Visit Svea's blog at The Muse in The Fog Book Review to start linking up your Sunday posts! Suddenly Sunday is a weekly event hosted by Svea whose purpose is to share all the exciting events that have occurred on your blog throughout the week.
Mailbox Monday is a meme originally from Marcia's Mailbox and is being hosted by Lori @ Lori's Reading Corner this January.
The What Are You Reading meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey where we keep track of what we are currently reading and plan to read.
January is almost over, and I am happy to bid it goodbye. I am hoping Spring comes early this year as I do not like this icky cold and flu weather! Sinus headaches galore this season for me! I am happy to report that my little man is on the mend from his feverish episodes last week. I thank you for any of those who thought of him and prayed for him to get well, I appreciate it.
This week I managed to get some good Bible reading in, as I am finished with the Book of Job and now reading the Psalms and should finish those within a few days. There are a lot of them, and I absolutely LOVE the Psalms, there are so many fantastic messages within. And I am super eager to be preparing to get both of my kids baptized, and get the oldest into the First Communion classes as well, so that at the Easter service we will get all that done during the service! If anyone knows where to obtain inexpensive Baptism and Communion style clothing, please let me know! I'd be needing boys size 5 or 6, and Girls size 12. If someone has anything I can borrow, I'd be welcome to that as well!
This week, I had finished reading Safe in His Arms by Colleen Coble (really enjoyed it), and then also just finished reading Josiah's Treasure by Nancy Herriman. This is the most horrid cover that I've seen for a NON self-published book; I messaged the author about it and she said that she is heartbroken her publisher won't rework the cover. So sad for her, especially when her last release (The Irish Healer) featured a much prettier cover. I did enjoy the story, but not as much as Coble's.I just started to read Frenchman's Creek by Daphne DuMaurier today, a few pages into this one, which is part of my 2013 TBR Pile Challenge. I have not read Du Maurier in about 18 years so I am looking forward to sinking my teeth in!!
On the blog this week I reviewed The Forgotten Queen by D.L. Bogdan. If you are sick of the Tudors, do not be afraid to pick this one up. This was very much Margaret in Scotland related, and I really enjoyed this story of a lesser known Tudor.
I also posted the review of the chunkster by Elizabeth Chadwick, Lords of the White Castle. The novel Shadows and Strongholds is being reissued from Sourcebooks and Lords of the White Castle continues the story of the FitzWarins.
IN THE MAIL!
I received the order from Christianbook.com that I mentioned last week! Now you see why I had to do some rearranging of the bookshelves! Check out ChristianBook.com for some awesome inspirational fiction bargains. I can't recommend their services highly enough. These are the days that I wish I could just stay at home and read all day, there are so many good looking (and feel good!) stories here! The next three pics are all taken from my iPhone, and show the 13 books that I bought for a grand total of $17.62:
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They Also Serve by by Pam Hanson, Barbara Andrews
Warm April showers bring new life to Jane's garden and new opportunities for the ladies of Grace Chapel Inn. Alice agrees to help Vera Humbert chaperone a school field trip to Philadelphia, but keeping track of a lively group of boys teaches her a few lessons of her own. Louise is left in charge of Nine Lives Bookstore and a most unusual helper, and Jane does everything she can to keep their beloved minister from leaving his position at Grace Chapel. Through their adventures, the sisters are reminded that serving others often leads to blessings for everyone.
Something Old, Something New by Jane Orcutt
A celebrity author visits Grace Chapel Inn to finish her novel. Can the Howard sisters give her the quiet she needs? The whole town gets involved in the high-school genealogy project, and Aunt Ethel provides some surprise information about their own family's history. Meanwhile Jane is busy with preparations for a Grace Chapel wedding. Everyone seems ready to pitch in, but time is short!
Building Bridges by Carolyne Aarsen
Welcome to Grace Chapel Inn. Once you visit the charming village of Acorn Hill, you'll never want to leave. Here, the three Howard sisters reunite after their father's death and turn their family home into a bed and breakfast called Grace Chapel Inn. They rekindle old memories, rediscover the bonds of sisterhood, revel in the blessings of friendship and meet many fascinating guests along the way. As the dog days of summer wind down, the Howard sisters end up trying their hands at many new things. After a minor auto accident, Louise - accustomed to coaxing beautiful music from the piano and organ - learns to check tire guages, dipsticks and battery cables. Alice gets roped into helping Aunt Ethel on a new project, and employs hammers, saws and nails to try to keep up with her feisty aunt, and Jane has been commissioned to cater a very special dinner. The finicky hostess makes planning a menu a challenge, but learning to minister to a special group of guests may just be the trickiest task of all.
Rosemary for Remembrance by Sunni Jeffers
The winter doldrums have started in Acorn Hill, but the ladies of Grace Chapel have come up with a way to liven things up - a weekend retreat. While they plan their getaway, local farmer Samuel Bellwood is busy planning a surprise Valentine's Day vow renewal ceremony for his wife Rose to celebrate their anniversary. The whole town is pitching in to help plan the festivities, but Rose has a few surprises up her sleeve as well. Meanwhile, Jane befriends newcomers Kristin and Blair Casey. She sets out to help the young couple feel welcome in their new home and ends up helping their marriage in the process. The icy chill of winter is no match for the warmth of friendship and love in Acorn Hill.
All in the Timing by Melody Carlson
The week before Easter finds many surprises at Grace Chapel Inn. Alice's college beau Mark Graves comes for a visit and Alice finds herself facing feelings, and decisions, she never anticipated. And when a mysterious young man claiming to know Mark arrives at the inn, it only raises more questions, and his surly attitude means the Howard sisters need a huge dose of patience to survive his stay. Meanwhile, they get to know teenage guest Laura Winston, who is sullen and angry after an illness has left her blind; and Jane is preparing for a town wide Easter egg hunt. As they celebrate this special time of year, they all learn that some of the best things are not seen with eyes but felt with the heart.
Portraits of the Past by Rebecca Kelly
An antique trunk, an anonymous book of sketches and a long-buried secret plunge the Howard sisters right into the middle of a mystery at Grace Chapel Inn. Who made the exquisite drawings in the old sketchbook, and how did his work end up in a trunk in the attic? Meanwhile, the inn's guests, a man with a bowler hat and eccentric habits and a frustrated and frustrating artist, keep the sisters guessing, and a spat among some of the girls of Grace Chapel exposes old insecurities in all of them. As they come closer to understanding the truth, they understand more about their own family's past and what it means for their future.
Slices of Life by Judy Baer
Excitement is in the air as Acorn Hill prepares for the first all-county reunion. The three Howard sisters get into the spirit, and they look forward to catching up with old friends, but Grace Chapel Inn is busy with guests who need lots of attention, and prayer. Jane gets ready to face the girl who made her high school years difficult, and Alice ministers to a prickly visitor who keeps surprising them. Meanwhile, Louise tries her best to help a young couple staying at the inn. The couple wants to open a restaurant, but their differing visions just might tear them apart. Can the Howard sisters help them remember what's really important? And is the beloved Good Apple Bakery about to close its doors? As they help one another through tough decisions, the Howard sisters are reminded that faith is the best guide.
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Charm and grace fill the bluebonnet state--from the hill country to the gulf coast to the arid desert. And in this four-in-one novel collection, women seek to find life's charm amid some of its deepest pain. When widowed Paula finds love again, will she lose her daughter? Can Kristi help Jack rekindle his faith in God... and in other people? Cassidy has repented of her prodigal teen years, but can she prove she's worthy of love? Can Rachel ever regain custody of her kids and pull her life together? God can bring charm from the chaos! Can God turn chaos into charm? Four contemporary Texas women find that the Lord does move in the midst of the most difficult life situations.
Too Rich for A Bride by Mona Hodgson
With a head more suited to bookkeeping than a bridal veil, Ida’s dreams include big business- not beaus.
Ida Sinclair has joined her sisters, Kat and Nell, in the untamed mining town of Cripple Creek, Colorado for one reason: to work for the infamous but undeniably successful businesswoman, Mollie O’Bryan. Ida’s sisters may be interested in making a match for their determined older sister, but Ida only wants to build her career.
Under Mollie's tutelage, Ida learns how to play the stock market and revels in her promising accomplishments. Fighting for respect in a man's world, her ambition leaves little room for distractions. She ignores her family's reservations about Mollie O'Bryan's business practices, but no matter how she tries, she can't ignore the two men pursuing her affections—Colin Wagner, the dashing lawyer, and Tucker Raines, the traveling preacher.
Ida wants a career more than anything else, so she shrugs off the suitors and pointed “suggestions” that young ladies don’t belong in business. Will it take unexpected love—or unexpected danger—for Ida to realize where her priorities truly lie?
Romancing America Novels
Tennessee Brides by Diane T. Ashley, Aaron McCarver
Can three women handle the drastic changes looming at their doorsteps in the Nineteenth Century Tennessee? Rebekah Taylor’s long-anticipated wedding is threatened by war with Britain. Iris Landon becomes nanny to two Cherokee orphans who draw persecution from the townsfolk. Amelia Montgomery inadvertently becomes involved with the Underground Railroad. Will adventure and danger lead each to the heart of romance?
Prairie Hills (South Dakota) by Susan May Warren, Paige Winship Dooly, Linda Ford
Ride the hill dotted prairie with three independent women. Emma Delaney is doing fine on her own until her daughter decides to play matchmaker. Hannah Williams relishes her freedom until a local rancher tries to solve all her problems for her. Lilly Clark is content with her choices until siding with an immigrant against prejudice puts her at odds with the whole town. Will each woman surrender when faith and love call to them?
Wild Prairie Roses (Iowa) by Lena Nelson Dooley, Lisa Harris, Laurie Alice Eakes
Join a quest for lost Civil War gold in the small town of Browning City, Iowa, where three women find a treasure worth far more than currency. Constance Miller comes to town on her father's dying request, only to walk right into a mystery. Tara Young's quest for gold is met with heavy competition. Lily Reese discovers her quiet town is hiding a deep and dangerous mystery. Will the men who come alongside them lead them deeper into danger or be the answer to their prayers?
Blue Ridge Brides (North Carolina) by Lynn A. Coleman, Lauralee Bliss
You'll be swept away on a bridal wave in these three historical stories of romance and courage. Join Beth Colman in her quest to find love and answers as John Harris leads her into the wilds of Roanoke Island. Team up with Ida Mae McAuley as she determines if her heart-and life-are safe in the hands of Olin Orr. Hit the road with Drusie Fields, the songbird of Sunshine Holler, as she leaves her fiance, Gladdie Gordon, to seek the limelight. Will these women find firm footing on the road to love in the Tar Heel State?
In other announcement news, I am excited to be a part of two special projects for two special authors. MaryLu Tyndall has added me to her 'secret group' of MaryLu's Motley Crew, and as such I will be part of a Pirate Crew of warriors who offer camaraderie, prayers and bookish fun for each other. And which also means I will be reviewing her books. (I read Veil of Pearls last year and loved it!).. Forsaken Dreams is coming out soon, and is available for pre-order at ChristianBook.com for $6.99!
The second project will be as an Influencer for author Jody Hedlund. Last year her novel Unending Devotion made my Best of 2012 list, so I am excited to be a part of anything Jody does.
Anything caught your eye today? What are you reading?
The second project will be as an Influencer for author Jody Hedlund. Last year her novel Unending Devotion made my Best of 2012 list, so I am excited to be a part of anything Jody does.
Anything caught your eye today? What are you reading?
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