Signed, Sealed, Delivered, a Review

The show aires SUNDAYS, 8/7c on Hallmark

Website: Hallmark Channel.com - Signed Sealed Delivered

Facebook: Signed Sealed Delivered

Facebook for creator Martha Williamson:

 

I am delighted to share a new Hallmark Television show with you, Signed, Sealed, Delivered. I just watched an episode and I enjoyed it. It has the standard Hallmark reactions, smiles, giggles, struggle, triumph – all packed into one episode. I enjoyed the post office lost letter theme of this episode. I will assume by the title of the show, that we will meet many people through lost mail.

My family enjoys watching series on television. Generally, it is difficult to watch a pilot or even the first three shows and form a solid opinion. With this one show, I got to know the staff at the post office. Their working and personal relationships with each other were established. I liked all of the characters. The sets are simple yet beautiful. I am not sure what time period it is, other than a clue about when the person wrote the letter, but I’ll assume it is written for present day.

The interactions are a bit cheeky. Hallmarky. Many of the exchanges are expected, the story line runs as expected – with one mystery revealed in the middle of the program.

The characters are adults, talking about adult topics – not as in worldly, just probably not very interesting to young children.

We do not have cable, but I’ll be looking for this series to post episodes online. I am always looking for entertaining simple shows to watch. Their inclusion of scriptures in the music score and over all theme of morality is a breath of fresh air.

I hope you all get a chance to check it out on Hallmark Channel on Sundays at 8/7c.

From the Producers:
Signed, Sealed, Delivered

The new original series "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" is a wonderful combination of romance, comedy and drama that follows the lives of four postal detectives who transform themselves into a team of detectives to track down intended recipients of undeliverable mail. Their missions take them out of the office where redirected letters and packages can save lives, solve crimes, reunite old loves and change futures by arriving late but somehow always on time. The team includes charming Oliver O’Toole (Eric Mabius), the group's leader is a man of faith who prayerfully approaches his work with the goal of making a difference in people's lives; new team member, Shane McInerney (Kristin Booth), a technophile who brings 21st century sensibility to the group; free-spirited, “girl next door” Rita Haywith (Crystal Lowe) who has a photographic memory; and lovable Norman Dorman (Geoff Gustafson), a master in conventional research methods.

This incredible series even incorporates scripture in its themes and in the conversations between characters.  In FACT, The American Bible Society has built a bible study to go with the series, Sign up for that here: http://www.americanbible.org/features/signed-sealed-delivered

Disclaimer:  I received a viewing link from FlyBy Promotions Blogger Network for one episode to base my review on. No compensation was given for this review.

The Sound of Music Live!

(This is an ad post)

There are quite a few fun opportunities that come my way, being part of a great blog team. I was asked to host a Faith & Family Viewing Party featuring THE SOUND OF MUSIC, live on NBC!  - They sent me monies for snacks and prizes to give out – and I said YES!

So tonight, a few of my friends are going to gather with me to watch The Sound of Music.

You have a chance to join us online:

I will be giving away a prize package of a Poster, TShirt and Soundtrack on CD

Here’s how you can win:

Tweet with the tags #faithandfamily and #SoundofMusic and tag me in it – @pebblekeeper

Join me today – you may post anytime before Friday Morning – A tweet about your excitement? A tweet about how you feel with Carrie being Maria? A tweet about why you will watch it after it posts? Anything at all – with the tags #faithandfamily and #SoundofMusic and @pebblekeeper

Extra Entry – Chat about the movie on Facebook with the tags #SoundofMusic, #faithandfamily and #AngieWright – or tag me.

I will use these entries, assign a number to each, then use random number generator to pick a winner.

Additional prizes to be shared (post-party) are: poster, t-shirt, and soundtrack on CD!

 

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

From executive producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron ("Smash," "Hairspray," "Chicago") comes an instant holiday classic: "The Sound of Music," based on the original Broadway musical. Carrie Underwood and Stephen Moyer star as Maria and Captain von Trapp in this beloved story of the young novice who falls in love with Captain von Trapp and his seven children, set against the backdrop of Nazi-occupied Austria. The jewel in the Rodgers and Hammerstein crown, "The Sound of Music" contains some of the most famous songs ever written for the stage, including "The Sound of Music," "My Favorite Things," "Do-Re-Mi," "Sixteen Going on Seventeen," "Climb Every Mountain" and "Edelweiss."

This new version of "The Sound of Music" will be a faithful adaptation of the original stage musical, to retell the story for a whole new generation. And more than that, it will be broadcast LIVE, adding a whole new level of immediacy and excitement. Get ready to reintroduce your family to the most joyful, most emotional and most musical family adventure of them all. 

Discaimer: I received a $25.00 visa card from FlyBy Promotions Blogger Network to purchase snacks for my party in exchange for a blog post and promoting the movie with hashtags. I will be able to give a prize pack mentioned above through FlyBy Promotions Blogger Network to one winner.

Copperhead, Movie Package Giveaway!

I am pretty excited about the movie coming out on June 28th, in honor of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. Spend some time on the site below – and comment on this blog for a chance to win a Cooperheaad Movie Package including:

1. A Movie Cash gift card (good for one movie admission)
2. A movie poster signed by director Ron Maxwell (Gettysburg, Gods and Generals)
3. Harold Frederic's book The Copperhead, which inspired the movie

This looks like a great flick!

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
I received the same merchandise in exchange for writing this post. All opinions are my own.

The Confession- A Movie Review

 

I am a long time reader of Beverly Lewis – so I quickly accepted the offer to review the film, The Confession. Unlike other Amish story lines, this one does not take place on the farm, but follows the journey of a girl trying to meet and get to know her birth mom. This is part of The Heritage of Lancaster County trilogy, book 2.

• The Shunning,
• The Confession, and
• The Reckoning

It might be helpful to read the Shunning first – but the movie does stand alone. I am glad that they are putting Christian literature to film, and am glad to support them with getting the news out about it.

CULVER CITY, CALIF. (April 10, 2013) – Katie Leclerc (TV’s “Switched at Birth”) and three-time Emmy Award^® nominee Sherry Stringfield (Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, TV’s “ER,” 1995-1997) star in the uplifting drama BEVERLY LEWIS’ THE CONFESSION, debuting on DVD June 11^th from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and AFFIRM Films/Provident Films.

Directed by Michael Landon Jr. (Beverly Lewis’ The Shunning, Love Comes Softly), the inspiring film is a sequel to the Hallmark Channel’s hit movie, Beverly Lewis’ The Shunning, and is based on the second novel of “The Heritage of Lancaster County” trilogy from New York Times best-selling author Beverly Lewis. Katie Lapp (Leclerc), a young Amish woman, goes on a journey in search of her identity -- only to find herself embroiled in a mystery that must be solved before she can be reunited with the “Englisher” mother, who gave her up for adoption 20 years earlier.  The filmalso stars Bill Oberst Jr. (The Secret Life of Bees), Cameron Deane Stewart (Pitch Perfect, High School Crush) and Julia Whelan (TV’s “Once and Again”).

About AFFIRM Films

AFFIRM Films is a division of Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA), a Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) company, dedicated to producing, acquiring, and marketing films that inspire, uplift, and entertain audiences. www.AFFIRMFilms.com

About Provident Films

Provident Films, a division of Provident Music Group, produces and distributes faith-based films. Nashville-based Provident Music Group, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, has been one of the world’s leading Christian entertainment companies for more than three decades. www.ProvidentFilms.org

Disclaimer:  I received a free DVD copy from Edify Media in exchange for a review on my blog.

Ring the Bell, a Movie Review & Giveaway

I am so excited to introduce the movie Ring The Bell to you!  I just have a few words to help share my enthusiasm. Matthew West. Stephen Curtis Chapman. Casting Crowns. & Baseball. If you knew me you’d realize my review was now over. Ha.

We are in the thick of Youth League Majors Baseball here in our small tourist town.  And, since I just got my car out of the shop after 7 weeks for a 3 hour job, I can just say – I could identify with this movie.

We had to watch it in two parts, some during lunch and some after baseball practice.  My husband and boys came in and out. I think I may be a great mom’s movie. I LOVED the music and the concert with Casting Crowns. I gigged at Matthew West’s role with the baseball team and enjoyed seeing Stephen Curtis Chapman as the pastor. They did a great job. I paddle on the lake with Re-Creation in my MP3 Player and have been Matthew’s #1 fan since his first drive up Hwy 101 to sing in Coos Bay many years ago.  But beside these major favorites – I just have to share that the movie content was just. so. good.

It was captivating. It is not predictable. The story turns and twists. It doesn’t go where you’d expect, and save for the hint on the cover of the DVD, you don’t really know where it ends. In fact, the end is pretty open, you really don’t know what the main character will do with his experience in this small town.

 

I have the opportunity to give a copy of this DVD away and you are going to want it for sure! Comment here on this blog post for your chance to win!

 

From the Publishers - About Ring the Bell:

Ring The Bell shares the story of a slick, big city sports agent Rob Decker who seems to have it all. But on his latest mission to sign a high school baseball superstar, Rob becomes stranded in a small town where the simplicity of life—and the faith of the people—stand in stark contrast to his own fast-paced, win-at-all-costs mindset. Torn between these two worlds, will Rob have the courage to let faith transform his life? This heartwarming story of redemption is sure to entertain and inspire the whole family.

Ring The Bell features a host of well-known Christian music artists, such as Mark Hall along with his band Casting Crowns, Steven Curtis Chapman, and Matthew West, all who play a role in this inspirational drama. Several former and current Major League Baseball all-stars are also featured in the film: ESPN analysts John Kruk and Rick Sutcliffe (a former Cy Young Award winner), along with Ben Zobrist.

This family-friendly movie was produced by Mark Miller, Beach Street Records' founder and Casting Crowns’ producer. Miller, who is also the lead singer and founder of country music group Sawyer Brown, co-wrote the script with Thomas Weber and Weber directed the production. 

Ring the Bell is available on DVD for only $19.99 

DVD Special Features:

The Heart of "Ring the Bell"


Casting Crowns “The Well” Music Video


On Set with Casting Crowns


Famous Faces


A Very Special Movie


Ringing the Bell

The Artists and Music of "Ring The Bell"

 

Website:  http://ringthebellthemovie.com

Watch the Trailer: http://ringthebellthemovie.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RingTheBellTheMovie

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Abel’s Field–Redbox Hit!

Looking for a movie tonight at Redbox? We saw Abel’s Field in our local kiosk. (Check to see if your Local Kiosk Has it!) It is story of two lives that intertwine and end up saving each other.  One a young student, raising his sisters on his own.  One a lone man working for the school. Their journey together throughout about a year’s time is compelling.  It pulls you in quickly and leaves you wanting and longing until the end. 
My boys and I watched this together in the afternoon. My oldest stayed with it, (15), and my youngest wondered off (12). It’s not really a feel good movie. It’s gritty. There are emotions. The characters are in situations that make you sort of scream at the screen. And although a faith based company puts these out, the lives portrayed are not goody goody and whole. There were a few times that I wanted to just call a few characters from the movie and give them a what for.
We have had a lot of bad luck with Redbox movies – this movie I can gladly recommend.
From the Publishers:

• Abel's Field
• AFFIRM Films/Provident Films
• Releases January 22, 2013

About Abel's Field
Left motherless by tragedy and abandoned by his father, high school senior Seth McArdle (Samuel Davis) faces enormous pressure as he strives to support his little sisters. At school, he endures the daily bullying of the football team. But fighting back only finds him singled out for punishment and assigned to an after-school work detail under the supervision of the reserved groundskeeper, Abel (SOUL SURFER’S Kevin Sorbo). Much to his surprise, Seth discovers that Abel may be the only one who truly understands his struggles. As dark times lure Seth toward desperate measures, the reluctant Abel may be the one person who can point him back toward the light.
"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."