Video Trailer for Little Shepherd

In case you hadn't heard, my first children's book, Little Shepherd is now available at the publisher's website and Amazon.com! Autographed copies can be ordered directly through me for a cost of $9.95 plus shipping. Please use the contact button and provide me with the following:

* Name
* Mailing address
* Quantity
* How you would like the book(s) autographed

Payment can be made by PayPal or by bank check or money order.

Here's a video trailer I created today to share some of the lovely illustrations Eugene Ruble created for the book.



Thanks for your support. I hope you enjoy the trailer!

Keoni's Big Question by Patti B. Ogden--Book Review

Keoni's Big Question is a delightful and touching story of one boy's journey to understand God's presence in everyday life.

Keoni and Old Fisherman travel along the Ohio River in a small green dingy. Keoni admires the wildlife and loves nature, but today the Old Fisherman senses something is bothering him.

Suddenly, a storm rolls in and the two are forced to seek refuge under a thicket of pine trees. Soon, Keoni asks the Old Fisherman the question that has been on his mind--a question that he has hoped many would answer, but none have. As the Old Fisherman explains, Keoni finds his question answered in more ways than he ever dreamed possible.

Based upon story and sermon excerpts from William Marrion Branham, Keoni's Big Question will help children understand the presence of God in their lives in a simple and delightful way.

The unending curiosity of childhood and the beauty of nature is eloquently captured within this book's pages. Illustrator Mary Manning has excelled at bringing Keoni's story to life in pictures that perfectly compliment the text.

If you are searching for an enjoyable and meaningful way to share a Christian message with your child, then pick up Keoni's Big Question today.

Title: Keoni's Big Question
Author: Patti B. Ogden
Publisher: Capstone Productions
ISBN-10: 098167836X
ISBN-13: 978-0981678368
SRP: $12.00

Save 30% on Keoni's Big Question by Patti Ogden in March

In celebration of Small Press Month, Christian children's author Patti Ogden is offering a 30% discount on Keoni's Big Question published by Capstone Productions. Visit Capstone Productions online at http://www.capstone-productions.com/ for more information and to purchase this story of a boy who seeks God's presence in everyday life. This gripping tale follows a pair of dear friends on a fishing trip that turns dangerous, then miraculous, and leaves Keoni with more answers then he ever dreamed possible!

Patti will also be going on a virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion in April. Stay tuned to Pump Up's virtual book tour blog for more information...coming soon!

The Secret of Yahweh! by LeFerna Arnold-Walch--Book Review

Sound Biblical teaching, adorable characters, and one fuzzy and mysterious lamb is what you'll find in The Secret of Yahweh! by LeFerna Arnold-Walch.

It's the start of a new school year and best friends Mary and Petey are hoping to avoid mean kids like The Con and Bitsy. But to their horror, The Con, Bitsy and some of the other mean kids are in Miss Sawyer's class too.

When the children are told that the words "under God" are being removed from the daily reciting of The Pledge of Allegiance, everyone is confused. Why can't they say it the way they always have? And so Miss Sawyer's class embarks upon a journey to discover how the modern interpretation of the First Amendment has removed any practice of religion from their school.

The day Mary brings J.C. Lamb with her to school turns into utter chaos as the children realize not everyone is able to see or hear the fuzzy lamb with the heart embroidered on his chest. But Miss Sawyer can see him, and she assures everyone if they come to Mystery Sunday at her church, everything will be made crystal clear.

The Secret of Yahweh! is filled with many wonderful things. The characters are adorable and the illustrations charming. Arnold-Walch captures the quintessential curious child in Mary, and The Con and Bitsy teeter between being unlikeable and being misunderstood. Miss Sawyer could easily be any Christian teacher in America's public schools, wishing she could share her beliefs, but hampered by a modern interpretation of the First Amendment that does not allow it. J.C. Lamb's appearance and actions in the book will make him easily adored by young readers. The book is also filled with sound Biblical teaching, something expected of this genre.

I did, however, find this to be a challenging read on many levels. The pace of the story is very slow with many pages dedicated to happenings that did nothing to advance the plot. The first day at school takes up the first 76 pages of the book and the chapter where Mary and Petey tie their horses to carts and race serves no purpose--except that it's cute to see J.C. Lamb's reaction.

A good editor would have found the numerous typographical and grammar errors running through the pages. The book is made up primarily of dialogue with very little narrative to compliment it and there are moments when the tenses change from past to present. The reader will feel that she is being given a Bible and history lesson as much of the dialogue is an information dump, such as here:

"Do you know that over one hundred million Americans do not go to church at all? And the sad thing is that 27 million of those are children. In some unchurched families children will never get a religious education." (Page 75)

While the back cover states that The Secret of Yahweh! is the "Christian parent's answer to the Harry Potter phenomenon!"--the main reason I requested the title for review--this reader failed to see any comparison. My mind immediately thought of the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis and was disappointed to find that The Secret of Yahweh! is nothing like that beloved series. While the book was originally written for children ages 7 to 12, the added illustrations are meant to allow parents to share The Secret of Yahweh! with younger readers. I don't, however, see there being enough action that my girls (ages 7 and 5) would ask to continue reading the story to completion.

If a parent is looking to provide a more enjoyable way for their children to experience American history and Biblical teaching than the standard textbook and Bible verse memorization, then The Secret of Yahweh! would be the way to go. While I found this is an excellent message for Children of God, no matter what age, I couldn't get by the challenges to truly enjoy the story.

Feel free to browse through other reviews of The Secret of Yahweh! here.


Title: The Secret of Yahweh!
Author: LeFerna Arnold-Welch
Publisher: Mary's Lamb Publishing
ISBN: 978-0-9801794-8-4
U.S. Price: $16.95

The Giant Leaf: take a giant leaf of faith by Davy Liu--Book Review

Davy Liu has come up with a beautiful and fascinating retelling of a Biblical story using an animal's perspective with his children's picture book, The Giant Leaf: take a giant leaf of faith from his Invisible Tails series.

In this story that tells of The Great Flood, Kendu the fox dreams of floating in an endless blue beneath a giant leaf. But his days are long and hard as the foxes are forced to dig holes for the Beasts to lay their eggs.

Then one day, Kendu escapes and decides he must find the giant leaf from him dream. Meeting up with Yitzhak the monkey and a koala bear named Odelia, the three decide to go to the Wilds, even though they are afraid of the Animal Eater. When the rains come, they realize that their only chance of survival is the dreaded Animal Eater. But maybe the Animal Eater is not what it appears to be.

Just as with Liu's book Fire Fish--which I reviewed here--The Giant Leaf is filled with symbolism and entertaining animal characters to delight young readers. Douglas Wood offered the illustrations in this book and they are just as stunning as the ones Liu provided for Fire Fish. The characters, the glossy pages, and the beautiful illustrations will make The Giant Leaf a book that your child will treasure for many years to come and the book's unusual size (12 X 6 1/2 inches) will ensure you'll easily be able to find it on the bookshelf--though it will never be there long because you'll want to read it often.

I eagerly await more books in the Invisible Tails series.


Title: The Giant Leaf: take a giant leaf of faith
Author: Davy Liu
Publisher: Kendu Films Productions
ISBN-13: 978-1-57921-864-5
ISBN-10: 1-57921-864-4
U.S. Price: $19.95

God Has a Purpose for Me by LaRonda Koffi--Book Review

God Has a Purpose for Me by LaRonda Koffi is a heartwarming and inspirational story of a young girl's quest to find God's purpose for her life.

When Aya hears the pastor of her church talk about fulfilling God's purpose in your life she's not quite sure what he is talking about and her attempts to make God happy leave her exhausted. With the help of her family, Aya is able to discover what fulfilling God's purpose in one's life is really about.

God Has a Purpose for Me is an excellent way to help children grow in their faith and knowledge of God in an entertaining and easily understood manner. Your young reader will instantly connect with Aya's confusion over how to fulfill God's purpose in her life; and just as your child would seek the advice of adults close to her, Aya asks her parents and grandmother to help her understand what the pastor meant by his sermon. I could also see this book encouraging more questions about God and spirituality from a young reader.

The illustrations provided by Victor Guiza are absolutely beautiful. They remind me of Kevin S. Collier's work. The bright colors and the attention to every last detail bring this wonderful children's story to life.

A story your child will enjoy reading time and again, God Has a Purpose for Me* is sure to touch your child's heart and help lead him on the right path.


Title: God Has a Purpose for Me
Author: LaRonda Koffi
Publisher: Jesus Loves Me Children's Books, LLC.
ISBN: 978-0-9817150-0-1
U.S. Price: $15.95

* For each book sold, $1.00 will be donated to Compassion International. To learn more about Compassion International you may visit their website at www.compassion.com.