Kathryn Elizabeth JonesReseñas

I should perhaps have taken greater notice of the content of this book before deciding to read it.

I’m not a spiritual person, I’m not a religious person, and I’m not one of those people who feeds off self-motivational material. I’m very grounded. So, I found this a very hard short story to read – you need to be spiritual, Christian, God-fearing to appreciate it. I am none of those things. So for those of you that are, you will probably enjoy this short parable, you’ll understand the message and in all likelihood learn something from it. So, look away now.

It just wasn’t my cup of tea. Ms Virginia Bean loses her job at the local doughnut factory. She lives alone and hasn’t had much excitement in the love department either. ‘God’ gives her direction and challenges her with the gift of 5 stones each representing something different and to which she then looks to help her find a new job, new skills and new friends. I thought this was totally unrealistic and ultimately Virginia thoroughly irritated me, because she couldn’t take a positive step without running it past ‘God’ or looking to the stones for ‘guidance’. Why ‘God’ had to throw in a bit of tragedy to help her to her path of employment and fulfilment, I just couldn’t see, and of course, not being very conversant with the bible, the significance of the parable was lost on me.

The story is short and to the point and reasonably well written. I can see that there would be an audience for it who I’m sure will enjoy it. Unfortunately, it wasn’t one of my top reads.

This review was originally posted on Melissa's Midnight Musings on November 16, 2012.

A few months ago Kathryn stopped by my blog to talk about What Your Reading Genre Says About You. I learned quite a bit about my own reading preferences from her post. Recently I read her book, Scrambled. Here are my thoughts on it.

I have to start out by saying that I don't read cozy mysteries all that often. I actually can't remember the last time I read one before this one. Maybe it's because I don't read them all that often, but this one didn't exactly blow me away.

The book starts out by having us learn that Susan is unhappy at home, with an inattentive husband who really likes to eat junk food. One day she just up and leaves her job and her husband and starts a new life.

I was actually frustrated from the start because I didn't really know why she was leaving. Yes she was unhappy with her life and her husband, but we don't really get to see much of their interaction together to get a real feel for the environment and her dislike for him because the book starts out immediately with her leaving.

I was also a little frustrated because it didn't really make sense that she could just up and start over with no resources. She tried to change her identity too, by giving herself a new name, but that doesn't work completely because she slips up when talking to one of the tenants of the hotel where she lives and cleans rooms.

There's a death in the story and Jenny/Susan seems hesitant as to whether or not it's murder. Not a bad thing to question, but it seemed like she was unsure of herself a lot and the questioning the underlying story itself which made me question the story as a whole. Susan/Jenny is a nice enough character. Likeable, a decent person, a little too gullible maybe. But, she flip flops a lot. She can't decide whether she still loves her husband, and when she finds that someone else likes her (won't say who to prevent spoilers) she goes back and forth with him too. He's willing to be patient but she sees him as a nuisance or someone who's only a friend. She doesn't really tell him so until a lot later in the book though. I suppose I was just hoping to see her grow stronger as a character throughout. She does, to a point, but I think I was hoping for more. The strongest, most decisive action she takes is leaving her husband.

The eggs.

Oh my goodness, the eggs. At first the mentions of Susan/Jenny eating eggs when stressed or sad was a cute touch. Then it turned into a bit of an obsession. She is constantly eating eggs. Or making omelets. Or egg casserole. There are exactly three instances where Susan/Jenny doesn't eat eggs. One when she's making a frozen dinner of a chicken leg, one where she's eating a steak and having a raspberry vanilla soda, and one where she's eating "something that looks like a burrito." The rest of the time it's all about the eggs. I almost wish I had counted the scenes where there are eggs so I could compare the numbers. I understand that there's a deeper metaphor behind them, but I think that the mentions could have been pared down to a handful and it would have been fine.

At the same time, I do like that there is a recipe included at the back of the book. And at the end, Susan was hopeful and eager to start making her own baked goods. Add food details and you've got my interest, what can I say?

The mystery of the book does keep you on your toes at points, but at other times it can just be too confusing. I think that some of Susan/Jenny's debating about if there were a murder contributed to that confusion. I do have to say that although I thought I had it all figured out close to the beginning of the story, I didn't know for sure who did it until the end.

There are really good details about all the characters, so it's very easy to see them in your mind as you read. And these are quite the mixed up bunch of characters if I ever saw one. I definitely wanted to know more about these characters.

In terms of dialogue and formatting and pace, the story is a quick read. It's paced really nicely and there are only one or two sections where it drags slightly. I have to say that I found the dialogue to be a bit stiff in places, with phrases like "the murderer of my son" and things like that. Also, in the last chapter or so of the book there are several words and phrases spread over a section of pages that are italicized. As I was reading initially I thought these were for emphasis, but as I continued to read it seemed to me just to be a formatting issue, so that was a tiny bit distracting.

Overall, this was an okay story, it just wasn't for me. I'd definitely recommend that readers who are more familiar with cozy mysteries give it a try though.

*I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.*

David gathered five smooth stones to meet and defeat the giant Goliath. What did each of these stones represent and how can you use them to conquer Goliaths on your own personal quests through life? Ms. Virginia Bean will show you how.

Join her as she travels on her own personal journey. See what she does. Learn how she grows. Discover what she becomes.

Conquering Your Goliaths: A Parable of the Five Stones by Kathryn Elizabeth Jones is for anyone desiring to travel beyond mediocrity, pain and fear. Learn of the great power within you, a power given to you by God, a power that must be unleashed in order for you to conquer the Goliaths in your own life. Come to an even deeper understanding of God and what He wants for you.

I enjoyed reading this book very much. I actually started reading this book on April 12 and probably would have finished this book much sooner, but my Kindle's battery overloaded on April 15 and until I can get it fixed or buy a new Kindle for myself, any reading of ebooks will have to be done on my computer. Reading ebooks on my computer slows down the pace of my reading for some reason, and I don't really understand why.

Anyway, in my opinion, Conquering Your Goliaths: A Parable of the Five Stones by Kathryn Elizabeth Jones deserves an A! This book does have a strongly Christian theme running through it. It is very well-written and understandable, and primarily is about how you can live an inspired and inspiring life.½

Virginia has experienced the power and direction of the five stones, and has grown so much closer in her relationship with God. Now, five years on, Virginia will need to use the stones once again. For entirely different reasons.

Keeping her marriage together is not the only thing on Virginia's mind. Her successful business Just Desserts is beginning to founder, her five-year marriage is in trouble and apparently having a child isn't going to happen in the usual way. Virginia is convinced that adoption is the answer.

So, if she did all the of right things, said all of the right words; if she remembered the five stones in her journey to get her child, God would surely have to answer her.

It shouldn't be too difficult...

I must say that I enjoyed The Feast just as much as I did Conquering Your Goliaths. It was interesting to see how much Virginia had grown in her relationship with God - but how she also had a tendency to forget that her relationship with Him still needed to be nurtured. I give this book an A! and look forward to reading the next book in this series some time soon.½

Didn't like this one as much as the first book. Still a good read though.

Do you have a Goliath in your life?
A problem or situation that is bigger than you and more daunting that you have strength to handle?

Do you struggle with insecurities or worries?
Then think about David...

David slew Goliath with a few simple stones...

Read this story of Ms. Virginia Bean who needs help with her very personal problem of being laid off and not being able to find another job.

As she talks with a man in a fisherman's hat he gives her the gift of 5 stones...

Each stone represents an aspect that will help her in her journey.

Those 5 stones represent:
*Listening
*Trust
*Optimism
*Tenacity
*Constancy

Walk with Virginia as she carries her stones, sometimes dropping them, sometimes losing them, and sometimes even forgetting them.

Learn that "things are not always as they appear."

We each have within our capacity the access to these same stones...stones that will help us conquer our own Goliaths.

A GREAT reminder of what matters most and how to solve our individual struggles.

This book is WONDERFUL!

I am generally not a fan of non-fiction. Unfortunately, many of the authors that I've read in the genre gloss over the importance of writing relevant content. Which means that, as a a reader, I am subjected to a substantial amount of data that I either don't have time to read or doesn't apply to me. When you mix in the dry writing styles that often accompany non-fiction books, then you can end up with, well, a snooze-fest.

[[ASIN:B0094XV6MA Marketing Your Book On A Budget]] is the polar opposite of the style I mentioned above. The Ms. Jones writing style makes for easy reading and the short sections mean you aren't struggling to force down the content. The tips are directly applicable to newer authors.

That being said, I wouldn't say that brand-new authors could pick it up and know exactly what do to. The book covers a wide variety of targeted topics at a relatively shallow level, so extremely new people who might expect to receive a "Twitter 101", for example, won't receive that type of approach. What you will receive, however, are some nice tips and suggestions that can benefit any author. I started promoting myself in 2010 and I found some new gems in this book!

Bottom Line: Buy it, read it, and use it as a platform for further learning and understanding of the marketing side of the publishing business.

The cupcake and diamond ring on the cover of The Feast really does have a story to it. The cupcake with its pretty frosting can take care of a child's fantasy and the ring can feed a hungry family. I loved the significance of the cover to the story's plot. We met Virginia in the "Conquering Your Goliaths"
A Parable of the Five Stones, where she is a very unhappy woman. You should read this book, then you will understand the significance of the stones to Virginia's life so far. Now Virginia is feeling insecure and insignificant because after 5 years of marriage to Richard, she is still unable to conceive.

They desperately want a child but Virginia, at times being kind of mean to Richard when all he wants to do is give Virginia everything she desires but has failed at giving her a child. There were times when reading the book that I just wanted to throttle Virginia but as the story went on I came to realize that Richard and Virginia are dealing with some real life issues and The Feast is written in such a way that I was really hoping for a happy ending. Will they have a child, will they have to adopt, will they be able to repair the damage to their marriage and most of all can they reconcile with their feelings about God. This is a story that can reinforce your faith in God. It is short but worthwhile read. Again you probably will want to read the first book to get a good understanding of the plot.

The cupcake and diamond ring on the cover of The Feast really does have a story to it. The cupcake with its pretty frosting can take care of a child's fantasy and the ring can feed a hungry family. I loved the significance of the cover to the story's plot. We met Virginia in the "Conquering Your Goliaths"
A Parable of the Five Stones, where she is a very unhappy woman. You should read this book, then you will understand the significance of the stones to Virginia's life so far. Now Virginia is feeling insecure and insignificant because after 5 years of marriage to Richard, she is still unable to conceive.

They desperately want a child but Virginia, at times being kind of mean to Richard when all he wants to do is give Virginia everything she desires but has failed at giving her a child. There were times when reading the book that I just wanted to throttle Virginia but as the story went on I came to realize that Richard and Virginia are dealing with some real life issues and The Feast is written in such a way that I was really hoping for a happy ending. Will they have a child, will they have to adopt, will they be able to repair the damage to their marriage and most of all can they reconcile with their feelings about God. This is a story that can reinforce your faith in God. It is short but worthwhile read. Again you probably will want to read the first book to get a good understanding of the plot.

A parable is a brief and to the point story, in prose or verse, which illustrates one or more instructive principles, or lessons. In Conquering your Goliaths the reader is introduced to an analogy to David and Goliath in that Goliath had 5 stones instead of one. This parable is a realistically told story that seems probable and takes place in a familiar setting of life, meaning the life of Ms. Virginia Bean. She recently lost her job and finds herself going to an interview for a new one. There she finds herself in the presence of God and with His help, learns things that she thought did not pertain to her. She is given 5 different stones. They represent listening, trust,optimism, tenacity and constancy. She learns that these are the 5 things we need to remember to guide us through our lives. Ms.Bean relalizes that things are not always as they appear, the future is not always clear, stay optimistic, no two people have the same journey in life and to be constant as to what matters most. Valuable lessons to be learned for sure. I found this short book to be very enlightening and a pleasure to read.