One of my favorite books of all-time is a book called This Present Darkness, by Frank Peretti.  It’s a novel about spiritual warfare, and is one of those books that has stayed with me the entire 20 years since I’ve read it.  I read – and enjoyed – its sequel, Piercing the Darkness, but I hadn’t read a Peretti book since.

So you can imagine how thrilled I was when I was asked to read and review his newest novel, Illusion.  I started reading it immediately the day I received it, and didn’t put it down for the next few days until I’d finished it.  Quite simply, it did not disappoint.

Illusion tells the story of Dane and Mandy Collins, husband and wife and popular magic act for forty years.  When Mandy is killed in a horrific car accident, Dane is consumed with grief.  As he mourns, Mandy returns to life… but as her 19-year-old year old self in the present day.   Drawn to each other by a connection neither can explain, the two meet and eventually enter into a mentor/protege relationship.

Mandy finds work as an illusionist and performer at a local coffee house, and with Dane as her coach, begins to forge a successful career as a solo magician.  As she tries to piece together who she is and how she got here, Dane tries to reconcile his feelings for this beautiful young girl who reminds him so much of his wife.    Meanwhile, the pair is being watched – closely – by the people who hold all the answers they’re looking for.

I must confess I don’t ordinarily read books about things such as time travel, but Peretti writes it in such a way that he makes me a believer.  His characters are sympathetic and true-to-life, and their relationship (both in the past and the present) is heartfelt and inspiring.  He made me root for the good guys and boo for the bad guys, and crafted a story that is full of heart, twists, and turns.  The last 100 pages especially were like a roller coaster hurtling to the bottom of the giant drop.  It was a book I simply couldn’t put down. *

Want to win your own copy and see if you love it as much as I did?   One reader will win a brand-new (soft-cover) edition of this book, just released this month.

Here’s what you gotta know:

There are four ways to enter.   Please leave just ONE comment letting me know which ones you’ve done.   The giveaway will stay open for one week, and a winner will be randomly selected on Friday, April 6th.  I will announce the winner on my blog, but I will also contact you by email.  So make sure you’re leaving a valid address (I won’t use it for any other purpose, I promise. :))

1.  Post a comment on this entry, any old comment at all.

2.  Share the link to this giveaway on Facebook.

3.  Share the link to this giveaway on Twitter.

4.  Let me know one of YOUR favorite books of all time.

Good luck!

(*All opinions are my own.  I wasn’t required to give a positive review*)

Thanks to all who came out to support the Parenting Wild Things book, and to Jessica for sharing her words of wisdom with the world!

The winner of the free copy is….

Shannan 🙂

Congratulations! Message me with the email address you’d like me to send it to, and I will get it to you right away.

Wanted to read it but didn’t win? Don’t fret, you can hop on over here and get yourself a copy for the cost of one of those big Frappucinos from Starbucks. (It goes down just as smoothly, and it won’t hurt your waistline)

And stay tuned for another cool giveaway in the semi-near future 😉

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A few things you need to know about my friend Jessica of Bohemian Bowmans:

1. She is real. She writes with absolutely no pretense. Her words are always a refreshingly honest portrayal of the messy, the noisy, the joyful ups and downs that come with parenting four children. Her writing style is casual, friendly, and never leaves a doubt that what you are reading is 100% authentic.

2. She is funny. I have trouble relating to people who aren’t at least a little bit funny. Jessica made me laugh from day one, and has a healthy appreciation for sarcasm. I knew we’d get along after that first night that I discovered her blog (and could not stop reading)

3. She is me, ten years ago. We’re not the exact same mothers (because no two people ever are) but we both embarked on the same parenting and unschooling journey, armed with the same goal: to keep our wits about us as we strive for a closer, more peaceful, more harmonious relationship with our kids. She’s at the same place I was when I was her age, which is exactly what makes her writings so refreshing and relatable – especially to new and/or younger parents. She’s not just writing about it…. she’s living it.

In her new ebook (which I read in its entirety instead of cleaning the kitchen :)), Parenting Wild Things, she combines her raw, honest, and at times self-deprecating humor into a beautiful little tome based on her own journey to more mindful, gentle, and grace-filled parenting. It gives real and practical advice that anyone can start implementing right now… not in a preachy way, but in a girlfriends sitting around chatting over a cup of coffee way.

It’s filled with powerful analogies (“children are aliens, not criminals”), personal experience, and nuggets of wisdom. She’s even included cute Wild Thing photos for those of us who need pictures in our books. It’s a must-read for any parent, particularly those who are wanting to move from a traditional, authoritarian mindset to one of partnership and mutual respect.

You can pick up your copy here (it’s only $5!) and you can also go join the fun on Facebook.

Want to win a free copy? You know the drill!

1. Leave a comment on this post to be entered to win.

2. Share the link to this post on Facebook.

3. Share the link to this post on Twitter.

4. Like the Parenting Wild Things Facebook page.

Leave a comment letting me know which of the above you have done. Winner will be drawn at random on Friday, July 29th.

Thanks to Jessica and all four of her Wild Things!

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