Book Review: The Accidental Bride

7 Feb

When a wedding reenactment turns real, Shay finds she’s an accidental bride.

Shay Brandenberger is raising her daughter in Moose Creek, Montana, on her childhood ranch, nestled against the Yellowstone River. Despite the hard work, she can’t seem to keep her head above water—and now the bank is threatening to foreclose. She prays for a miracle, but the answer she receives is anything but expected.

Having agreed to play the bride in the Founders’ Day wedding reenactment, Shay is mortified to be greeted at the end of the aisle by none other than Travis McCoy, her high-school sweetheart—the man who left her high and dry for fame and fortune on the Texas rodeo circuit.

Then the unthinkable happens. Thanks to a well-meaning busybody and an absentminded preacher, the make-believe vows result in a legal marriage. But before Shay can say annulment, Travis comes up with a crazy proposal. If she refuses his offer, she may lose her home. If she accepts, she may lose her heart.

Shay isn’t sure if the recent events are God’s will or just a preacher’s blunder. Will trusting her heart to the man who once shattered it be the worst mistake of her life? Or could their marriage be the best accident that ever happened?

Excerpt

Denise Hunter lives in Indiana with her husband Kevin and their three sons. In 1996, Denise began her first book, a Christian romance novel, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she’s been writing ever since. Her books often contain a strong romantic element, and her husband Kevin says he provides all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!

My Impressions:

Who are we supposed to please, man or God?  Denise Hunter explores this question in her new romance novel, The Accidental Bride.  Shay Brandenberger has been under the scrutiny of the people of Moose Creek since she was a child, or so she thinks.  Poor choices and poor reactions have contributed to her desire to remain under the radar. But her first love, the man that left her at the altar 14 years before, has returned and all attempts to stay out of the limelight are lost. And vows recited in a Founder’s Day reenactment mean that Shay and Travis are now accidentally married!  Travis uses the mixup to convince the suspicious Shay that he really does love her.

If you like light romance, I think you will like The Accidental Bride.  I liked the characters, especially Travis.  His sacrificial love really hit the mark!  And while the actuality of being accidentally married may be pure poetic license, I thought the way Hunter portrayed the dilemma was spot on.  Set in ranch country in Montana, The Accidental Bride captured the flavor of that region.   This is the second offering in the Big Sky Romance series and can easily read as a standalone.  But if you want to start at the beginning, check out A Cowboy’s Touch.

Recommended.

(I received The Accidental Bride from Thomas Nelson and B&B Media Group in exchange for an honest review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

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You Might Be Interested . . . Shakespeare’s Lady

6 Feb

For centuries, readers have debated the identity of the mysterious Dark Lady in William Shakespeare’s sonnets. Emilia Bassano — lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth and one of the first women poets in England — could be the answer.

In Shakespeare’s Lady, Emilia Bassano is one of the most dazzling ladies at court when she meets the little-known playwright William Shakespeare. Shakespeare sees the world like no one ever has before, and despite everything — his wife in Stratford-Avon, Emilia’s husband and young son, and the will of the fiery and unpredictable queen — they fall in love. But the course of true love never did run smooth, and the Virgin Queen does not take lightly to her ladies straying. These star-crossed lovers must fight for their love — and, eventually, their lives. Meanwhile, William, courting the queen’s favor for his new theater, pens some of the most memorable stories ever written, and encourages Emilia to write; he helps her compose, and eventually steals, a little bedtime story she calls A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

In the tradition of Jane Austen Ruined My Life and The Other Boleyn Girl, this is a breathtaking, emotionally rich story spun out of historical fact. From the plague-ridden streets of London to the throne room of Greenwich Court to the stage of The Globe Theater, this is a meticulously researched and gorgeously written story about grace, forgiveness, and the forbidden love between the greatest poet the world has ever known and the woman who inspired him.

Alexa Schnee has always wanted to be a writer. She loves the smell of the bookstore, because nothing in the world smells exactly like it. She enjoys spending time with her family, including her parents and her sister and brother. She also likes shopping, playing the piano and guitar, and traveling. She listens to Indie music and drinks way too much coffee. She will never, ever like math and she will always love dancing in the Montana rain. She is currently attending Sarah Lawrence College in New York City.

Alexa is the youngest recipient ever of the Mount Hermon Most Promising Writer Award and a first place winner of the Authors of the Flathead 2010 High School Writing Contest. Her book, Shakespeare’s Lady, will be released under Guideposts Books February 7th, 2012.

I received this book from the publisher last week and will be posting a review in a month or so.

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World Book Night

4 Feb

What is World Book Night?

World Book Night is an annual celebration designed to spread a love of reading and books. To be held in the U.S. as well as the U.K. and Ireland on April 23, 2012. It will see tens of thousands of people go out into their communities to spread the joy and love of reading by giving out free World Book Night paperbacks.

World Book Night, through social media and traditional publicity, will also promote the value of reading, of printed books, and of bookstores and libraries to everyone year-round.

Successfully launched in the U.K. in 2011, World Book Night will also be celebrated in the U.S. in 2012, with news of more countries to come in future years. Please join our mailing list for regular World Book Night U.S. news. And thank you to our U.K. friends for such a wonderful idea!

Additionally, April 23 is UNESCO’s World Book Day, chosen due to the anniversary of Cervantes’ death, as well as Shakespeare’s birth and death.

The date to apply has been extended to February 6th, so go sign up!

worldbooknight.org

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Book Review: Beyond Molasses Creek

2 Feb

Three lives are bound by a single book . . . and the cleansing waters of Molasses Creek.

Having traveled to the ends of the earth as a flight attendant, Ally Green has finally returned to the Lowcountry to bury her father as well as the past. But Vesey Washington is still living across the creek, and theirs is a complicated relationship–he was once her best friend . . . and also part of the reason she’s stayed away so long. When Ally discovers a message her father left behind asking her to quit running, it seems her past isn’t through with her yet.

As Ally’s wandering spirit wrestles with a deep longing to flee again, a young woman on the other side of the world escapes her life of slavery in the rock quarries of Nepal. A mysterious sketchbook leads Sunila Kunari to believe there’s more to her story than she’s ever been told, and she’s determined to follow the truth wherever it leads her.

A deep current intertwines the lives of these three souls, and a destiny of freedom, faith, and friendship awaits them all on the banks of Molasses Creek.

Preview

Nicole Seitz is the author of several critically acclaimed novels – The Inheritance of Beauty, Saving Cicadas, A Hundred Years of Happiness, Trouble the Water, and The Spirit of Sweetgrass. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Journalism, and also has a degree in Illustration from Savannah College of Art & Design.

Her paintings are featured on the covers of her books. Visit her at @NicoleSeitz, Facebook and www.nicoleseitz.com for more information.

My Impressions:

Beyond Molasses Creek is first and foremost a wonderful story.  Beautifully written, its setting and characters immediately pull you in.  It is a novel of things lost and found that will keep you thinking long after the covers have been closed.

Ally Green is a 60 year old former flight attendant that has finally come home to South Carolina following the death of her father.  She has been searching for something beyond herself since she was a little girl, always thinking it could be at the end of the next flight.  Her childhood friend, Vesey Washington, has always been rooted to Molasses Creek.  Now they are rekindling a friendship once thought lost.  And although Ally has experienced just about everything one could in her worldwide travels, it is Vesey that has the most to teach.  Another story unfolds across the world in a stone quarry near Kathmandu.  Sunila is also looking for something that seems just out of reach.  An outsider even among the outcast Dalits of Nepal, she knows her home is somewhere else.

Beyond Molasses Creek is a book rich in contrasts — the two lives and worlds that are separated by the creek itself, the statue garden in Ally’s backyard and the stone quarry prison of Sunila’s life, and the carved gods in Ally’s garden and the simple clothesline cross behind Vesey’s house.  And although Ally is 60 years old and Sunila is 38, it feels like a coming of age story.  Maybe we are never too old to really grow up!

I feel that I have failed to convey just how special this book is.   So I will just say, get it and read it!  It is great!

Highly Recommended.

(I received an ARC of Beyond Molasses Creek from LitFuse in return for an honest review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

To read what others on the tour are saying, click HERE.

Join Nicole at a Fabulous Facebook Party!

Nicole has woven a large story about faith, friendship and unexpected journeys. One reviewer has said that Beyond Molasses Creek is “a little like Eat, Pray, Love meets The Help”.

Intrigued? Read the book and join us at the “Friendship”  Facebook Party!

Join Nicole and friends on the evening of February 16th for a Facebook Author Chat Party. She’ll be talking aboutBeyond Molasses Creek, throwing out some trivia and giving away great prizes – including a Kindle Touch, some of her beautiful artwork and a Book Club Prize Pack (10 copies for your book club/small group and a SKYPE chat with Nicole)!

RSVP today!

Mark your calendar for 2/16/12 {5PM PST / 8PM EST} and come by for an evening of bookchat, making new friends and story sharing

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Book Review: Not In The Heart

2 Feb

Truman Wiley used to report news stories from around the world, but now the most troubling headlines are his own. He’s out of work, out of touch with his family, out of his home. But nothing dogs him more than his son’s failing heart.

With mounting hospital bills and Truman’s penchant for gambling his savings, the situation seems hopeless . . . until his estranged wife throws him a lifeline—the chance to write the story of a death row inmate, a man convicted of murder who wants to donate his heart to Truman’s son.

As the execution clock ticks down, Truman uncovers disturbing evidence that points to a different killer. For his son to live, must an innocent man die? Truman’s investigation draws him down a path that will change his life, his family, and the destinies of two men forever.

Excerpt

 

 

Chris Fabry is an award-winning author and radio personality who hosts the daily program Chris Fabry Live! on Moody Radio. He is also heard on Love Worth Finding, Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman, and other radio programs. A 1982 graduate of the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism at Marshall University and a native of West Virginia, Chris and his wife, Andrea, now live in Arizona and are the parents of nine children.

Chris’ novels, which include Dogwood, June Bug, Almost Heaven, and Not in the Heart, have won two Christy Awards and an ECPA Christian Book Award, but it’s his lyrical prose and tales of redemption that keep readers returning for more.

He has also published more than 65 other books, including nonfiction and novels for children and young adults. He coauthored the Left Behind: The Kids series with Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye, as well as the Red Rock Mysteries and The Wormling series with Jerry B. Jenkins. RPM is his latest series for kids and explores the exciting world of NASCAR.

 

My Impressions:

I thought Chris Fabry’s book Almost Heaven was great and it is, but Not In The Heart is out of the park good!  Truman Wiley is a TV journalist that once had it all — the best family, the best career, the best life — but now he is dodging collection agents, repo men and some very dangerous mobsters.  All of this is due to his gambling addiction that has cost him nearly everything in his life including his son who lays dying in a hospital bed.  He is just one step away from complete despair when a lifeline of sorts is thrown to him — the story of the man condemned to die who wants to give his heart to Truman’s son.  One thing Truman does well is to dig out a story, to uncover the truth of a situation, so he grabs ahold and follows the trail even when it threatens to end the transplant his son desperately needs.

Fabry has written a character in Truman Wiley that is at once despicable and sympathetic.  He is charming and funny and pathetic.   There were times while reading this book that I wanted to hit Truman upside his head and other times I wanted to wrap my arms around him.  Even in his darkest moments, I liked Truman — a brilliant life that once shined now almost completely wrapped in darkness.  Never knowing someone as deep into his addiction as Truman, I could nevertheless identify with him.  I have often battled with doing right when I wanted to do wrong or doing wrong when I knew the right thing.  Thank God for the gift of the Holy Spirit that convicts and teaches us along the way.  But Truman did not have guidance, only an overwhelming urge to experience that next high, the urge to hit it big just one more time.

Mixed into Truman’s life is his wife and son who have found God, a daughter that wants to connect with him and the man condemned to death for a crime he says he didn’t commit.  Terrelle is in prison, but as Truman soon finds out he is freer than Truman could ever hope to be.  Also add a fascinating mystery and breath-holding suspense and you’ve got a novel that has it all.  Not In The Heart is definitely on my best of the best list for this year.

Highly Recommended.

(I received an ARC of Not In The Heart from Tyndale and B&B Media in return for an honest review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

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Book Review: Everything Romance

1 Feb

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:
and the book:
WaterBrook Press (December 20, 2011)

***Special thanks to Ashley Boyer, Publicist, WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group of  for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

David Bordon and Tom Winters are partners in Bordon-Winters, LLC, a book concept and packaging company that produces successful books and gift products. Among their previous titles are the popular “101 Things You Should Do” series. This volume joins another one of their beautiful gift books, Everything Christmas.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Everything Romance is a gift book overflowing with heartwarming ideas to keep that special relationship fresh and exciting. Whether you’re a newlywed or celebrating 40 years of wedded bliss, this book offers a treasury of ways to capture your love’s heart daily. Love letters, inexpensive date night suggestions, tantalizing recipes, conversation starters, and inspiring love stories will all help you romance the love of your life in creative and meaningful ways!

Product Details:

List Price: $14.99

Hardcover: 288 pages

Publisher: WaterBrook Press (December 20, 2011)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0307729311

ISBN-13: 978-0307729316

 

My Impressions:

This is a great little book for trivia, recipes and tips for bringing a little romance back to your life.  There are even tips on how to kill romance, good to check out what not to do!  I especially liked the suggestions for dates with the note that dating is not just for singles.  And I will try many of the recipes as well.  Targeting married couples and perfect for Valentine’s Day giving, this book would also be great as an engagement or wedding present.

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:

A Marriage BlessingMost gracious God, we give You thanks for Your tender love in sending Jesus Christ to come among us, to be born of a human mother, and to make the way of the cross to be the way of life.

We thank You, also, for consecrating the union of man and woman in His name. By the power of Your Holy Spirit, pour out the abundance of Your blessing upon this man and this woman. Defend them from every enemy. Lead them into all peace. Let their love for each other be a seal upon their hearts, a mantle about their shoulders, and a crown upon their foreheads. Bless them in their work and in their companionship; in their sleeping and in their waking; in their joys and in their sorrows; in their life and in their death. Finally, in Your mercy, bring them to that table where Your saints feast forever in Your heavenly home; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with You and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, forever and ever.

Amen.
(from The Book of Common Prayer)


PERFECT PAIR PIZZA-PITA SNACKS2 whole-wheat pita breads
4 teaspoons basil pesto
1 cup cottage cheese
2 tablespoons Roma tomatoes, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh basil, chopped
Fresh Parmesan cheese (optional)

Toast pita breads until they are crispy and firm. Spread half of the pesto on each pita. Next, spread half of the cottage
cheese on each pita. Top with chopped tomato and fresh basil. If desired, sprinkle with fresh grated parmesan cheese. Slice each pita into two or four wedges and enjoy!

Romance Trivia

A team of medical experts in Virginia contends that you’re more likely to catch the common cold virus by shaking hands than by kissing.


Excerpted from Everything Romance by David Bordon and Thomas J. Winters Copyright © 2011 by David Bordon and Thomas J. Winters. 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.

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Book Review: Pieces of Light

30 Jan
Washington D.C. is gripped with fear at the hands of a deadly serial bomber. Religious icons and buildings are being targeted at an alarming rate, and lives are being lost. Former FBI agent Dinah Harris begins consulting on the case, sorting through both clues and unexpected challenges, professionally and personally, determined to find the kiey to solving this crisis.The past impacts the present as a troubled family and a marriage fall slowly apart from the burdens of guilt and the pain of domestic violence. Confronting doubt and troubling questions of faith, Dinah will struggle to triumph in a story that highlights the redemptive grace of Christ to change even the most broken or evil life.Through the painstaking investigation, it becomes clear that the bomber is angry at God and on a twisted mission as an avenging ‘angel of justice.’ Dinah focuses on the bombers disturbingly humanistic motives, while authorities race to stop the violence. Will the bomber complete his deadly goal or can Dinah save the next victim – and herself – before time runs out?

The final chapter is this thrilling fiction trilogy!


Julie Cave divides her time between being a wife, a mother, and an author in Brisbane, Australia with her family. Her newest book is the compelling sequel to Deadly Disclosures and The Shadowed Mind.

Visit Julie’s website at www.juliecave.com

My Impressions:

The last installment of Julie Cave’s Dinah Harris mystery series, Pieces of Light, left me wanting more — more great mysteries by this talented author! Cave has again penned a well-researched psychological mystery this time featuring the effects of abuse on children.  A serial bomber is targeting churches in the DC area with the aim of getting his message out — stop helping the abusers and focus on their victims.  The continuing story of Senator David Winter is also wrapped up with a very satisfying conclusion.  And Dinah continues to grow in her Christian faith, relying on small group accountability to keep her from alcohol.

I recommend anyone who likes a mystery that makes them think and has a very positive Christian message to pick up all three of these books by Julie Cave.  I just hope that Cave has more books in the works.  I would especially like reading more books starring Dinah Harris.

Click on the following titles to read my reviews of Deadly Disclosures and The Shadowed Mind.

(I received Pieces of Light from the author in exchange for an honest review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

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Book Review: Mornings With Jesus 2012

25 Jan
“Be still and know that I am God.” is one of the most beautiful verses from the Bible, but it’s not easy to practice in this busy world. Mornings with Jesus will help you do just that—“be still” in Jesus’ beautiful and powerful presence. For those who are seeking a deeper experience in their relationship with Christ, Mornings with Jesus offers a fresh perspective of who Jesus is (the Healer, the Son of God, the Comforter, the Good Shepherd) and what that means for day-to-day life. With a warm and friendly voice, 365 short devotional writings on the character and teachings of Jesus encourage readers to greet each day by drawing near to Him and inviting His presence into their day. Spend time with Jesus at the beginning of each day and experience His nearness and peace in a new way throughout the year. Each day’s selection includes: • a Bible verse • an entry based on Jesus: His words, miracles, and parables; His wisdom, compassion, and comfort; His mystery, power, divinity, and humanity • a “faith step” that will inspire and challenge readers to apply the day’s message to their lives.

My Impressions:

What a wonderful way to start the day:  Mornings With Jesus 2012!  I have been using this devotional since I received it and it never fails to bring a new insight and a new challenge to my day.  There is a devotional for every day of the week.  A verse of scripture, a personal story from one of the authors and a prompt for going a little deeper is included in each day’s offering.  Perfect for a quick start to your day, I Highly Recommend that you try Mornings With Jesus 2012.  It may just be the thing for you to get your mind on living a Christ-filled life.

Find out what others are saying about Mornings With Jesus 2012 by clicking HERE.

(I received Mornings With Jesus 2012 from LitFuse in return for an honest review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

And the winner of a copy of Mornings With Jesus 2012 is Its Time To Read Mamaw!  Thanks to all who entered the giveaway.

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Book Review: Unhallowed Ground

25 Jan

The fourth adventure of Hugh de Singleton, medieval surgeon and detective, finds Hugh investigating what seems to be a suicide of one of the town’s scoundrels and his longtime enemy. Though at first reluctant to pursue a mystery that no one else sees, Hugh and and his new wife Kate set out from the town of Bampton only to follow the clues back in order to discover which of their friends committed the murder.

Excerpt

Mel Starr was born and grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He graduated from Spring Arbor High School in 1960, and Greenville College (Illinois) in 1964. He received an MA in history from Western Michigan University in 1970. He taught history in Michigan public schools for thirty-nine years, thirty-five of those in Portage, MI, where he retired in 2003 as chairman of the social studies department of Portage Northern High School.

Mel married Susan Brock in 1965, and they have two daughters; Amy (Kevin) Kwilinski, of Naperville, IL, and Jennifer (Jeremy) Reivitt, of Portage, MI. Mel and Susan have seven grandchildren.

My Impressions:

Looking for a mystery that will keep you guessing to the end?  Like a historical novel that makes you feel like you are there?  Then pick up Mel Starr’s newest medieval mystery, Unhallowed Ground.  Hugh de Singleton is back in Bampton enjoying the first months of his new marriage to his beautiful and intelligent Kate when he is thrust into the mysterious death of Thomas atte Bridge.  Thomas is an old nemesis of Hugh’s and it seems the rest of the town. No one, save his widow, is mourning his death.  But what is ruled a suicide by the local coroner may not be what it seems.

The fourth book in the series, Unhallowed Ground can easily be read as a stand alone.  There is some back story involved, but not enough for the reader to feel at sea.  Hugh, the bailiff to the local gentry and Paris trained surgeon, turns his attention to detective work with a keen eye for clues, that although limited by the absence of technology and the addition of superstition, rivals any 21st century detective.  Starr brings us a thoughtful and thorough investigator who will satisfy any mystery reader out there.  And Starr’s wonderful research of the 14th century adds authenticity — from mealtimes to building techniques to the practice of medicine.  Here is a great way to visit Merry Old England without the worry of time travel or the Black Plague.

Again the character of Hugh is well developed.  He struggles with the conventional wisdom of the day as well as his role in seeking justice for a man most deem undeserving.  And Kate continues to be a wonderful helpmate to Hugh.  This is my second book to read in the series and I look forward to many more.  (Please see my review of A Trail of Ink HERE.)

Highly Recommended.

(I received Unhallowed Ground from Kregel Publishers in return for an honest review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

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By The Book’s February Selection: Night Road

24 Jan

For eighteen years, Jude Farraday has put her children’s needs above her own, and it shows—her twins, Mia and Zach—are bright and happy teenagers. When Lexi Baill moves into their small, close knit community, no one is more welcoming than Jude. Lexi, a former foster child with a dark past, quickly becomes Mia’s best friend. Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable.

Jude does everything to keep her kids on track for college and out of harm’s way. It has always been easy– until senior year of high school. Suddenly she is at a loss. Nothing feels safe anymore; every time her kids leave the house, she worries about them.

On a hot summer’s night her worst fears come true. One decision will change the course of their lives. In the blink of an eye, the Farraday family will be torn apart and Lexi will lose everything. In the years that follow, each must face the consequences of that single night and find a way to forget…or the courage to forgive.

Vivid, universal, and emotionally complex, Night Road raises profound questions about motherhood, identity, love, and forgiveness. It is a luminous, heartbreaking novel that captures both the exquisite pain of loss and the stunning power of hope. This is Kristin Hannah at her very best, telling an unforgettable story about the longing for family, the resilience of the human heart, and the courage it takes to forgive the people we love.

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