Never A Dull Moment

One Long Cat

2012-01-12T18:55:00.002-06:00

This is Freddy, my office cat, and as you can see he's one long cat. He lays like this a lot and it always cracks me up. Freddy is one ornery boy and is always into something...including the trash cans. Yep, he will tip over the trash cans and shred paper. But he's so cute you can't stay mad at him too long.

Hexipuff Love

2012-01-07T14:39:00.001-06:00

A New Year

2012-01-03T18:56:00.000-06:00

Well 2011 is gone and 2012 is here. I didn't do too good on my reading last year. I had wanted to read 50 books but only read 36. Sadly, I just haven't been in the mood to read lately. I haven't read a book in about two months! But that is about to change cause I just bought Julie Klassen's newest book, The Maid of Fairbourne Hall. So excited to read this..I absolutely love all of Julie Klassen's books. So hopefully that will help me get back into the reading mood.

Since I haven't been reading lately I have been knitting like crazy and have set some knitting goals this year. I've joined the Beekeeper's Quilt 365 on Flickr....you take a picture everyday to chronicle your progress on the Beekeeper's Quilt. Here's a picture of the quilt I'm working on for my cats:

So in case your wondering what the Beekeeper's Quilt is you can see it's knitted hexagons (hexipuffs) knitted and then sewed together. :) Besides taking a daily picture I also want to knit one hexipuff a day. So far, I'm on track.

A Christmas Quiz

2011-12-23T12:20:00.001-06:00

I saw this on Margaret's blog and loved it so much I thought I'd play....

Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? I love Hot Chocolate!!
Colored lights on tree/house or white? I like colored lights although I don't put up a tree anymore because of the cats.
Do you hang mistletoe? No.
When do you put your decorations up? I don't do much decorating any more (cats) but this year I did some lights put on the fireplace mantel.
What is your favorite holiday dish? Turkey and stuffing
Favorite Holiday memory as a child? My brother always coming to wake me up to see what Santa left us. He would get up so early and I was always afraid that we would catch Santa and he'd be mad at us. :D
When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I actually don't remember how I learned the truth about Santa so I guess I wasn't too upset about it. lol
Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? When me and my brother were kids we would always exchange gifts on Christmas eve.
How do you decorate your Christmas tree? I don't. :p
Snow! Love it or dread it? I love it if I can just stay home but if I have to get out and drive in it then I dread it.
Do you remember your favorite gift? Yes, my grandmother made me a doll (that I still have) and she included this note that said if you put blush on her checks then she would come alive. I LOVED that doll and would carrying her with me wherever I went. Now she sits on a shelf.
What is your favorite holiday dessert? Gosh, there are so many but I guess if I had to pick I'd say pecan pie.
Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum? Yummy!! Love candy canes. When I was a kid we would put candy canes on the tree as a count down to Christmas. Then each day you got to get a candy cane off the tree and when there were all gone than it was Christmas. :)
Favorite Christmas movie? The Muppet's Christmas Carol, how can you go wrong with The Muppet's and the Christmas Carol??
What is your favorite Christmas song? Breathe of Heaven by Amy Grant, Last Christmas by Wham, and Carol of the Bells to name a few.

Your turn! Take the quiz on your blog and let me know here so I can check out your answers. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and the Happiest New Year.

It's That Time of the Year

2011-12-21T16:01:00.001-06:00

When I put hats and cute collars on my cats. Isn't Leo just too cute?! We just want to wish every one a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!! :)

Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-11T14:34:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas from two slighlty grumpy Santa Paws!!! :)

First Wild Card Tour: The Cat Lover's Devotional

2011-12-08T10:30:00.000-06:00

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card authors are:

M. R. Wells, Connie Fleishauer, and Dottie P. Adams

and the book:

The Cat Lover’s Devotional

Harvest House Publishers (August 1, 2011)

***Special thanks to Susan Otis, publicist, Creative Resources, Inc. for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

M. R. Wells is the co-author of Four Paws from Heaven, Purr-ables from Heaven, and Paws for Reflection. She has written extensively for children’s animated television and video programs, including several Disney shows, Adventures from the Book of Virtues and Bibleman. She shares her Southern California home with her cats and dogs Muffin, Bo, Munchie, Becca and Marley.

Connie Fleishauer is a retired teacher and writer, and is the co-author of Four Paws from Heaven, Purr-ables from Heaven, and Paws for Reflection. The wife of a Bakersfield, California farmer, she is a mother of three and grandmother of one. While many cats have warmed her home, currently, she has two dogs.

Dottie P. Adams is a teaching director for Community Bible Study in the Los Angeles area where she has taught a Bible class for twenty years. Co-author of Purr-ables from Heaven, she is the wife of a retired physicist, the mother of three children, grandmother of five, and currently has cats Midnight and Mooch.

Visit the authors' website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

A new devotional for cat lovers will delight and impart truth about God’s ways, workings in our lives and our relationship with Him. Entertaining true accounts of the antics and personalities of cats are interwoven with anecdotes from the lives of the people who love them and timeless biblical truth. Suitable for adults, youth or children, the stories are filled with gripping moments that reveal God’s love and would lend themselves well to family or personal devotions.

Product Details:

List Price: $12.99
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (August 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0736928812
ISBN-13: 978-0736928816

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Midnight’s Not-So-Rapid Transit

Relationships Take Time

We always have time enough, if we will but use it aright.

JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE

I love sitting at the dining room table on spring mornings, watching the stark darkness turn into a misty dawn as the birds sing to announce the new day. It’s a great time to be alone with the Lord. The house is quiet because I’m the only “early bird” up besides the real ones chirping outside.

As I sat praying one particular morning I heard a loud thump on the window behind me. It was Midnight, asking to come in for breakfast. She always bangs her head against the windowpane to get my attention. Then she rubs her nose against the window frame and meows softly, knowing I will come outside to fetch her. I call this her “rapid transit,” even though she could come in much more quickly through the cat door. But it’s not the quickness she desires—it’s the contact.

As Midnight softly meowed and rubbed that morning I pulled on a jacket and headed outdoors to perform the rite we both love. I cozy up to the air conditioner, which is exactly the height of my shoulders. She steps from the machine to my shoulder as I guide her. She drapes herself around me with her front paws on my left shoulder, her belly nestling the back of my neck, and her back paws hanging down over my right shoulder. As her face presses against me, she purrs into my left ear. I understand that this is her ride to her food bowl—but it’s so much more. Not only do I get a smell of the morning air, I have precious moments of special closeness with my “living fur shawl.” It’s a joy to have this relationship with one of God’s little four-foots—a joy I treasure!

Like my cat, my youngest grandchild also loves to cuddle. He and his brother and their parents live with us right now. I often spend part of the morning upstairs working on lectures for the Bible study class I teach. Eli and Jayden are awake by the time I come downstairs. Jayden (age two and a half) is content to smile, call to me, and continue his play. But Eli (18 months) wants more. He rushes over to me, crying “Maw-Maw!” Then he tugs at my clothes till I pick him up so he can snuggle. As soon as he’s in my arms, he lays his head tightly against me, his ear pressed against my chest. He stays that way for what is a long time for a toddler. It’s a joy to have this special time with him, and I treasure it too!

I also treasure the special relationship time I spend with God. Most mornings I go to Him in prayer, even if it’s just to ask His blessing on my family. I spend a few moments reading the Bible, even if it’s just one verse to connect my mind to Him. I call this “having coffee with Jesus.”

I get my coffee and intentionally ask Jesus to sit with me as if He were here in the flesh. I picture Him sitting right across the table. I talk about the previous day or the day to come. I weep with Him over hardships I’m facing or the suffering of others. I laugh and rejoice with Him over answered prayer. I share my needs and thank Him for being my friend. Sometimes I imagine Him smiling back at me, and other times I believe He brings a verse of Scripture into my mind to correct me or give me hope or courage.

Building close relationships takes time. It must be intentional. It can’t only happen when it’s convenient. Jesus lived this out when He walked the earth. He called each of His disciples and poured His life into them for three years. And He always took time to pray and be with His Father in heaven.

Midnight intentionally bumps the window to begin our special time together. I intentionally respond, even if she’s interrupting something pressing. When Eli wants to snuggle, I take time to enjoy his toddler love, even if I’m in a hurry. I have coffee with Jesus in the same way. Whether it’s convenient or not, I take the necessary time not just to go through my prayers, but to be with my Lord. I believe He delights to hear me purring in His ear as I start the day with Him!

In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly (Psalm 5:3).
Consider This:

Do you set aside time to be with God each day? If so, how does it enhance your relationship? If not, would you be willing to try?

Perry’s Good Shepherd

Be a Shepherd for God

The King of love my Shepherd is,

Whose goodness faileth never;

I nothing lack if I am His,

And He is mine forever.

HENRY W. BAKER

Perry is a very special kitty, the first to live indoors with my in-laws, Harold and Doris. They got him from relatives who could no longer keep him. He is totally enjoying his new life as he chooses where to sleep and whose lap to jump on for some pampering. This gorgeous fluffy orange cat with bright peridot eyes knows just what he wants and how to get it. He loves Harold and Doris, but like all ornery kids he knows how to work them.

On one particular evening when I’d been visiting with them, Perry decided to be a bit more playful than anyone desired. When we walked out the back door, Perry slipped out behind us and followed. He darted under my car to hide. I saw him first and began to call him, but there was no way he was going to obey me. This was playtime. He raced to the back of the vehicle and sprinted down the long driveway.

Harold and Doris live in the country, but their home is near a popular road where cars drive fast. Perry could have been in great danger. He would have had little chance of survival on this road in the dark of night. Fortunately, his faithful master took care of him. As I started to go after the truant, Harold stopped me. He said, “Cover me with the flashlight and I’ll go get him.”

Although Perry was ornery, perhaps this cat had some “horse sense.” He got close to the road but turned aside. He darted into the pasture at the east end of the farm. Perry slunk down in the high grass while Harold, age 82, tried to sneak up on the mischievous feline in his stocking feet in the dark. I felt bad that Harold would not let me join him in the pursuit, but this was his cat, his “child,” his responsibility. He was Perry’s “good shepherd,” and he was acting as any good shepherd would. Giving up or giving in was never an option.

Finally, Perry seemed to realize that Harold was in charge (or he chose to let Harold think he was). Perry hunkered down and let his human grab him. I could tell that even though Harold was tired and his stocking feet were muddy, he was pleased to have Perry back safely in his arms.

Harold probably just thought of this as another one of many chases he had with Perry. But to me, it was more. It was a reenactment of the Parable of the Lost Sheep. In Matthew 18:12-14, Jesus talks about the shepherd who left the rest of his flock to search for the one little lost sheep that had wandered off.

Many years ago, I was just such a lost sheep. Just before entering high school, I had been making some very poor choices. I had accepted Jesus as my personal Savior when I was six years old, and I had gone to church all my life. But at this time, I decided to explore my small world in ways I didn’t need to. I had chosen to be with some “friends” who weren’t true friends, and we had done some things we needed to confess.

My older brother talked to me about what I was doing. He asked if I really wanted to go to high school with that baggage. He stayed with me until I prayed and promised that I would try to obey God and behave like His child. Darrell was my shepherd at that point, and many other times through my teenage years. When I was lost, he went looking for me till he found me. He’d bring me home and nurture me the way a brother or a shepherd would.

The story of the lost sheep had great meaning to me as I was growing up. I loved thinking about the caring shepherd picking up the scared, tired little lamb in his strong arms and carrying it home. I still take comfort in this parable today. It is a way of telling us that we will never be left alone. No matter what our age, if we choose to run off by ourselves, like Perry did that night, our Good Shepherd will always go after us and bring us home in His loving arms, if we allow Him to.

Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.” I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent (Luke 15:4-7).

Consider This:

Have you ever strayed from God? What lured you away? How did your Good Shepherd pursue you? Did you let Him carry you home? If not, would you like to do that right now? Is there someone God might want you to shepherd for Him?

Undying Love

Be “Otherly”

True happiness is found in unselfish Love, a Love which increases in proportion as it is shared.

THOMAS MERTON

Tigret was my dear friend Patty’s treasured four-footed kitty soul mate for 17 wonderful years. He was her first real pet and best buddy. They lived together in New York, and when Patty moved to California, Tigret made the cross-country journey with her.

When Patty watched TV, Tigret would curl up beside her. He slept on her bed at night. When she gave parties, he sat on his very own chair. But he was more than a faithful companion. Patty once heard someone say that God gives us each a pet to teach us something special. She feels Tigret was given to her to teach her to be “otherly”—to love others and God with an unselfish love.

Tigret knew Patty’s moods. He sensed when she was sad or happy. He would put his paw on her lap or hand in a gesture of kitty comfort. He also seemed to know when she was sick—sometimes even before she did. He would stay close by his beloved human until he sensed she was better.

Tigret’s ultimate expression of unselfish love was to care for Patty even when he was dying. He was 17 and had developed kidney problems. He couldn’t drink enough water to stay healthy, and giving him fluids subcutaneously didn’t work well. He would yelp when the needle was inserted. Patty decided not to force this on him. Tigret got sicker and sicker until it took all his strength just to go upstairs. Clearly Tigret’s time on this earth was ending. Patty made him as comfortable as she could…even as her own heart was breaking.

One day, as Patty tended Tigret in tears, he reached out his paw and placed it on her arm. It was as if he was saying, “You’ll be okay.” When Tigret died, Patty wasn’t with him. She believes he knew it would be easier for her that way.

Someone else in Patty’s life also tried to care for her while dying. Patty’s mother passed away just one month after Tigret. She had battled cancer before—but no one knew it had come back.

Patty’s mom was a pediatric cardiologist. In her later years she semiretired from private practice and became involved in teaching and mentoring medical interns and residents. She kept this up even when the cancer returned, and Patty would not have realized that something was wrong except for God’s intervention.

It was a Sunday after church, and Patty had gone up front for prayer on a completely unrelated matter. The gentleman who prayed with her asked Patty how her mother was. “As far as I know, okay,” Patty answered. The man suggested Patty ask her mom about her health. When Patty did, her mom admitted her cancer had come back.

Just like Tigret, Patty’s mom was concerned for the needs of others, even as her own health was failing. She tried to keep teaching. She talked to Patty about taking care of her dad. When Patty finally persuaded her to go to the doctor, he said she had six to nine months to live. They could try chemotherapy, but there was no guarantee.

Patty’s mom took her first dose of chemo—and passed away a week later.

Patty recalls a moment in her mother’s hospital room. Her mom was on a ventilator. Patty saw two angels in a corner by the bed. Patty knew her mom loved Jesus and would go to be with Him. She died soon after. That experience feels to Patty like a special gift from God.

Our loving Lord Jesus was also “otherly” when it was time for Him to die. As His betrayal and crucifixion approached, His focus was to teach and prepare His disciples. In John 16:5-7, He told them, “Now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” Even as He hung on the cross, Jesus asked His disciple John to care for His mother.

But Jesus’ sacrificial love went far deeper. He willingly took upon Himself the penalty for our sins. By doing so, He conquered sin and death so that all who put their trust in Him could enjoy eternal life. Patty has given her life to her Savior, and she knows that when she leaves this earth she will go to her loving Lord, who will wipe away all her tears, including the ones she shed for Tigret and her mother. And she’ll be reunited with her mom again.

Being “otherly” isn’t something that starts when we are dying. It’s a way of life. It’s what Jesus calls us to do. If you live and love with an “otherly” focus, as Tigret and Patty’s mom did, you will show that you are Jesus’ disciple!

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another (1 John 4:10-11).

Consider This:

Is there someone in your life who loves you unselfishly? How do they do that and how does it make you feel? How could you focus more on others and be more sensitive to their needs? What could you do to show them “otherly” love?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-07T14:25:00.001-06:00

F.A.I.R.I.E.S.:Baptism by Fire by M.C. Pearson

2011-12-05T13:43:00.001-06:00

Today's Wild Card author & illustrator is:

M. C. Pearson

and the book:

F.A.I.R.I.E.S.: Baptism by Fire

FIRST Wild Card Press (December 5, 2011)

***Special thanks to M. C. Pearson of FIRST Wild Card Press for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

M. C. Pearson graduated from San Jose State University with a B. A. in art, served as a multi-media illustrator in the United States Army, earning the rank of sergeant, and spent four years as a house parent for at-risk youth. Now married over 20 years, she homeschools her two children, volunteers with her church youth group, and runs a book review blog alliance (FIRST Wild Card Tours) while writing and drawing. F.A.I.R.I.E.S.: Baptism by Fire is her first novel.

Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Unwittingly chosen to join an army of fairies, who fight for the Light of the One, a teenaged girl learns about spiritual warfare as she attends a military academy with fantastical beings.

FROM THE BACK COVER:

Here lies a most precious treasure,

Awaiting one Chosen to deliver.

Seek out the red cousins in the East,

For on this your greed mustn't feast.

The wealth of a species now in your hands,

Do with it as the light demands.

Give them your gift to unite,

For it is the darkness we all must fight.

EDITORIAL REVIEWS:

"Imagination runs wild in F.A.I.R.I.E.S. Pearson brings young readers through a looking glass and into a world bursting with adventure, heroism, and fascinating creatures. Readers will be inspired to be true to the One and left with anticipation of more to come."
--Jill Williamson, award-winning author of
By Darkness Hid, and other books

"Sprinkled with delightful illustrations, and brimming with a full bestiary of magical creatures, F.A.I.R.I.E.S. is a fun, clever romp through the alternate landscape of the most magical world of all, our own. Read, and take up the call: 'Defend and Emancipate!'"
-- D. Barkley Briggs, author of
The Book of Names, and other books

"F.A.I.R.I.E.S. will appeal to readers who love the interplay of fantasy and reality. A rich cast of eccentric characters and exotic settings make this a fun addition to the folklore of the battle between good and evil."
--Mike Hamel, author of
YA fantasy series: MATTERHORN THE BRAVE

"F.A.I.R.I.E.S. is one of those rare gems I want to tell everyone about. It's highly imaginative, packed with adventure, and full of hope. A must read for kids and for kids at heart. Even better than Narnia! I was thinking about Pearson's wonderfully memorable characters for days."
--C.J. Darlington, author of
Thicker than Blood

"Ms. Pearson's extravagant and imaginative F.A.I.R.I.E. kingdom will surely delight the young and the young-at-heart in this tale of good and evil, light vs. darkness. The fantasy-loving reader will not be disappointed!"
--Linore Rose Burkard, award winning author of
Before the Season Ends, and other books

Product Details:

List Price: $17.99
Paperback: 482 pages
Publisher: FIRST Wild Card Press (December 5, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0615530222
ISBN-13: 978-0615530222

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Four thousand seasons shall pass while our swords grow rusty.

Where once one chose to divide, another shall be chosen to unite.

One changed the past, the other shall change the future.

One must emancipate the other to allow the light its dominion.

The realm, now torn, allows the shadow to abide, as humanity lies blind to its peril.

The bond of friendship must endure, for the army of shadows awaits another tear.

Dust off your swords.

Unite the realm.

Destroy the strongholds.

Foretelling of Didasko Gnome Digdeep

†

PART ONE

MANY ARE CALLED

BUT

FEW ARE CHOSEN

†

CHAPTER ONE

Off and Running

t was an accident!” Mellie yelled, not caring who heard or stared. Tears streaked her face as she fled down the Santa Cruz coastline, away from her family.

You don’t need them, a voice hissed in her ear, Escape. Run away.

Scorching sand burned at her feet and bitterness ate at her heart. Mellie pumped her legs as fast as they would go. Her feet pounded with the rhythm of her emotions, beating a tempo with the crashing waves. Run-a-way. Run-a-way. Run-a-way. Adrenaline pulsed through her veins, quickening her step.

Why did I have to be the youngest? Only 12 years old. Never smart enough. Never athletic enough. I just wish they loved me.

Once, just once, she wanted to do something that would make her sisters see that she wasn’t the stupid, awkward, ugly, little baby sister.

As she ran, she wiped away some tears with the palm of her hand. Her fingers settled on her large nose, a gift from her dad’s Hungarian ancestry.

Chelsea got the ski-slope shaped nose. I had to get Half-Dome. It just isn’t fair.

Her hand dropped to her side and she pinched at her stomach. It still had some of its baby fat.

Ugh, why are my sisters so perfect? What happened to me?

Pushing her short bangs from her forehead in disgust, she mumbled, “Maybe I’ll find treasure. I’ll be the rich one, and then they’ll have to accept me.” But she knew better. California didn’t hold any more undiscovered treasures.

The sand, hot and coarse, cut at her feet. I wish I had remembered my shoes. She wore only a black, one-piece swimsuit and a San Jose Sharks sweatshirt tied tightly around her waist.

Breathing rapidly, she began to tire. She slowed her pace to a walk and looked back across the beach. The sand was so hot that waves of heat rose from it and blurred her view. A lone seagull screeched overhead.

Her sisters were nowhere in sight.

Man, I thought for sure that Chelsea was going to chase me down and kill me.

She had to admit that it was a little gratifying to see the sand fly from her foot, covering Chelsea’s sub-sandwich and freshly oiled stomach. Grinning slightly, the tears stopped flowing. She rubbed her eyes.

Mellie looked in the direction of her sisters. “You guys can never take a joke.” Flipping her golden hair, she turned her head back toward her chosen path. She no longer smiled as she stomped her feet in the cold surf, remembering the hateful words that had been said.

“Oh, waa waa, you stupid cry baby! Go tell mommy! Maybe she’ll feel sorry for her ugly, fat baby. Why don’t you grow up? We don’t want you near us. Can’t you understand English? You are so dumb. Look at her mouth open. Oh wait, here she goes…come on, baby…cry!”

Mellie knew she couldn’t go back. They would only ridicule and torment her further. Her mom would never believe it was Chelsea’s fault. No, the evidence was on Chelsea’s side. Who was the one with the sand all over her oily, coconut-smelling body? Who was the one who had a sandwich full of sand? Mellie walked on.

After her temper finally cooled, it occurred to her that she had never walked so far alone.

How far have I gone?

A shadow passed over her, and she looked up. Nothing was there. A cool breeze from the ocean created a stark contrast to the scalding sand. She shivered but kept walking, lost in her loneliness.

Not until she stubbed her toe on a large broken clamshell did she look at the beach. A chill snaked up her back. Nothing appeared familiar. The sounds of the surf were still there, yet something was decidedly different. She felt dizzy. Looking around, she could not quite pinpoint the change. Then it struck her.

No people.

Where did everybody go?

Even though she could see no one, Mellie could swear that she felt eyes staring at her.

She looked inland across the sand, saw movement near some eucalyptus trees, but decided that the wind must have caused it.

Trees? So close to the beach?

Something shook the trees again, causing goosebumps to stand out on Mellie’s arms. Alarmed, she checked the skyline. The sun was close to setting. She hoped that the police weren’t out looking for her.

Suddenly cold, she pulled at the arms of the sweatshirt still tied around her waist. It fell to the sand. Bending to pick it up, she once again saw a blur of movement, except this time it came from a rocky outcrop by the waves. She shook the sand out of the sweatshirt and hurriedly tugged it over her head.

“Okay, I’m seeing things.” Mellie yanked at her hair, pulling it out of the sweatshirt. She stared at the sinister rocks. “Hel-lo?” Her voice cracked as she spoke louder. “Is someone the-ere? Hello?” No answer. The shadowy rocks seemed to quiver with excitement, beckoning her closer.

Hmm…probably just a seagull.

Even if it was a bird, she did not want to see it.

There’s no way I’m going over there.

The wind picked up and blew her hair into her eyes. The sand spun with the wind.

Yes, definitely time to move. I need to find a road.

She turned back toward the sweet smelling, oddly placed trees.

Mellie arrived at the base of the first, colossal eucalyptus tree. Without warning, one of the branches fell in front of her, then seemed to get up from the ground and pose its bottom stems in a military-like stance.

Mellie screamed and jumped back. “Branches don’t stand.”

“They do if they are walking sticks.” The eucalyptus branch chuckled, stretching to its full height, considerably taller than Mellie’s meager five feet.
She gasped, grabbed the branch, and threw it like a javelin, as hard as she could.

As she took off running, she heard a bark and halted. Turning, she saw a golden retriever bounding toward her with the stick in his mouth. The dog dropped it at her feet. She watched the dog run into the grove of trees and disappear before she fearfully turned back to the possessed stick.

It had already gained its footing again and stood over her. Mellie was too frightened to move this time.

A face emerged from the skinny twig and took on the characteristics of a male human, but none like Mellie had ever seen. He had hair made up in rolls as if it were a powdered, green-silver wig, the same color as the leaves that grew all around his skinny body. His face was long and his forehead high. The twiggy man smiled and said in a distinctly British, albeit breezy, accent, “Do not worry, you are safe.”

Mellie couldn’t answer.

“Ahh…I love new recruits. They are so easily addled.”

Feeling more confused than threatened, Mellie found her voice. “What? What do you mean, new recruits?” She rubbed her eyes, shaking her head. “Okay, I’m talking to a stick now. Yes, I have lost it. I have gone totally mental.”

“Oh, I say, am I to understand that I am the first to be revealed to you?” With round, leathery leaves, the branch resembled a toddler toy with rings stacked on one another.

She dropped open her mouth and nodded.

“Well, let me do this properly, then. Ahem. Mortal, made of clay, you have been Chosen to join the Fantastical, Aerial, International, Reasonably Inconspicuous, Emancipation Squads.”

“What? What are you? You look like a stick…but you can talk.”

“Yes, child,” the stick replied with a sigh. “But, I think we are quite past that by now. Have you not heard me? You have been Chosen.”

Mellie opened her mouth wider, closed it, frowned, and opened it once more. “Chosen? For what?”

“You did wish to be different? To change who you were? ’Twas an especially strong desire, yes?” The branch crossed its arms and tapped its twiggy foot.

“Umm…”

“Dear me, this is highly unusual. You made a choice to run away from a miserable life and asked to be set free? Correct?”

“Well, I, ah…yeah. I guess so. What did you say about recruit for some squad?”

“Humph. I see that I was not understood. Yes? Let me elucidate. The Fantastical, Aerial, International, Reasonably Inconspicuous, Emancipation Squads , or shall I say F.A.I.R.I.E.S.? have accepted you into their organization. You asked. You were answered.” The branch attempted a smile, but looked impatient instead.

“Fairies? I don’t believe in fairies.” Mellie winced, half expecting him to fall down and writhe in pain until she clapped her hands.

“Quite right. You are not supposed to. If humans truly believed we existed, we would never get anything accomplished.”

Mellie laughed and looked around for a hidden camera, thinking this must be a joke. “Right. Ah…heh…okay, bud, brilliant costume,” she said, imitating the branch’s accent. “Where’s the zipper?” She reached toward him and touched a soft leaf.

The branch slapped her hand away and stamped its foot with a loud cracking noise. “I beg your pardon. I have not been a bud for over 800 springs!” He paced, his leaves crumpling, mumbling to himself about humans and why, in the One’s name, did he listen to that confounded gnome who told him that he needed to stand gate duty. With his rank!

“I’m sorry I upset you. Please, I’m very confused. I’m lost, and I just want to go home.” Mellie bit her lip.

The branch stopped mid-pace. “Home? Earlier, did you not wish for a new life? And riches? I know you wished for treasure, hmm?”

“How do you know that?” Mellie furrowed her brow. “Have you been reading my mind?”

The twig man didn’t answer her questions, asking his own instead. “Ahh, so, you admit this, yes?”

She narrowed her eyes. “Yes, but…well, this really isn’t what I had in mind.”

The branch threw up its twiggy fingers. “Oh, well, of course you did not have this in mind. After all, we are reasonably inconspicuous, especially to humans. How could you have this in mind? However, is it not superior of the One to think that this is what you would have chosen had you known about us? Anyway, ’tis irrevocable now. So, if you would just follow me, we shall get you signed in and enrolled for training.”

The branch marched off between the trunks of two large eucalyptus trees.

Mellie slid uncontrollably after the walking stick. She planted her feet firmly, refusing to budge, but she slid after him anyway. Grasping at branches of nearby trees, she panted heavily as she struggled to resist following the branch. Some kind of invisible tie connected her to him. He seemed to pull her along with his every step.

Mellie thought about her sisters and how mad they were at her. I’m dead meat if they find me. Mellie quickly gave up her battle and ran after the eucalyptus branch, barely keeping up with his stride.

†

The sand changed to coarse dirt, with pebbles and sticks. More and more trees filled Mellie’s vision. Bushes scraped against her bare legs and slapped her face as she moved deeper inside a forest of eucalyptus and redwood trees. She winced in pain as a razor-sharp rock sliced her foot. Stopping to nurse it, she wished once again for her forgotten shoes.

“Excuse me, sir?” Mellie looked around. She could not see the branch anywhere.

“Do not call me ‘sir’, I work for a living.” The branch peeked out from around one of the gigantic trees. “And please, try to keep up. We need to reach the gateway.”

Mellie limped up to him. “Sorry, sir…I mean…umm, what should I call you then?”

“Oh, well, we did skip that. Did we not? Yes, all right, an introduction then.” The branch man seemed to enjoy formal etiquette for he gave an elaborate wave and bowed. “My name is Regnans, family of Myrtaceae, born member of the F.A.I.R.I.E.S., Britannia Wing, rank of Master Nymph Dryad.”

“Nice to meet you, Reg…Reg?” Mellie chewed on the inside of her mouth. Never good at remembering names, she knew she would offend him with her lack of manners.

Sure enough, the dryad raised an eyebrow and pursed his lips. “Regnans.” He gave a hurt sniff, then drolly sneered. “If you find that a difficult name, you should meet the rest of my family, all seven-hundred thirty-four of them.”

“Sorry, I just…well, it is a lot to remember. It’s a nice name, though. My name is Maryellen Goodwin of Bret Harte Middle School, San Jose, California. But everyone calls me Mellie.” She stuck out her hand, intending to shake. Regnans stared at her.

“That is a strange curtsy. However, I guess ’twill do. We must get moving now. The shadows abound, you know.” Regnans made an about face and marched off faster than before.

Another hour passed, and still they strode along the forest floor. Mellie’s feet were now cut, blistered, and bleeding. She kept up as best she could with Regnans’s long stride. Whenever she tried to stop, he would pull her on with that invisible force of his.

Stupid, pompous, magical Star Wars freak.

She whimpered as she limped. Darkness and mist now covered the woods. As she was about to plead for a break, Regnans stopped. Except for her heavy gulps of air, all seemed quiet.

Regnans stiffened even more than usual. Nothing on him moved, apart from his eyes, which darted around quickly.

“All is safe, we may proceed.” He held up a twiggy finger to his woody mouth. “Please do not speak, and try not to breathe so abominably loud.”

Mellie nodded with a disgusted frown. Sweat dripped from her bangs. She tried to calm her breathing, even though her vision blurred, and her legs wobbled. Her blisters had popped by now and oozed wetness.

Regnans moved again, yet this time he took slow, deliberate steps, all the while scanning his surroundings. He walked up to a massive redwood tree and stroked its bark.

A breeze stirred up, rattling the leaves, sounding almost like spoken words. Mellie thought herself crazy again. However, the longer she stood there, the more she sensed that it really was the tree’s language, as if she had never listened to trees properly before. It said, “If you love, you will say the one true love that leads the way.”

Regnans whispered in a leaf rustling voice, “Ah-gaw-pay.”

A loud grumbling sound, as if someone awakened after a long sleep, shook the grove. The redwood tree opened two eyes, each the size of Mellie’s head, and blinked. A great fissure erupted below the eyes in the shape of a crescent, and redish-brown wooden teeth emerged. A long, knobby branch pushed its way out above the mouth and inhaled deeply.

The tree chuckled. Instead of the whispering leaves, a low, rumbling utterance of human speech came from the redwood tree. “Regnans? What brings you to my neck of the woods?” He blinked again. “And who is this? A new recruit? A human? A Chosen?”

Mellie knew she looked silly, standing there with her mouth in an ‘O’ shape, but she couldn’t move. This was simply impossible. There is no such thing as fairies!

“Yes, yes. Please open the gate, we must not dawdle here…they may be watching.” Regnans looked agitated.

A deep laugh resounded from the redwood. “Oh, Regnans. There are none who watch here.”

Regnans mumbled something about hamadryads and their pride, then proclaimed in a slightly louder voice to the tree, “We must be sober, be vigilant, because the shadow walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom it may devour.”

The hamadryad looked chagrined. “You speak true, dryad. Forgive me for acting like an arrogant seedling.” He glanced at Mellie, and with a lowered voice asked, “And what is your name, little human?”

Mellie managed to squeak out, “Mellie Goodwin.”

“Ah, ’tis always nice to have a Good Wind.” The hamadryad laughed heartily.

“Sorry to interrupt this lovely tete-a-tete,” Regnans said, “but would you please open the gate? I left Westside completely unguarded.”

An annoyed creak came from the base of the redwood, followed by a sigh. “Yes, Regnans. Agape you said, and agape it is. Go with the light, my friends.” The large, joyous eyes closed, and the hamadryad whispered in his leaf rustling voice, “Until we meet again, Good Wind.” His face disappeared, and his roots lifted and pulled apart, exposing a tunnel within his trunk.

Regnans grabbed Mellie’s hand with his rough, wooden one, and pulled her inside the opening. The tree closed itself abruptly and left them in total darkness.

Regnans cleared his throat and said, “Let there be light.”

A burst of dazzling brightness sparkled from the tunnel’s wall. Mellie glanced around and noticed a long, winding stairwell leading down into the ground.

“Shall we, then?” Not waiting for a reply, Regnans started down the steps.

Available at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com.

Angie here....I could kick myself. Time totally got away from me and I haven't read this yet but plan on it soon. So, my review will be coming within the next month or so.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-23T12:25:00.001-06:00

Stay Furry!

2011-11-22T20:09:00.000-06:00

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

Movie Time: Breaking Dawn Part 1

2011-11-19T21:14:00.001-06:00

Today I went to see Breaking Dawn with my hubby, mil and fil. My mil and hubby have both read all the books and really liked them. I've only read book one but I think I'm going to be reading the last book soon so I can see what is going to happen. ;)

Anyway, the first half of Breaking Dawn was soooo slow and boring to me. In fact, my fil actually fell asleep and started to snore! lol That was quite entertaining. ;) But then the movie picked up and it was really good and I want to know what happens! I don't want to give anything away for those who haven't read the book but I didn't see something coming. All I'll say is it had to do Jacob.

So, anyone else see the movie? If so, what did ya think about it?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-16T14:14:00.001-06:00

First Wild Card Tour: A Sound Among the Trees by Susan Meissner

2011-11-14T12:30:00.000-06:00

Today's Wild Card author is:

Susan Meissner

and the book:

A Sound Among the Trees

WaterBrook Press (October 4, 2011)

***Special thanks to Laura Tucker of WaterBrook Press for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Award-winning writer Susan Meissner is a multi-published author, speaker and workshop leader with a background in community journalism. Her novels include The Shape of Mercy, named by Publishers Weekly as one of the Best Books of 2008. She is a pastor’s wife and a mother of four. When she's not writing, Susan directs the Small Groups and Connection Ministries program at her San Diego church.

Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

A house shrouded in time. A line of women with a heritage of loss. As a young bride, Susannah Page was rumored to be a Civil War spy for the North, a traitor to her Virginian roots. Her great-granddaughter Adelaide, the current matriarch of Holly Oak, doesn't believe that Susannah's ghost haunts the antebellum mansion looking for a pardon, but rather the house itself bears a grudge toward its tragic past.

When Marielle Bishop marries into the family and is transplanted from the arid west to her husband's home, it isn't long before she is led to believe that the house she just settled into brings misfortune to the women who live there.

With Adelaide's richly peppered superstitions and deep family roots at stake, Marielle must sort out the truth about Susannah Page and Holly Oak— and make peace with the sacrifices she has made for love.

Product Details:

List Price: $14.99
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Press (October 4, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0307458857
ISBN-13: 978-0307458858

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Excerpt

      The bride stood in a circle of Virginia sunlight, her narrow heels clicking on Holly Oak’s patio stones as she greeted strangers in the receiving line. Her wedding dress was a simple A-line, strapless, with a gauzy skirt of white that breezed about her knees like lacy curtains at an open window. She had pulled her unveiled brunette curls into a loose arrangement dotted with tiny flowers that she’d kept alive on her flight from Phoenix. Her only jewelry was a white topaz pendant at her throat and the band of platinum on her left ring finger. Tall, slender, and tanned from the famed and relentless Arizona sun, hers was a girl-nextdoor look: pretty but not quite beautiful. Adelaide thought it odd that Marielle held no bouquet.

      From the parlor window Adelaide watched as her grandson-in-law, resplendent in a black tuxedo next to his bride, bent toward the guests and greeted them by name, saying, “This is Marielle.” An explanation seemed ready to spring from his lips each time he shook the hand of someone who had known Sara, her deceased granddaughter. His first wife. Carson stood inches from Marielle, touching her elbow every so often, perhaps to assure himself that after four years a widower he had indeed patently and finally moved on from grief.

Smatterings of conversations wafted about on the May breeze and into the parlor as received guests strolled toward trays of sweet tea and champagne. Adelaide heard snippets from her place at the window. Hudson and Brette, her great-grandchildren, had moved away from the snaking line of gray suits and pastel dresses within minutes of the first guests’ arrival and were now studying the flower-festooned gift table under the window ledge, touching the bows, fingering the silvery white wrappings. Above the children, an old oak’s youngest branches shimmied to the tunes a string quartet produced from the gazebo beyond the receiving line.

Adelaide raised a teacup to her lips and sipped the last of its contents, allowing the lemony warmth to linger at the back of her throat. She had spent the better part of the morning readying the garden for Carson and Marielle’s wedding reception, plucking spent geranium blossoms, ordering the catering staff about, and straightening the rented linen tablecloths. She needed to join the party now that it had begun. The Blue-Haired Old Ladies would be wondering where she was.

Her friends had been the first to arrive, coming through the garden gate on the south side of the house at five minutes before the hour. She’d watched as Carson introduced them to Marielle, witnessed how they cocked their necks in blue-headed unison to sweetly scrutinize her grandson-in-law’s new wife, and heard their welcoming remarks through the open window.

Deloris gushed about how lovely Marielle’s wedding dress was and what, pray tell, was the name of that divine purple flower she had in her hair?

Pearl invited Marielle to her bridge club next Tuesday afternoon and asked her if she believed in ghosts.

Maxine asked her how Carson and she had met—though Adelaide had told her weeks ago that Carson met Marielle on the Internet—and why on earth Arizona didn’t like daylight-saving time.

Marielle had smiled, sweet and knowing—like the kindergarten teacher who finds the bluntness of five-year-olds endearing—and answered the many questions.

      Mojave asters. She didn’t know how to play bridge. She’d never encountered a ghost so she couldn’t really say but most likely not. She and Carson met online. There’s no need to save what one has an abundance of. Carson had cupped her elbow in his hand, and his thumb caressed the inside of her arm while she spoke.

      Adelaide swiftly set the cup down on the table by the window, whisking away the remembered tenderness of that same caress on Sara’s arm.

      Carson had every right to remarry.

      Sara had been dead for four years.

      She turned from the bridal tableau outside and inhaled deeply the gardenia-scented air in the parlor. Unbidden thoughts of her granddaughter sitting with her in that very room gently nudged her. Sara at six cutting out paper dolls. Memorizing multiplication tables at age eight. Sewing brass buttons onto gray wool coats at eleven. Sara reciting a poem for English Lit at sixteen, comparing college acceptance letters at eighteen, sharing a chance letter from her estranged mother at nineteen, showing Adelaide her engagement ring at twenty-four. Coming back home to Holly Oak with Carson when Hudson was born. Nursing Brette in that armchair by the fireplace. Leaning against the door frame and telling Adelaide that she was expecting her third child.

      Right there Sara had done those things while Adelaide sat at the long table in the center of the room, empty now but usually awash in yards of stiff Confederate gray, glistening gold braid, and tiny piles of brass buttons—the shining elements of officer reenactment uniforms before they see war.

      Adelaide ran her fingers along the table’s polished surface, the warm wood as old as the house itself. Carson had come to her just a few months ago while she sat at that table piecing together a sharpshooter’s forest green jacket. He had taken a chair across from her as Adelaide pinned a collar, and he’d said he needed to tell her something.

      He’d met someone.

      When she’d said nothing, he added, “It’s been four years, Adelaide.”

      “I know how long it’s been.” The pins made a tiny plucking sound as their pointed ends pricked the fabric.

      “She lives in Phoenix.”

      “You’ve never been to Phoenix.”

      “Mimi.” He said the name Sara had given her gently, as a father might. A tender reprimand. He waited until she looked up at him. “I don’t think Sara would want me to live the rest of my life alone. I really don’t. And I don’t think she would want Hudson and Brette not to have a mother.”

      “Those children have a mother.”

      “You know what I mean. They need to be mothered. I’m gone all day at work. I only have the weekends with them. And you won’t always be here. You’re a wonderful great-grandmother, but they need someone to mother them, Mimi.”

      She pulled the pin cushion closer to her and swallowed. “I know they do.”

      He leaned forward in his chair. “And I…I miss having someone to share my life with. I miss the companionship. I miss being in love. I miss having someone love me.”

      Adelaide smoothed the pieces of the collar. “So. You are in love?”

      He had taken a moment to answer. “Yes. I think I am.”

      Carson hadn’t brought anyone home to the house, and he hadn’t been on any dates. But he had lately spent many nights after the children were in bed in his study—the old drawing room—with the door closed. When she’d pass by, Adelaide would hear the low bass notes of his voice as he spoke softly into his phone. She knew that gentle sound. She had heard it before, years ago when Sara and Carson would sit in the study and talk about their day. His voice, deep and resonant. Hers, soft and melodic.

      “Are you going to marry her?”

      Carson had laughed. “Don’t you even want to know her name?”

      She had not cared at that moment about a name. The specter of being alone in Holly Oak shoved itself forward in her mind. If he remarried, he’d likely move out and take the children with him. “Are you taking the children? Are you leaving Holly Oak?”

      “Adelaide—”

      “Will you be leaving?”

      Several seconds of silence had hung suspended between them. Carson and Sara had moved into Holly Oak ten years earlier to care for Adelaide after heart surgery and had simply stayed. Ownership of Holly Oak had been Sara’s birthright and was now Hudson and Brette’s future inheritance. Carson stayed on after Sara died because, in her grief, Adelaide asked him to, and in his grief, Carson said yes.

      “Will you be leaving?” she asked again.

      “Would you want me to leave?” He sounded unsure.

      “You would stay?”

      Carson had sat back in his chair. “I don’t know if it’s a good idea to take Hudson and Brette out of the only home they’ve known. They’ve already had to deal with more than any kid should.”

      “So you would marry this woman and bring her here. To this house.”

      Carson had hesitated only a moment. “Yes.”

      She knew without asking that they were not talking solely about the effects moving would have on a ten-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl. They were talking about the strange biology of their grief. Sara had been taken from them both, and Holly Oak nurtured their common sorrow in the most kind and savage of ways. Happy memories were one way of keeping someone attached to a house and its people. Grief was the other. Surely Carson knew this. An inner nudging prompted her to consider asking him what his new bride would want.

      “What is her name?” she asked instead.

      And he answered, “Marielle…”

Excerpted from A Sound Among the Trees by Susan Meissner Copyright © 2011 by Susan Meissner. Excerpted by permission of WaterBrook Press, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

My Thoughts:

I can't share my thoughts just yet because I haven't finished reading it. So once I get it read I will share my thoughts with y'all then. But honestly, you can't go wrong with a Susan Meissner book...she's an awesome author. :)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-09T15:54:00.000-06:00

Real Vampires.....

2011-11-07T20:02:00.000-06:00

This is the latest cartoon my brother has drawn and I thought it was pretty funny so I'm sharing it with y'all. :) You can see more of his cartoons here.

Happy Halloween!!!

2011-10-31T10:00:00.000-05:00

Jake wanted to wish everyone a Happy Halloween!! In case you can't tell, he's dressed up as a lion. :D

National Cat Day

2011-10-29T20:31:00.000-05:00

I can't believe I almost forgot that today is National Cat Day! :) So in honor of National Cat Day I thought I would share some cat links. Enjoy! Oh, and if you don't have a cute cat in your life, just remember that there are so many cuties at your local shelter just waiting for the purrr-fect home. ;)

Lolcats (one of my favorites)
Cat Videos!
Some fun facts about cats
Catster

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-26T15:14:00.000-05:00

A River To Cross by Yvonne Harris

2011-10-24T20:15:00.001-05:00

From Goodreads:
Texas Ranger Jake Nelson patrols the U.S.-Mexico border, protecting the settlers from cattle rustlers, outlaws, and bandits. Sparks fly when Manuel Diego stirs up a revolt against the government, which leads to the murder of a newspaperman, who is the son of a U.S. senator, and the kidnapping of his sister, Elizabeth Madison, a journalist in the making.

With Elizabeth's photograph in hand—a dark-haired beauty with smiling eyes—Jake rides over the border to find her. After the Rangers defeat the marauders and rescue Elizabeth, Jake is surprised to learn she's not the spoiled daughter of a senator that he was expecting. In fact, he finds himself taken by her. And she by him.

But the Mexicans won't give up that easily, as Elizabeth becomes the target of an all-out hunt. Leaving Elizabeth back at Fort Williams, Jake and his men set off again, this time to go after Diego himself—to apprehend him and his renegades and bring them all to justice.

Meanwhile, Jake knows what's begun between him and Elizabeth is undeniable. Amid all the turmoil, Jake finally admits how much he loves her. She tells him the same. Until now, they've lived in different worlds, yet it is those differences that drew them together

My Thoughts:
When I started to read this book I was expecting it to be full of adventure with a little romance but it ended up being the exact opposite...full of romance with a little adventure. I'm not a great fan of books heavy on the romance so I really didn't enjoy this book. But if you like a lot of romance then please give it a try. Because, the reason I didn't enjoy the book was a personal reason and had nothing at all to do with the author's ability to write.

**Thanks to Bethany House Publishers for sending me a free copy to review**

Lady of Milkweed Manor by Julie Klassen

2011-10-17T19:19:00.003-05:00

From Goodreads:

As Charlotte drew closer to the looming grey edifice that was to become her temporary home, she could not help but notice the secretive shuttered windows. Then she noticed the milkweeds . . .

Even a proper vicar's daughter can make a mistake--and now Charlotte Lamb must pay a high price for her fall. To avoid the prying eyes of all who know her, she hides herself away in London's forbidding "Milkweed Manor," a place of mystery and lore, of old secrets and new birth.

But once there, she comes face to face with a suitor from her past--a man who now hides secrets of his own. Both are determined, with God's help, to protect those they love. But neither can imagine the depth of sacrifice that will be required.

Sprinkled with fascinating details about the lives of women in Regency England, Lady of Milkweed Manor is a moving romantic drama about the redemption of past failings and the beauty of sacrificial love.

My Thoughts:

I've had Lady of Milkweed Manor sitting on my shelf such a long time...so long, in fact, that I don't remember where I got it. After reading it I'm wondering why on earth I've waited so long to read it. I think it is safe to say that Julie Klassen in one of my favorite authors. Love her books!

But back to Lady of Milkweed Manor, which I believe was Julie Klassen's first book, we get to meet Charlotte. She's been banished from her home and sent to Milkweed Manor. While there she runs into someone from her past that ends up being a big part of her future. But what part does this person play her in future? You will just have to read it for yourself to find out. ;)

I really don't think you can go wrong with a Julie Kassen book...I've love every one of her books.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-12T20:01:00.002-05:00

Jewelry

2011-10-09T21:06:00.003-05:00

For the last few weeks my mom and I took a jewelry making class. We enjoyed learning how to make bracelets, necklaces and earrings. Then I realized I could take what I learned and make stitch markers (for knitting). The first picture are of my stitch markers, then a couple of bracelets I made and the last picture is of the clasp of a necklace my mom made, but you will notice I had help when I was taking the picture. :)

Gregarious by Kevin Gritten

2011-10-07T20:26:00.004-05:00

My brother has started a little comic that he is drawing and sharing on his Facebook page. I thought I would share some of his comics with y'all from time to time. :) Just click on the picture to make it bigger. Hope y'all enjoy!

My Latest Addiction

2011-10-04T20:29:00.007-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I was minding my own business and just reading a knitting blog when I see her mention a hexipuff. I said to myself, "What the heck is a hexipuff?" So I head on over to Raverly to figure out what on earth a hexipuff is. I soon discover the Beekeeper's Quilt and after thinking about it for a minute a two I purchase the pattern and the addiction began. The quilt is made of a bunch of these little hexagons, aka hexipuffs.

Pretty neat, huh? They are really easy and surprisingly addictive to make. Which is probably a good thing since I will need a few hundred to make me a small quilt. I have about twenty so far but haven't really knitted any in about a week. I had to make myself work a few gifts since it's getting close to Christmas and as money is going to be tight I see a lot of gift making in my future. Oh well, at least I have a ton of yarn in my stash to make a few gifts for my family.

Anyway, knitting hexipuffs has definitely become my latest addiction and I just thought I'd share and maybe infect someone else with the "hexi-bug" ;)

Giraffes

2011-09-29T21:10:00.007-05:00

Earlier this month my husband and I went to this animal park and I got to hand feed a giraffe. I would probably have chickened out if my husband hadn't encouraged me to feed them. It's a little intimidating to have this HUGE animal approach you. Well, I was in the car but still. Although, there was nothing he could say that would get me to put the window down for the ostriches. Those birds really freak me out. But we had a nice time and I enjoyed seeing all the animals and especially feeding the giraffe. :)

I know I haven't really been posting much and that's really because I've been doing a lot of knitting lately. I plan on writing a post about my latest obsession once I get some pictures to share with y'all.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-28T13:39:00.001-05:00

Fall Into Reading 2011

2011-09-25T18:26:00.001-05:00

Well, it is finally Fall! I have never looked forward to Fall as much as I have this year. We have had the hottest summer. Ugh! I really haven’t read this much this summer and I have no idea why. So I’m just going to choose five books to read this Fall and if I read more great!

So here are the five books I'm hoping to get me back into reading...I need to pick up the pace if I want to meet my goal of reading 50 books this year.

Lady of Milkweed Manor by Julie Klassen
Villette by Charlotte Bronte
The Tale of Castle Cottage by Susan Albert
Cottillion by Georgette Heyer
By Darkness Fled by Jill Williamson

If you would like to participate in Fall Into Reading this year then just go here to learn all about it. :)

The Girl In the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen

2011-09-15T14:10:00.003-05:00

From Goodreads:

Miss Mariah Aubrey, banished after a scandal, hides herself away in a long-abandoned gatehouse on the far edge of a distant relative's estate. There, she supports herself and her loyal servant the only way she knows how--by writing novels in secret.

Captain Matthew Bryant, returning to England successful and wealthy after the Napoleonic wars, leases an impressive estate from a cash-poor nobleman, determined to show the society beauty who once rejected him what a colossal mistake she made. When he discovers an old gatehouse on the property, he is immediately intrigued by its striking young inhabitant and sets out to uncover her identity, and her past. But the more he learns about her, the more he realizes he must distance himself. Falling in love with an outcast would ruin his well-laid plans.

The old gatehouse holds secrets of its own. Can Mariah and Captain Bryant uncover them before the cunning heir to the estate buries them forever?

My Thoughts:

I have to say that Julie Klassen is one of my favorite authors. The Girl in the Gatehouse is another winner. I think one of the things I loved about this book was there was so much more to it than just the romance. We had a little mystery and quite of few twists and turns that caught me by surprise. The Girl in the Gatehouse is definitely one of the best books I've read this year and I'm eagerly looking forward to her next book. If you haven't read any of Julie Klassen's books then I suggest you check her out cause I really don't think you will be disappointed. I know I haven't been. :)

Happy Reading!

**I received this book through Paperbackswap.com**

Booking Through Thursday

2011-09-08T15:17:00.002-05:00

What are you reading now? I'm currently reading The Tale of Castle Cottage which sadly is the last book in the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter series.

Would you recommend it? Yes, the whole series is so charming...I hate to see it end. :(

And what’s next? Good question, I've been in a bit of a reading slump so I don't know. I do have one book I need to read and review but other than that I have no idea what I will read next.

Long Time No Post

2011-08-30T19:22:00.003-05:00

I know I haven't posted much here lately. Really don't have any particular reason why either. I have been knitting a lot the last month. I actually knit my first cardigan! :) Besides knitting I have been reading but just not as much as I would like. According to Goodreads I'm two books behind my goal of reading 50 books this year. I need to get busy reading so I can make my goal. ;)

But I have read some good books. I just finished Veiled Rose by Anne Elisabeth Stengl which is the second book in her Tales of Goldstone Wood series. I'm loving this series and can't wait for the third book to come out. I also read the second book in the Donut Shop Mysteries series by Jessica Beck, Fatally Frosted. If you enjoy cozy mysteries (and donuts!) then this is the series for you. And I'm currently reading The Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen. I'm loving this book but I haven't read a book by Julie Klassen I haven't liked.

So that's about it for now but I will have a couple of reviews for y'all in the coming month. So....

Happy Reading! :)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-17T12:31:00.000-05:00

Teaser Tuesday

2011-08-16T12:48:00.004-05:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"The next moment, Leo was on his feet and storming from the cave as fast as he could in that semidarkness. It wasn't fear that drove him, breathless, out through the cave mouth and into the biting cold of the mountain air. It was anger. Blinding, unreasonable anger."

Veiled Rose by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Free eBook Alert!

2011-08-09T14:56:00.002-05:00

I just found out that you can get Pompeii: City on Fire by T.L. Higley for free on Amazon! So if you have been wanting to read this (like me) then now is your chance to get it free. :)

Happy Reading!!

Breath of Angel by Karyn Henley

2011-08-05T12:03:00.004-05:00

From Goodreads:

The stranger’s cloak had fallen back, and with it, a long, white, blood-stained wing.

When Melaia, a young priestess, witnesses the gruesome murder of a stranger in the temple courtyard, age-old legends recited in song suddenly come to life. She discovers wings on the stranger, and the murderer takes the shape of both a hawk and a man.

Angels. Shape-shifters. Myths and stories—until now.

Melaia finds herself in the middle of a blood feud between two immortal brothers who destroyed the stairway to heaven, stranding angels in the earthly realm. When the feud turns violent and Melaia becomes a target, she finds refuge with a band of angels attempting to restore the stairway. But the restoration is impossible without the repayment of an ancient debt—the “breath of angel, blood of man,” a payment that involves Melaia’s heart, soul, and destiny.

My Thoughts:

Breath of Angel starts off with a bang and just keeps on going making it hard to put down. It also had a lot of twists and turns that I never saw coming. Melaia is a young priestess that thinks her life is planned out until a stranger appears before her in need of help. Before she can help he is murdered in front of her and although she doesn't know it her life is about to change too. Thus begins Melaia's action packed journey.

Breath of Angel is a fast paced book that grabs you from the beginning and doesn't let go until the end. But among all that action there is a little romance for those who love romance. So if you are looking for a fast read that takes you on an amazing journey then I highly recommend Breath of Angel.

**I received my free review copy from the Blogging for Books program**

52 Ways to Wow Your Husband by Pam Farrel

2011-08-04T12:06:00.002-05:00

Today's Wild Card author is:

Pam Farrel

and the book:

52 Ways to Wow Your Husband: How to Put a Smile on His Face

Harvest House Publishers (August 1, 2011)

***Special thanks to Catherine Miller, Marketing Assistant, Harvest House Publishers for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Pam Farrel and her husband, Bill, are cofounders and codirectors of Masterful Living, an organization that provides practical insights for personal relationships. The Farrels are also regular relationship columnists. As coauthors their books include Men Are Like Waffles—Women Are Like Spaghetti, The 10 Best Decisions Every Parent Can Make, and Red-Hot Monogamy. In addition Pam has written Fantastic After 40! and The 10 Best Decisions a Woman Can Make. The Farrels have been married more than 30 years and have three children and a daughter-in-law.

Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

With her trademark humor and godly wisdom, bestselling author Pam Farrel inspires women to add the wow-factor to their marriages and lives through 52 clever ideas for dates, meals, getaways, and daily expressions of love. A spark of fun and refreshment for newlyweds, married with kids, or empty nesters.

Love Wise Intro from Bill & Pam Farrel on Vimeo.

Product Details:

List Price: $10.99
Paperback: 160 pages
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (August 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0736937803
ISBN-13: 978-0736937801

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

WOW 1

The Recharger Box

What a man finds romantic is a woman who will lower his stress! In Men Are Like Waffles—Women Are Like Spaghetti, I explain that men go to their favorite easy boxes to rest and recharge. God helped us women recognize these easy boxes in that most of them are shaped like boxes—the TV screen, the newspaper, the garage, the Xbox, the computer screen, the football field, the baseball diamond, the basketball court, the refrigerator, and the bed. The bed box (also known as the sex box) is a husband’s favorite box to go to when he is stressed out. This box or square is kind of like the center square on a bingo card, and a man can get to that box from every other square on his waffle.

Wow Assignment

Find out your man’s favorite easy box he goes to for recharging. Here are some ways to discover this vital information:

If given thirty minutes of dead time, what does he do?
If he were given a day off, where would he like to go?
What does he do now when stressed?
What does he watch on TV when relaxing? (Sports? Movies? Adventures? Fix-it shows?)
Kendra Smiley and her husband, John, wrote Do Your Kids a Favor…Love Your Spouse. John was wowed unexpectedly by Kendra with his all-time favorite box:

I’ve been a Green Bay Packers fan for years and transferred that enthusiasm to our three teenage sons. I never imagined I would actually be able to see a game at Lambeau Field because legend has it that the only way to get tickets is to inherit them when someone dies. But legends don’t stop Kendra! She called the ticket office, asking about the purchase of five tickets for the last home game of the season. After the laughter died down (I guess there was some truth to the legend), they referred her to an agency offering “Weekend Packages.” She knew we couldn’t afford all the extras of a package, and somehow she managed to convince the woman at that office to simply sell her five tickets. She gave me a gift that took her time, her effort, and a little bit of her charming persuasion. What a great model for our kids!

My man’s favorite easy box is: ________________________

Wow Wisdom

Pray and thank God for your husband. Often we women push, push, push our spouse to be more productive or work on our “honey-do” list even on his day off. If you keep pushing, he might begin to see you as a mother or a boss, not a wife and lover. A husband who gets pushed to do too many things he doesn’t enjoy will exhaust himself emotionally and grow distant from his wife. Think about how much better your life is when you are connected with your lover!

Instead of resenting your “waffleman” for needing to recharge, thank God he has a box to recharge in so he can maintain the energy to keep up with you! As Paul reminds us, “In everything give thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 nasb).

Wow Date

Make him breakfast in bed and serve waffles. Give him a note for one free day off to do whatever he wants—to enjoy his favorite “waffle box(es).” Include a gift card for something that helps him recharge. While you’re there in bed, why not enjoy some “bingo”? Remember, for most men, bingo is the number one recharger box.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-03T11:12:00.000-05:00

Summer Reading Suggestion

2011-07-28T19:08:00.004-05:00

Just wanted to share with y'all this book, A Critical Loss of Balance by Mark Shaver, that sounds really good. So check it out and see what you think.

ABOUT THE BOOK
The city was in crisis. Fear had gripped the population as a serial kidnapper preyed on the children of the city’s wealthiest families, striking quick and collecting ransoms without leaving a trace of evidence. Despite the best efforts of law enforcement, their methods remained flawless and their crimes were perfect. No one knew who they were or how to stop them, so the kidnappings went on, and on. They were the lead story on the front page every morning when Cliff Elliott read the newspaper; another kidnapping, another ransom and another family torn apart.

As heartbreaking and unsettling as Cliff considered the kidnappings to be, his financial lot in life kept him from worrying too much about his own daughter being kidnapped. His feet were planted firmly in a middle class neighborhood and his lifestyle reflected it. No; his daughter would never be a target. Sadly he was wrong; very wrong. He realized it the day his daughter was kidnapped. Her kidnapping however was different from all the others. There was no contact made by the kidnappers. No communication at all was attempted and no ransom was demanded. She was just…gone.

Cliff lost more than his daughter that day. He didn’t realize it until he came face to face with the tragic turn of events that led to her return. At that point there was no escaping it. Everything in his life felt wrong. His entire being was painfully out of balance; a balance that only one thing could restore. Cliff knew what that one thing was. There was only one question he had to answer; was he capable of doing it?

Sounds good, doesn't it? If you would like to get it then just go here. It's currently available at the special promotional price of 12.99 & 3.99 for the digital download! All you have to do is type the word "BALANCE" into the discount code box.

You can find out more about this book and Mark Shaver's other books at: http://markshaversmysteries.com

Happy Reading! :)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-27T14:57:00.002-05:00

Bargain Ebooks

2011-07-20T14:38:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to share with y'all that Amazon has a few of it's ebooks for $1.99! I think I'm going to be getting of couple of them..love a bargain!

Digitalis by Ronie Kendig
Bride Bargain by Kelly Eileen Hake
Raider's Heart by Marcia Gruver
Love Remains by Kaye Dacus

All of these are only a $1.99!

Happy Reading!

Oh--also Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl is free for the time being. So if you have been wanting to read it now is the time to download it! I read it a while ago and really enjoyed it...I just ordered book 2. :)

Are You Ready??

2011-07-15T15:12:00.002-05:00

The final Harry Potter movie has finally come out and I'm so excited. I just finished re-reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and have rented the first part of the movie. Plan on watching it Saturday night and then Sunday I'm dragging my hubby to see part two. So is anyone else looking forward to this movie?

Teaser Tuesday

2011-07-12T12:13:00.003-05:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I decided to reread Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to get ready for this weekend. :D

"She released Harry, leaned over the banister, and screamed, "Ron! RON! Get up here, quick!"

Ron appeared, panting, a minute later, his wand ready in his hand."

By Darkness Hid by Jill Williamson

2011-07-11T13:58:00.004-05:00

From Goodreads:

Half of Er’Rets is locked beneath an impenetrable shroud. On the side that still sees the sun, two young people struggle to understand the mind-communication abilities thrust upon them.

It's called bloodvoicing. Some say it's a gift. One of the newly "gifted" wish it had never come.

Achan has been a slave all his life. Worse than a slave—a stray. He is consigned to the kitchens of a lord and forced to swallow a foul potion every day. When an enigmatic knight offers to train Achan for the Kingsguard, he readily accepts. But his new skills with the sword do not prepare him for the battle raging between the voices in his head.

Vrell Sparrow is not who she seems. She masquerades as a boy to avoid capture by the powerful forces that seek to exploit her. But Vrell feels called to help a young squire who recently discovered his bloodvoicing gift, even if doing so requires her to work with those who could destroy her.

While Achan learns to use his new ability, Vrell struggles to shut hers down. All the voices strive to learn Achan and Vrell's true identities—and a different kind of voice is calling them both.

Toward a destination that is by darkness hid.

My Thoughts:

I bought this book after having read a review about it on the internet. I'm so glad I did too! By Darkness Hid is a fast paced adventure that is the first book in the Blood of Kings series. We meet Achan and Vrell, two very different people who are about to cross paths, each with their secrets. Ahcan is a stray who works in the kitchen until a strange Knight takes an interest in him. Vrell is in hiding, disguised as a boy, when two strange knights show up demanding she come with them. Don't want to give anything away so won't say much more except I really enjoyed this book and was so glad I had book 2, To Darkness Fled, already. If you are thinking, "Hmmm, this sounds like a good book..." Then head on over to Amazon because the Kindle book is only 3.99!

Happy Reading!!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-06T16:02:00.002-05:00

Knitted Earrings!

2011-07-01T11:24:00.004-05:00

I was looking around on some knitting sites and found a pattern where you knit with wire and beads to make earrings. Since it didn't sound to hard I thought I would give it a try and after practicing with the wire for a while I knitted these earrings. Pretty neat, huh? You can find the pattern I used here.

Wordless Wednesday: A Day Late

2011-06-30T15:04:00.002-05:00

Teaser Tuesday

2011-06-28T12:03:00.003-05:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
"A horrible ache welled in his throat. He glanced at Gren, who returned the leather roll to the mantle and stood poised like a statue." By Darkness Hid by Jill Williamson

Spring Reading Thing 2011: Wrap Up

2011-06-21T12:03:00.003-05:00

Today is the first day of Spring which means the Spring Reading Thing has come to an end. My goal was to read ten books off of my huge TBR pile. I got nine books read off of my pile and then I also read six review books. So not bad. The books I read this Spring were:

Finally A Bride by Vickie McDonough
The Cat, the Professor, and the Poison by Leann Sweeney
The Bridge of Peace by Cindy Woodsmall
Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn
A Heart Most Worthy by Siri Mitchell
The Lightkeeper's Ball by Colleen Coble
DragonQuest by Donita K. Paul
The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson
Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azekban by J.K. Rowling
Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl
The Reluctant Queen by Joan Wolf
Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran
Glazed Murder by Jessica Beck
Murder Takes the Cake by Gayle Trent
The Daughter's Walk by Jane Kirkpatrick

This Spring I read a wide variety of fiction and quite a few new authors. My favorite book by a new author would have to be The Reluctant Queen by Joan Wolf. It's a retake on the story of Ester and very well done. I really enjoyed it. I'm behind and just in the last year or so started reading the Harry Potter books. I think that Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azekban has to be my favorite in the series so far. It's neat to read them and see the differences between the movies and the books. Then my favorite book that I read to review would have to be A Heart Most Worthy by Siri Mitchell. Sir Mitchell has quickly become one of my favorite authors and if you haven't read anything by her then I highly recommend you do! :)

Now my least favorite book I read, or tried to read, had to be On What Grounds by Cleo Coyle. I didn't even count it as a book I read this Spring since I didn't finish it. On What Grounds is a cozy mystery set in a coffee shop. I am not a coffee drinker, I love the way it smells but haven't acquired a taste for it yet. So I'm thinking maybe that was why I didn't like this book that much because it talked a lot about coffee. How to make the perfect, how to store it, the differences between types of coffee, and on and on. If you love coffee you might like this series.

Now that Spring is over as is this challenge I have decided to give myself a personal challenge for the summer: Try and read only books I have sitting on my TBR shelves. Going to cut back on review books this summer and try to just read what I got because seriously I have so many books and need (and want) to read them. The one thing I have learned with the Spring/Fall Reading Thing challenges is that having a little goal helps me keep reading.

The Daughter's Walk by Jane Kirkpatrick

2011-06-20T12:29:00.004-05:00

From Goodreads:

A mother's tragedy, a daughter's desire and the 7000 mile journey that changed their lives.

In 1896 Norwegian American Helga Estby accepted a wager from the fashion industry to walk from Spokane, Washington to New York City within seven months in an effort to earn $10,000. Bringing along her nineteen year-old daughter Clara, the two made their way on the 3500-mile trek by following the railroad tracks and motivated by the money they needed to save the family farm. After returning home to the Estby farm more than a year later, Clara chose to walk on alone by leaving the family and changing her name. Her decisions initiated a more than 20-year separation from the only life she had known.

Historical fiction writer Jane Kirkpatrick picks up where the fact of the Estbys’ walk leaves off to explore Clara's continued journey. What motivated Clara to take such a risk in an era when many women struggled with the issues of rights and independence? And what personal revelations brought Clara to the end of her lonely road? The Daughter's Walk weaves personal history and fiction together to invite readers to consider their own journeys and family separations, to help determine what exile and forgiveness are truly about.

My Thoughts:

The Daughter's Walk is the incredible story about a daughter (Clara) and her mother (Helga) who walked across the country. Walked!! Can you even imagined? These two ladies were amazing and after having read their story I feel like I know them. The first part of the book is about their amazing journey and the second half of the book is about Clara and her walk in this world. It's a touching story and it makes you think about your own life. How we sometimes forge ahead without waiting on God to direct our steps. Or how holding on to bitterness only ends up hurting you and those you love. The Daughter's Walk is an amazing story that I highly recommend.

*I received this book from Blogging For Books in exchange for my honest review*

First Wild Card Tour: Indelible by Kristen Heitzmann

2011-06-17T12:48:00.000-05:00

Today's Wild Card author is:

Kristen Heitzmann

and the book:

Indelible

WaterBrook Press (May 3, 2011)

***Special thanks to Lynette Kittle, Senior Publicist, WaterBrook Multnomah, a Division of Random House for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kristen Heitzmann’s gift of crafting stories has ranked her as the award-winning and best-selling author of two historical series and twelve contemporary, psychological and romantic suspense novels including Indivisible. As an artist and musician, Kristen lives in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains with her husband and a continuous stream of extended family, various pets, and wildlife.

Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Award-wining and best-selling author Kristen Heitzmann brings another suspense story to life in Indelible (WaterBrook, May 3, 2011).

Follow Trevor MacDaniel, a high country outfitter, as he rescues a toddler from the jaws of a mountain lion. Discover how he can’t foresee the far-reaching consequences of his action, how it will entwine his life with gifted sculptor, Natalie Reeve—and attract a grim admirer.

Find out how Trevor’s need to guard and protect is born of tragedy, prompting his decision to become a search and rescue volunteer. And how Natalie’s gift of sculpting comes from an unusual disability that seeks release through her creative hands.

See how in each other they learn strength and courage as they face an incomprehensible foe…a twisted soul, who is drawn by the heroic story of the child’s rescue. One who sees Trevor as archangel and adversary, and threatens their peaceful mountain community—testing Trevor’s limits by targeting their most helpless and innocent.

Product Details:

List Price: $13.99
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Press (May 3, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1400073103
ISBN-13: 978-1400073108

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

A veined bolt of lightning sliced the ozone-scented sky as Trevor plunged down the craggy slope, dodging evergreen spires like slalom poles. Rocks and gravel spewed from his boots and caromed off the vertical pitch.

“Trevor.” Whit skidded behind him. “We’re not prepared for this.”

No. But he hurled himself after the tawny streak. He was not losing that kid.

“He’s suffocated,” Whit shouted. “His neck’s broken.”

Trevor leaped past a man—probably the dad—gripping his snapped shinbone. Whit could help there. Digging his heels into the shifting pine needles, Trevor gave chase, outmatched and unwavering. His heart pumped hard as he neared the base of the gulch, jumping from a lichen-crusted stone to a fallen trunk. The cougar jumped the creek, lost its grip, and dropped the toddler. Yes.

He splashed into the icy flow, dispersing scattered leaves like startled goldfish. After driving his hand into the water, he gripped a stone and raised it. Not heavy, not nearly heavy enough.

Lowering its head over the helpless prey, the mountain lion snarled a spine-chilling warning. There was no contest, but the cat, an immature male, might not realize its advantage, might not know its fear of man was mere illusion. Thunder crackled. Trevor tasted blood where he’d bitten his tongue.

Advancing, he engaged the cat’s eyes, taunting it to charge or run. The cat backed up, hissing. A yearling cub, able to snatch a tot from the trail, but unprepared for this fearless challenge. Too much adrenaline for fear. Too much blood on the ground.

With a shout, he heaved the rock. As the cat streaked up the mountainside, he charged across the creek to the victim. He’d steeled himself for carnage, but even so, the nearly severed arm, the battered, bloody feet… His nose filled with the musky lion scent, the rusty smell of blood. He reached out. No pulse.

He dropped to his knees as Whit joined him from behind, on guard. He returned the boy’s arm to the socket, and holding it there with one trembling hand, Trevor began CPR with his other. On a victim so small, it took hardly any force, his fingers alone performing the compressions. The lion had failed to trap the victim’s face in its mouth. By grabbing the back of the head, neck, and shoulder, it had actually protected those vulnerable parts. But blood streamed over the toddler’s face from a deep cut high on the scalp, and he still wasn’t breathing.

Trevor bent to puff air into the tiny lungs, compressed again with his fingers, and puffed as lightly as he would to put out a match. Come on. He puffed and compressed while Whit watched for the cat’s return. Predators fought for their kills—even startled ones.

A whine escaped the child’s mouth. He jerked his legs, emitting a highpitched moan. Trevor shucked his jacket and tugged his T-shirt off over his head. He tied the sleeves around the toddler’s arm and shoulder, pulled the rest around, and swaddled the damaged feet—shoes and socks long gone. Thunder reverberated. The first hard drops smacked his skin. Tenderly, he pulled the child into his chest and draped the jacket over as a different rumble chopped the air. They had started up the mountain to find two elderly hikers who’d been separated from their party. Whit must have radioed the helicopter. He looked up. This baby might live because two old guys had gotten lost.

In the melee at the trailhead, Natalie clutched her sister-in-law’s hands, the horror of the ordeal still rocking them. As Aaron and little Cody were airlifted from the mountain, she breathed, “They’re going to be all right.”

“You don’t know that.” Face splotched and pale, Paige swung her head. Though her hair hung in wet blond strands, her makeup was weatherproof, her cologne still detectable. Even dazed, her brother’s wife looked and smelled expensive.

“The lion’s grip protected Cody’s head and neck,” one of the paramedics had told them. “It could have been so much worse.”

Paige started to sob. “His poor arm. What if he loses his arm?”

“Don’t go there.” What good was there in thinking it?

“How will he do the stuff boys do? I thought he’d be like Aaron, the best kid on the team.”

“He’ll be the best kid no matter what.”

“In the Special Olympics?”

Natalie recoiled at the droplets of spit that punctuated the bitter words.

“He’s alive, Paige. What were the odds those men from search and rescue would be right there with a helicopter already on standby?”

“We shouldn’t have needed it.” Paige clenched her teeth. “Aaron’s supposed to be recovering. He would have been if you weren’t such a freak.”

“What?” She’d endured Paige’s unsubtle resentment, but “ freak” ?

“Let me go.” Paige jerked away, careening toward the SUV.

Natalie heard the engine roar, the gravel flung by the spinning tires, but all she saw was the hate in Paige’s eyes, the pain twisting her brother’s face as he held his fractured leg, little Cody in the lion’s maw, the man leaping after…

She needed to clear the images, but it wouldn’t happen here. Around her, press vans and emergency vehicles drained from the lot, leaving the scent of exhaust and tire scars in the rusty mud. Paige had stranded her.

“Freak.” Heart aching, she took a shaky step toward the road. It hadn’t been that long a drive from the studio. A few miles. Maybe five. She hadn’t really watched—because Aaron was watching for her. Off the roster for a pulled oblique, he had seen an opportunity to finalize her venture and help her move, help her settle in, and see if she could do it. She’d been so thankful. How could any of them have known it would come to this? Trevor’s spent muscles shook with dumped adrenaline. He breathed the moist air in through his nose, willing his nerves to relax. Having gotten all they were going to get from him, most of the media had left the trailhead, following the story to the hospital. Unfortunately, Jaz remained.

She said, “You live for this, don’t you?” Pulling her fiery red hair into a messy ponytail didn’t disguise her incendiary nature or the smoldering coals reserved for him. He accepted the towel Whit handed him and wiped the rain from his head and neck, hoping she wouldn’t see the shakes. The late-summer storm had lowered the temperature enough she might think he was shivering.

“Whose idea was it to chase?”

“It’s not like you think about it. You just act.” Typing into her BlackBerry, she said, “Acted without thinking.”

“Come on, Jaz.” She couldn’t still be on his case.

“Interesting your being in place for the dramatic rescue of a pro athlete’s kid. Not enough limelight lately?”

“We were on another search.” She cocked her eyebrow. “You had no idea the victim’s dad plays center field for the Rockies?”

“Yeah, I got his autograph on the way down.” He squinted at the nearly empty parking lot. “Aren’t you following the story?”

“What do you think this is?”

“You got the same as everyone. That’s all I have to say.”

“You told us what happened. I want the guts. How did it feel? What were you thinking?” She planted a hand on her hip. “Buy me a drink?” He’d rather go claw to claw with another mountain lion. But considering the ways she could distort this, he relented. “The Summit?”

“I’d love to.” She pocketed her BlackBerry and headed for her car. Whit raised his brows at her retreat. “Still feeling reckless?”

“Sometimes it’s better to take her head on.”

“Like the cat?” Whit braced his hips.

“The cat was young, inexperienced.”

“You didn’t know that.”

“There was a chance the child wasn’t dead.”

“What if it hadn’t run?”

“If it attacked, you’d have been free to grab the kid.”

“Nice for you, getting mauled.”

“If it got ugly, I’d have shot it.”

“Shot?”

He showed him the Magnum holstered against the small of his back.

Whit stared at him, stone-faced. “You had your gun and you used a rock?”

“I was pretty sure it would run.”

“Pretty sure,” Whit said. “So, what? It wouldn’t be fair to use your weapon?”

It had been the cat against him on some primal level the gun hadn’t entered into. He said, “I could have hit the boy, or the cat could have dropped him down the gulch. When it did let go, I realized its inexperience and knew we had a chance to scare it off. Department of Wildlife can decide its fate. I was after the child.”

“Okay, fine.” With a hard exhale, Whit rubbed his face. “This was bad.”

Trevor nodded. Until today, the worst he’d seen over four years of rescues was a hiker welded to a tree by lightning and an ice climber’s impalement on a jagged rock spear. There’d been no death today, but Whit looked sick. “You’re a new dad. Seeing that little guy had to hit you right in the gut.” Whit canted his head.

“I’m just saying.” Trevor stuffed his shaking hands into his jacket pockets. The storm passed, though the air still smelled of wet earth and rain. He drove Whit back, then went home to shower before meeting Jazmyn Dufoe at the Summit. Maybe he’d just start drinking now. Arms aching, Natalie drove her hands into the clay. On the huge, square Corian table, two busts looked back at her: Aaron in pain, and Paige, her fairy-tale life rent by a primal terror that sprang without warning. She had pushed and drawn and formed the images locked in her mind, even though her hands burned with the strain.

No word had come from the Children’s Hospital in Denver, where the police chief said they’d taken Cody, or from the hospital that had Aaron. Waiting to hear anything at all made a hollow in her stomach. She heaved a new block of clay to the table, wedged and added it to the mound already softened. Just as she started to climb the stepstool, her phone rang. She plunged her hands into the water bucket and swabbed
them with a towel, silently begging for good news. “Aaron?”

Not her brother, but a nurse calling. “Mr. Reeve asked me to let you know he came through surgery just fine. He’s stable, and the prognosis is optimistic. He doesn’t want you to worry.”

Natalie pressed her palm to her chest with relief. “Did he say anything about Cody? Is there any news?”

“No, he didn’t say. I’m sure he’ll let you know as soon as he hears something.”

“Of course. Thank you so much for calling.”

Natalie climbed back onto the stool, weary but unable to stop. Normally, the face was enough, but this required more. She molded clay over stiff wire-mesh, drawing it up, up, proportionately taller than an average man, shoulders that bore the weight of other people’s fear, one arm wielding a stone, the other enfolding the little one. The rescuer hadn’t held both at once, but she combined the actions to release both images.

She had stared hard at his face for only a moment before he plunged over the ridge, yet retained every line and plane of it. Determination and fortitude in the cut of his mouth, selfless courage in the eyes. There’d been fear for Cody. And himself ? Not of the situation, but something…

It came through her hands in the twist of his brow. A heroic face, aware of the danger, capable of failing, unwilling to hold back. Using fingers and tools, she moved the powerful images trapped by her eidetic memory through her hands to the clay, creating an exterior storage that freed her mind, and immortalizing him—whoever he was. The Summit bar was packed and buzzing, the rescue already playing on televisions visible from every corner. With the whole crowd toasting and congratulating him, Jaz played nice—until he accepted her ride home and infuriated her all over again by not inviting her in.

He’d believed that dating women whose self-esteem reached egotistical meant parting ways wouldn’t faze them. Jaz destroyed that theory. She was not only embittered but vindictive. After turning on the jets, Trevor sank into his spa, letting the water beat his lower- and mid-lumbar muscles.

He pressed the remote to open the horizontal blinds and to look out through the loft windows.

Wincing, he reached in and rubbed the side of his knee. That plunge down the slope had cost him, but, given the outcome, he didn’t consider it a judgment error. That honor went to putting himself once more at the top of Jaz’s hate list. He maneuvered his knee into the pressure of a jet. When he got out, he’d ice it. If he got out.

He closed his eyes and pictured the battered toddler. The crowd’s attention had kept the thoughts at bay, easy to talk about the cat, how mountain lions rarely attacked people, how he and Whit had scared it off, how DOW would euthanize if they caught it, how his only priority had been to get the child. He had segued into the business he and Whit had opened the previous spring, rock and ice climbing, land and water excursions, cross-country ski and snowshoe when the season turned.

That was his business, but rescuing was in his blood, had been since his dad made him the man of the house by not coming home one night or any thereafter. At first, the nightmares had been bad—all the things that could go wrong: fire, snakes, tarantulas, tornadoes. They had populated his dreams until he woke drenched in sweat, cursing his father for trusting him to do what a grown man couldn’t.

The phone rang. He sloshed his arm up, dried his hand on the towel lying beside it, and answered. “Hey, Whit.”

“You doing okay?”

“Knee hurts. You?”

“Oh sure. You know—”

“Hold on. There’s someone at the door.”

“Yeah. Me and Sara.”

Trevor said, “Cute. Where’s your key?”

“Forgot it.”

Gingerly, he climbed over the side, then wrapped a towel around his hips, and let them in.

“You mind?” Whit frowned at the towel, although Sara hadn’t batted an eye.

She came in and made herself at home. Whit carried their twomonth- old asleep in his car seat to a resting place. Trevor threw on Under Armour shorts and a clean T-shirt, then rejoined them. “So what’s up?”

“Nice try, Trevor.” Sara fixed him with a look. “I especially like the practiced nonchalance.”

He grinned. “Hey, I’ve got it down.”

“With Jaz, maybe. No claw marks?”

“Too public.”

Whit rubbed his wife’s shoulder. “We knew you’d worry this thing, so Sara brought the remedy.”

She drew the Monopoly box out of her oversize bag with a grin that said she intended to win and would, wearing them down with her wheeling and dealing. “I’ll take that silly railroad off your hands. It’s no good to you when I have the other three.”

He rubbed his hands, looking into her bold blue eyes. “Bring it.”

The mindless activity and their chatter lightened his mood as Sara had intended. She knew him as well as Whit, maybe better. Each time he caught the concern, he reassured her with a smile. He’d be fine.

Whit played his get-out-of-jail card and freed his cannon. “Hear what’s going in next door to us?”

“No.”

“An art gallery.”

“Yeah?” Trevor adjusted the ice pack on his knee.

“Place called Nature Waits.”

“Waits for what?”

Whit shrugged. “Have to ask the lady sculptor.”

“Won’t exactly draw for our kind of customer.”

“At least it won’t compete.” Sara rolled the dice and moved her pewter shoe. “Another outfitter could have gone in. I’ll buy Park Place.”

Both men mouthed, “I’ll buy Park Place.”

She shot them a smile.

Two hours later, she had bankrupted them with her thoughtful loans and exorbitant use of hotels on prime properties. He closed the door behind them, and it hit. He raised the toilet seat and threw up, then pressed his back to the wall and rested his head, breathing deeply. The shaking returned, and this time he couldn’t blame adrenaline. He had literally puffed the life back into that tiny body. If that child had died in his arms…

Midst came their mighty Paramount, and seemed
Alone th’ antagonist of Heaven, nor less
Than Hell’s dread Emperor, with pomp supreme,
And god-like imitated state.

Child snatched from lion’s jaws. Two-year-old spared in deadly attack. Rescuer Trevor MacDaniel, champion of innocents, protector of life. Cameras rolling, flashes flashing, earnest newscasters recounted the tale. “On this mountain, a miracle. What could have been a tragedy became a triumph through the courage of this man who challenged a mountain lion to save a toddler attacked while hiking with his father, center-fielder…”

He consumed the story in drunken drafts. Eyes swimming, he gazed upon the noble face, the commanding figure on the TV screen. In that chest beat valiance. In those hands lay salvation. His heart made a slow drum in his ears. A spark ignited, purpose quickening.

Years he’d waited. He spread his own marred hands, instruments of instruction, of destruction. With slow deliberation, he closed them into fists. What use was darkness if not to try the light?

The Reluctant Queen by Joan Wolf

2011-06-15T11:33:00.004-05:00

About the book:

An inspiring re-imagining of the tale of Esther, a young Jewish woman thrust from a life of obscurity into a life of power, wealth, intrigue . . . and tender love.

See the story of Esther in an entirely new way-with all the political intrigue and tension you remember, but told as a passionate and tender love story between a young man and woman. Misunderstood by many, King Xerxes was a powerful but lonely man. Esther's beauty caught the eye of the young king, but it was her spirit that captured his heart.

Imagine anew the story of Esther, one of our faith's great heroines, destined to play a key role in the history of Christianity.

Joan Wolf was born in New York City but has lived most of her adult life with her husband in Connecticut, where she raised two children and countless numbers of assorted animals. Joan is the author of numerous historical novels including The Road to Avalon which Publishers Weekly lauded as “historical fiction at its finest.”

For more about Joan and her other books, please visit www.joanwolf.com.

To buy the book: Amazon

My Thoughts:

I don't know why but I don't read much biblical fiction but when I heard about this book I knew I wanted to read it since the story of Ester is one of my favorites. Now if you want to read the true story about Ester then you should read her story in the Bible. Joan Wolf does take some artistic liberties with the story but the basic bones of Ester's story are there and I loved it. I read this book in three days which is extremely fast for me, so that should tell you how much I enjoyed it. Reading about Ester go from your ordinary Jewish girl to Queen all the while doubting that God really wanted this for her was quite interesting. Of course, she will soon see that God indeed did place her there for a reason. I also really enjoyed the love story between Ester and the King. It was actually quite sweet. So if you want to read a sweet romance about an amazing woman then I highly recommend The Reluctant Queen.

**I received my book through litfuse group in exchange for my honest review**

To celebrate Joan Wolf’s debut Christian Fiction title, A Reluctant Queen, Joan and her publisher, Thomas Nelson, have teamed up to give away A Reluctant Queen prize package worth over $150!

One grand prize winner will receive:

* A brand new Latest Generation KINDLE with Wi-Fi and Pearl Screen

* A Reluctant Queen by Joan Wolf (for KINDLE)

To enter, just click one of the icons below. But, hurry, the contest ends on June 20th. Winner will be announced on June 21st during Joan’s A Reluctant Queen Book Club Party on Facebook (details below)! Hope to see you there – bring your friends!

Join the fun on June 21st!

Joan will be wrapping up the blog tour and Kindle giveaway promotion during her A Reluctant Queen FACEBOOK party on her FB author page. During the party she'll announce the winner of the Kindle, host a book chat discussion, test your trivia skills (Is Esther's story in A Reluctant Queen fact or fiction?), and more. Don't miss this chance to meet the author and make some new friends!

Glazed Murder by Jessica Beck

2011-06-08T13:15:00.005-05:00

From Goodreads:

Meet Suzanne Hart, owner and operator of Donut Hearts coffee shop in April Springs, North Carolina. After her divorce from Max, an out-of-work actor she’s dubbed “The Great Impersonator,” Suzanne decided to pursue her one true passion in life: donuts. So she cashed in her settlement and opened up shop in the heart of her beloved hometown.

But when a dead body is dumped on her doorstep like a sack of flour, Suzanne’s cozy little shop becomes an all-out crime scene. Now, everyone in town is dropping by for glazed donuts and gruesome details. The retired sheriff warns her to be careful—and they’re all suspects. Soon Suzanne—who finds snooping as irresistible as donuts—is poking holes in everyone’s alibis…

My Thoughts:

Glazed Murder is the first book in the Donut Shop Mystery series and there really should be a warning label on this book. Caution: You will start to crave donuts. I started reading this book on Sunday and by Tuesday I had to get me a donut! lol Besides donuts there is a great mystery in Glazed Murder that had me guessing whodunit until the very end. I really enjoyed this cozy mystery and I'm looking forward to see what happens in the future with Suzanne and all the folks of April Springs. If you enjoy cozy mysteries and donuts (and who doesn't like donuts??) then you really should check out this series. Oh, there are also recipes included so you can make some of the yummy things mentioned in the book.

**I recieved this book from paperbackswap.com**

Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

2011-06-06T12:18:00.006-05:00

From Goodreads:

The marriage of Marc Antony and Cleopatra is one of the greatest love stories of all time, a tale of unbridled passion with earth-shaking political consequences. Feared and hunted by the powers in Rome, the lovers choose to die by their own hands as the triumphant armies of Antony’s revengeful rival, Octavian, sweep into Egypt. Their three orphaned children are taken in chains to Rome; only two– the ten-year-old twins Selene and Alexander–survive the journey. Delivered to the household of Octavian’s sister, the siblings cling to each other and to the hope that they will return one day to their rightful place on the throne of Egypt. As they come of age, they are buffeted by the personal ambitions of Octavian’s family and court, by the ever-present threat of slave rebellion, and by the longings and desires deep within their own hearts.

The fateful tale of Selene and Alexander is brought brilliantly to life in Cleopatra’s Daughter. Recounted in Selene’s youthful and engaging voice, it introduces a compelling cast of historical characters: Octavia, the emperor Octavian’s kind and compassionate sister, abandoned by Marc Antony for Cleopatra; Livia, Octavian's bitter and jealous wife; Marcellus, Octavian’s handsome, flirtatious nephew and heir apparent; Tiberius, Livia’s sardonic son and Marcellus’s great rival for power; and Juba, Octavian’s watchful aide, whose honored position at court has far-reaching effects on the lives of the young Egyptian royals.

Selene’s narrative is animated by the concerns of a young girl in any time and place–the possibility of finding love, the pull of friendship and family, and the pursuit of her unique interests and talents. While coping with the loss of both her family and her ancestral kingdom, Selene must find a path around the dangers of a foreign land. Her accounts of life in Rome are filled with historical details that vividly capture both the glories and horrors of the times. She dines with the empire’s most illustrious poets and politicians, witnesses the creation of the Pantheon, and navigates the colorful, crowded marketplaces of the city where Roman-style justice is meted out with merciless authority.

Based on meticulous research, Cleopatra’s Daughter is a fascinating portrait of imperial Rome and of the people and events of this glorious and most tumultuous period in human history. Emerging from the shadows of the past, Selene, a young woman of irresistible charm and preternatural intelligence, will capture your heart

My Thoughts:

This was the first time I've ever read a book by Michelle Moran but it won't be the last. She has a way of bringing history alive. You can tell that she does her research. Cleopatra's Daughter was a very interesting read and I really enjoyed it. When I finished it I was on the web trying to learn more about the Selene and Juba II. I will say that after reading this I am so glad I wasn't born in Rome back then. Talk about a rough place! So if you enjoy history and fiction than I highly recommend you read this book.

**I bought this book at my library's book sale**

The Pet Project

2011-06-03T21:27:00.003-05:00

Over at Cerella Sechrist's blog she has started a new series called The Pet Project and Hope is being featured today! While your visiting Cerella's blog be sure to check out all the cute posts about her two adorable pugs.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-01T14:44:00.000-05:00

Teaser Tuesday

2011-05-31T15:09:00.003-05:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"Throughout her kingdom she was worshipped as the goddess Isis, and when the mood took her, she dressed as Aphrodite. But unlike a real goddess, she was mortal, and I could read in the muscles of her body that she was afraid." --Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

2011-05-30T16:32:00.002-05:00

From Goodreads:

The Dragon King Seeks His Princess--

Who Dares to Stop Him?

Princess Una of Parumvir has come of age and will soon marry. She dreams of a charming prince, but when her first suitor arrives, he's not what she'd hoped. Prince Aethelbald of mysterious Farthestshore has travelled a great distance to prove his love--and also to bring hushed warnings of danger. A dragon is rumored to be on the hunt and blazing a path of terror.

Una, smitten instead with a more dashing prince, refuses Aethelbald's offer--and ignores his cautions with dire consequences. Soon the Dragon King himself is in Parumvir and Una, in giving her heart away unwisely, finds herself in his sights. Only those courageous enough to risk everything have a hope of fighting off this advancing evil.

A Tale of Goldstone Wood

Timeless Fantasy That Will Keep You Spellbound

My thoughts:

I had been wanting to read this book for awhile so when I saw it on Amazon for six bucks I grabbed it and I'm so glad I did. Heartless is a really good book. It has dragons, goblins, princes and princesses and a lot of magical things. One of my favorite characters was a blind cat named Monster. All I will say about him is there is more to him than meets the eye. ;) Besides all the wonderful characters Heartless is a story about the power of redemption. Una is a princess that hasn't had much to worry about but she will soon learn that her decisions do have consequences. She makes a decision that she will regret and thus her journey to redemption takes place. I really enjoyed this book and will be looking for the next book in this series.

Wordless Wednesday: A Day Late

2011-05-26T12:08:00.000-05:00

Teaser Tuesday

2011-05-24T13:58:00.002-05:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"Startled, Una glanced up and down the darkening path but saw nothing. She heard the sound again and looked up just in time to see a dark figure on top of the wall leap down on her."

--Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Come Join the Party!

2011-05-16T14:52:00.002-05:00

Bluerose's Heart is celebrating her one year blogoversary! She's having lots of giveaways so head on over to see what goodies she is giving away.

First Wild Card Tour: The Lightkeeper's Ball by Colleen Coble

2011-05-13T13:36:00.003-05:00

Today's Wild Card author is:

Colleen Coble

and the book:

The Lightkeeper’s Ball

Thomas Nelson; 1 edition (April 19, 2011)

***Special thanks to Audra Jennings, Senior Media Specialist, The B&B Media Group for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Colleen Coble’s thirty-five novels and novellas have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Romance Writers of America prestigious RITA, the Holt Medallion, the ACFW Book of the Year, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers’ Choice, the Booksellers Best, and the 2009 Best Books of Indiana-Fiction award. She writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail and love begin with a happy ending.

Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Olivia seems to have it all, but her heart yearns for more.

Olivia Stewart's family is one of the Four Hundred—the highest echelon of society in 1910. When her sister dies under mysterious circumstances, Olivia leaves their New York City home for Mercy Falls, California, to determine what befell Eleanor. She suspects Harrison Bennett, the man Eleanor planned to marry. But the more Olivia gets to know him, the more she doubts his guilt—and the more she is drawn to him herself.

When several attempts are made on her life, Olivia turns to Harrison for help. He takes her on a ride in his aeroplane, but then crashes, and they’re forced to spend two days alone together. With her reputation hanging by a thread, Harrison offers to marry her to make the situation right. As a charity ball to rebuild the Mercy Falls lighthouse draws near, she realizes she wants more than a sham engagement—she wants Harrison in her life forever. But her enemy plans to shatter the happiness she is ready to grasp. If Olivia dares to drop her masquerade, she just might see the path to true happiness.

Product Details:

List Price: $14.99
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson; 1 edition (April 19, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 159554268X
ISBN-13: 978-1595542687

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

The New York brownstone was just half a block down from the Astor mansion on Fifth Avenue, the most prestigious address in the country. The carriage, monogrammed with the Stewart emblem, rattled through the iron gates and came to a halt in front of the ornate doors. Assisted by the doorman, Olivia Stewart descended and rushed for the steps of her home. She was late for tea, and her mother would be furious. Mrs. Astor herself had agreed to join them today.

Olivia handed her hat to the maid, who opened the door. “They’re in the drawing room, Miss Olivia,” Goldia whispered. “Your mama is ready to pace the floor.”

Olivia patted at her hair, straightened her shoulders, and pinned a smile in place as she forced her stride to a ladylike stroll to join the other women. Two women turned to face her as she entered: her mother and Mrs. Astor. They wore identical expressions of disapproval.

“Olivia, there you are,” her mother said. “Sit down before your tea gets cold.”

Olivia pulled off her gloves as she settled into the Queen Anne chair beside Mrs. Astor. “I apologize for my tardiness,” she said. “A lorry filled with tomatoes overturned in the street, and my driver couldn’t get around it.”

Mrs. Astor’s face cleared. “Of course, my dear.” She sipped her tea from the delicate blue-and-white china. “Your dear mother and I were just discussing your prospects. It’s time you married.”

Oh dear. She’d hoped to engage in light conversation that had nothing to do with the fact that she was twenty-five and still unmarried. Her unmarried state distressed her if she let it, but every man her father brought to her wanted only her status. She doubted any of them had ever looked into her soul. “I’m honored you would care about my marital status, Mrs. Astor,” Olivia said.

“Mrs. Astor wants to hold a ball in your honor, Olivia,” her mother gushed. “She has a distant cousin coming to town whom she wants you to meet.”

Mrs. Astor nodded. “I believe you and Matthew would suit. He owns property just down the street.”

Olivia didn’t mistake the reference to the man’s money. Wealth would be sure to impact her mother. She opened her mouth to ask if the man was her age, then closed it at the warning glint in her mother’s eyes.

“He’s been widowed for fifteen years and is long overdue for a suitable wife,” Mrs. Astor said.

Olivia barely suppressed a sigh. So he was another of the decrepit gentlemen who showed up from time to time. “You’re very kind,” she said.

“He’s most suitable,” her mother said. “Most suitable.”

Olivia caught the implication. They spent the next half an hour discussing the date and the location. She tried to enter into the conversation with interest, but all she could do was imagine some gray-whiskered blue blood dancing her around the ballroom. She stifled a sigh of relief when Mrs. Astor took her leave and called for her carriage.

“I’ll be happy when you’re settled, Olivia,” her mother said when they returned to the drawing room. “Mrs. Astor is most kind.”

“She is indeed.” Olivia pleated her skirt with her fingers. “Do you ever wish you could go somewhere incognito, Mother? Where no one has expectations of you because you are a Stewart?”

Her mother put down her saucer with a clatter. “Whatever are you babbling about, my dear?”

“Haven’t you noticed that people look at us differently because we’re Stewarts? How is a man ever to love me for myself when all he sees is what my name can gain him? Men never see inside to the real me. They notice only that I’m a Stewart.”

“Have you been reading those novels again?” Her mother sniffed and narrowed her gaze on Olivia. “Marriage is about making suitable connections. You owe it to your future children to consider the life you give them. Love comes from respect. I would find it quite difficult to respect someone who didn’t have the gumption to make his way in the world. Besides, we need you to marry well. You’re twenty-five years old and I’ve indulged your romantic notions long enough. Heaven knows your sister’s marriage isn’t what I had in mind, essential though it may be. Someone has to keep the family name in good standing.”

Olivia knew what her duty demanded, but she didn’t have to like it. “Do all the suitable men have to be in their dotage?”

Her mother’s eyes sparked fire but before she spoke, Goldia appeared in the doorway. “Mr. Bennett is here, Mrs. Stewart.”

Olivia straightened in her chair. “Show him in. He’ll have news of Eleanor.”

Bennett appeared in the doorway moments later. He shouldn’t have been imposing. He stood only five-foot-three in his shoes, which were always freshly polished. He was slim, nearly gaunt, with a patrician nose and obsidian eyes. He’d always reminded Olivia of a snake about to strike. His expression never betrayed any emotion, and today was no exception. She’d never understood why her father entertained an acquaintance with the man let alone desired their families to be joined.

“Mr. Bennett.” She rose and extended her hand and tried not to flinch as he brushed his lips across it.

“Miss Olivia,” he said, releasing her hand. He moved to her mother’s chair and bowed over her extended hand.

Olivia sank back into her chair. “What do you hear of my sister? I have received no answer to any of my letters.”

He took a seat, steepled his fingers, and leaned forward. “That’s the reason for our meeting today. I fear I have bad news to impart.”

Her pulse thumped erratically against her ribcage. She wetted her lips and drew in a deep breath. “What news of Eleanor?” How bad could it be? Eleanor had gone to marry Harrison, a man she hardly knew. But she was in love with the idea of the Wild West, and therefore more than happy to marry the son of her father’s business partner.

He never blinked. “I shall just have to blurt it out then. I’m sorry to inform you that Eleanor is dead.”

Her mother moaned. Olivia stared at him. “I don’t believe it,” she said.

“I know, it’s a shock.”

There must have been some mistake. She searched his face for some clue that this was a jest. “What happened?”

He didn’t hold her gaze. “She drowned.”

“How?”

“No one knows. I’m sorry.”

Her mother stood and swayed. “What are you saying?” Her voice rose in a shriek. “Eleanor can’t be dead! Are you quite mad?”

He stood and took her arm. “I suggest you lie down, Mrs. Stewart. You’re quite pale.”

Her mother put her hands to her cheeks. “Tell me it isn’t true,” she begged. Then she keeled over in a dead faint.

#
Harrison Bennett tugged on his tie, glanced at his shoes to make sure no speck of dirt marred their perfection, then disembarked from his motorcar in front of the mansion. The cab had rolled up Nob Hill much too quickly for him to gather his courage to face the party. Electric lights pushed back the darkness from the curving brick driveway to the porch with its impressive white pillars. Doormen flanked the double doors at the entry. Through the large windows, he saw the ballroom. Ladies in luxurious gowns and gentlemen in tuxedos danced under glittering chandeliers, and their laughter tinkled on the wind.

His valet, Eugene, exited behind him. “I’ll wait in the kitchen, sir.”

Harrison adjusted his hat and strode with all the confidence he could muster to the front door. “Mr. Harrison Bennett,” he said to the doorman.

The man scanned the paper in his hand. “Welcome, Mr. Bennett. Mr. Rothschild is in the ballroom.”

Harrison thanked him and stepped into the opulent hall papered in gold foil. He went in the direction of the voices with a sense of purpose. This night could change his future. He glanced around the enormous ballroom, and he recognized no one among the glittering gowns and expensive suits. In subtle ways, these nobs would try to keep him in his place. It would take all his gumption not to let them. It was a miracle he’d received an invitation. Only the very wealthy or titled were invited to the Rothschilds’ annual ball in San Francisco. Harrison was determined to do whatever was necessary to secure the contract inside his coat pocket.

A young woman in an evening gown fluttered her lashes at him over the top of her fan. When she lowered it, she approached with a coaxing smile on her lips. “Mr. Bennett, I’d hoped to see you here tonight.”

He struggled to remember her name. Miss Kessler. She’d made her interest in him known at Eleanor’s funeral. Hardly a suitable time. He took her gloved hand and bowed over it. “Miss Kessler. I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

“I came when I heard you were on the guest list.”

He ignored her brazen remark. “It’s good to see you again. I have some business to attend to. Perhaps later?”

Her eyes darkened and she withdrew her hand. “I shall watch for you,” she said.

And he’d do the same, with the intent to avoid her. “If you’ll excuse me.” He didn’t wait for an answer but strolled through the crowd. He finally spied his host standing in front of a marble fireplace. A flame danced in the eight-foot hearth. Harrison stepped through the crowd to join the four men clustered around the wealthy Rothschild.

The man closest to Harrison was in his fifties and had a curling mustache. “They’ll never get that amendment ratified,” he said. “An income tax! It’s quite ridiculous to expect us to pay something so outrageous.”

A younger man in a gray suit shook his head. “If it means better roads, I’ll gladly write them a check. The potholes outside of town ruined my front axels.”

“We can take care of our own roads,” Rothschild said. “I have no need of the government in my affairs. At least until we’re all using flying machines.” He snickered, then glanced at Harrison. “You look familiar, young man. Have we met?”

Flying machines. Maybe this meeting was something God had arranged. Harrison thrust out his hand. “Harrison Bennett.”

“Claude’s son?”’

Was that distaste in the twist of Rothschild’s mouth? Harrison put confidence into his grip. “Yes, sir.”

“How is your father?”

“Quite well. He’s back in New York by now.”

“I heard about your fiancée’s death. I’m sorry for your loss.”

Harrison managed not to wince. “Thank you.” He pushed away his memories of that terrible day, the day he’d seen Eleanor Stewart for what she really was.

“Your father was most insistent I meet you. He seems to think you have a business proposition I might be interested in.”

Harrison smiled and began to tell the men of the new diamond mines that Bennett and Bennett had found in Africa. A mere week after Mr. Stewart’s passing, Mr. Bennett had renamed the venture to include Harrison. An hour later, he had appointments set up with three of the men as possible investors. His father would be pleased.

Harrison smiled and retraced his steps to toward the front door but was waylaid by four women in brightly colored silk. They swooped around him, and Miss Kessler took him by the hand and led him to a quiet corner.

“Let’s not talk about anything boring like work,” she said, her blue eyes sparkling. “Tell me what you love to do most.”

He glanced at the other women clustered around. “I’m building an aeroplane. I’d like to have it in the air by the time Earth passes through the tail of Halley’s Comet.”

She gasped. “Do you have a death wish, Mr. Bennett? You would be breathing the poisonous fumes directly. No one even knows if the Earth will survive this.”

He’d heard this before. “The scientists I’ve discussed this with believe we shall be just fine,” Harrison said.

“I assume you’ve purchased comet pills?” the blonde closest to him said.

“I have no fear.”

The brunette in red silk smiled. “If man were meant to fly, God would have given him wings. Or so I’ve heard the minister say.”

He finally placed the brunette. Her uncle was Rothschild. No wonder she had such contempt for Harrison’s tone. All the nobs cared for were trains and ships. “It’s just a matter of perfecting the machine,” Harrison said. “Someday aeroplanes will be the main mode of transcontinental transportation.”

The brunette laughed. “Transcontinental? My uncle would call it balderdash.”

He glanced at his pocket watch without replying. “I fear I must leave you lovely ladies. Thank you for the conversation.”

He found Eugene in the kitchen and beckoned to his valet.

Eugene put down his coffee cup and followed. “You didn’t stay long, sir,” he said. “Is everything all right?”

Harrison stalked out the door and toward the car. “Are there no visionaries left in the country?”

Eugene followed a step behind. “You spoke of your flying machine?”

“The world is changing, Eugene, right under their noses—and they don’t see it.”

Eugene opened the door for Harrison. “You will show them the future, sir.”

He set his jaw. “I shall indeed.”

“I have a small savings set aside, Mr. Bennett. I’d like to invest in your company. With your permission, of course.”

Eugene’s trust bolstered Harrison’s determination. “I’d be honored to partner with you, Eugene. We are going to change the world.”

My Thoughts:

This was the first time I've read a book by Colleen Coble but it won't be the last. The Lightkeeper's Ball had the perfect blend of suspense/mystery and romance. I kept thinking I knew who the villain was but was shocked when the villain was revealed. There are quite a few twists and turns and I enjoyed every single one. If you enjoy your mysteries with some romance or your romance with some mystery this is the perfect book for you and I highly recommend it.

DragonQuest by Donita K. Paul

2011-05-10T14:10:00.004-05:00

From Goodreads:

A New Quest Begins

A dragonkeeper of Paladin, Kale is summoned from the Hall to The Bogs by the Wizard Fenworth to serve as his apprentice and tend his newly hatched meech dragon, Regidor. But Kale isn’t going alone. The Hall is sending a student to monitor her performance and report back to the scholars. Worst of all, it’s Bardon–an older boy Kale finds irritating, but who at least can hold his own in a sword fight.

New Friendships Are Forged

Meanwhile, the Wizard Risto has seized another meech dragon, bringing him dangerously close to gaining the power he seeks. So with only a motley band of companions, Kale sets out on a desperate quest to rescue the second meech, to free those dragons already enslaved, and to thwart Risto’s devious plans. It’s up to Kale to lead the search and to embrace the role that’s rightfully hers. But will her efforts be enough to save the land of Amara from the dark future that awaits at Risto’s hands?

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed DragonQuest. It was an adventure from the first page to the last. There were also a few twists that I didn't see coming. DragonQuest is the second book in Dragon Keeper Chronicles and I would say that it is probably best if you read them in order. I love the characters, Kale and her friends are such fun to read about. They are definitely characters. If you enjoy Fantasy then I highly recommend this series.

**I received this book through Paperbackswap

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-04T11:17:00.001-05:00

Teaser Tuesday

2011-05-03T12:50:00.004-05:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"Holding Toopka in one arm, she bent and stretched out her injured hand to follow his orders. She swallowed hard at the sight of her skin, red and blistered and already oozing pus."

DragonQuest by Donita K. Paul

The Band That Played On by Steve Turner

2011-04-29T15:33:00.002-05:00

Book Description:

The never-before told, inspiring stories of the 8 brave musicians who played as the Titanic sank.

When Titanic collided with an iceberg on April 14, the eight members of the band had already retired for the evening. Still, they put on overcoats and came out to play in the lounge. When most of the First Class passengers had taken to their lifeboats, the musicians moved to the deck and continued to play as the ship sank. One passenger said: “Many brave things were done that night, but none were more brave than those done by men playing minute after minute as the ship settled quietly lower and lower in the sea. The music they played served alike as their own immortal requiem and their right to be recalled on the scrolls of undying fame.” But who were they? What journeys brought them to this deck on this icy ocean? Who did they leave behind? Historian and biographer Steve Turner delves into the lives of these brave men, revealing eight unique portraits of bravery.

My Thoughts:

Like so many people I am interested in all things Titanic. So when I saw this book I knew I wanted to read it even though it was non-fiction. I don't read a lot of non-fiction because for some reason it takes me forever to read. But this was an interesting book about the men who played while the Titanic sank. If you find all things Titanic interesting then I recommend you check out this book.

**I received my free review copy through booksneeze.com

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-27T14:49:00.001-05:00

Teaser Tuesday

2011-04-26T11:21:00.003-05:00

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Should be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
•Grab your current read
•Open to a random page
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"A sound came behind her, and she assumed it was Goldia until she smelled a man's cologne. She half turned at the furtive, sliding noise, but before she could see who was joining her, hard hands seized her from behind."

--The Lightkeeper's Ball by Colleen Coble

Happy Easter!

2011-04-22T14:31:00.003-05:00

Easter Joy

Jesus came to earth,
To show us how to live,
How to put others first,
How to love and how to give.

Then He set about His work,
That God sent Him to do;
He took our punishment on Himself;
He made us clean and new.

He could have saved Himself,
Calling angels from above,
But He chose to pay our price for sin;
He paid it out of love.

Our Lord died on Good Friday,
But the cross did not destroy
His resurrection on Easter morn
That fills our hearts with joy.

Now we know our earthly death,
Like His, is just a rest.
We'll be forever with Him
In heaven, where life is best.

So we live our lives for Jesus,
Think of Him in all we do.
Thank you Savior; Thank you Lord.
Help us love like you!

By Joanna Fuchs

A Heart Most Worthy by Siri Mitchell

2011-04-21T14:26:00.005-05:00

From Goodreads:

The elegance of Madame Forza's gown shop is a far cry from the downtrodden North End of Boston. Yet each day Julietta, Annamaria, and Luciana enter the world of the upper class, working on finery for the elite in society. The three beauties each long to break free of their obligations and embrace the American dream--and their chance for love. But the ways of the heart are difficult to discern at times. Julietta is drawn to the swarthy, mysterious Angelo. Annamaria has a star-crossed encounter with the grocer's son, a man from the entirely wrong family. And through no intent of her own, Luciana catches the eye of Billy Quinn, the son of Madame Forza's most important client. Their destinies intertwined, each harboring a secret from their families and each other, will they be found worthy of the love they seek?

My Thoughts:

Before I read A Heart Most Worthy I had read a few reviews and in a lot of them they complained about the omniscient point of view that the author writes in. To be honest, the reviews had me worried I wasn't going to enjoy it. Well, I think this was a good reminder to myself that sometimes you just have to make up your own mind about a book because I absolutely loved it! I actually enjoyed the omniscient point of view and never found it confusing. This is a story about love and also about hate and how it can destroy the people harboring it. It reminded me of a line in one of my favorite shows (Lark Rise to Candleford), "Hatred is like swallowing the poison and waiting for the other person to die." I might not have gotten it 100% correct but you get the point.

The romance in this book was so touching and had me a little teary eyed at times. We meet three very different girls in this book and see them grow, learn and fall in love. As the back of the book says there is fiery Julietta--there were times I wanted to yell at her, shy Annamaria--I felt for her and was rooting her on, and then there is secretive Luciana--and what a secret she has!

Siri Mithcell has wrote another great book (one of my favorites this year) and I can not wait to read her next book. Please don't let the omniscient point of view scare you off because this is a great read.

**Thanks to Bethany House for sending me my free review copy**

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-20T14:22:00.003-05:00

The Great Squirrel Escape

2011-04-18T13:22:00.003-05:00

I have a cat fence so my cats can go outside but I don't have to worry about them getting into trouble. I also have some cats that I've rescued through the years that are strictly outside cats and three of them have decided to hang out in the backyard. So this morning I saw that they were on the back deck (waiting for their breakfast) so I decided to let the dogs go out into the cat area. But since Hope likes to chase the cats I had to make sure that the couple that run when they see her weren't out there. What I saw was Luke (pictured above) up on a tree going around it. Oh, we have these things on the trees that prevent the cats from climbing all the way up the tree. Then I realized that somehow a poor Squirrel had found it's way inside the cat fence but can't get out. Luke was very happy about that too. Since there were about four cats outside I had to start grabbing them up and putting them inside until finally it was just Luke outside. I was headed towards Luke when the squirrel makes a run for it on the ground. He hit the fence, bounced off and Luke pounced. I'm freaking out cause you can hear the poor squirrel squealing. Everything happened so fast but I remember seeing Luke pick up the squirrel by the hind in and starts to carrying him while I'm telling him to drop it. Luckily, the squirrel gets away and I scoop up Luke and put him in the house. I went and opened up the gate and slowly herd the squirrel towards the open gate and freedom. Talk about a squirrel's nightmare! I'm sure if my neighbor saw me out there she might have thought I'd gone nuts.

Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn

2011-04-14T13:15:00.003-05:00

From Goodreads.com:

"Let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave."

These ominous words are the last threat that Sir Edward Grey receives from his killer. Before he can show them to Nicholas Brisbane, the private inquiry agent he has retained for his protection, he collapses and dies at his London home, in the presence of his wife, Julia, and a roomful of dinner guests.

Prepared to accept that Edward's death was due to a long-standing physical infirmity, Julia is outraged when Brisbane visits and suggests that her husband was murdered. It is a reaction she comes to regret when she discovers damning evidence for herself, and realizes the truth.

Determined to bring the murderer to justice, Julia engages the enigmatic Brisbane to help her investigate Edward's demise. Dismissing his warnings that the investigation will be difficult, if not impossible, Julia presses forward, following a trail of clues that lead her to even more unpleasant truths, and ever closer to a killer who waits expectantly for her arrival.

My Thoughts:

I decided to get this book for two reason 1) seen a lot of great reviews about it and 2) I was able to get the first three books in this series as a bundle for my Kindle..three books for $9.99! Love getting a bargain. :) I now know why so many people rave about this series because Silent in the Grave was a great read. One night I ended up staying up until one reading and had to force myself to go to bed. Yes, it's that good. I will say I had started to guess who was the murderer but the whys and hows totally took me by surprise. If you enjoy a good mystery then I highly recommend Silent in the Grave.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-13T20:58:00.001-05:00

Teaser Tuesday

2011-04-12T14:55:00.002-05:00

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Should be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
•Grab your current read
•Open to a random page
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"By some sleight of hand or dark magic, her dusky complexion seemed to have lightened and, with her shoulders rolled back, she seemed to have grown several inches. She had shed the very essence of her self." --A Heart Most Worthy by Siri Mitchell

It's Party Time!

2011-04-11T19:58:00.003-05:00

This week Renee @ Black 'n Gold Girl's Book Spot is celebrating her dog, Coco's birthday! She has lots of guests (including myself) and some great giveaways. I'll be sharing Hope's story (the dog pictured below) so I hope y'all will stop by. :) The adorable cat is my Luke and I just had to include a picture of a cat. :)

Happy Birthday, Jake!

2011-04-07T11:59:00.003-05:00

My baby boy turns 12 today! I can't believe he's twelve, seems like it was just yesterday that I was bottle feeding him. I found him and his siblings in an abandoned car and had to bottle feed them. Jake is the only one who survived and he's one spoiled rotten cat! :)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-06T13:41:00.001-05:00

The Bridge of Peace by Cindy Woodsmall

2011-04-01T11:48:00.003-05:00

From Goodreads.com:

Lena Kauffman is a young Old Order Amish schoolteacher who has dealt all her life with attention raised by a noticeable birthmark on her cheek. Having learned to move past the stares and whispers, Lena channels her zest for living into her love of teaching. But tensions mount as she is challenged to work with a rebellious young man and deal with several crises at the schoolhouse that threaten her other students. Her lack of submission and the use of ideas that don’t line up with the Old Ways strengthen the school board’s case as they begin to believe that Lena is behind all the trouble.

One member of the school board, Grey Graber, feels trapped by his own stifling circumstances. His wife Elsie has shut him out of her life, and he doesn’t know how long he can continue to live as if nothing is wrong. As the two finally come to a place of working toward a better marriage, tragedy befalls their family.

Lena and Grey have been life-long friends but their relationship begins to crumble amidst unsettling deceptions, propelling each of them to finally face their own secrets. Can they both find a way past their losses and discover the strength to build a new bridge?

My Thoughts:

The Bridge of Peace is the second book in the Ada's House series and I would probably recommend reading this series in order. When I first started reading this I really wasn't in the mood to read it but I knew I needed to get it read to write my review. Well, I'm happy to say that it didn't take long before I was enjoying reading about Lena and Grey. I actually had a hard time putting it down. It was one of those books where you say to yourself, "one more chapter and then I'll go to bed." Before you know it you've said that to yourself about five times and still haven't gone to bed. I was happy to see a lot of the characters that I read about in the first book, The Hope of Refuge. We didn't just see them in passing but their story continued in this book which is why I think this is one of those series that needs to be read in order. I don't read that much Amish fiction but I really enjoy Cindy Woodsmall's books. The characters are great and you feel like you know them...you will laugh and cry with them. This is a great series that I would highly recommend.

**I received my free review copy from the publishers through Blogging for Books.

Book Giveaway!!!!

2011-03-31T13:46:00.004-05:00

Deena @ A Peek At My Bookshelf is giving away this book *points up* so if you are interested head on over there and to see how to enter to win. If you click on the picture it will take you to Deena's review.

Happy Reading!! :)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-30T13:35:00.001-05:00

The Cat, the Professor, and the Poison by Leann Sweeney

2011-03-28T17:45:00.003-05:00

From Goodreads.com

Between her kitty quilt-making business and her three beloved cats, Jill has her hands full. That doesn't stop her from wanting to solve the mystery of the milk cow that's gone missing from her friend's farm. But imagine her surprise when a stolen cow leads to the discovery of fifty stray cats and one dead body-a victim of cold-blooded murder...

My Thoughts:

This is the second book in the Cats in Trouble series and since I'm a cat lover I love this series. :) This is certainly a series for cat lovers, we follow Jillian has she stumbles upon mysteries (aka dead bodies) when all she is usually doing is trying to help a cat in need. In this book she is trying to help a cat when she stumbles upon a bunch of cats in need. When she goes back to help the cats, with the authorities, they end up finding a dead body. Thus the mystery begins. Don't want to give anything away so that's all I'm going to tell y'all. ;) So if you enjoy cozy mysteries and love cats then I highly recommend this series.

I received this book through paperbackswap.com

Finally A Bride by Vickie McDonough

2011-03-27T18:52:00.004-05:00

From Goodreads.com

Keep your eyes wide open for romance in Lookout, Texas. Noah Jeffers, aka Butch Laird, returns to town determined to make up for past misdeeds. Will reporter Jacqueline Hamilton uncover his secret before Noah can capture her heart? With nowhere else to go, ex-con Carly Payton returns to the Lookout boardinghouse. Garrett Corbett is looking for an upstanding wife, not some jailbird. What will he do when overpowered by Carly’s appeal? Twice-widowed Christine Taylor isn’t looking to get re-hitched. Will love-stricken Rand Kessler find a way to woo her into wedlock? Does love deserve a first, second, or third chance?

My Thoughts:

I was so happy to learn that the third book in the Texas Boardinghouse Brides series was about Jack and Butch. I was also happy to see Carly back. And I'm happy to say that I wasn't disappointed with Finally A Bride. Even though Jack was older she was still her "wild" self and getting into trouble. Butch, who now goes by his given name Noah, is a changed man and back in Lookout. Noah isn't the only one back in Lookout...Carly is back and hoping the town will accept her after being in jail. I really enjoyed Jack and Noah's story. Jack doesn't realize that Noah is actually Butch and when she does how will she react? This was an enjoyable read and I would certainly recommend this book. I will say that if you haven't read the other two books in this series you would probably want to read them first.

I received my free review copy from the publishers through Netgalley

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-23T10:00:00.001-05:00

Teaser Tuesday

2011-03-22T11:46:00.002-05:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"Today she would either be received by folks in town--or rejected. If they hated her, what would she do?" --Finally A Bride by Vickie McDonough

Bound by Guilt by C.J. Darlington

2011-03-21T13:03:00.003-05:00

TitleTrakk.com Blog Tours Presents:

Bound by Guilt
by C.J. Darlington
Published by Tyndale House

Shuttled between foster homes, Roxi Gold will do anything to fit in. Soon she’s traveling the country stealing rare books from unsuspecting bookstores. Police officer Abby Dawson has seen the worst of society—and not just at work. One fateful night, both their lives are changed forever. One searches for justice, the other finds herself on the run. Will the power of forgiveness set them free?

My Thoughts:

I recently saw where C.J. Darlington described her books as Lifetime Channel meets the Hallmark Channel. I think that is the perfect way to describe her books which is why it surprised me that I enjoy them so much. I don't care for the Lifetime Channel at all. Bound By Guilt grabs you in from the first paragraph and doesn't let you go until the end. I had started reading it while I was waiting for my mom to come pick me up to go out to eat. I was actually a little disappointed when she arrived so quickly because I wanted to keep reading. I can't say that I identified with Roxi but my heart went out to her and I really loved this character. She will pull at your heart strings and I found myself getting teared up a few times. All the other characters are great and you know the author has done her job when you find yourself thinking about the characters and trying to figure out why they did whatever it is they have done. Bound By Guilt is a really good book that I highly recommend.

Great job! You kept me turning the pages.
--Francine Rivers, Internationally best selling author

C.J. is a wonderful, talented writer . . . extraordinary . . .
--Bodie Thoene, best-selling author of the A.D. Chronicles

This one engages your senses and reaches your heart.
--Jerry B. Jenkins, NY Times best-selling author & owner of The Christian Writers Guild

Watch the book trailer:

About the Author:
C. J. Darlington won the 2008 Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild Operation First Novel contest with her first novel, Thicker Than Blood. She has been in the antiquarian bookselling business for over twelve years, scouting for stores similar to the ones described in her novels before cofounding her own online bookstore. In 2006 C. J. started the Christian entertainment Web site www.TitleTrakk.com with her sister, Tracy, and has been actively promoting Christian fiction through book reviews and author interviews. A homeschool graduate, she makes her home in Pennsylvania with her family and their menagerie of dogs and cats. Visit her website www.cjdarlington.com

QUICK LINKS:

Spring Reading Thing 2011: My List

2011-03-20T14:55:00.004-05:00

Today is the first day of Spring which means that the Spring Reading Thing has begun!! I love the Spring Reading Thing Challenge because it's a low pressure challenge. All I have to do is read during the Spring..how easy is that? :) Thanks to Katrina @ Callapidder Days for hosting this challenge.

This year I decided that my goal for the Spring Reading Thing is to read at least ten books that are collecting dust on my bookshelf or that have been chilling out in my Kindle for a while. So I picked eight books off of my Kindle and eight off my bookshelf for the challenge. So even though there will be 16 books on my list I only plan to read 10. Figure 10 is something I can accomplish. So here is my list:

Books on my Kindle:

Dangerous Heart by Tracey Bateman
Gone to Green by Judy Christie
Rooms by James L Rubart
Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn
Murder Takes the Cake by Gayle Trent
The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson
Blood Ransom by Lisa Harris
Mozart's Sister by Nancy Moser

Books from my bookshelf:

Jane & the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor by Stephanie Barron
The Cat, the Professor, and the Poison by Leann Sweeney
Psych: Mind Over Magic by William Rabkin
The Frontiersman's Daughter by Laura Frantz
The Lightkeeper's Daughter by Colleen Coble
The Gunman's Bride by Catherine Palmer
The Affectionate Adversary by Catherine Palmer
The Bride Bargain by Kelly Eileen Hake

Of course, nothing is wrote in stone and I may end up adding or deleting a book so we shall see. So are you planning to join this lovely challenge?

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

2011-03-18T20:59:00.002-05:00

From Goodreads

Charlotte Bronte's impassioned novel is the love story of Jane Eyre, a plain yet spirited governess, and her arrogant, brooding Mr. Rochester. Published in 1847, under the pseudonym of Currer Bell, the book heralded a new kind of heroine--one whose virtuous integrity, keen intellect and tireless perseverance broke through class barriers to win equal stature with the man she loved. Hailed by William Makepeace Thackeray as "the masterwork of great genius," Jane Eyre is still regarded, over a century later, as one of the finest novels in English literature.

My Thoughts:
Last winter I had watched the BBC version of Jane Eyre and loved it and after that I told myself I was going to read Jane Eyre. Well, it took me a year but I finally did it and I'm so glad I did. I now know why Jane Eyre is a classic. But if you ask me to put it in words I'm afraid all I can say is you have to read it for yourself. I would love to see the Jane Eyre movie that is out now but I'm not sure that will happen since it's not playing here in town. Oh well. I'm sure y'all will not be surprise when I say that I highly recommend reading this classic. :)

A Couple of Giveaways

2011-03-16T14:54:00.005-05:00

Just wanted to let y'all know about a couple of great giveaways going on. The first one is Lee @ Butterfly Blessings is giving away a copy of The Convenient Groom by Denise Hunter

Then Deena @ A Peek At My Bookshelf is giving away not one but two books! They are The Mountains Bow Down by Sibella Giorello and False Pretenses by Kathy Herman.

So if any of these books look interesting to you then head on over to their blogs to see how to sign up for your chance to win them. :)

Happy Reading!!

WWW Wednesdays

2011-03-16T11:12:00.002-05:00

WWW Wednesdays is hosted by ShouldBeReading.

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading? Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

• What did you recently finish reading? Mr. Monk is Cleaned Out by Lee Goldberg

• What do you think you’ll read next? Finally A Bride by Vicki McDonough

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-09T11:14:00.001-06:00

Teaser Tuesday

2011-03-08T12:28:00.003-06:00

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Should be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

•Grab your current read
•Open to a random page
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"How can you deprive people of drinking water, tell them to drink bodily fluids, and call yourselves Safeway?" Monk yelled in exasperation. "That isn't the Safeway. That's the Deathway."

--Mr. Monk is Cleaned Out by Lee Goldberg

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-02T11:03:00.000-06:00

Teaser Tuesday

2011-03-01T12:42:00.002-06:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"It took longer to find the health food aisle than she'd planned, but when she finally did, there were three other patrons browsing. She swallowed the knot in her throat. How could she do this without them noticing?"

Bound by Guilt by C.J. Darlington

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-23T12:14:00.002-06:00

Teaser Tuesday

2011-02-22T10:13:00.002-06:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"You examine me, Miss Eyre," said he: "do you think me handsome?"

I should, if I had deliberated, have replied to this question by something conventionally vague and polite; but the answer somehow slipped from my tongue before I was aware,"No, sir."

--Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

2011-02-21T16:11:00.003-06:00

I saw the BBC version of Jane Eyre last year and I loved it. So after watching it I thought I should read the book and am currently doing just that. But as I read it a question has popped up. I was thinking what Charlotte Bronte would think if you had told her that in the year of 2011 people would still be reading her book?! And that led me to wondering what makes a classic, well a classic. So what to you think makes Jane Eyre such a timeless classic? Since I haven't finished it I'll hold off on until I do to comment but in the meantime I would love to hear ya'lls thoughts.

Lark Rise to Candleford

2011-02-17T12:45:00.003-06:00

I recently discovered the most wonderful TV series, Lark Rise to Candleford. If you haven't seen it yet then I highly recommend you check it out. I love it! I've already watched the first season and just started the second season. Sadly, this year they filmed the fourth and last season of this lovely show.

Here's a program description from Wikipedia.com:

The series is set in the small Oxfordshire hamlet of Lark Rise and the wealthier neighbouring market town of Candleford towards the end of the 19th century. The series chronicles the daily lives of farm workers, craftsmen, and gentry, observing the characters in loving, boisterous, and competing communities of families, rivals, friends, and neighbours.

The narrative is seen through the eyes of a teenage girl, Laura Timmins (Olivia Hallinan), as she leaves Lark Rise to start a new life under the wing of her cousin, the independent and effervescent Dorcas Lane (Julia Sawalha), who is Post Mistress at the local Post Office in Candleford. Through these two characters, viewers experience the force of friendship as Laura and Dorcas see each other through the best and worst of times.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-16T11:14:00.002-06:00

Save The Date by Jenny B Jones

2011-02-07T13:02:00.005-06:00

Book Description:

When Alex and Lucy pick out wedding invitations, they wonder if they can be printed in vanishing ink.

Former NFL star Alex Sinclair is a man who has it all--except the votes he needs to win his bid for Congress. Despite their mutual dislike, Alex makes Lucy a proposition: pose as his fiancée in return for the money she desperately needs. Bound to a man who isn't quite what he seems, Lucy will find her heart on the line--and maybe even her life. When God asks Alex and Lucy to scrap their playbook and follow his rules, will they finally say, "I do"?

My Thoughts:

I absolutely loved this book. It wasn't just a sweet love story but it also dealt with things such as not listening to that voice that is always telling you your not good enough. Instead listen to what God is telling you. But if you think it's a preachy book you are so wrong. Jenny B. Jones does an excellent job of weaving in an important message without ever becoming preachy. This book will have you laughing, crying (sad and happy tears), and will even give you a little food for thought. Loved it! :)

**I received my free review copy from Booksneeze.com

Hope Has Gotten So Big!

2011-02-03T15:49:00.002-06:00

Hope is laying in the chair that is next to my desk in these pictures. Same chair, same dog but look at how in seven months she now fills up the chair!