Race to Win (review) + Cowboy Fiction Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Race to Win (DVD format) I'm hosting a different king of giveaway today. I'll review the movie which I had the opportunity to view ahead of time and then I'm doing a giveaway of any Christian Fiction Cowboy Themed novel published through to March 2017.
Read below for further details.

Race to Win DVD Release

Race to Wind (originally titled Race to Redemption) is an inspirational, heart-warming story of hope and perseverance, even when the giant is tall. The film tells the story of a young woman who struggles to find the courage to compete in the race of her life after her father's devastating death. If she loses the race, her family will lose everything, including the legacy and home they worked so hard to build. If she wins, her life might just fall back into place!

My Review:

A clean, family-friendly horse-centric movie. Preteen girls will especially enjoy all the horse action.

A classic drama that exposes the struggles and grief of a family trying to move on after the death of the husband/father. In some ways the story unfolds in a predictable manner but I was surprised by a few unexpected twists too. One of the predictable elements is the truly vile villain but it was so much fun to hate him and finally be able to stand up and cheer when he gets his comeuppance that I didn't mind his cookie-cutterness. :-) Overall, Race to Win offers a solid story -- I just felt it needed more time to dig deeper into relationships and more fully develop plot threads. Fresh and appealing to young eyes but a bit stagnant for seasoned viewers.

My thanks to Graf-Martin Communications and Mongrel Media Inc. for providing me with an online screening of this movie.

GIVEAWAY

The Giveaway Details:

Since I'm all about giving away books not movies, I decided to make this a Cowboy Themed Christian Fiction novel published any time up to March 2017 giveaway. Here's how it will work:

* Just state the title and author of the book you want to win in the comment section. (up to 3 different suggestions per person). BUT EACH TITLE/AUTHOR MUST BE IN A SEPARATE COMMENT. (makes it easier to tally)
*  Books must be Christian Fiction and can be any genre as long as they feature a cowboy/cowboy setting.
*  Books must still be available (obviously) and published any time up to March 2017
*  Remember to include your email address in your comment using AT and DOT instead of @ and . to protect yourself from spammers.
*  Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday March 12 2017
*  Offer open to international readers

Having some trouble thinking up cowboy novels? Here's some authors who have written at least a few cowboy stories you might what to check out: Mary Connealy (she has a new just out), Ruth Logan Herne, Sharon Gillenwater, Debra Clopton, Margaret Brownley, Karen Witemeyer, Shannon Taylor Vannatter, Robin Lee Hatcher, Erica Vetsch, Linda Ford... I know there's a ton more but that's just off the top of my head. GOOD LUCK!

Hillsong : Let Hope Rise

HILLSONG UNITED
HILLSONG : LET HOPE RISE

Capturing the on-stage energy and the off-stage hearts of the Australia based band Hill Song United, Hillsong : Let Hope Rise is a new motion-picture genre -- the theatrical worship experience. The film explores Hillsong's humble beginnings and astonishing rise to prominence as an international church whose songs are sung every Sunday by more than 50 million people world-wide.

My Review:

What an exhilarating movie! I wasn't sure what to expect but the format was perfect -- a blend of performances punctuated by heart-felt conversation. And testimonies. Oh, my goodness, the testimonies! Amazing stuff. And I learned a lot.

Of course, I knew that Hillong United was a Christian group. I knew their songs. But that's it. I didn't know that their roots are in a small suburban Australian church that began 25 years ago. Or that from those humble beginnings the church has grown to a congregation of 30,000! Talk about pioneering spirit! I can't even imagine! And I find those facts really exciting since I am attending a small church plant in my city.

Hillsong Church became known for the energy, excitement and zeal of it's worship service and the band was a natural off-shoot of that. They like to joke that they are "the biggest band you never heard of." But they are changing the face of Christian music. "We draw attention to ourselves to draw attention away from ourselves" (and onto God.) And that pretty much sums up their humility. It's evident in the diverse testimonies. A real passion for Jesus shines through and touched me, the viewer. They talk about the responsibility that comes with writing lyrics because these songs are "words written to sing, not just listen to." And it's true that their words orchestrate the way many of us throughout the world worship in our own churches.

A fascinating insight into the struggles and triumphs of Hillside United and includes some praiseworthy performances. A movie I highly recommend. Keep an eye out for release dates in your area.

My thanks to Graf-Martin Communications for providing me with an opportunity to view this movie online.