Wreader Fun

To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer, Bethany House, May 2011 Karen Witemeyer’s suburb story skills shine in this second-chances tale that caught my attention at the first paragraph and kept me enthralled until the very end. Little details on every page gripped my heart and drew me into the lives of a man seeking a new life and a woman trying to shed her old one. I agonized between writing my own story and reading To Win Her Heart which I kept close so I could snatch a peek at every chance. I believe Karen Witemeyer reached new heights with her choice of strong, yet vulnerable characters - social opposites who believe past errors have ruined their chance for a family of their own. Eden Spencer is only in her late twenties, but in 1887 she’s considered a spinster. She lives with a small staff - people who’ve known her forever, and opens her personal library to the town. Church, good works for orphans and reading at her weekly children’s story hour fills her with joy, but it’s n...

I'm blogging over at Inkwell Inspirations today with a book review on Karen Witemeyer's book To Win Her Heart . I'm giving this historical romance a 5 star rating because of it's such a great story I had a hard time putting it down. Come over and join our discussion if you get a chance. I wanted to give you another look at the Cedar Waxwing that's hanging around our crabapple trees. Actually, there are a couple of them, but this is the one I caught in action. I thought they were going after the nectar. Apparently, it's the blossoms they like. While I was out taking pics of the Waxwings, other birds caught my eye which I hadn't seen since last year. These included an American Goldfinch, Baltimore Oriole and a Hummingbird. They all flitted about so fast I didn't get a chance to zoom in close, but I'll try again tomorrow. Hopefully I'll see you over at the Inkwell. :)

Book Recommendation Finally a Bride (Book 3 Texas Boardinghouse Brides) by Vickie McDonough Barbour Books, May 2011 "He made her want to be a woman for the first time in her life." Jack’s story in Finally a Bride was worth the wait. It's the tale of grown up Jacqueline (Jack) Davis who now wears dresses and looks like a lady, but still acts like the 10 yr old tomboy we met in the first book of this series. Consider the opening… Jack is after a story and climbs on the mayor’s roof to eavesdrop on his conversation with two strangers. No, I won’t tell you if she accomplishes her mission, but I will say pain is involved. Because she’ll do anything to uproot the truth. If you remember book 1, you’ll remember Butch Laird who wrote “ Jack is a liar” across every paintable surface in town. Bully that he was, he even locked Jack up in jail and left her there. Man, she detested that kid. Never mind that he had a point, he still shouldn’t have done it. And after he left town, th...

Happy Friday, folks. I was thinking of changing my header photo since the road is no longer flooded, but with all the rain we've had water started coming in the basement. And it's still coming! I wanted to draw your attention to the website of Sandra Ardoin who mentioned me in her High Five Friday!! post. Thanks, Sandy. :D Tomorrow, my post will be a book review on Vickie McDonough's 3rd book in her Texas Boardinghouse Brides series, Finally a Bride . There will be a book discussion going on, but it'll be over on the  Inkwell Inspirations blog. Now that I'm finally back in my office out in the garage, I'll be writing all weekend. The boys can play all the video games they want and I won't hear a thing. Except the rain. If you look at the header photo, today's picture would've been taken a few feet before the water's edge where the ground was soft and wet. It's the paw print of a coyote and that's my shoe, so those tracks are big! Nelson...

Book Review: Our Witchdoctors Are Too Weak by Davey & Marie Jank, Monarch Books, 2011 Well now, that title doesn't sound like my normal reading fare... it's because it isn't. But it is a treasure! Davey Jank is a very humorous guy and writes in an entertaining style that enthralled even my 12 yr old son. Lots of creepy crawlies, rodents and aligators.  Steadfast in his faith, Davey sets out to learn the language and customs of an Amazon tribe who requested missionaries to teach them about 'God's talk'. Davey faces witchcraft in action, tribal traditions and dangerous situations while struggling to learn the Wilo language. Yes, yes, but what about Marie? When does he meet her? That was my burning question since Davey enters the jungle as a single man. I scrutinized every name looking for the beautiful lady on the cover. And I have to admit that as much as I enjoyed Davey's stories of faith and perseverance against the dark powers of this world, I thought...

Book Review: Lady in the Mist by Laurie Alice Eakes, Revell, Feb 2011 Lady in the Mist is a rich, historical read that mixes the secrets of midwifery and espionage into a suspenseful tale of romance. A master at vivid description, the author uses all the senses to place you right there in the scene, whether it's sitting on a sunny beach, or a running through a dark ship’s passageway. What a refreshing change for a hero. As a third son in Britain’s peerage, Dominick is your regular, run-of-the-beach indentured servant chasing after the woman of his dreams. But when her life and others are in jeopardy, he cloaks himself with the arrogance of his upbringing and commands the attention of his title. Midwife Tabitha is past the average age of marriage, yet it’s no fault of her looks or attitude that she can’t seem to keep a man around long enough to marry. Following generations of family tradition, she delivers other women’s babies while yearning for a daughter of her own. This poignan...

Masquerade Marriage by Anne Greene, White Rose Publishing It’s 1746 in the Scottish Highlands and Brody MacCaulay wakes to a massacre. Blinded in one eye, buried beneath his dead clansmen, he hears the clipped English voices as they walk amidst the wounded Highlanders and finish them off with bayonets. Against his urge to strike out in fury, he silently waits for them to pass. Then leaving his fallen brothers and father behind on the battlefield, he gathers other injured clansmen and makes his way to a hidden cave. If they leave, they’ll be hunted by the English. Their fight, their world, is over. In a distant castle, Megan MacMurry mourns the loss of her fiancé who led and perished in the Highland battle. Upon her pastor’s advice, she decides to honor her fiance’s death by saving one of his men the only way possible – through marriage. Megan is sure the chosen man will be willing to trade his doomed life for a new name, new clothes, and new life as her marriage-in-name-only husband. ...

Second Chance Brides (Book 2 Texas Boardinghouse Brides series) by Vickie McDonough, Barbour Books, 2010 Last May I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing The Anonymous Bride which was Book 1 in Vickie McDonough's Texas Boardinghouse Brides series. Well, Vickie's second book of that same series is every bit as good as the first. Second Chance Brides is a stand-alone, yet numerous mentions are made to The Anonymous Bride so I'll give you a bit of background in case you haven't read the first... Two Corbett brothers named Mark and Garrett invite a mail-order bride to town for their cousin whom they feel ought to get married. But to enhance the odds, they invite three women figuring only one will actually show up. Surprise! Four women answer the call. By the end Book 1, their cousin is married but the town has too many unattached brides on the loose. Enter Book 2 aptly named Second Chance Brides which is the story of two of the remaining brides: - Shannon O'Nei...

After a flurry of activity at the beginning of this week with the arrival of my sister and her husband, the house is quiet once again. They left on Tues and then we drove daughter Jessie to the city on Thurs night for her flight back to Calgary where she attends Bible College. Today the boys when to school and Nelson went to work and finally I got back to writing. I worked for a couple hours on my Mountie story but also had to write a book review for tomorrow's Inkie post. For my post, I chose Vickie McDonough's Second Chance Brides which is Book 2 in her Texas Boardinghouse Brides series. I'll be posting the review here in a couple days but if you want to get in on the book discussion,  pop on over to the Inkwell.

Book Review: A Tailor-Made Bride by Karen Witemeyer, Bethany House, 2010 This refreshing book takes the adage of ‘judging a book by its cover’ to its simplest form. It’s based on the principle that just because you’re born with certain attributes, doesn’t mean you can’t improve upon them. Forget hair dye, make-up or something drastic like plastic surgery. We’re talking about something as basic as clothing. Hannah Richards is a skilled dressmaker whose original designs enhance a beautiful woman and beautify a plain one. She knows what colors and cuts work with the different shapes and sizes God has endowed upon the female body. And as a female, she knows that a bit of lace and frills can do much to instill confidence. When Hannah is gifted a building, she believes God is guiding her to open a dressmaker’s shop. She can witness to their soul while working on their attire. Jericho ‘J.T.’ Tucker doesn’t see it that way. As far as he’s concerned, Hannah’s chosen career has the ability to in...

Healer (Book 1 The Brides of Alba) by Linda Windsor June 2010, Published by David C. Cook I absolutely loved this book. Linda Windsor has just become one of those auto-buy authors for me. That means I’ll buy her books just because she’s the author regardless of the story line, because I know I’m going to be highly entertained with her stories. That’s the impression I got from reading Healer . Although she’s multi-published, Healer is the first time I’ve been exposed to Linda’s writing. It certainly won’t be the last. In Healer , Linda has seamlessly woven historical fact and fiction together with fantasy to create an unforgettable story. The heroine’s gift of vision reminded me of my grandmother. To some, the gift of visions is unnatural or ungodly, but I believe God grants miracles and visions to aid His children today just as he did 2000 years ago and earlier. And yes, even in the 6th century. My grandmother experienced visions when a loved one was in danger so I’m very comfort...

Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico  by Lena Nelson Dooley,  (Summerside Press) May 2010 An expert historical author, Lena has woven a beautiful story of redemption into the fabric of life in 1890 New Mexico. It’s a tale of love and forgiveness without making you feel like you’ve been on an extreme emotional roller coaster. It starts when an old miner sends away for a young mail-order bride much to the consternation of Jeremiah, the young friend who looks after him. Jeremiah doesn’t understand old Philip’s faith in God or that the right woman will appear. And when a woman steps off the train and stirs Jeremiah’s heart, the realization that she’s Philip’s intended just doesn’t sit right with Jeremiah at all. Add to that, the woman shares Philip’s religious beliefs. Madeline Mercer needs to escape Boston. Without waiting for confirmation after answering an ad for a mail-order bride, she heads to New Mexico with a new baby and 2 servants in tow. But, her steadfast faith in God f...

The Anonymous Bride (Book 1 Texas Boardinghouse Brides series) by Vickie McDonough There’s just something about a mail-order bride story that fills me with more anticipation than a normal romance. Probably because of that unknown factor of the hero and heroine expecting to wed – sometimes within hours – of meeting. So when Vickie McDonough put out the call for influencers to review a copy of the first book in her Texas Boardinghouse Brides series , I put my hand up faster than a winner does at Bingo. The Anonymous Bride greatly exceeded everything I hoped for in a romance. Vickie’s easy writing style was the perfect vehicle for this historical set in 1886 Lookout, Texas. Visually appealing, the scenes unfolded without laborious descriptions to slow down the pace. And the humor… I can’t tell you how many times I laughed out loud. But, what really kept the story close to my heart was the emotional impact the mail-order bride had on the heroine, Rachel Hamilton. Because you see, Rachel w...

Midnight Caller by Diane Burke - Love Inspired Suspense Mar 2010 Have you ever read a manuscript and then held the book when it was released in print? Have you ever been in on the early stages of critiquing a manuscript but can’t take any credit for it because it’s gone through so many hands since then? That’s how it is with Diane Burke’s debut novel, Midnight Caller . I've known Diane for a couple years now and we read each other's writing before it was ready for anyone else to see - at least mine was in that category. Diane on the other hand, was ahead of me all the way. Last year with a working title of Whispers in the Dark , Diane won the prestigious Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery and Suspense in the Inspirational category. Now with a name change, Diane's first book, Midnight Caller , has been released as a Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense (Mar 2010). I ordered Midnight Caller from eharlequin.com as soon as I saw it listed on the website. I don’t...

After the Storm: The Founding Years (Love Inspired Historical) Book 1 – Jan 10 – High Plains Bride by Valerie Hansen Book 2 – Feb 10 – Heartland Wedding by Renee Ryan Book 3 – Mar 10 – Kansas Courtship by Victoria Bylin This series is about a new town in High Plains, Kansas Territory which suffers a tornado strike. Each book has different characters and yet they’re interwoven into the High Plains community. Each book is a stand-alone (except for the missing children thread) and yet together they tell a beautiful story of the integrity and stamina of early Americans faced with destruction and having to rely on their own resources. Book 1 - High Plains Bride by Valerie Hansen: Valerie Hansen pulled me into the story by her poignant portrayal of a young woman who feels the need to stay and protect her family rather than go find one of her own. And she’s written a hero whose generosity overwhelms everyone, including himself but that’s because he puts the needs of others ahead of his ow...

The Raven Saint (CharlesTowne Belles Book 3) by ML Tyndall (Barbour House 2009) MaryLu Tyndall delivers a riveting romance on the high seas in a book that steams up the pages as much as the tropics it sails through. A master at creating conflict, she’s written a story about a hero who needs to sell the do-gooder heroine so he can raise money to do good. Sure, Capt Rafe Dubois has his morals a tad confused but the sale of Grace Westcott is for a really good cause – the money is going to build a hospital for orphans. And she’s not just some random woman he picked off the street – her father was the British admiral who was responsible for his mother’s death. I felt the tension of Rafe's turmoil  when he looks upon the beautiful Grace. He loved his mother and wants revenge, yet he starts to feel things which have no place in his chosen life. He's made a promise to deliver Grace to the don and what is a man if he doesn’t stand behind his word? A devout Christian, Grace Westcott isn...

Legacy of the King’s Pirates series by M.L. Tyndall, Barbour Books: Book 1: The Redemption 2006 Book 2: The Reliance 2006 Book 3: The Restitution 2007 I first saw the cover for MaryLu Tyndall’s pirate book The Redemption in 2006. My initial thought was disbelief. It intrigued me but really, a swashbuckler book with a pirate hero isn’t your average Christian literature. Months later, I saw another Pirate book by MaryLu with a slightly different cover, followed by a 3rd book in 2007. By this time, the name MaryLu Tyndall was quite common to me but I didn’t know anything about her or her writing. In the fall of 2008, I stopped off in a Christian bookstore in Winnipeg, Manitoba on my way back from the American Christian Fiction Writer’s (ACFW) conference in Minneapolis, MN and there on a sale table lay MaryLu’s 3 book series, Legacy of the King’s Pirates . I’ve always been a sucker for tall ships and these book covers caught my eye with their aura of danger and excitement. And at ...

Fearless - Imagine Your Life Without Fear by Max Lucado, Thomas Nelson 2009 (click here for more info) Today is a special day because Max Lucado’s newest book, Fearless , is being released everywhere. As an official Book Review Blogger for Thomas Nelson, I am one of the lucky ones who received this book last week to read and review in preparation for today. Because it’s my day to blog, you get to hear it from me. And you want to hear about it. Especially if you live your life in fear... I’m not a deep thinker. I like skimming along the surface, taking words for what they say, not looking for a hidden meaning. I don’t like reading between the lines. In Fearless , Max Lucado has written so many profound sentences, I had to stop many times to think about them. And yet, I understood them. Here’s an example: ‘ Fear creates a form of spiritual amnesia. ’ I read that sentence one morning and it stayed with me throughout the day. The urge to pass it on became unbearable so finally, I tweeted...

Sweet Trouble (Bakery Sisters Book 3) by Susan Mallery HQN Sep 08 I read this book on the Sony 505 eReader. It was one of several free books I was able to get with the $25 coupon from eHarlequin – a gift for test driving the eReader. I don’t usually buy HQN books because I tend to go for the smaller ‘series’ books that are easier to stuff in my purse. But Sweet Trouble was free and it was going in my eReader which easily hides in my purse. I chose Susan Mallery because I’ve always enjoyed her Special Edition books. I wanted to see how she made the switch to a bigger book. I wasn’t disappointed. Every time a conflict was resolved and I wondered how she’d fill the rest of the pages, either of the main characters stumbled and I realized the conflict really hadn’t been resolved at all. It was lurking in the background waiting for the right moment. The book has many ‘right moments’. Some I saw coming. Some I didn’t. It kept me entertained. Jesse’s story is the conclusion to the Bakery Siste...

A Weaver Wedding by Allison Leigh Silhouette Special Edition #1965, Apr 09 Once again, Allison Leigh proves why she’s an ‘auto-buy’ for me. She hooked me with the prologue and got me so interested, I’d read a third of the book before I realized it. Allison turns on the emotional train with a secret baby story that had me wanting to tell the hero he was going to be a father. And although I didn’t think it fair of the heroine to keep it a secret, she was such a likeable character, I didn’t really mind because it added so much conflict and tension to the story. Tara Browning figured she was destined for spinsterhood after a very brief marriage when she was eighteen. It’s not a big secret why she doesn’t date, she just hasn’t been attracted to anyone since. But when tall, hunky Axel Clay stands in her way, her inhibitions flee and she’s ready to follow him anywhere. A couple days later, she awakes in their motel room to find Axel gone without even a note. He did leave her a nice present, h...