Love Gently Falling

Just when Rita Jansen thinks she finally has the perfect life all figured out, tragedy strikes with one phone call from her dad. Her mother has had a stroke and they aren't sure if she will recover but it doesn't look good. Now she will leave her life as a hair stylist in Beverly Hills to face the cold winter of Chicago to help her mother for the next two weeks. Her passion for hair began working with her mother at her salon Hair and Now, and it was her mother who funded the money to send her to school to get her license even though it was in California. Her mother had always been there to support her, now it was Rita's turn to help in any way she could.

When she arrived at the airport intending on finding her own transportation to get to the hospital, she is more than surprised when an old friend from school, Johnny Hollister, is there to pick her up. This way her family can stay at the hospital and not have to worry about Rita. They share a great reunion in the drive there and she learns that Johnny has added her mother's salon to his growing number of clients for his janitorial company. She also learns that her childhood best friend has opened her own shop in the same mall as the salon.

When Rita arrives, she learns that her mother's recovery and stroke was worse than she imagined and it will take about six months to get her back on her feet again. Until then, it's long hours of physical therapy to get her speech and movement back. Rita vows to spend those two weeks renovating her mother's outdated salon to something she would be proud of. But how will she be able to manage it with only two weeks and a very limited budget. All she knows is she has to try because by the looks of things if she doesn't her mother may be out of business before she can return to the salon again.

I received Love Gently Falling by Melody Carlson compliments of Center Street Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Groups for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions contained here are strictly my own. This is such a beautiful contemporary romance perfect for Valentine's Day! The love that abounds not only for Rita's family and friends but even for her own childhood skating rink comes full circle by the conclusion of this book and teaches us that it's never to let to find love in the places we might least expect it. This one is worthy of 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about Love Gently Falling, Melody Carlson, or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Love Gently Falling by Melody Carlson

You can find Melody Carlson on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest books.

To find more reviews on Love Gently Falling, please visit Center Street Publishers website. 

The Aviator's Wife

Being a huge lover of history we all know there are supporting characters that elevated those people to the positions they achieved as they made their way into the history books and it's their back stories that make for some interesting reading. We all know about Charles Lindbergh, the man who made his first solo flight across the Atlantic in 1927, but we know so very little about his wife, Anne Morrow. If you understand anything about the decade in history up to this point, you should understand the role of the wife was to be supportive and to never really air her opinions about anything to anyone. Most of those conversations were usually conveyed in confidence.

So with that understanding of what Anne's role in a marriage would have been we know in history that women's rights were a hot topic and had been on the minds of women everywhere as they pushed forward to find a voice in the things in the world. This is apparent even in Melanie Benjamin's novel, The Aviator's Wife. Anne Morrow is a smart and successful women in her own right, but her husband Charles cautions her to make sure that he remains the center of focus on both the public and private eye. Many women readers may be put off by that fact, but again historically it was the accepted role for most women to remain silent and supportive. It doesn't mean she didn't have opinions, just wasn't able to voice them the way we do today.

I think Anne retained her fantasy of marriage in the fact that she was marrying a successful man with a certain celebrity like status. It made certain aspects of their life easier, but also eliminated the privacy that both of them at times would like to maintain. Anne often times feels like the proverbial doormat by her husband's consistent treatment to her to keep her in her place and in her role as a wife and mother. It does take the reader into the real story of Anne's struggle to deal with the changes not only in marriage but in society as well. It's a story of power, struggle, determination, and grace under fire and in the end, shows that in circumstances though the road may be difficult to travel, we can move forward if we simply have the determination to keep getting up and trying.

I received The Aviator's Wife compliments of Pump Up Your Book Tours and Delacorte Press for my honest review and while I understood certain historical elements, mostly pertaining to Charles Lindbergh, I was delighted to get a sense of what it meant to be the wife of someone famous during those turbulent times in the 20's. I knew it wouldn't be an easy read and for someone to truly appreciate the story, you really have to understand the role of women back in those time periods. The story of how they dealt with the kidnapping and lose of Charles Jr. is heartbreaking, but again shows the determination of Anne to remain focused on keeping her marriage in tact despite all the odds that come their way. I easily rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars.

For more information about The Aviator's Wife, Melanie Benjamin or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin

You can also follow Melanie Benjamin on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Aviator's Wife on the Pump Up Your Book Tours, please click here. 

The Door To Far-Myst

Rupert Dullz isn't very happy. His grandmother's coffus is getting worse, school is boring and there's nothing to do on his days off but rake up endless piles of leaves. Everything in Graysland is, well, gray, and every day is just like the one before it, and the one before that.

That is, until a strangely dressed man named Pie O'Sky swoops out of nowhere in his multicolored balloon and offers a special reward to whoever can open his mysterious door. When Rupert succeeds, he's thrilled when Pie O'Sky carries him beyond it to the brilliantly colored land of Far-Myst. Adventure calls, and Rupert discovers a wonderful world full of something he's never heard of before- imagination.

But Far-Myst is in danger, and it may be that only Rupert has the power to save it. Is he the one whose imagination is powerful enough to stop the evil that is destroying the beautiful world beyond the door?

In the magical novel, The Door to Far-Myst by Mike Dicerto, we learn just how dull Rupert's life has been. It seems that everyone does the same thing day after day, which in the lives of the children consist of raking up leaves into piles so that they will be taken to the furnace to be burned to power the city. The parents are much help since reading books and stories have been outlawed and banned, the children have nothing to think about besides school and raking leaves.

Until that fateful day when a brightly colored man enters Graysland from a device that resembles a balloon but is called a bagoon. He poses a challenge to the children that if they can discover a way to open a simple door with a lock, he will take the winner to a magical place called Far-Myst. Yet when Rupert wins the challenge, he soon discovers that he is needed in Far-Myst to stop the evil of a man named Murkus whose goal it is to take away the powers of imagination and plunge Far-Myst into a world of shadows and bad dreams. Will Rupert be able to use his imagination to save the people of Far-Myst or will the land of Far-Myst become a town much like Graysland?

I received this book compliments of Pump Up Your Book Tours for my honest review and have to say, I haven't read one like this since Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or even the musings of Dr. Seuss! The author does such a wonderful job at creating a believable place for kids to get lost in the powers of using their imagination to save the world, something I think is still needed in the world our children now live in. I highly recommend this book for middle school children and up and even younger if parents are looking for something to read to their children at night! This is perfect and rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information on this book, the author and where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

The Door to Far-Myst by Mike Dicerto

You can also find Mike Dicerto on Facebook by clicking here.

The Face of God

In the Old Testament, God divided His people into twelve tribes. Each one represented by a colored stone worn in the breastplate woven in gold that the high priest would wear as he entered the Holy of Holies, the sacred temple of God where the Ark of the Covenant was kept and where he would atone for the sins of the people of Israel.

Pastor Daniel Lawson is touring Istanbul with his wife Jill as their church is visiting Israel. When stopping to purchase some honey and ground sesame seed at a local stand, the merchant stops talking to Jill and sees a man begin approaching. In a hushed voice he wraps up a package and hands it to Jill and her husband and begs for them to leave. He is abruptly taken by the police and dragged off. Only a man remains staring at Jill and her husband.

When they return to their hotel, they discover there isn't any honey and sesame seed in the package, but a brilliant palm size emerald with Hebrew writing on it. As they get ready to depart their hotel, Jill rushes back in to get a shawl to cover her shoulders. When she is delayed a bit too long, an aid comes to get Daniel from their bus. When they return to their room, Daniel finds his wife has been stabbed and is dying leaving him a few words of a dream she had that will alter his life forever.

Ibrahim el-Magd is a man to be feared. A devote follower of the Qur'an, he is planning what he believes with be Allah's Day of Wrath, an unleashing of a jihad that will leave millions of non-believers dead. After 9/11, this will be the final battle of the infidels and will be Allah's final word. Now with everything set to go with biological and chemicals weapons awaiting his words, he is waiting on the Voice of Allah to confirm his timing. With four of the stones in possession, he is tracking those that have the remaining 8 stones. Legend has it that whoever possess those 12 stones, will hear the voice of God and be able to know the future outcomes of any war. With it he will begin his jihad on the world.

Doctor Helen Zimmerman has been working with the Israeli government to excavate more land to search for missing artifacts in hopes of finding the Ark of the Covenant that she believes the Knights Templar were in charge of protecting. When a colleague tells her that she is to go to America and befriend a Pastor who seems to be in possession of a great archaeological find, one of the 12 stones of the Tribes of Israel If she doesn't, all of her permits to uncover treasure will be pulled.

In the novel, The Face of God by Bill Myers, we follow a rag-tag team of hearty adventurers much like ourselves in search of the God's truth and His purpose. Much like a modern day Indiana Jones, Pastor Daniel Lawson has visions from God defining his purpose in searching for the stones of the tribes of Israel. Following the predictions from his dying wife, he believes if he finds them, he will hear the Voice of God and rediscover his lost passion.

I received this book compliments of Pump Up Your Book for my honest review and once again, Bill Myers doesn't disappoint. You find yourself, living in the hottest desert climates, searching underwater caves, and blinding sandstorms while slowly discovering God's secret for all of us along the way. Action packed by the page, this book rates a 5 out of 5 stars. It's left me wanting even more and can't wait to pick up the next book from Bill Myers. For those of you that love action, adventure, mystery and Bible artifacts and treasures, than this book is for you.

For more information about this book, the author Bill Myers and where to pick up a copy of this book, click on the links below:

The Face of God by Bill Myers

You can also visit Bill Myers at his website by clicking here

You can also follow him on Facebook here

Looking For Book Reviewers

This is the perfect opportunity for those of you seeking to become a book reviewer! Jim Wysong, author of the book, The Neutering of the American Male is looking for a few bloggers to review his book.

Trust me this is an outstanding book for both men and women. I have included the link from my personal review on this must read book for you as well. Please click here to view the details of what this book is all about.

Here is what you are promising to do:

1. Read the book and provide your honest feedback.

2. Post your review on your blog as well as on Amazon.

3. Email Jim with your links once they are posted.


If you are interested, please email me with the following:

1. Your blog Name and URL

2. Your mailing information so that Jim can send you a copy of the book to review.

3. Reason why you'd love to review this amazing book.

My email is attached to my profile so I look forward to hearing from you. Again this is a great book you don't want to miss. Jim will be contacting each of you personally to let you know if he has selected you to review his book. What a great opportunity that I know you won't want to miss.

Fatal Loyalty - Review

My Review:

Just like the title of the book implies, Fatal Loyalty by Sue Duffy, defines this perfectly. Andie Ryborg is a young woman in college attempting to live an ordinary life like everyone else her age. However Andie isn't your typical ordinary girl, she is the daughter of Attorney General of Miami, Tony Ryborg in the midst of his latest political campaign. Only is not just the life in the public eye that keeps Andie from being ordinary, it's the fact that her father is also not very popular among the drug lords that he is in the process of running out of Miami. His life is been threatened on a number of occassions and rather than just back off and go into seclusion, he is more determined than every to make the neighborhoods of Miami safer.

Since Tony Ryborg won't take a subtle hint to back down, Leo Francini is about to make sure his current drug business stays intact even if it means that Andie Ryborg needs to be used in the process. Evan Markham becomes Leo's newest thug to make sure that his message to Tony is perfectly clear this time. However Evan is bound and determined to make sure that Andie isn't going to be a victim if he can help it. Leo has killed too many people and if he can save one, Andie is going to be it.

The book is a perfect blend of the Sopranos meets CSI Miami and it's really a great story woven through all the interesting characters you are introduced to. In the midst of this story, Andie and Evan turn to God looking for His answer to how to survive in the drug ring that has Miami captured by crime and power. Will they find the answers they seek? I received this book from Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review and easily rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars. For more information on the book, the author and even a first peek at Chapter one, click on the links below:

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Fatal Loyalty Kregel Publications (April 23, 2010)

by

Sue Duffy





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sue Duffy is an award-winning writer whose work has appeared in Moody magazine, The Presbyterian Journal, Sunday Digest, and The Christian Reader. Her first novel Mortal Wounds was published in 2001 and she has also contributed to Stories for a Woman’s Heart (Multnomah). She and her husband, Mike, have three grown children. Find out more at www.sueduffybooks.com



ABOUT THE BOOK

Where do you run when you know you cannot hide?



Andie Ryborg has nowhere else to go. Her father's campaign for governor and his aggressive war on drugs has chased her from their family home. Drawn to Miami's exotic Coconut Grove, Andie hopes to find a quiet refuge where she can discover herself apart from the public eye. But even in that seclusion, even with an officer assigned to protect her, Andie's privacy has been violated. Someone is watching



Evan Markham's entire life has been a tug-of-war between what is and what could be. He is drawn to a life that is beyond his reach and emotions have clouded his judgment. Evan knows that earning someone's trust isn't easy, especially when he plans to break it. But in the secret corridors of the criminal underworld, he knows what must be done, and he is determined to see it through. Whatever the cost



When enemies close in, a sudden turn of events leaves them both questioning. Where is God in all of this? Who is this enigmatic stranger who offers to help? They both know their lives are in danger. But what about their hearts?



If you would like to read the Prologue of Fatal Loyalty, go HERE.

Maid to Match

My Review:

Set in the late 1800's we find ourselves at the Biltmore estate owned by the very prestigious and wealthy Vanderbilt's family. Here we met Tillie Reese who has worked at the Biltmore estate as a housemaid for quite some time, and now at 18 finds herself at just the right moment for a possible promotion when the current lady's maid is leaving back to France.

It's been Tillie's dream to become a lady's maid for someone like Mrs. Vanderbilt because she herself would be privileged to find herself in beautiful dresses and traveling all over the world, taking care of Mrs. Vanderbilt. Not only that she would make enough money to support her family at home. This is the job she has been waiting for and one her mother has been helping her strive for her whole life. Something better in this hard world.

Mack Danver is a rugged mountain man whose encounter in the city while shopping with Mrs. Vanderbilt is about to change life for both Tillie and the Vanderbilt family forever. Will their lives ever be the same again? Check out the details below including a chance to win a trip to the Biltmore estate yourself.

I received this must read book, Maid to Match by Deeanne Gist, compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and found myself completely immersed in the lives of Tillie and the staff at the Vanderbilt estate. There are parlor games that are played during the staffs days off at the Sunday barn dances that I found amusing and whimsical and completely adored how women were treated at these events. I highly recommend this book giving it a 10 out of 10 rating.

For more information about the author, the book and where you can enter for the contest to visit the Biltmore, check out the following information below:

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Maid to Match Bethany House (June 1, 2010)

by Deeanne Gist





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

After a short career in elementary education, Deeanne Gist retired to raise her four children. Over the course of the next fifteen years, she ran a home accessory and antique business, became a member of the press, wrote freelance journalism for national publications such as People, Parents, Parenting, Family Fun, Houston Chronicle and Orlando Sentinel, and acted as CFO for her husband’s small engineering firm--all from the comforts of home.



Squeezed betwixt-and-between all this, she read romance novels by the truckload and even wrote a couple of her own. While those unpublished manuscripts rested on the shelf, she founded a publishing corporation for the purpose of developing, producing and marketing products that would reinforce family values, teach children responsibility and provide character building activities.



After a few short months of running her publishing company, Gist quickly discovered being a "corporate executive" was not where her gifts and talents lie. In answer to Gist’s fervent prayers, God sent a mainstream publisher to her door who licensed her parenting I Did It!® product line and committed to publish the next generation of her system, thus freeing Gist to return to her writing.



Eight months later, she sold A Bride Most Begrudging to Bethany House Publishers. Since that debut, her very original, very fun romances have rocketed up the bestseller lists and captured readers everywhere. Add to this two consecutive Christy Awards, two RITA nominations, rave reviews, and a growing loyal fan base, and you’ve got one recipe for success.



Her 2010 books, Beguiled and Maid To Match are now available for order.



Gist lives in Texas with her husband of twenty-seven years and their two border collies. They have four grown children. Visit her blog to find out the most up-to-the-minute news about Dee.







ABOUT THE BOOK

Falling in love could cost her everything.



From the day she arrived at the Biltmore, Tillie Reese is dazzled, by the riches of the Vanderbilts and by Mack Danvers, a mountain man turned footman. When Tillie is enlisted to help tame Mack's rugged behavior by tutoring him in proper servant etiquette, the resulting sparks threaten Tillie's efforts to be chosen as Edith Vanderbilt's lady's maid, After all, the one rule of the house is no romance below stairs.



But the stakes rise even higher when Mack and Tillie become entangles in a cover-up at the town orphanage. They could both lose their jobs, their aspirations...their hearts.



If you would like to read the first chapter of Maid to Match, go HERE.





Join this SPECIAL GETAWAY (Click on the Button):

Finding Jeena

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Finding Jeena Kregel Publications (March 8, 2010)

by

Miralee Ferrell





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

In October 2007 Kregel Publications published The Other Daughter with excellent reviews. The Romantic Times Review magazine gave it Four out of Four and a half stars, with a very strong review. Two different major motion picture studios are currently considering the book as a possible family movie, and my second book in the series (Past Shadows) is on my publishers desk being reviewed for a possible contract offer now.



In February of 2009, Love Finds You in Last Chance, California was published by Summerside Press and Finding Jeena released in March 2010 from Kregel Publications.



Miralee Ferrell lives in Washington with Allen, her husband of more than 37 years, ans has two grown children. She serves on staff at her local church ans is actively involved in ministry to women.









ABOUT THE BOOK

Jeena Gregory thought she’d made it. She has everything a woman could ask for and a budding career promises more. But when rumors around town cast her boss in a shady light, Jeena starts to question her employer’s integrity. Was she wrong to trust this man and this job?



When the boss disappears, salaries go unpaid, and Jeena overhears several hush-hush phone calls, she realizes her carefully crafted world is crumbling. Shaken to the core at the threat of losing everything, Jeena is suddenly confronted with her prejudices─and with a God she had long forgotten.



If you would like to read an excerpt of Finding Jeena, go HERE.

My Review:

I have to say this book really touched my heart because of where my family finds itself these days. This book made me cry in so many ways, for the life Jenna had to uncover along her way as well as the saving grace that God offers to anyone who truly comes to love and accept Him. It really is life changing. The character of Jeena is well written and one that any reader can relate to no matter what road you are on in life, one of prosperity or one of great loss. This book truly deals with everything that life throws our way and it's through Jeena's walk that we can see the hope what our outcomes can truly be.

I highly recommend this book to anyone facing any uncertainty in life due to the inspiring message of hope and grace it brings along the way. I was provided with a complimentary copy of the book to review by Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and can't recommend it highly enough. Though the circumstances in the book are hard to accept and deal with from Jeena's perspective, it does show you the light at the end of the tunnel that can be ours to enjoy. This book is available in paperback.

A Hopeful Heart

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

A Hopeful Heart Bethany House (June 1, 2010)

byKim Vogel Sawyer





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kim Vogel Sawyer is the author of fifteen novels, including several CBA and ECPA bestsellers. Her books have won the ACFW Book of the Year Award, the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, and the Inspirational Readers Choice Award. Kim is active in her church, where she leads women's fellowship and participates in both voice and bell choirs. In her spare time, she enjoys drama, quilting, and calligraphy. Kim and her husband, Don, reside in central Kansas, and have three daughters and six grandchildren.





ABOUT THE BOOK

Dowryless and desperate, Tressa Neill applies to the inaugural class of Wyatt Herdsman School in Barnett, Kansas, in 1888. The school's one-of-a-kind program teaches young women from the East the skills needed to become a rancher--or the wife of one.



Shy and small for her twenty-two years, Tressa is convinced she'll never have what it takes to survive Hattie Wyatt's hands-on instruction in skills such as milking a cow, branding a calf, riding a horse, and cooking up a mess of grub for hungry ranch hands. But what other options does she have?



Abel Samms wants nothing to do with the group of potential brides his neighbor brought to town. He was smitten with an eastern girl once--and he got his heart broken. But there's something about quiet Tressa and her bumbling ways that makes him take notice.



When Tressa's life is endangered, will Abel risk his own life--and his heart--to help this eastern girl?



If you would like to read the first chapter of A Hopeful Heart, go HERE

My Review:

Barnett, Kansas

May 1888

Curling her fingers around a leather handle of the battered carpetbag that held her carefully selected belongings, Tressa Neill fell in line behind the tittering row of young women disembarking the train. She didn't mind being last. In the homespun dress and outdated straw hat acquired by Aunt Gretchen, she felt dowdy and conspicuous. No matter that her attire matched closely that of her traveling companions - with the exception of Evelyn. She still harbored an intense desire to hide.

She peered out one of the trains car's dusty windows. A solitary thick-waisted woman wearing a calico bonnet and matching apron over a pale blue dress stood at the edge of the white-painted depot's wooden walkway. The woman cupped her hand above the bonnet's brim and stared at the train, obviously seeking someone. In the telegram that outlines Tressa's travel itinerary, her benefactor indicated she would meet her pupil's at the train station, so Tressa surmised this woman must be the school's founder, Mrs. Hattie Wyatt.

Then Tressa's gaze drifted over to a small crowd gathered in the slash of shade offered by the depot's overhanging porch roof. All men. All gawking with obvious interest. A bead of sweat trickled down her back. In the acceptance letter Tressa had received from the Wyatt Herdman School, Mrs. Wyatt had vowed the men of Barnett desired wives, but Tressa hadn't anticipated a welcoming band of prospective suitors. The sight of those sunburnt, cowboy-hat-topped-men sent Tressa's stomach into spasms of nervousness...(excerpt from pg 7-8)

In the book, A Hopeful Heart by Kim Vogel Sawyer, Tressa Neill arrives in Barnett Kansas after applying to the Wyatt Herdsman School. The school's one-of-a-kind program teaches young women from the East the skills needed to become a rancher or the wife of one. But will Tressa have what it takes to survive Hattie Wyatt's hands-on instruction in skills such as milking cows, branding a calf, and cooking up a mess of grub for hungry ranch hands?

In the same token, Abel Samms wants nothing to do with the passel of potential brides his neighbor brought to town. He was smitten with an eastern girl once and got his heart broken. But there's something about quiet Tressa and her bumbling ways that makes him take notice. When trouble strikes, will Abel risk his life and his heart to help this eastern girl?

I received complimentary book from Christian Fiction Blog Alliance in return for my honest review. Being a lover of historical western fiction, this book rates a permanent home in my library and I would again rate this one a 10 out of 10. I stayed up til the wee hours of the early morning because I had to know how it ended once I started it. It keeps the reader immersed in the story from the first page to the last. I would love to see a sequel to this book from Kim Vogel Sawyer. This book is a definite must have!

As Requested

Hello bloggers and friends.

This is my official place to begin to place all kinds of reviews, from food products, movie and concerts and even my book reviews and giveaways. Since it will take some time to get the ball rolling on this, I need you're help to spread the word.

Please tell everyone about it. Tweet about it, post it to Facebook and Myspace pages and even blog about it. There will be more giveaways then you can shake a hat at and I am hoping to gain a following of those who really enjoy a mom's recommendations to make our lives and running our homes much easier.

As you can tell we are still in the construction stages but for now, my reviews will have their very own home. I am hoping my publishers and companies will appreciate the audience that this blog will appeal to.

I look forward to all your recommendations on how to improve the site and even where to link to other bloggers.