Guest Author - Bettyann Schmidt

Happy Mother's Day to all you Moms out there in reader land! This Sunday, the 11th, is the day. And here are some tips if you're a daughter or son and you have a mom who loves to read. Or is a music lover...

... because here's a great album of love songs by Grammy nominee Jaci Velasquez, which includes a cut "Jesus (The Way)," as well as the track "Love Out Loud," also the name of the album.

Does Mom like Historical Romance? _Finding Love in the Highlands,_from the new Love Inspired Historical line, might be a good choice, especially if your mom is of Scottish descent. This particular book came out on April 8, as did _Legacy of Secrets_, which takes place in the "Gilded Age." From this same series by Steeple Hill Publishers, there'll be two new ones coming out on May 13: _The Road to Love_, which takes place during the Depression, and _The Bounty Hunter's Bride_, which sounds especially appealing to me.

DVDs are a good bet for the visual mom, and _The Final Inquiry_ is on my own wish list. Did Jesus really rise from the dead? I know he did, but this film reportedly takes us on a journal "to that volatile time three years after Jesus' death," to battles to uncover the truth and "a passionate romance."

Inspirational Nonfiction? _Looking For God__ by Nancy Ortberg, Tyndale, promises an encounter with God by the author. The book invites its readers to "break free with formulaic Christianity and encounter anew the God of the unexpected."

Is your mom an "empty nester," or are you, or soon to be? A good read then would be _Barbara & Susan's Guide to the Empty Nest_, covering relevant topics such as relating to your grown children, rekindling your marriage, and finally having the time to enjoy your own adventures.

While it's said that the closest bond on earth is a monther's and her child, _Lost & Found_, by Kathryn Slattery, tells the memoir of a daughter alienated from her mom and what it took to make the journey back.

Debbie Macomber just had a new one out: _Twenty Wishes_, A Blossom Street book. Moms like Debbie Macomber's books.

Is your mom a "boomer?" _Family Squeeze_, "Tales of Hope and Hilarity for a Sandwiched Generation" sounds perfect. A Multnomah book by Phil Callaway, reviewed to be full of funny tales of life between the teenagers and aging parents in separate beds in the nursing home.

One of the best gifts ever from my one child actually born on Mother's Day is _Reflections From A Mother's Heart_, A Family Lecagy for Your Children, Your Life Story in Your Own Words. It's a book that asks all kinds of questions that you, Mom, answer in your own handwriting. I got the book in 2003, and I've not yet finished filling it in. I'll pick it up occasionally and add a few more entries. Here's an example, "Name a book or author that helped you develop a philosophy of life. Share some of those insights." I wrote, "Norman Vincent-Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking. When I read this book for the first time in the early 1970's I realized I had never thought positively about life before."

No matter what you choose, Mom'll love it. Next week we'll be reviewing _The Shack_, so don't miss this one. It's way different from any other book I think I've ever read. Until then, let's all read.