Tom Paine's War: the man and the pamphlet that gave a voice to the American Revolution

Tom Paine’s War: The Words that Rallied a Nation and the Founder of Our Time by Jack Kelly. The Declaration of Independence is often seen as the American Revolution’s defining document. However, one man’s words in two essays which would appeal to Americans and fuel their fighting spirit. Thomas Paine was a recent immigrant and self-taught writer who saw beyond the simple fight against taxes and representation. His pamphlet “Common Sense” convinced Americans that the king had no divine right to rule over them and they could rule themselves which led to the Declaration of Independence. Paine would also enlist in the militia and witness the army defeats. It would be as he walked with the retreating troops that he wrote “The American Crisis,” which became the rallying cry to fight another day. 

As the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution is approaching, Tom Paine’s War is an eye opening exploration into one man’s contribution to the founding of the nation. While I was aware of “Common Sense,” as I read and studied it in school and in college; however,  I knew very little about the man who wrote it, especially his life after the war. Tom Paine’s War is more than a biography of Thomas Paine. It is a intertwining of one man’s arrival to a country already fighting and his observations helped put into words what Americans were feeling and willing to fight for with the details of the battles won and lost. Overall, I found Tom Paine’s War to be insightful and intriguing. If you enjoy American history, I highly recommend Tom Paine’s War. 

Tom Paine’s War: The Words that Rallied a Nation and the Founder of Our Time 

is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

Skylark: the secrets of the past are hidden deep under the streets of Paris

Skylark by Paula McLain is a story of Paris and the secrets it holds above and below its streets. In 1664, Alouette Voland is the daughter of a master dyer at the famed Gobelin Tapestry Works. She dreams of creating her own masterpiece and escaping her circumstances. When her father is imprisoned, her efforts to save him leads to her own confinement in the Salpêtrière asylum, notorious for its cruel treatment of the women. Despite the grimness, Alouette finds a group of allies and a possibility of a life she only dreamed about. In 1939, Kristof Larson is a medical student at the beginning of his psychiatric residency in Paris. He befriends his Jewish neighbors who fled Poland. When Nazi forces take over the city, Kristof realizes he is the only hope for the family’s survival with his work as a doctor being put at risk. 

Paula McLain is a new author to me. I enjoy dual timeline stories and Skylark is descriptive as a “mesmerizing tale” where “a woman’s quest for autistic freedom intertwines with a doctor’s dangerous mission” and reveals “a story of courage and resistance that transcends time.” Sounds great, right? The story is beautifully descriptively written; however the story is slow going. As I read, the individual timelines were great as Alouette and Kristof stood in defiance to the power of the day but the connection between the two was very vague and almost non-existent. Overall, the stories were interesting and they could have been their own books and I would have loved them. Skylark wasn’t the dual timeline story that I expected. I enjoyed Alouette and Kristoff’s stories; however, I do not think a dual timeline story was needed to tell their journeys. If you are a fan of Ms. McLain, you may enjoy Skylark. 

Skylark is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

The Problem Child: a childhood rivals to lovers historical romance

The Problem Child is the fourth book in the Emerson Pass Historical series by Tess Thompson. Cymbeline Barnes has always felt the problem child. A restless soul who dreams of life beyond her hometown and yet can’t seem to get her feet moving. As a child, she declared Viktor Olofsson her arch enemy and did everything she could to best him at anything. However, when he saves her beloved littler sister, she starts to see him a little differently. More of a hero and not so much an adversary. Viktor Olofsson has cared for Cymbeline from the moment they met. No matter what he does to break through the ice around her heart. When another woman arrives in Emerson Pass, Viktor starts to spend time with her, Cymbeline finds herself unsettled by the idea that Viktor would no longer be there. She starts to wonder if maybe her dream come true could be right in front of her instead of in the far off distance. 

The Emerson Pass Historical series is a historical romance with childhood rivals to lovers, a fiercely independent woman and a quiet devoted hero and drama that will keep you on your toes. I have loved the Barnes family since book one and I have looked forward to each book as a Barnes child gets  their love story. Cymbeline is a woman ahead of her time. Caught between the social expectations and the desires of her heart. Viktor is a man who knows who he wants but is willing to let her fly away if it meant that she would be happy. As events bring them closer and closer, I could see Cymbeline’s fighting to keep Viktor as her rival; however, she clearly sees that is no longer the case. Overall, I enjoyed this story and I am looking forward to the rest of the Emerson Pass Historical series. If you enjoy clean historical romances, you will enjoy the Emerson Pass Historicals and The Problem Child.   

The Problem Child is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook

Judas Iscariot: the most hated disciple and the story I thought I knew

Everyone knows the story of Judas Iscariot. I thought I knew the story of Judas Iscariot. I thought his story would be an easy and straightforward blog post. Because why not? He has become one of the most hated individuals in the Bible. Jesus called him “a devil” (John 6:70-71). To many, he is the villain in Jesus’s story. Throughout history, believers have used his story to humiliate their enemies. He has been hated for his betrayal. He has been pitied. He couldn’t have known what his actions would set in motion. Some even called him a hero of sorts for simply playing his part in God’s plan (Psalm 41:9, Zechariah 11:12,13). While Jesus chose Judas as a disciple, Judas would betray him. Who was Judas? Why would he betray Jesus? What motivations were at work? Why would he jeopardize his relationship with Jesus? What lesson can we take from his life? 

Little is known about Judas’ life before he was chosen by Jesus. It is believed that he came from the town of Kerioth in Judea. Iscariot is Greek derived from the Hebrew ish Kerioth or man of Kerioth (Tate, 2025). His name means “praised” and would have been the fourth most common name of the time, behind Lazarus, Joseph and Simon (Tate, 2025). However, he was known as treacherous and greedy. Judas was a thief as keeper of the money bag and he would help himself to its contents (John 12:6). He would betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14-16) and a kiss (Matthew 26:48-49, Mark 14:43-51, Luke 22:47-53, John 18:1-11). After he saw Jesus condemned by the Jewish High Council, Judas returned the blood money and killed himself (Matthew 27:3-10, Acts 1:18-19). The saddest statement about Judas is he was so remorseful that he committed suicide and yet he was unrepentant (Tate, 2025). To contrast with Peter’s denial. Peter was remorseful, repented and was restored. It is the different paths remorse can lead us. One without repentance leads to destruction and one with repentance leads to forgiveness.

Judas, like all the disciples, misunderstood Jesus’ mission on earth. They expected Jesus to make political moves and yet he spoke of dying. The Irish band U2 has a great song Until the End of the World (1991 album Achtung Baby) which gives a picture to Judas’s possible internal monologue. The constant topic must have led to feelings of anger, fear and disappointment. When Jesus praised Mary for pouring the perfume (John 12:1-8), Judas’s greed for money and status blinded him to the significance of Mary’s gesture. His desires allowed him to be in a place to be manipulated, seeking favor with the religious leaders instead and when he tried to undo what he had done, it was too late. God’s sovereign plan was already moving. It was not God who rejected Judas, but Judas who rejected God (Winger, 2022). The exact motivation of Judas’ betrayal is unknown; however, it is theorized that he was trying to force Jesus’ hand, He may have wanted to see Jesus fight back and to rebel against the Romans and set up a new Jewish government.  Was he hoping for a prominent place in this new kingdom? Judas’s misunderstanding of Jesus’s mission on earth reminds me, once again, that God’s thoughts and plans are not our thoughts and plans (Isaiah 55:8-9). I cannot pretend to understand his thoughts; but I trust he knows more than I do. 

Judas didn’t lose his relationship with Jesus because he didn’t have one in the first place. One important clue is in Matthew 26:20-30 at the Last Supper. When Jesus spoke about the one who would betray him, the other disciples asked “Surely not, I Lord?” (verse 22) except Judas who asked “Surely, not I, Rabbi?” (verse 25). He was called the “doomed to destruction” (John 17:12). He is a great example of how a person can hear amazing biblical teachings, say and do all the right things and still reject Christ (Faith Bible Church, 2020). There are still Judases among us today. Paul warns in 1 Timothy 4:1, “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.” Men and women who will publicly convert to Christianity and yet do horrible acts. Men and women who will service in ministry and yet walk away. We are told to examine ourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5) and test ourselves to see if we are in the faith. The saddest aspect of Judas’s story is he took his life not realizing he could seek forgiveness and he would have received it from Jesus. You can’t outsin the grace of God, but you must seek his grace to receive it (Tate, 2025).

The key lessons from Judas’s life are simple and highlight what evil can do in our lives. First, evil, hateful thoughts and motives leave us open to being used for an even greater evil plan of Satan. We must guard our hearts as Proverbs 4:23 calls the hearts “the wellspring of life,” Paul tells that the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds in Jesus and think on praiseworthy things (Philippians 4:7-8). Second, the consequences of evil are so devastating even small lives and little wrongdoings have serious effects. Judas’s story gives us the opportunity for self-reflection on how small ethical compromises can lead to significant moral failures (Roat, 2024). Third, God’s plans and purposes work out even in the worst possible events. God was not blindsided by this betrayal, he used it to help bring salvation to the world (Roat, 2024). Judas’s story helps us evaluate our own relationship with Jesus and our commitment to God. We can ask ourselves: are we true disciples? Or are we uncommitted pretenders? Judas is an example that you can have an abundance of knowledge of who Jesus is, and even experience life with him, and still reject him (Faith Bible Church, 2022). 

Before studying Judas’s story, he was a man I despised. He walked with Jesus and yet betrayed him. After studying his life, I felt pity for him. To be so close to Jesus and yet not see him. I also found myself asking. What would I have done? In conclusion, Judas is a tragic character. Tragic because he is an example that it is not enough to be familiar with Jesus’ teachings. True followers love and obey Jesus and his teachings. Judas’s failure to have a true relationship with Jesus is terrifying. To have someone that close to Jesus and do something so terrible should be a sobering reminder to us all. For Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” I pray that we all truly know Jesus and follow him. 

Resources

Faith Bible Church (August 27, 2020). Judas Iscariot: Chosen or not? Blog post. https://www.faithtwincities.com/blog/post/judas-iscariot-chosen-or-not. Retrieved November 22, 2025. 

Roat, Alyssa (August 12, 2024). Who Was Judas Iscariot? Christianity.com. https://www.christianity.com/wiki/people/who-was-judas-iscariot.html. Retrieved November 22, 2025. 

Tate, David (November 28, 2021). The Life of Judas Iscariot (Part 1). Now Let’s Be Honest. YouTube. https://youtu.be/5NTIK5jFwBA?si=4TfLEGrjvtelogMD. Retrieved November 9, 2025.

Tate, David (December 5, 2021). The Life of Judas Iscariot (Part 2). Now Let’s Be Honest. YouTube. https://youtu.be/snM9zmFM9eQ?si=bIXihizJlznzxuhI. Retrieved November 10, 2025. 

Winger, Mike. (December 16, 2022). 20 Questions with Pastor Mike (Episode 90). Mike Winger. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/live/shxFzoZt-UQ?si=odluAxo_nXXMqyCh. Retrieved November 10, 2025. 

The Wishing Well: a small town, a magical well and the healing magic of Christmas

The Wishing Well is the first book in the HollyWell Springs series by Vivian Porter. After losing her parents around Christmas as a child, Hannah Grayson rejects the holiday. Her one joy is her green thumb and her career as a writer for a national foodie magazine. When her boss sends her on assignment to HollyWell Springs, a small town in Montana where Christmas is celebrated all year long, Hannah is not excited. With no choice, she decides to finish the assignment with minimal involvement. However, the moment she arrives in town, she locks eyes with Brodie Fisher, who runs the local Christmas tree farm, who seems to love plants more than she does. As she experiences that magic of Christmas and the town’s love for the holiday, Hannah finds the ice around her heart starting to melt and begins to question what she remembers about the past. At the center of it all, a wishing well which seems magical healing for a wounded heart.  

I looked forward to this book as the premise sounded interesting. I love Christmas and enjoy the magic and hope of the season. However, a town whose whole identity is Christmas was a bit much for me. Everything about the town was in a Christmas theme, even the names of the businesses. And the magical wishing well was interesting and the story had a mystery around the well that never is fully explained. Hannah as a grinch or scrooge made sense for me and I understood that she didn’t want to talk about why; but she never tells her best friend?!?! The constant description of Brodie as a “Greek God Cowboy” was so repetitive early on that I was over it quickly. Overall, I enjoyed Hannah’s healing from her traumatic past; however, I closed the book with a “what did I read?” I doubt I will be continuing the series. If you would enjoy a story about a town who celebrates Christmas year around with a magical well, you may enjoy The Wishing Well. 

The Wishing Well is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

A Switch Before Christmas: a simple prank turns into a life changing lesson

A Switch Before Christmas by Karen McQuestion is a story of two young women trading lives for a day and learning a lesson of a lifetime. It is Christmas Eve, and the Sheridan Girls’ Home is about to get their annual visit from their benefactors, Frank and Irene Sheridan. Jane Shaw’s biggest concern is the behavior of the young girls. However, when the Sheridan's’ daughter, Jacquelyn comes in their place. Jane and Jacquelyn look amazingly alike and Jacquelyn suggests they switch clothing to see how long it takes anyone to notice the difference. Jane is hesitant but feels she can’t say no. Jane suddenly finds herself on her way to the Sheridan's’ mansion and Jacquelyn behind at the girls’ home. Can they undo the switch before Christmas? Will anyone believe them? 

Karen McQuestion is one of my go-to authors. Sadly, this Christmas story sat on my TBR for more than a year and I regret not reading it sooner. A mash up of Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper and Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, A Switch Before Christmas is a sweet story of how one prank turns into a life changing lesson. At first, I did not like Jacquelyn, which I knew I wasn’t supposed to. The entitled brat who had no idea what was going on in the world outside the mansion’s doors. However, I loved her transformation and her journey to get there. I loved how individuals reacted to the switch. Overall, it is a great read for the holiday season. I highly, highly recommend A Switch Before Christmas. 

A Switch Before Christmas is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Christmas Cookie House: one important fundraiser, the perfect venue and a conflict in interests with a dash of romance

The Christmas Cookie House by Jennifer Griffith is a romance with the Christmas season. Leela Miller is back in her hometown of Massey Falls to take care of her ailing father after her mother passed away. She fills her mother’s shoes as a member of the Ladies’ Auxiliary and volunteers to chair the all important Cookie House fundraiser. Leela needs to find a venue big enough and fancy enough to draw in customers and her only option is the now empty Layton Mansion. Jay Wilson has inherited the Layton Mansion and has spent the summer remodeling it in order to sell it. He needs the funds to pay for his partnership in a vet clinic. His only task left is to clean out the attic and Leela, eager to use the house for her event, agrees to help him. The only snag is the deadline to sell the house is the same night of Leela’s event. 

I looked forward to this story as the cover was so eye-catching and the premise sounded entertaining. And the story started off great until the conflict began between Jay and Leela. When Leela discovers that Jay is the new owner of the mansion, she is outraged, screaming that he deceived her. I was so disgusted by her immaturity. No, she wasn’t listening. Jay tried to tell her several times but she kept on talking about the event and how great the mansion would be as a venue. This is when I checked out of the story. I no longer cared about their romance or the conflict between selling the mansion and the fundraiser event. Even Jay’s dislike of the town and why he is so desperate to leave couldn’t keep my interest. Overall, I did not enjoy this story. I do not recommend The Christmas Cookie House. 

The Christmas Cookie House is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook