth Weatherby pens an imaginative and immersive tale, The Winnowing Fork, which shows how Zacchaeus’s greed and arrogance could have developed.

I loved the look at the different family members, a few close friends, and associates. The characters were well- drawn and varied. I especially enjoyed Ruth and Tryphena’s relationship. There are several despicable persons. Perhaps one that stands out to me is Hesiah, the neighbor lady of the family.

As the characters are presented little by little, in alternating bits, a fuller picture emerges. However, it was unclear to me as I read that equal amounts of time were passing for the various individuals. At times it seemed years had passed for some, days for others. Maybe I just didn’t read something carefully enough.

After all Zacchaeus has gone through, one begins to understand better how he could have become the disliked publican. How my heart hurt for both Tryphena and Joshua as they begin to realize the person their son has allowed himself to evolve into!

With so much of the book detailing Zacchaeus’s tax collector mentality development, it made the spiritual and emotional healing part seem small in comparison.

I do like the way Zacchaeus remembers Scripture teachings from his childhood. God promises His Word will not come back empty. He brings to remembrance His Word when we need it.

I was surprised and pleased by the twist at the end. Definitely worth a read!

I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Great! I loved this book for its possible explanation of how Zacchaeus could have become the hated tax collector he was.

Blog Stops

Lots of Helpers, February 1

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 2

Texas Book-aholic, February 3

deb’s Book Review, February 4

Christina’s Corner, February 5

Mary Hake, February 5

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 6

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, February 7

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, February 8

Connie’s History Classroom, February 9

Lily’s Book Reviews, February 10

Cover Lover Book Review, February 11

Books I’ve Read, February 11

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 12

For Him and My Family, February 13

Book Butterfly in Dreamland, February 14

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Betty is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/23d5b/the-winnowing-fork-celebration-tour-giveaway

About the Book

Book: Legends of the Donut Shop

Author: Terry Overton

Genre: Fiction/Middle Grade YA

Release date: March 19, 2022

At seventeen years of age, Wes Williams is injured in a head-on collision and nearly loses his life. Wes does not know if he will live or die. In a mysterious near-death experience, he travels back in time to his earlier years and the time he spent with his grandfather and his old buddies at the Donut Shop. The humorous gang of old veterans, and one retired sheriff, retell their stories once again. This time, Wes understands the meaning of each story.

This is a book of second chances, life lessons, and forgiveness. Wes’s life is changed forever, and he begins a new chapter in his life.

This book was written for a group of actual Donut Shop friends who gathered weekly with my dad. I often went with him to hear the stories these people told. The men were all veterans. At the suggestion of one particular veteran, I wrote the book so that younger people, middle school age, YA, etc., could experience what these groups of guys are like and to appreciate U.S. history.

My dad had seen the cover of the book and a summary of what I was writing. He and my mom both died of Covid ten days before the book was published. He never got to read it. I was able to pass it out to the men from the local donut shop at Mom and Dad’s funeral on March 30^th. I hope to pass these stories on, just like Dad wanted.

Legends of the Donut Shop earned 5 Star Reviews from Reader Views and Readers’ Favorites.

Click here to get your copy!

My Impressions

How does a person remember something? Generally, because we attach great emotion to the event. The greater the emotion, the stronger the memory. So, Terry Overton has penned an emotional book, placing 17-year-old Wes Williams in a fight for his life, having flashbacks of important lessons learned with his grandfather and the grandfather’s contemporaries in a local donut shop. This is a book I will remember because of Wes’s emotional and physical struggles. But as I do, the life lessons presented by Grandpa will come alongside. While written for middle schoolers and YA, I believe anyone who enjoys history, values family, or values the spiritual lessons that Overton promotes, will enjoy this novel.

Along the way, I fell in love with the relationship that Grandpa and his friends have so purposely built into Wes. What a great way to show someone the way to live. Spending time, being such an example that others can’t help but want to emulate you!

Since the novel is experienced in the first person with Wes, I was quite eager to read on to find out whether he would live, regain his full abilities, or remain extremely frustrated by his circumstances.

I rather think the title is double-entendre. I love that!

I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. I also bought an ebook. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent!! The strong emotions evoked will surely help you remember the important life lessons! Good book for all ages, while written especially for YA.

About the Author

Terry Overton is a retired university professor of educational and school psychology. She has an Ed.D. in Special Education and a Ph.D. in Psychology. Her professional experience includes teaching public school, teaching at the university level, and being a college dean. She has two children and six grandchildren. Her writing and publication experiences include textbook and journal articles in the fields of special education and school psychology. She seeks to answer God’s call to share the good news and grow the church by writing Christian books and devotionals. Her book Both Sides of the Border is a Firebird Book Award, Bookfest Winner, America Writing Award, and International Book Award Finalist, for categories of Cross-Genre, Socio-Political Fiction, and Women’s Fiction. Her book, America of We the People was awarded the Firebird Book Award for Socio-Political and Political categories. She and her husband live in the southern tip of Texas where they enjoy semi-tropical weather and spending time with their friends and family.