I'm Coming Back and with a Rebrand!

I'm Coming Back and with a Rebrand!

Long time no see! I think the last time I posted here was last April, so that means I have been gone for over a year. I decided it was time to take a break. I had begun to feel worn out and I had begun a new job and wanted to focus on that at that time. And also as you can see I have rebranded my blog with a new blog name and I am still working on the blog layout and look. So be on the lookout for that.  Now that I have taken an extended time of rest I am ready to come back and start reviewing and promoting authors and their works again! 

See you soon!

-Alyssa, Tichel Reviews

REVIEW: The Second Coming of the New Age: The Hidden Dangers of Alternative Spirituality in Contemporary America and Its Churches

   The Second Coming of the New Age

About the Book

The New Age movement has returned with full force in our culture taking the West and its churches by storm.
All across North America, Christian churches have unknowingly encouraged occult beliefs and practices far removed from what the Bible teaches. This unfortunate reality is intrinsically linked to the popularity increase of New Age spirituality in the twenty-first century, and we've been so influenced by its integration into our society that we have become blind to recognizing, and preventing, the effects of this mainstream, pop-culture heresy, even within the walls of God's house.

In this imperative and timely book, former New-Agers Josh Peck and Steven Bancarz reveal:

*What perverse dealings the authors personally witnessed from their experiences deep within the New Age Movement

*Which real and dangerous supernatural force lurks behind the New Age

*Facts that reveal how the occult has worked its way into modern, evangelical churches

*Connections between New Ageism, fallen angels, extraterrestrials, and the Nephilim

*Solid, historical associations between the New Age Movement and Satanism

*What false-Christ and false-gospel doctrines are being pushed by New Age teachers

*How the central deity of the New Age is a thinly veiled version of Leviathan, the ancient personification of chaos

*How quantum physics is being manipulated to promote the New Age agenda

*How to reach friends and family lost in the New Age movement

*Warning signs and influences of the occult in your life and home, and what to do if you are under spiritual attack

Our lives, our relationships, our world, and our churches all depend on our willingness to take action against the deceit of New Age spirituality. The first step toward prevention is knowledge. Now is the time to be informed. 

Review

The Second Coming of the New Age by Steven Bancarz and Josh Peck chronicles of the origins of the New Age movement, the dangers of it, and how it has been creeping into the modern Christian church community for decades. They discuss the major points of the New Age and how it can and does deceive those in and out of the church. It only twists the truth enough to make it sound good, but in reality, what it does is destroy you.  

The Second Coming of the New Age is a fascinating look into the New Age from the perspective from the authors who are formerly New Age. 

                                                      

REVIEW: Unbreakable by Sara Ella

About the Book


Eliyana Ember is stranded in a foreign country in the Third Reflection with no passport, the inability to mirrorwalk, and zero clue where the nearest Thresholds back into the Fourth or Second might lie. Her mind is a haze, her memories vague. She knows a wormhole from the Fourth sent her here. She remembers her mom and baby brother Evan. Makai and Stormy and Joshua . . .

Deep down El realizes she must end the Void once and for all. Is there a way to trap the darkness within its current vessel, kill it off completely? To do so would mean sacrificing another soul—the soul of a man Joshua claims is a traitor. But he’s lied to her before, and even El senses Joshua can’t be fully trusted, but one thing is certain . . .

The Void must be annihilated. And only the Verity—the light which birthed the darkness—can put an end to that which seeks to kill and destroy.

My Review


Unbreakable is the third and final installment of Sara Ella's Unblemished series. Fantasy, Romance, Time Travel, and bittersweet endings are all compiled in Unbreakable.

Urban Fantasy isn't the typical type of Fantasy that I normally gravitate towards but I'm glad I read the Unblemished trilogy as it may be the only Urban Fantasy books I read because I still probably won't reach for this sub-genre too much. 

Is the Unblemished trilogy of my favorite fantasies ever? No. Was this series good and worth the read? Yes.

REVIEW: The Masterpiece by Francine Rivers

About the Book



New York Times bestselling author Francine Rivers returns to her romance roots with this unexpected and redemptive love story, a probing tale that reminds us that mercy can shape even the most broken among us into an imperfect yet stunning masterpiece.

A successful LA artist, Roman Velasco appears to have everything he could possibly want―money, women, fame. Only Grace Moore, his reluctant, newly hired personal assistant, knows how little he truly has. The demons of Roman’s past seem to echo through the halls of his empty mansion and out across his breathtaking Topanga Canyon view. But Grace doesn’t know how her boss secretly wrestles with those demons: by tagging buildings as the Bird, a notorious but unidentified graffiti artist―an alter ego that could destroy his career and land him in prison.

Like Roman, Grace is wrestling with ghosts and secrets of her own. After a disastrous marriage threw her life completely off course, she vowed never to let love steal her dreams again. But as she gets to know the enigmatic man behind the reputation, it’s as if the jagged pieces of both of their pasts slowly begin to fit together . . . until something so unexpected happens that it changes the course of their relationship―and both their lives―forever.

My Review



The Masterpiece felt very different than previous Francine Rivers novels. I had such high hopes for this book, perhaps maybe my hopes were too high. Because I did feel a little underwhelmed by this story and the characters although I did still give it four stars. I wish Francine Rivers would go back to her roots and write stories of biblical proportions in different time periods, like her Christian debut. It's still a good story, but it left me wanting something more.

REVIEW: Breaking Cover by Michele Assad

About the Book


The CIA is looking for walking contradictions. Recruiters seek people who can keep a secret, yet pull classified information out of others; who love their country, but are willing to leave it behind to head into dangerous places; who live double lives, but can be trusted with some of the nation's most highly sensitive tasks.

Michele Rigby Assad was one of those people.

As a CIA agent, Michele soon found that working undercover was an all-encompassing job. The threats were real. The mission was a perilous one. Trained as a counterterrorism expert, Michele spent over a decade in the agency--a woman leading some of the most highly skilled operatives on the planet, secretly serving in some the most treacherous areas of the Middle East. But deep inside, Michele wondered: Could she really do this job? Was she in the right place at the right time, or had she misunderstood what she thought was God's calling on her life? Did she have what it would take to survive?

The answer came when Michele faced a life-or-death choice--one that had secretly been the plan for her all along.

In Breaking Cover, Michele has at last been cleared to drop cover and tell her story: one of incredible struggle; of thwarted plans and expectations; and most of all, of discovering a faith greater than all her fears. 





My Review


Breaking Cover is ex-CIA agent Michele Assad, a counter-terrorism expert. It was so fascinating to read a book by a former agent not to mention someone who worked in counter-terrorism. Politics, international or homebound, and counter-terrorism are two topics I am fascinated by. I won't go into much detail because I don't want to give anything away. You'll have to read Breaking Cover for yourself.

REVIEW: Live Fearless by Sadie Robertson

About the Book

Sadie Robertson, bestselling author and star of Dancing with the Stars, has an important message for her generation: you don't have to be held back by fear, anxiety, or loneliness anymore. In Live Fearless, Sadie takes you on a thrilling personal journey toward power, passion, and purpose as you live at the center of who God created you to be!

Dear friends,

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty tired of the struggle. You know which one I mean--fear, loneliness, not knowing who I am or what I'm meant to do. . . . Sound familiar?

I struggled with insecurity, comparison, and isolation for too many years, from thigh gaps to eyebrows to the lifestyles I felt I had to live up to. I was so afraid of being "found out," that everyone in my life would somehow figure out that I was fearful and small and that I struggled to make my faith a reality and to be secure in who I am. It took a major perspective shift from staring at comments on a screen to really digging into the pages of my Bible to see what God actually says about overcoming fear.

Setting aside the fear, anxiety, and comparison to become the joy-filled person God created you to be is exactly what God is inviting you into. To really be seen and known. To be an agent of change by choosing compassion, connection, and acceptance for everyone you come in contact with. Inside this book are ways to find your power, passion, and purpose--and reach for your dreams. Plus, there are places to jot down notes, fun lists, practical ways to make changes, and thoughts on how living fearless can change everything.

Are you tired of the awful comparison game? Are you exhausted from trying to keep up, from feeling small and afraid that people will find the real you and be disappointed? There is so much more for you. No matter who you are, where you come from, or what your fears are, freedom is available to you. It's just a matter of saying yes. You in?

Hope you'll join me on this wild adventure as we learn to Live Fearless together.



Love,

Sadie 








My Review

I have been following the Robertson family since the beginning of Duck Dynasty. And it has been a pleasure to watch Sadie Robertson grow from a young adolescent to grown and faith-filled young woman. Live Fearless is Sadie Robertson's heart for not only her generation but for the church in general. To live a life fearlessly for Christ. For me, there wasn't really anything new, but this would be great for a young teen or pre-teen believer.

ARREST IN DECADES OLD CASES MADE!

BREAKING!


Early this morning around 2:30 am PT an arrest was made at a home in Citrus Heights, CA. 72-year-old Joseph James DeAngelo has been arrested as a suspect in the East Area Rapist and Golden State Killer cases that spanned from 1976 to 1986. Not much is known at this point. There is a Press Conference scheduled for 12:00 Noon PT in Sacramento. You can watch it LIVE on the Sacramento Sheriff's Department's Facebook page and the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office Facebook page.


More details to come.



UPDATE:

The Press Conference is still in progress, however, more information about this case has been released. Joseph James DeAngelo has been charged with the murder of Lyman and Charlene Smith in Ventura County in 1980. It has been repeated time and time again throughout the press conference that DNA was what lead to this morning's arrest. Ironically, this occurred today on National DNA Day. The arrest warrant was issued yesterday, April 24, 2018. District Attorney's from multiple counties that were touched by this monster spoke. Also speaking was the FBI Agent in charge of the Sacramento FBI agency. Bruce Harrington, the brother of murder victim Keith Harrington spoke as well. Bruce spoke mostly about how the victims still alive can finally heal and grieve fully. He also gave a passionate speech on the importance of DNA evidence. 


It was also revealed that DeAngelo was living in Canyon Oak Dr. in Citrus Heights, CA. It was when this was revealed this became more personal. This monster lived only blocks from me when I lived in the area. I can not tell you how many times I walked by that house during the Spring and Summer while on a walk. And to now know that the house was holding a decades-long secret that is a serial rapist and serial killer is upsetting, to say the least. 


To the women, this monster brutally raped over the course of 12 years, sleep well.