Remember the Moments

book review & awesome deal :: {pieces of light by julie cave}

2012-01-19T15:04:00.004+10:30

Publisher: New Leaf Press, June 6, 2011
ISBN: 0890516081
ISBN-13: 9780890516089
Paperback. 304 pages.

my rating: 5 of 5 stars

A special thank you to Julie Cave & New Leaf Press, for providing a copy of Pieces of Light for me to review.

Awesome Deal:

Meet Dinah Harris, the sarcastic and brilliant heroine of the Dinah Harris mystery trilogy, for only .99 cents this month!

From January 15th - 31st, you can get your copy of Deadly Disclosures at a promotional rate of .99 cents! This includes digital copies available for the Kindle, Nook, and iPad. To get your copy at this special price visit any of these fine retailers:

Amazon (Kindle)

Barnes & Noble (Nook)

http://www.apple.com/ipad/built-in-apps/ibooks.html iBookstore (iPad)

Answers in Genesis Bookstore (any of the above!)

Remember, this promotion will last January 15-31 only, so make sure to act fast!

The Book:

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 key 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!

Book Trailer:

The Author:

Julie Cave first heard a creation science speaker at her church when she was just 15, igniting her interest in creation science and sparking an enthusiasm for defending the Bible's account of creation. She has obtained a degree in health science, and is currently completing a degree in law. Julie has two daughters and lives in Brisbane, Australia with her family. She divides her time between being a wife, a mother and an author.

My Take:

Julie Cave delivers yet another intense, nail-biting mystery in her third and final book in the Dinah Harris series, Pieces of Light. We once again follow Dinah as she works with the FBI to solve seemingly random bombings of churches & religious buildings, while dealing with her new-found faith and a potential love interest. As in the previous two books, Julie delves into key issues that are surrounding us as a nation today, one of the most prominent being the separation of church and state. Julie also touches on topics such as domestic violence and failing marriages, but also reminds us of the overwhelming, redeeming grace of God, in lives that seem devoid of hope. With such a great ending to a wonderful series, I can't wait to see what Julie will produce next!

Other Resources:

Buy it from Koorong
Buy it from Amazon
Julie Cave's Website
Read the first chapter.
My reviews of Deadly Disclosures and The Shadowed Mind

as of late :: {october}

2011-10-20T15:09:00.000+10:30

Oh wow. An age has passed me by since I last visited with the blogosphere. Me oh my.No excuse.

So, lately....

I have been contemplating life as I know it...
I have lost 3kg from doing absolutely nothing except running around after a 17 month old...
I have begun an exercise regime using Wii Fit. God bless game consoles...
Following the lovely Critty Joy, I purchased my gorgeous new 'Life Planner' by Erin Condren {lovelove}...

Budgets are getting me down but I haven't completely given up shaving off all that excess spending...
I have been enjoying the glorious spring weather but am still sad that winter is leaving us...
I am thanking God for small mercies and that the steadfast love of the Lord NEVER ceases...

So, please join with me and the lovely Critty Joy and tell us what you have been doing, as of late!

as of late :: {july}

2011-07-22T10:01:00.000+09:30

Lately, I have been very much absent from this blog, and I regret it...
Lately, Winter is still bitterly cold but Spring days have been popping in to say hello...
Lately, my little man has been crawling & walking up a storm. He is getting too big, too fast...
Lately, I have been struggling with trust in people who I thought I could count on...
Lately, I have been doing some much needed soul searching...
Lately, God is still trying to tell me to take a step back and wait on Him...
Lately, Psalm 32:6-7...

I would love to hear what is upon your heart so...

What has been happening with you, as of late?
Link up with Critty Joy!

my birthday boy :: {one}

2011-05-25T11:36:00.000+09:30

My little man turned one this past Saturday. I can't believe how time has flown! You probably can't either, seeings as I am so slack with the blog posts these days! My friend played paparazzi so we actually managed to get some pictures of his party (otherwise we would have received the 'bad parents in photo taking' award!).

The Birthday Boy

Having fun with some awesome pressies!

Yummo Jungle Cakes

(that I spent hours decorating!)

Getting a bit 'over it' but still extremely cute!

Aw fambilies!

My little Reubie Doobs, how you have grown! Crawling up a storm, standing up at tables & walking around them. Holding your arms out for a cuddle, little 'wahs' (kisses with sound effects!), gorgeous smiles. We love you, Little Man!

book review :: {the lightkeeper's ball by colleen coble"

2011-05-20T23:40:00.000+09:30

The Lightkeeper's Ball by Colleen Coble

Publisher: Thomas Nelson, April 19, 2011
ISBN: 159554268X
ISBN-13: 978-1595542687
Paperback. 304 pages.

my rating: 5 of 5 stars

A special thank you to Audra Jennings of The B&B Media Group, for providing a copy of The Lightkeeper's Ball for me to review.

The Book:

It is the dawn of a new century and Olivia Stewart is heiress to an empire. Her family numbers among the Four Hundred – those considered the wealthiest and most distinguished in America. Unfortunately their wealth has nearly disappeared, and now their security rests solely on the Stewart daughters’ marrying well.

Olivia’s sister, Eleanor, was engaged to Harrison Bennett, one of the nation’s wealthiest men, but has since died. Now the pressure is on Olivia to take her place, despite her suspicions about Eleanor’s fiancé. Using her family’s long-forgotten English title, Olivia travels to Mercy Falls, California, as Lady Devonworth, hoping to learn more before committing to marriage. There she finds that Eleanor’s death was no accident. And Harrison is not the man she thought he would be.

When Mercy Falls holds a charity ball masquerade to raise funds for the new lighthouse, secrets–and truths long hidden–will be revealed. But can Harrison really love Olivia when he finds her true identity? Can she live with the repercussions of failing her family, or will she finally realize that nothing–not money, family, or romance—will ever compare to God’s unconditional love?

The Author:

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

Visit the author's website.

My Take:

The third book in the Mercy Falls series, The Lightkeeper's Ball was a fantastic book full of mystery and intrigue, romance and humour. The characters were easily engaging and I found myself wanting to know more about what is going to happen in their future. I haven't yet read the first two books in the series but I definitely will! I have loved Colleen's books so far (read my review of Lonestar Secrets here) and if you do too, I promise you won't be disappointed with this one!

The First Chapter:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I know, it’s a shock.”

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

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

“How?”

“No one knows. I’m sorry.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Claude’s son?”’

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

“How is your father?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I have no fear.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He set his jaw. “I shall indeed.”

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

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

Other Resources:

Buy it from Koorong
Buy it from Amazon

book review :: {a cowboy's touch by denise hunter}

2011-04-28T14:17:00.000+09:30

A Cowboy's Touch by Denise Hunter

Publisher: Thomas Nelson, March 29, 2011
ISBN: 1595548017
ISBN-13: 9781595548016
Paperback. 320 pages.

my rating: 4 of 5 stars

A special thank you to Audra Jennings of The B&B Media Group, for providing a copy of A Cowboy's Touch for me to review.

The Book:

Abigail Jones intends to spend just one summer in middle-of-nowhere Montana with her Aunt Lucy. Time away from her job is just what Abigail needs to reassess her life. The slow pace has her breathing deeply for the first time in years. And the majestic scenery encourages her to get reacquainted with herself . . . and God.
What she didn't count on was the handsome widowed cowboy who owns the ranch where her aunt lives. When the rancher loses his daughter's nanny, Abigail decides to lend a hand for the summer.

Wade Ryan can't help being attracted to Abigail. But he's given up everything to protect his daughter, and he's not about to risk it all on a pretty face.

Under Abigail's care, Wade's home and daughter thrive. And with Wade's touch, Abigail's heart feels at home at last. But Abigail knows this elusive rancher is hiding something. Will her own secrets separate her from the cowboy who finally captured her heart?

The Author:

Denise 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!

Visit the author's website.

My Take:

I found A Cowboy's Touch to be quite a nice, easy-to-read, Christian, romance novel. I haven't read any other of Denise's books but I had heard great things about them and so was quite happy to read her newest one. A Cowboy's Touch has a great message of giving your past to God & surrendering your hurts to Him, as well as dealing with forgiveness & trust. The ending was a bit too predictable for me and loose ends were tied up a little too quickly, but all in all, I quite enjoyed the read and will be looking out for the next ones in the Big Sky Series by Denise Hunter.

The First Chapter:

Abigail Jones knew the truth. She frowned at the blinking curser on her monitor and tapped her fingers on the keyboard-what next?

Beyond the screen's glow, darkness washed the cubicles. Her computer hummed, and outside the office windows a screech of tires broke the relative stillness ofthe Chicago night.

She shuffled her note cards. The story had been long in coming, but it was finished now, all except the telling. She knew where she wanted to take it next.

Her fingers stirred into motion, dancing across the keys. This was her favorite part, exposingtruth to the world. Well, okay, not the world exactly, not with Viewpoint's paltry circulation. But now, during the writing, it felt like the world.

Four paragraphs later, the office had shrunk away, and all that existed were the words on the monitor and her memory playing in full color on the screen of her mind.

Something dropped onto her desk with a sudden thud. Abigail’s hand flew to her heart, and her chair darted from her desk. She looked up at her boss’s frowning face, then shared a frown of her own. “You scared me.”

“And you’re scaring me. It’s after midnight, Abigail—what are you doing here?” Marilyn Jones’s hand settled on her hip.

The blast of adrenaline settled into Abigail’s bloodstream, though her heart was still in overdrive. “Being an ambitious staffer?”

“You mean an obsessive workaholic.”

“Something wrong with that?”

“What’s wrong is my twenty-eight-year-old daughter is working all hours on a Saturday night instead of dating an eligible bachelor like all the other single women her age.” Her mom tossed her head, but her short brown hair hardly budged. “You could’ve at least gone out with your sister and me. We had a good time.”

“I’m down to the wire.”

“You’ve been here every night for two weeks.” Her mother rolled up a chair and sank into it. “Your father always thought you’d be a schoolteacher, did I ever tell you that?”

“About a million times.” Abigail settled into the chair, rubbed the ache in her temple. Her heart was still recovering, but she wanted to return to her column. She was just getting to the good part.

“You had a doctor’s appointment yesterday,” Mom said. Abigail sighed hard.

“Whatever happened to doctor-patient confidentiality?”

“Goes out the window when the doctor is your sister. Come on, Abigail, this is your health. Reagan prescribed rest—R-E-S-T—and yet here you are.”

“A couple more days and the story will be put to bed.”

“And then there’ll be another story.”

“That’s what I do, Mother.”

“You’ve had a headache for weeks, and the fact that you made an appointment with your sister is proof you’re not feeling well.”

Abigail pulled her hand from her temple. “I’m fine.”

“That’s what your father said the week before he collapsed.”

Compassion and frustration warred inside Abigail. “He was sixty-two.” And his pork habit hadn’t helped matters. Thin didn’t necessarily mean healthy. She skimmed her own long legs, encased in her favorite jeans . . . exhibit A.

“I’ve been thinking you should go visit your great-aunt.” Abigail already had a story in the works, but maybe her mom had a lead on something else. “New York sounds interesting. What’s the assignment?”

“Rest and relaxation. And I’m not talking about your Aunt Eloise—as if you’d get any rest there—I’m talking about your Aunt Lucy.”

Abigail’s spirits dropped to the basement. “Aunt Lucy lives in Montana.” Where cattle outnumbered people. She felt for the familiar ring on her right hand and began twisting.

“She seems a bit . . . confused lately.”

Abigail recalled the birthday gifts her great-aunt had sent over the years, and her lips twitched. “Aunt Lucy has always been confused.”

“Someone needs to check on her. Her latest letter was full of comments about some girls who live with her, when I know perfectly well she lives alone. I think it may be time for assisted living or a retirement community.”

Abigail’s eyes flashed to the screen. A series of nonsensical letters showed where she’d stopped in alarm at her mother’s appearance. She hit the delete button. “Let’s invite her to Chicago for a few weeks.”

“She needs to be observed in her own surroundings. Besides, that woman hasn’t set foot on a plane since Uncle Murray passed, and I sure wouldn’t trust her to travel across the country alone. You know what happened when she came out for your father’s funeral.”

“Dad always said she had a bad sense of direction.”

“Nevertheless, I don’t have time to hunt her down in Canada again. Now, come on, Abigail, it makes perfect sense for you to go. You need a break, and Aunt Lucy was your father’s favorite relative. It’s our job to look after her now, and if she’s incapable of making coherent decisions, we need to help her.”

Abigail’s conscience tweaked her. She had a soft spot for Aunt Lucy, and her mom knew it. Still, that identity theft story called her name, and she had a reliable source who might or might not be willing to talk in a couple weeks.

“Reagan should do it. I’ll need the full month for my column, and we can’t afford to scrap it. Distribution is down enough as it is. Just last month you were concerned—”

Her mother stood abruptly, the chair reeling backward into the aisle. She walked as far as the next cubicle, then turned. “Hypertension is nothing to mess with, Abigail. You’re so . . . rest- less. You need a break—a chance to find some peace in your life.” She cleared her throat, then her face took on that I’ve-made-up- my-mind look. “Whether you go to your aunt’s or not, I’m insisting you take a leave of absence.”

There was no point arguing once her mother took that tone. She could always do research online—and she wouldn’t mind visiting a part of the country she’d never seen. “Fine. I’ll finish this story, then go out to Montana for a week or so.”

“Finish the story, yes. But your leave of absence will last three months.”

“Three months!”

“It may take that long to make a decision about Aunt Lucy.”

“What about my apartment?”

“Reagan will look after it. You’re hardly there anyway. You need a break, and Moose Creek is the perfect place.”

Moose Creek. “I’ll say. Sounds like nothing more than a traffic signal with a gas pump on the corner.”

“Don’t be silly. Moose Creek has no traffic signal. Abigail, you have become wholly obsessed with—”

“So I’m a hard worker . . .” She lifted her shoulders.

Her mom’s lips compressed into a hard line. “Wholly obsessed with your job. Look, you know I admire hard work, but it feels like you’re always chasing something and never quite catching it. I want you to find some contentment, for your health if nothing else. There’s more to life than investigative reporting.”

“I’m the Truthseeker, Mom. That’s who I am.” Her fist found home over her heart.

Her mother shouldered her purse, then zipped her light sweater, her movements irritatingly slow. She tugged down the ribbed hem and smoothed the material of her pants. “Three months, Abigail. Not a day less.”

Other Resources:

Buy it from Koorong
Buy it from Amazon

as of late :: {april}

2011-04-21T16:00:00.001+09:30

Lately, I have been enjoying the autumn rain...
Lately, too much has been happening in too little time...
Lately, my heart has been burdened over relationships I am fighting to keep...
Lately, God has been telling me to take a step back and wait on Him...
Lately, Husby has been on holidays and has had a lovely time with Little Man...
Lately, our needs have been provided for, according to His riches in Glory...
Lately, Psalm 37:23-24...

I would love to hear what is upon your heart so...

What has been happening with you, as of late?
Link up with Critty Joy!

this month :: {april}

2011-04-16T00:20:00.000+09:30

Another installment of what I have been up to seeing as I have been so so absent from the blogging world! I realise that this is similar to Critty Joy's As of Late (which I love and will definitely still do) but a leeeetle more indepth than dot points (which I usually do)!

...The Month of April...

On my nightstand...

I have just finished A Cowboy's Touch by Denise Hunter, The Centurion's Wife by Janette Oke & Davis Bunn and still reading my next review book, Max Lucado's Outlive Your Life! While I can chew up a good fiction book, it always takes me a lot longer to digest inspirational non-fiction books.

Book of the Bible...

Still going through 1 Corinthians and have just finished Philippians at church (tho, with Little Man, I don't tend to hear much of the sermons!!).

TV Show worth watching...

There hasn't been much on TV lately that is worth watching. Good shows seem to be going down the gurgler with repeats taking their place!

Movie I’ve seen ( in or out of theater)...

Just watched Jumper tonight (saw it originally at the cinema). Am thinking that Thor might be a pretty good one to see as well!

In my ears...

Why don't you grab yourself a skinny latte and sit, cafe-style, listening to this awesome jazzy number?

Items of note...

I have been so so busy as of late, that my poor bloggy has missed me muchly! I have been doing a lot of this, and a lot of that for family, home, work & church. Time to prioritise?

Otherwise, this little chubba has been keeping me busy!

*my heart*

Newest blog read...

Meet Gussy Sews!

Oh.my.goodness I want her products! But aside from her gorgeous ruffles, I love reading Gussy's blog, full of wonderful quirkyness and handy hints!

In my kitchen...

My kitchen is currently full of dirty dishes, compliments of last night's dinner of Roast Pumpkin Soup and Apple & Rhubarb Crumble. Yummo both!

Final words...

SO, there you have it, a leetle update from me! Thank you to the faithful few that put up with my long absences & random blog posts! I hope to be back with more meaningful items to share, in the not too distant future! Love you muchly!

**************************************
inspired by Tiffini at The House of Belonging
**************************************

as of late :: {march}

2011-03-17T16:07:00.000+10:30

It is that lovely time of month again where I get to catch up on people and their "lately's" and then share some of mine. Therefore...

as of late...

Corinthians is challenging my outlook on church, love & unity.
Autumn is trying to make an appearance but we are still getting too many summer days for my liking.
I have been data-entering up a storm to get a little extra income. Thank you ex-work that couldn't (wouldn't) get rid of me!
Little Man and I are fighting many a battle about his bedtime... praypraypraypray...
My heart is heavy over the impending departure of my gorgeous friend to the shores of England... (selfish me says "please don't leave"!)
I am re-evaluating things that I am involved in.
Husby needs prayer for his Greek study. Of course he chose the hardest stream to study - language!
I am considering buying this when my 'ship comes in'.

So now I'm off to visit the other gals.. but tell me..

What has been happening with you, as of late?
Link up with Critty Joy!

this month :: {March}

2011-03-08T22:39:00.000+10:30

It is amazing how much a clean(ish) office can inspire you to sit down and write.. something! It has been a while, so I thought that I would let you know what has been happening with me so far, this month.

...The Month of March...

On my nightstand...

I am reading Hood by Stephen Lawhead while simultaneously reading my next review book, Max Lucado's Outlive Your Life - it promises to be a fantastic read!

Book of the Bible...

We are going through Corinthians at home group at the moment. An INDEPTH look at Corinthians and I can tell you, there is some amazing stuff in there!!

Want to read...

I am starting to get a hankering for Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery again. Such a great series to read and so much better than the movies!

TV Show worth watching...

Ah, the new seasons of Bones & Castle have finally hit our shores! They're about the only series that I have been able to watch all the way through as they fall on a night I'm in!

Movie I’ve seen ( in or out of theater)...

Husby & I don't get to the movies much anymore (as compared to our past fortnightly ~~sometimes weekly~~ jaunts to the local cinema) but we did manage to go see one last Friday on our 5th year anniversary (can I get a hey-oh!?). Oh, the movie was The Adjustment Bureau and it was pretty okay. I'd see it on DVD again...!

In my ears...

I have just fallen in love with a Melbourne band called 'The Tealeaves'... oh my, yummy! And folksy! And just plain lovely! And, you can watch them because.. just do!

The Tealeaves - Unspoken from The Tealeaves on Vimeo.

Items of note...

Little Man is on the verge of crawling. He does this cute little I'm-going-to-do-some-pushups-but-put-my-knees-on-the-ground-and-wiggle-my-butt-a-little-bit thing... ah gorgeousness!

Husby is 3 weeks into his Bible College course and we are now fully relying on the government and the few hours I get working from home.. ah TRUST, what a word!

My Summer-Inspired Bobby Pin Trios, gorgeous Earrings and Ruffled Headbands are now up on Etsy. Be tempted! :)

Two newest blog reads...

Meet Joy the Baker

If you want to drool all over your keyboard, visit this blog. Yum!
Meet Tiffini at The House of Belonging

I got this 'this month' idea from the chicka of the above blog. I have only just started reading her blog but it promises to be a fantastic source of encouragement & inspiration!

In my kitchen...

Oooooh, this Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread by Joy the Baker will be in my kitchen in a very short matter of days.. is it not droolworthy?

**************************************
inspired by Tiffini at The House of Belonging
**************************************

So, there's just a tidbit of my life as I know it! Don't forget to make that recipe & let me know how it goes!!

book review :: {resurrection in may by lisa samson}

2011-02-10T14:12:00.000+10:30

Resurrection in May by Lisa Samson

Publisher: Thomas Nelson, August 3, 2010
ISBN: 1595545441
ISBN-13: 9781595545442
Paperback. 336 pages.

my rating: 4 of 5 stars

A special thank you to Thomas Nelson Publishing, for providing a copy of Resurrection in May for me to review.

The Book:

May Seymour graduated from college with the world at her feet and no idea what to do with it. A mission trip to Rwanda brought her a sense of purpose in loving others. So when the genocide began she chose to remain in the village, which was subsequently slaughtered. Only May survived.

So, May journeyed to heal on the farm of Claudius Borne, a sweet, innocent old man who understood plants and animals far better than people.

Years later, having not stepped a foot off Claudius' farm, May learns an old college flame, now a death-row inmate, is refusing to appeal his sentence. Can she convince him to grab hold of life once again? Their surprising friendship turns the tables, for the prisoner, Eli Campbell, has a deeper faith from which to draw than she. Eli slowly begins to pull May from her cloistered existence. With the help of Eli, their tiny town, and ultimately a renewal of faith, May comes to life once again.

The Author:

The Christy-award winning author of Christianity Today’s Novel of the Year Quaker Summer, Lisa Samson has been hailed by Publishers Weekly as one of the “most powerful voices in Christian fiction." She lives in Kentucky with her husband and three kids.

My Take:

Resurrection in May is a book full of raw emotions and deep hurt. The beginning is quite light-hearted and Samson's brilliant character development soon has you in love with May, Claudius and their day to day life on Claudius' farm. The book, however, soon takes a turn into dark territory, where the war between the Tutsi and Hutu peoples is just beginning. Wow, what a punch! May's journey from hurt, to forgiveness, to a new life and dependance on God is one that is well worth the read and I recommend that you do!

Other Resources:

Buy it from Koorong
Buy it from Amazon

remember the moments :: {two hundred}

2011-02-09T23:40:00.001+10:30

Would you believe it? This is my two hundredth post.

A giveaway is probably supposed to be on the cards but I thought that I would mix it up ~~just a little~~ and share with you all who has inspired me to keep on keeping on in this ole bloggy world. A 'Favourites List' of sorts! I read so many blogs and they all mean something different to me but let me just say that I love them all and if I was to write something about each of them, I'd be here all night. So, for now, it is just four of them that I would like you to meet! Without further ado, let me introduce...

{Critty Joy} crittyjoy.typepad.com

Oh what a gorgeous girl is Critty Joy! From thought-provoking to just plain entertaining, this chicka should go on your must-read list. Critty (Christy) is the new host of As of Late (one of my favouritest memes), The Wednesday What, she is also the singles columnist for Exemplify Online and a wonderful provider of all things Quotable (j'adore her wallpapers!). I hold this girl near and dear to my heart and if you love down-to-earth honesty and creative thinking, I'm sure you will too!

{The Joyeful Journey} thejoyefuljourney.blogspot.com

If ever you want to be inspired by a love for God, life, family (oh yes, family!) and vintage photography... go visit this gal! I am always so drawn in by the honesty in her posts.. no sugar coating (amen!) and her obvious love for God and her family. Her gorgeous blog design jumps out at you and the photography - oh my! Joye is the owner of the vintage ruby (which you must promptly go and buy something from!) and is as crafty as she is poetic (if anything, please go read this post)! Add The Joyeful Journey to your reader, and you won't be disappointed!

{Poppie Lane} www.poppielane.com

I have been following Lauren for quite a while now and have loved every minute of hearing about her journey to bring Tucker home from Ethiopia. What an inspirational story! Lauren is raising money for Tucker's adoption by selling gorgeous handmade hair accessories & homewares in her shop, Poppie Lane. Please help her out by buying some of the gorgeousnesses! Lauren has also started sharing some tips for those thinking of starting their own adoption journey - Adoption: You Can Too - this is definitely worth a follow!!

{Under Grace & Over Coffee} www.undergraceovercoffee.com

Now, firstly there is her byline "I take my coffee with milk, sugar, & the joy of knowing Jesus" and once you get past that (it takes a while for those of us who love our coffees), there is her amazingly quirky, funny, honest, down-to-earth way of speaking that just draws you in to read Andrea over n over again! Recently back from a siesta-hiatus-break, if you will (which, if I'm being honest, threw me into the depths of despair - thank you Anne Shirley), Andrea (former host of Caffeinated Randomness) is yet again inspiring me to pray more, laugh more, drink coffee more and well... just go see for yourself! Amen!

So, have a visit and ...

Happy Two Hundredth Post!!!

the winner is ...

2011-02-07T09:19:00.002+10:30

I very nearly forgot that I was meant to post this up! :) But never fear, the results are here!

The winner of a lovely pair of earrings from BellePetitFleur is...

... {Connie} ...

Congratulations! You get to choose any pair of earrings from my shop...browse away!

All of you other lovely readers here are entitled to %10 off anything in my shop. Just enter RTM2011 in the coupon field as you complete the checkout.

Some new designs are coming soon so keep checking back at BellePetitFleur!

caffeinated randomness :: {giveaway}

2011-01-29T14:55:00.003+10:30

I am posting this a day late but I'm sure you'll forgive me! It has been a while since I have had any caffeinated randomness...mostly, its just diapers n dummies. Well, apart from the former, I have also been spending my time gettin' a little creative!

Introducing:

The home of all things beautiful, for those who love delightful things!

I am currently working on a few different lovelies for those of us who like pretty things but here are just a few earrings to begin with:

Angela

Ruby

Beth

Now the details! If you would like to win a pair of earrings of your choice, the following are some ways you can get an entry or two or three...

1. For one entry, visit BellePetitFleur and then come back here and tell me which item you j'adore.
2. For two entries, make sure you follow this blog and then leave a comment.
3. For three entries, tweet about it and let me know you've done so.
4. For four entries, blog about it and come back and leave the link in another comment.

Entries close: Saturday, 5th February 2011, 9am CDT

And for more of that lovely, caffeinated goodness, please visit...

book review :: {the shadowed mind by julie cave}

2011-01-24T18:52:00.001+10:30

The Shadowed Mind by Julie Cave

Publisher: New Leaf Publishing Group/Master Books, November 1, 2010
ISBN: 089051590
ISBN-13: 978089051590
Paperback. 288 pages.

my rating: 5 of 5 stars

A special thank you to Julie Cave, for providing a copy of The Shadowed Mind for me to review.

The Book:

A suspense-filled mystery which answers an ominous question:
Who will be found worthy to live; who is the next victim?

After the deadly investigation into the Smithsonian murders, Dinah Harris is now facing a daily battle to keep her sobriety while struggling to form a new career from the ashes of her former job as an FBI agent. From the shadows will emerge a cunning and terrifying killer, who carefully and methodically will decide whose life has value to society and whose does not.

Using her profiling and security skills as a private consultant based in Washington, DC, Dinah uncovers a connection to the shadowy world of neo-eugenics, and those who publicly denounce the killings but privately support a much different view.

Against this backdrop, Dinah must come to terms with her own past, as those associated with the deepening mystery face their own personal demons, and struggle with the concept of God's inexhaustible grace and forgiveness. Old secrets are revealed, tragedies unearthed, and the devastating legacy of science without compassion is finally brought to light.

The second in a powerful new fiction trilogy!

Book Trailer:

The Author:

Julie Cave first heard a creation science speaker at her church when she was just 15, igniting her interest in creation science and sparking an enthusiasm for defending the Bible's account of creation. She has obtained a degree in health science, and is currently completing a degree in law. Julie is married with one daughter and lives on the east coast of Australia.

My Take:

Another gripping mystery by Julie Cave, The Shadowed Mind does not disappoint. Following on from her investigation of the Smithsonian murders, Dinah Harris is called on as a private consultant to help solve another string of grisly murders while dealing with the repercussions from her last case. The topic of neo-eugenics features heavily in this book and I found that though disturbing, it was certainly eye-opening to learn about a topic that isn't much discussed anymore. Cave also touches on euthanasia, a controversial topic that is certainly current in today's society. The book is well researched and I really appreciated the Christian principles resounding throughout the book while dealing with such controversial issues. A gripping mystery, a thrilling ride and a topical eye-opener, The Shadowed Mind ticks all the right boxes!

Other Resources:

Buy it from Koorong
Buy it from Amazon
Julie Cave's Website
Read the first chapter.

as of late :: {january}

2011-01-20T19:31:00.000+10:30

Yay! I'm so excited that my lovely chicka, Critty Joy, is now the beautiful host of one of my favourite meme's, As Of Late. Without further ado...

As of late, I have been very out of touch with the blogging world and am thinking that it is time for a comeback of sorts.
As of late, I have been watching my Little Man grow into a very cheeky boy.
As of late, I have been dealing with two gorgeous little teeth and a whole lot of grumpyness & sleeplessness
As of late, God has been asking me to trust Him more especially now that Husby is going into full time study at Bible College.
As of late, I have been enjoying watching this gorgeousness reach another hurdle! He is so close to being able to scamper all over the floor

So please visit the lovely Critty Joy and share with us what has been happening with you, As Of Late!

christmas :: {greater love}

2011-01-06T10:21:00.004+10:30

This post is a bit late but... it is my New Year's resolution to update this blog more... so it is what it is!

Naughty parents were we! Not a camera to be seen on our Little Man's first Christmas. Something we'll probably regret in years to come. I wonder if we can pass next Christmas off as his first? Hmm, probably not - the way he's growing!

Christmas Eve found us at church, singing carols and performing this song with 3 of my lovely girls (not us in the video):

Little Man spent his first night at Grandma & Pa's house (which was a new experience for us!!) and then we welcomed the day with this breakfast (minus the hot chocolate - we settled for choc milk instead).

This lovely chicka, my brother and his wife & 2 chilluns rocked up and then Husby's parents & brother - nice full house! Having his parents join with mine makes it a whole lot easier to enjoy the day rather than flitting back & forth between different houses - especially with Little Man in tow.

Lunch was had - what a spread! Lamb, beef, pork, veggies - Mumsy did brilliantly! And if you are ever wanting a recipe for the best pavlova ever... just go visit here! I'm not a big fan of Christmas pudding but by all accounts, Husby's mum's pudding was scrumptious!

All three boys went off to their respective cots for sleep and then it was time to open all those lovely presents piled up under the tree. Surrounded by wrapping paper and playing with my new iPod (yes, the Husby was extremely naughty) it is so easy to forget what we are celebrating & why we set aside a special day.

Tears galore...I warn you:

I hope you had a brilliant Christmas, my lovelies, and am positive that God has great plans for you in the New Year!

christmas party friday :: {recipes}

2010-12-03T21:44:00.001+10:30

So, the lovely Critty Joy is holding a Christmas Party over the next three weeks. Today's linkup is our favourite food or food tradition over Chrissy. Ours is a pretty simple one before all the roasts & veggies & cold cuts & well, massive amounts of food come out for Christmas Day - a lovely family breakfast consisting of ham, eggs & chocolate milk! Now, because ham & eggs may sound so-so to all of you out there, I thought I would do a little variation on the norm. Without further ado (and after much scouring of recipe websites!):

Eggs Benedict with Creamy Hot Chocolate

Ingredients
(serves 4)

8 50g free-range eggs
Pinch salt
8 slices ham
1/2 baguette (French stick), thickly diagonally sliced
50g butter, at room temperature (optional)
1/2 bunch fresh chives, cut into 5cm lengths

Easy hollandaise sauce
200g unsalted butter
3 egg yolks
1 tbs fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
2 tbs hot water
Ground black pepper, to taste

Method

1. Preheat grill on high and line a baking tray with foil. Poach eggs.
2. To make the easy hollandaise sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Use a metal spoon to skim any foam from the surface. Pour the clear yellow butter into a heatproof jug. Discard milky residue. Place egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and 1/2 the hot water in a blender. Blend on high until mixture is pale and thickens slightly. With the motor running, add hot butter in a thin, steady stream. Add remaining water to thin the sauce slightly. Season with pepper, and extra lemon juice and salt, if necessary. Half fill a large bowl with warm water (if water is too hot, the sauce will curdle). Pour sauce into a small bowl and place in the large bowl.
3. Place the ham on the lined tray. Cook under preheated grill, turning once, for 4-6 minutes or until crisp. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
4. Place the baguette slices on the lined tray and cook under preheated grill, turning once, until toasted. Spread with the butter, if desired. Turn the grill off and cover the bread with foil to keep warm.
5. Reheat eggs by bringing a clean pan of water to the boil then removing it from heat. Add eggs. Stand, covered, for 1 minute. Remove and drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
6. Place toasted bread on serving plates and top with ham and eggs. Stir hollandaise sauce and drizzle over the eggs. Sprinkle with chives and serve.

Creamy Hot Chocolate

Ingredients
(serves 6)

1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar
125g good-quality dark chocolate, broken in pieces
300ml pure (thin) cream, plus whipped cream to serve
3/4 cup (75g) good-quality cocoa powder, plus extra to dust
1L (4 cups) milk

Method

1. Place the sugar and 1/2 cup (125ml) water in a pan over medium-low heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then simmer for 2 minutes until slightly thickened. Add the chocolate and stir until melted, then whisk in cream, cocoa and 1/3 cup (80ml) milk. Transfer to a jug.
2. Meanwhile, warm remaining milk in a pan over medium-low heat to just below boiling point. Divide among mugs and let guests add warm chocolate mixture to taste, then serve topped with whipped cream and extra cocoa.

So there you have it!

Don't forget to link up at lovely Critty's for some Christmas food fun!

book review :: {deadly disclosures by julie cave}

2010-11-17T10:42:00.000+10:30

Deadly Disclosures by Julie Cave

Publisher: New Leaf Publishing Group/Master Books, February 15, 2010
ISBN: 0890515840
ISBN-13: 9780890515846
Paperback. 288 pages.

my rating: 5 of 5 stars

A special thank you to Julie Cave, for providing a copy of Deadly Disclosures for me to review.

The Book:

A suspense-filled fiction mystery which answers an ominous question: How far will some go to silence an influential Christian voice?

FBI agent Dinah Harris now has a missing person's file to go along with a bad case of alcohol abuse and the depression she cannot seem to shake. Fighting to keep her focus, she struggles to find answers for why Thomas Whitfield, the prominent Secretary of the Smithsonian has vanished from his office with foul play almost guaranteed. Whitfield's body is eventually found, and Dinah is drawn into a frightening conspiracy, as more people begin to die, and Whitfield's faith is revealed as part of the motive behind his murder. Dinah finds troubling answers in an academic world filled with powerful financial endowments and a virulent opposition to the faith Whitfield only recently found. Can she reveal the truth before she finds herself the next silenced victim of a ruthless, unseen enemy?

The first in a powerful new fiction trilogy!

Book Trailer:

The Author:

Julie Cave first heard a creation science speaker at her church when she was just 15, igniting her interest in creation science and sparking an enthusiasm for defending the Bible's account of creation. She has obtained a degree in health science, and is currently completing a degree in law. Julie is married with one daughter and lives on the east coast of Australia.

My Take:

Definitely a book that packs a punch! A well written & researched book, Deadly Disclosures answers some all-important questions in regards to Creation, Evolution and the causes of suffering in the world while taking the reader through an action packed mystery-thriller. With well developed, down-to-earth characters who must find it in themselves to deal with personal issues which searching for a cold-blooded killer hell-bent on proving that science is the only answer, Deadly Disclosures is the next book that you should read!

Other Resources:

Buy it from Koorong
Buy it from Amazon
Julie Cave's Website
Read the first chapter.

tuesday's thoughts :: {God's heart}

2010-11-09T10:51:00.003+10:30

He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:8

I believe that it is God's heart to care for the widows and the orphans and am therefore so humbled when I hear the stories of families adopting precious little bundles from 3rd world countries. This post popped up on my reader this morning, and I thought that I must share it with you. I know I have been pretty absent but this is cause for returning, me thinks!

The Blair Family need your help URGENTLY. They were told that if they don't raise $4,000 ASAP, their adoption file would be closed. How heartbreaking! So in order to raise the money, they are selling a Christmas CD entitled Noel at $10 with $2 shipping (stay tuned for shipping costs to Australia). ALL PROCEEDS will go towards their adoption journey.

Please visit their blog and order a CD today. If you don't have need of another Christmas CD (though it can be used as a gift, of course!!), please donate any amount - it is all appreciated!

And US readers, if you love coffee, visit their coffee shop and order yourself some premium fairtrade coffee beans!

A great song based on Micah 6:8

one of those weeks...

2010-10-12T00:09:00.001+10:30

I feel like I have abandoned my little bloggy. I haven't, I assure you readers out there ~~(all three of you ;)~~. I have just been dealing with some things that have taken my time and energy away and have left me with little motivation to write about anything of substance! Forgive me...

On a lighter note, my lovely bloggy friend, Critty Joy had a birthday on Sunday so why don't you head over there and say howdy doo! She is a beautiful chicka and you should be reading her wonderful blog!

Much love to you all. I promise I'll be back soon with more!

book review :: {judgment day by wanda dyson}

2010-10-06T00:20:00.000+10:30

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 author is:

Wanda L. Dyson

and the book:

Judgment Day

WaterBrook Press (September 21, 2010)

***Special thanks to Staci Carmichael, Marketing and Publicity Coordinator, Doubleday Religion/Waterbrook Multnomah for sending me a review copy.***

About the author...

WANDA DYSON lives on a working horse farm, boarding and keeping a menagerie of critters. After writing three critically-acclaimed suspense novels, Wanda was asked to co-author the true story of Tina Zahn, Why I Jumped, a non-fiction work for which both Wanda and Tina appeared on Oprah. Wanda is a licensed Christian counselor who specializes in helping women recover from depression, anxiety, rejection, and the long-term effects of sexual and physical assault.

Visit the author's website.

The trailer...

Product Details:

List Price: $13.99
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Press (September 21, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1400074754
ISBN-13: 978-1400074754:

My take...

I'm not sure what I was expecting when I received this book for review. Maybe another lawyer-ey drama? Routine detective work? Well, I was nicely suprised to find a well thought out plot, some fantastic character development and great twists & turns to an unexpected ending. A great read & another good reason to search out more of Wanda Dyson's novels.

And now... the first chapter...

Prologue

Friday, April 3. Baltimore, MD

Running away from home had sounded like the best idea ever when she was planning it, but now that sixteen-year-old Britney Abbott was tired, hungry, and out of money, it felt more like the biggest mistake of her life. She climbed down off the bus, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and wondered where she was going to sleep for the night.

If only her mother hadn’t married that jerk. He was so strict. According to Ronnie, Britney couldn’t date, couldn’t stay over at a friend’s for the night, and she had to be in the house no later than seven every evening. None of her friends had to live like that.

Last Saturday night her mom and Ronnie went out to dinner, leaving her home alone with the usual litany of instructions: You cannot have anyone over. You will do your homework. You will be in bed by ten. You will not spend the evening on the phone with your friends. And you will not—I repeat, not—leave this house; I am going to call and if you aren’t here to answer the phone, you will be grounded for a month.

Fifteen minutes after they left, Ronnie-the-Predictable called. She answered the phone. An hour and a half later, she was gone.

She looked around at the crowds dispersing in several directions. The smell of diesel fuel overwhelmed her empty stomach and it growled in protest. Everything looked the way she felt— worn-out, dirty, and depressed.

“Hey, you okay?” A girl stood against the wall near the exit from the bus station. Torn jeans, pink T-shirt, high top sneakers, leather jacket, and numerous rings and studs from ear to nose to lip.

“Yeah, I’m cool.”

“You look hungry. I was just going over to Mickey D’s. You wanna come?”

“No money.”

“It’s okay. I think I can buy you a hamburger and some fries.”

Britney was hungry enough to be tempted and wary enough to wonder why the girl would make such an offer. “Me?”

“Yeah.” The girl walked over. “My name’s Kathi. I came to Washington about five months ago. A friend of mine was supposed to be on the bus but either her parents caught her trying to run away or she changed her mind.”

“You’re a runaway?”

Kathi laughed as she shoved her hands deep into the pockets of her jacket. “Look around, girl. There are lots of us. We come to DC to get away. Some stay, some move on to Chicago or New York.”

Britney felt relieved to know she wasn’t alone. “Okay. I’ll take a hamburger. Thanks.”

Kathi linked her arm in Britney’s and led her down the street toward the Golden Arches. “What’s your name?”

“Britney.”

“Well, let’s get you something to eat and then you can crash at my place.”

They chatted as they ate their food and drank their sodas, and with each passing minute, Britney liked Kathi more. She might look a little tough, but Britney supposed that living on the streets, you had to be. Her appearance aside, Kathi seemed friendly and generous.

They were about a block past McDonald’s when a woozy feeling interrupted their conversation. When she stumbled, Kathi steadied her. “You okay?”

“Just lightheaded.”

“Tired, more than likely. It’s not far to my place.”

But Britney’s body felt heavier with each step. She struggled to stay awake. She had never felt this way before in her entire life. Not even after staying up for two straight days studying for a math test.

“I don’t feel so good.”

“We’re almost there,” Kathi told her. “Just down this way.”

Britney didn’t like the dark alley or the dark van parked there with the motor running, but she couldn’t find the strength to resist Kathi’s pull on her arm.

As they passed the van, the side door opened and a man

stepped out. “Too bad she’s such a looker.”

“Yeah, well,” Kathi replied. “You get what I can find.”

The man picked up Britney and tossed her into the van. Britney tried to call out, tried to resist, but she could no longer control her arms or legs. She could only lie there and let the fear grow and build until the scream inside felt like an explosion in her head.

The man duct-taped her arms and legs. Then he placed a piece over her mouth. “Don’t worry, kid. This will be over real soon.”

1

Wednesday, April 15. Outside Washington DC

Suzanne Kidwell shoved her tape recorder in the cop’s face, smiling up at him as if he were the hero in her own personal story. “We have two girls missing now and both were students at Longview High. Are you looking at the faculty and staff at the school?”

The officer puffed a bit, squaring his shoulders and thrusting out his chest as he hiked up his utility belt. “You have to understand that we haven’t finished our investigation, but I can tell you that we found pornography on the principal’s computer. I’d say we’re just hours away from arresting him.”

She lightly traced a glossy red nail down his forearm. “I knew I came to the right man. You have that air of authority and competence. And I’ll bet you were the one who sent those detectives in the right direction too.”

He dropped his head in one of those “aw shucks, ma’am” moves. “Well, I did tell them that he had been arrested about ten years ago for assault.”

“And they made a man like that the principal. What is this world coming to?” Before he could comment, she hit him with another question. “Has he told you yet what he did with the girls?”

“Not yet. He’s still insisting he’s innocent, but it’s just a matter of time before we get a confession out of him.”

“Thank you so much, Officer. You’re a hero. Those girls would be dead without you.”

He blushed hard as she hurried off, lobbing him another dazzling smile as she calculated her timetable. It was nearly four and she had to be ready and on the air at six, scooping every other network in the city.

At the station, she ran up the stairs to the second floor and jogged down to Frank’s office. “Is he in?” she asked his secretary.

“Sure. Go on in.”

If there was a dark spot anywhere in her job at all, it was Frank Dawson. The man delighted in hassling her. Professional jealousy, no doubt. She knocked on his doorjamb. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

Like Frank, the room was heavy on shine and light on substance. Awards and diplomas covered all the walls. Pictures of Frank with politicians, presidents, and the wealthy, beautiful, and powerful were displayed prominently on all the bookshelves. His desk dominated the center of the room, covered in paperwork, tapes, and files.

“Sure.”

Suzanne took a deep breath, clutched her notes, and strode into his office. “You know the two local girls that went missing recently?”

He glanced up at the clock, a subtle reminder that she should be getting dressed and into makeup. “I think so.”

“Well, I’ve been doing some digging and they have a suspect.”

“And this is your business exactly why?”

“Because I scooped everyone else. I talked to one of the officers working the case and he told me that they have a suspect, they’re interrogating him now, and they expect to announce his arrest momentarily.”

“And what does this have to do with me?”

She stared at him for a long moment. “I want to go on the air with this late-breaking news.”

He scratched his chin. “Your show is already scheduled, Suzanne. Corruption in the horse industry.”

“I know that, and I can still do that. I just need five minutes at the end of the show to cover this. We’ve got the scoop! How can we not run with it?”

Waving a hand, he said, “Fine. Go with it. I sure hope you have all the facts.”

“I have them straight from the mouth of the police. How much more do you want?”

“Fine. Do it.”

Grinning, she rushed back down to wardrobe and makeup in record time, entering the studio with mere minutes to spare.

Suzanne looked over at one of the assistants. “Where’s my microphone?”

As someone rushed to get her miked up, the director walked in. “We have a job to do, people; let’s get to it. We’re on the air in two.”

She straightened her jacket as the assistant adjusted the small microphone clipped to her lapel. “It’s fine. Move.”

The cameraman finished the countdown with his fingers. Three…two…one. She fixed her expression.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.” Suzanne turned slightly. “I’m Suzanne Kidwell. And this is Judgment Day.”

Suzanne took a deep breath while the station ran the introduction, taking a moment to straighten the notes in front of her and sip her water.

When the director pointed at her, she launched into the ongoing corruption and abuses endangering horse owners.

The camera shifted for a closeup. “And before I close tonight, I want to give you a late-breaking report. Just like you, I’ve been horrified by the tragic disappearance of teens here in the tristate area. But what made me truly sit up and take notice was that within the last two weeks, two young girls—seventeen-year-old Jennifer Link and sixteen-year-old Britney Abbott—were reported as runaways. Same neighborhood, same school, both runaways?

“Now maybe that could happen, but I was skeptical. I did some digging. And I’m happy to report that the police have arrested Peter Fryer, the principal of Longview High School.”

Suzanne changed her expression from a touch of sorrow mixed with concern to outrage. “I spoke to the lead officer and he told me that evidence against the principal included child pornography on Fryer’s computer. In spite of being arrested ten years ago for assault, Peter Fryer was hired on as the principal of Longview just four years ago. He is still denying any involvement, but the police assured me they have their man. I will keep you posted.”

She angled her body. “As long as people out there who betray our trust, there will be Judgment Day with Suzanne Kidwell. Good night, America. I’ll see you next week.”

As soon as she got the signal that she was clear, she pulled off her mike and stood up, grabbing her water as left the studio.

She rushed down the hall, and when she reached her office, she sank down into her chair and kicked off her shoes. She barely had time to curl her toes in the carpet before her phone rang.

She picked it up. “Great job, Suzanne.” It was Frank.

“Thanks, boss. I knew you’d be happy.”

“The phones are ringing off the hook. The other stations are scrambling to catch up to us.”

Smiling, she leaned back. “They’ll be eating our dust for a while now.”

“You’ll stay on this?”

“All the way to conviction.”

book review :: {a memory between us by sarah sundin }

2010-09-29T11:27:00.001+09:30

A Memory Between Us by Sarah Sundin

Publisher: Revell, September 1, 2010
ISBN: 080073422X
ISBN-13: 9780800734220
Paperback. 432 pages.

my rating: 5 of 5 stars

A special thank you to Amy Lathrop at Litfuse Publicity Group, for providing a copy of A Memory Between Us for me to review.

The Book:

Can they overcome the past to find a brighter future together?

Major Jack Novak has never failed to meet a challenge--until he meets army nurse Lieutenant Ruth Doherty. When Jack lands in the army hospital after a plane crash, he makes winning Ruth's heart a top-priority mission. But he has his work cut out for him. Not only is Ruth focused on her work in order to support her orphaned siblings back home, she also is determined not to give her heart to any man.

As the danger and tension of World War II rise to a fever pitch, Jack and Ruth will need each other more than ever. Can Jack break down her defenses? Or are they destined to go their separate ways?

From the English countryside to the perilous skies over France, A Memory Between Us takes you on a journey through love, forgiveness, and sacrifice.

A Memory Between Us is the second book in the WINGS OF GLORY series, which follows the three Novak brothers, B-17 bomber pilots with the US Eighth Air Force stationed in England during World War II.

The Author:

Sarah Sundin is an on-call hospital pharmacist and holds a BS in chemistry from UCLA and a doctorate in pharmacy from UC San Francisco. Her great-uncle flew with the US Eighth Air Force in England during WWII. Sarah lives in California with her husband and three children. This is her second novel. For more info please visit her website at www.sarahsundin.com!

My Take:

A Memory Between Us (Book 2, Wings of Glory) tells the story of a WWII US Air Force pilot, Major Jack Novak, Army nurse Lieutenant Ruth Doherty, and the journey that each takes to find love, forgiveness and self-worth in their relationship with God. I loved that this book followed their stories separately so that I could really get to know & fall in love with both characters. Though I haven't read the other books in the Wings of Glory series, I really enjoyed this one and feel that it is exceptional as a standalone book. A Memory Between Us was very well researched and due to the great detail, I have even recommended it to a guy friend who is in the RAAF here in Australia! This book is well worth picking up at your local bookstore and while you're at it, why don't you also pick up A Distant Melody - I know I will!

Other Resources:

Buy it from Koorong
Buy it from Amazon
Sarah Sundin's Website

Giveaway

Sarah Sundin presents The Movies and Memories Giveaway in honor of book 2 in the Wings of Glory series. A Memory Between Us is available for purchase wherever fine books are sold. From the English countryside to the perilous skies over France, A Memory Between Us takes you on a journey through love, forgiveness, and sacrifice.

To celebrate Sarah is giving one lucky winner A Movie and Memory Prize Package! One grand prize winner will receive:

* Make-your-own-photo book from Mypublisher.com (Capture your own Memories)

* Netflix Subscription (New or Nostalgic Movies delivered right to your house)

* Starbucks gift card (To keep your engine revvin’)

*Gourmet chocolate (A favorite in the 1940’s and now)

* British specialty teas in carved wooden box (Timeless tradition)

* Miniature model of a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber & C-47 cargo plane (Everyone needs a few toy planes)

*Big Band music CD (Break out your dancing shoes)

* WWII authentic poster playing cards (Cards – a perfect game for two)

* Keep Calm and Carry On (Uplifting sayings WWII, a boost for troubled times)

To enter simple click on the icons below (contest runs 9/27 - 10/17!)

book review :: {solitary by travis thrasher}

2010-09-23T13:50:00.001+09:30

Solitary by Travis Thrasher

Publisher: David C. Cook, August 1, 2010
ISBN: 1434764214
ISBN-13: 9781434764218
Paperback. 336 pages.

my rating: 5 of 5 stars

A special thank you to Audra Jennings at The B&B Media Group, for providing a copy of Solitary for me to review.

The Book:

When Chris Buckley moves to Solitary, North Carolina, he faces the reality of his parents’ divorce, a school full of nameless faces—and Jocelyn Evans. Jocelyn is beautiful and mysterious enough to leave Chris speechless. But the more Jocelyn resists him, the more the two are drawn together.

Chris soon learns that Jocelyn has secrets as deep as the town itself. Secrets more terrifying than the bullies he faces in the locker room or his mother’s unexplained nightmares. He slowly begins to understand the horrific answers. The question is whether he can save Jocelyn in time.

This first book in the Solitary Tales series will take you from the cold halls of high school to the dark rooms of an abandoned cabin—and remind you what it means to believe in what you cannot see.

The Author:

The author of a dozen works of fiction, including Isolation and Ghostwriter, Travis Thrasher has been writing since he was in the third grade. His writing is known for its honesty, depth, and surprising twists. Thrasher lives with his wife and daughter near Chicago.

The Trailer:

My Take:

Full of suspense, intrigue, mystery & secrets, once you start reading this book, you'll find it hard to put down. This first book of The Solitary Tales is a fantastic set up for the rest in the series and being a book full of twisty plot lines, I can't wait for the next one to be available. A book written for young adults/teens, it does delve into some pretty horrific things so I would recommend that you read it before giving it to your teen to read. All in all, my kind of book and I suggest you read it (if you don't scare too easily, that is)!

The First Chapter:

1 . Half a Person

She’s beautiful.

She stands behind two other girls, one a goth coated in black and the other a blonde with wild hair and an even wilder smile. She’s waiting, looking off the other way, but I’ve already memorized her face.

I’ve never seen such a gorgeous girl in my life.

“You really like them?”

The goth girl is the one talking; maybe she’s the leader of their pack. I’ve noticed them twice already today because of her, the one standing behind. The beautiful girl from my second-period English class, the one with the short skirt and long legs and endless brown hair, the one I can’t stop thinking about. She’s hard not to notice.

“Yeah, they’re one of my favorites,” I say.

We’re talking about my T-shirt. It’s my first day at this school, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think carefully about what I was going to wear. It’s about making a statement. I would have bet that 99 percent of the seven hundred kids at this high school wouldn’t know what Strangeways, Here We Come refers to.

Guess I found the other 1 percent.

I was killing time after lunch by wandering aimlessly when the threesome stopped me. Goth Girl didn’t even say hi; she just pointed at the murky photograph of a face on my shirt and asked where I got it. She made it sound like I stole it.

In a way, I did.

“You’re not from around here, are you?” Goth Girl asks. Hersparkling blue eyes are almost hidden by her dark eyeliner.

“Did the shirt give it away?”

“Nobody in this school listens to The Smiths.”

I can tell her that I stole the shirt, or in a sense borrowed it, butthen she’d ask me from where.

I don’t want to tell her I found it in a drawer in the house we’re staying at. A cabin that belongs to my uncle. A cabin that used to belong to my uncle when he was around.

“I just moved here from a suburb of Chicago.”

“What suburb?” the blonde asks.

“Libertyville. Ever hear of it?”

“No.”

I see the beauty shift her gaze around to see who’s watching. Which is surprising, because most attractive girls don’t have to do that. They know that they’re being watched.

This is different. Her glance is more suspicious. Or anxious.

“What’s your name?”

“Chris Buckley.”

“Good taste in music, Chris,” Goth Girl says. “I’m Poe. This is Rachel. And she’s Jocelyn.”

That’s right. Her name’s Jocelyn. I remember now from class.

“What else do you like?”

“I got a wide taste in music.”

“Do you like country?” Poe asks.

“No, not really.”

“Good. I can’t stand it. Nobody who wears a T-shirt like that would ever like country.”

“I like country,” Rachel says.

“Don’t admit it. So why’d you move here?”

“Parents got a divorce. My mom decided to move, and I came with her.”

“Did you have a choice?”

“Not really. But if I had I would’ve chosen to move with her.”

“Why here?”

“Some of our family lives in Solitary. Or used to. I have a couple relatives in the area.” I choose not to say anything about Uncle Robert. “My mother grew up around here.”

“That sucks,” Poe says.

“Solitary is a strange town,” Rachel says with a grin that doesn’t seem to ever go away. “Anybody tell you that?”

I shake my head.

“Joss lives here; we don’t,” Poe says. “I’m in Groveton; Rach lives on the border to South Carolina. Joss tries to hide out at our places because Solitary fits its name.”

Jocelyn looks like she’s late for something, her body language screaming that she wants to leave this conversation she’s not a part of. She still hasn’t acknowledged me.

“What year are you guys?”

“Juniors. I’m from New York—can’t you tell? Rachel is from Colorado, and Jocelyn grew up here, though she wants to get out as soon as she can. You can join our club if you like.”

Part of me wonders if I’d have to wear eyeliner and lipstick.

“Club?”

“The misfits. The outcasts. Whatever you want to call it.”

“Not sure if I want to join that.”

“You think you fit in?”

“No,” I say.

“Good. We’ll take you. You fit with us. Plus … you’re cute.”

Poe and her friends walk away.

Jocelyn finally glances at me and smiles the saddest smile I’ve ever seen.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t terrified.

I might look cool and nonchalant and act cool and nonchalant, but inside I’m quaking.

I spent the first sixteen years of my life around the same people, going to the same school, living in the same town with the same two parents.

Now everything is different.

The students who pass me are nameless, faceless, expressionless. We are part of a herd that jumps to life like Pavlov’s dog at the sound of the bell, which really is a low drone that sounds like it comes from some really bad sci-fi movie. It’s hard to keep the cool and nonchalant thing going while staring in confusion at my school map. I probably look pathetic.

I dig out the computer printout of my class list and look at it again. I swear there’s not a room called C305.

I must be looking pathetic, because she comes up to me and asks if I’m lost.

Jocelyn can actually talk.

“Yeah, kinda.”

“Where are you going?”

“Some room—C305. Does that even exist?”

“Of course it does. I’m actually heading there right now.” There’s an attitude in her voice, as if she’s ready for a fight even if one’s not coming.

“History?”

She nods.

“Second class together,” I say, which elicits a polite and slightly annoyed smile.

She explains to me how the rooms are organized, with C stuck between A and B for some crazy reason. But I don’t really hear the words she’s saying. I look at her and wonder if she can see me blushing. Other kids are staring at me now for the first time today. They look at Jocelyn and look at me—curious, critical, cutting. I wonder if I’m imagining it.

After a minute of this, I stare off a kid who looks like I threw manure in his face.

“Not the friendliest bunch of people, are they?” I ask.

“People here don’t like outsiders.”

“They didn’t even notice me until now.”

She nods and looks away, as if this is her fault. Her hair, so thick and straight, shimmers all the way past her shoulders. I could stare at her all day long.

“Glad you’re in some of my classes.”

“I’m sure you are,” she says.

We reach the room.

“Well, thanks.”

“No problem.”

She says it the way an upperclassmen might answer a freshman. Or an older sister, her bratty brother. I want to say something witty, but nothing comes to mind.

I’m sure I’m not the first guy she’s left speechless.

Every class I’m introduced to seems more and more unimpressed.

“This is Christopher Buckley from Chicago, Illinois,” the teachers say, in case anybody doesn’t know where Chicago is.

In case anybody wonders who the new breathing slab of human is, stuck in the middle of the room.

A redheaded girl with a giant nose stares at me, then glances at my shirt as if I have food smeared all over it. She rolls her eyes and then looks away.

Glancing down at my shirt makes me think of a song by The Smiths, “Half a Person.”

That’s how I feel.

I’ve never been the most popular kid in school. I’m a soccer player in a football world. My parents never had an abundance of money. I’m not overly good looking or overly smart or overly anything, to be honest. Just decent looking and decent at sports and decent at school. But decent doesn’t get you far. Most of the time you need to be the best at one thing and stick to it.

I think about this as I notice more unfamiliar faces. A kid who looks like he hasn’t bathed for a week. An oily-faced girl who looks miserable. A guy with tattoos who isn’t even pretending to listen.

I never really fit in back in Libertyville, so how in the world am I going to fit in here?

Two more years of high school.

I don’t want to think about it.

As the teacher drones on about American history and I reflect on my own history, my eyes find her.

I see her glancing my way.

For a long moment, neither of us look away.

For that long moment, it’s just the two of us in the room.

Her glance is strong and tough. It’s almost as if she’s telling me to remain the same, as if she’s saying, Don’t let them get you down.

Suddenly, I have this amazingly crazy thought: I’m glad I’m here.

I have to fight to get out of the room to catch up to Jocelyn.

I’ve had forty minutes to think of exactly what I want to say, but by the time I catch up to her, all that comes out is “hey.”

She nods.

Those eyes cripple me. I’m not trying to sound cheesy—they do. They bind my tongue.

For an awkward sixty seconds, the longest minute of my sixteen years, I walk the hallway beside her. We reach the girls’ room, and she opens the door and goes inside. I stand there for a second, wondering

if I should wait for her, then feeling stupid and ridiculous, wondering why I’m turning into a head of lettuce around a stranger I just met.

But I know exactly why.

As I head down the hallway, toward some other room with some other teacher unveiling some other plan to educate us, I feel someone grab my arm.

“You don’t want to mess with that.”

I wonder if I heard him right. Did he say that or her?

I turn and see a short kid with messy brown hair and a pimply face. I gotta be honest—it’s been a while since I’d seen a kid with this many pimples. Doctors have things you can do for that. The word pus comes to mind.

“Mess with what?”

“Jocelyn. If I were you, I wouldn’t entertain such thoughts.”

Who is this kid, and what’s he talking about?

And what teenager says, “I wouldn’t entertain such thoughts”?

“What thoughts would those be?”

“Don’t be a wise guy.”

Pimple Boy sounds like the wise guy, with a weaselly voice that seems like it’s going to deliver a punch line any second.

“What are you talking about?”

“Look, I’m just warning you. I’ve seen it happen before. I’m nobody, okay, and nobodies can get away with some things. And you look like a decent guy, so I’m just telling you.”

“Telling me what?”

“Not to take a fancy with the lady.”

Did he just say that in an accent that sounded British, or is it my imagination?

“I was just walking with her down the hallway.”

“Yeah. Okay. Then I’ll see you later.”

“Wait. Hold on,” I say. “Is she taken or something?”

“Yeah. She’s spoken for. And has been for sometime.”

Pimple Boy says this the way he might tell me that my mother is dying.

It’s bizarre.

And a bit spooky.

I realize that Harrington County High in Solitary, North Carolina, is a long way away from Libertyville.

I think about what the odd kid just told me.

This is probably bad.

Because one thing in my life has been a constant. You can ask my mother or father, and they’d agree.

I don’t like being told what to do.

Other Resources:

Buy it from Koorong
Buy it from Amazon
Travis Thrasher's Blog
Travis' Other Books

little man :: {four months}

2010-09-21T21:43:00.000+09:30

Today my big Little Man turns four months old! Can you believe it? I certainly can't! Here are some things he has been getting up to:

RJ drinks 180ml (just under 7fl oz), 5 times a day and is sleeping from 10:30pm to 7:30am. We're trying to get it 7:00pm to 7:00am but it'll take a while! I'm proud of him for already sleeping through the night!!

Big BIG smiles are always on the agenda, especially when someone smiles at him!

He absolutely loves his bathtime now. Lots of kicks and smiles and we had great fun with bubbles the other night!

He has THE most gorgeously long eye lashes & bright blue eyes that are absolutely wasted on a boy but will attract the girls like crazy when he's older. ~~Does daddy sitting on the porch with a shotgun scare away girls too??~~
He absolutely loves to talk and make as much noise as possible.
He loves clasping his hands and is really into biting things at the moment. Starting to get some teeth methinks!

All in all, we fall a little bit more in love with him every day. In return, we get lovin & smiles from him...

...and a few silly faces!! Happy 4th month birthday, Little Man!

the winner is...

2010-09-13T21:35:00.000+09:30

And the winner of Alex's Awesomely Gorgeously Fabulously Wonderfully Splendiferously Lovely Giveaway is...

... the absolutely wonderful chicka, Critty Joy!

Yay! I'm excited for you because it is an absolutely gorgeous pendant! Don't worry if you didn't win, I shall have another giveaway soon with an equally gorgeous pair of earrings! Ah, lucky you!

CR :: {where's the cheese}

2010-09-10T22:56:00.001+09:30

Everyone likes a little bit of cheese.

You know what I mean! Its either corny books like Sweet Valley High or The Babysitters Club. Its watching teen slasher movies like I Know What You Did Last Summer or Scream (1,2,3.......10).

My favourite cheese of all time are inspirational music movies. Movies such as Raise Your Voice, Coyote Ugly or August Rush. You know the ones. Shy, inhibited girl (or as the case may be, guy), can't perform in front of a crowd ends up standing on stage, singing her/his little heart out. Yeh, massive amount of corny, cheesy goodness - I could almost make me some nachos!

So, a little treat for you! One of my favourite scenes from one of my favourite (but secret!) cheese treats:

You're welcome! And don't forget my AAGFWSL Birthday Giveaway. Entries close on Sunday!

For more of this lovely randomness, visit

giveaway :: {birthday love}

2010-09-08T10:07:00.003+09:30

So, I know that I love getting pressies for my birthday and I'm pretty sure that I'm not alone in this. I also think we need to share a bit of that love around so without further ado:

Alex's Awesomely Gorgeously Fabulously Wonderfully Splendiferously Lovely Giveaway

You may recall me telling you about this item. Well, I bit the bullet and bought it for myself as an early Birthday present. It arrived on Monday and well, I'm here to tell you that I have another equally gorgeous item up for grabs!

Love is Patient Glass tile Pendant Necklace by Beads by Evelyn

Yeah, I thought you might like it!

All you need to do to enter this AAGFWSL Giveaway is:

1. For one entry, visit Beads by Evelyn and then come back here and tell me which item you j'adore.
2. For two entries, make sure you follow this blog and then leave a comment.
3. For three entries, tweet about it and let me know you've done so.
4. For four entries, blog about it and come back and leave the link in another comment.

Entries close 12th September. Open to ALL.

Happy entering!

make me happy & CR :: {birthday edition wk 2}

2010-09-03T22:34:00.001+09:30

Following my post from last week, the following are on my birthday wish list:

Wizz™ Planetary Mixer - Liquorice

What girl doesn't want one of these for their very own?? The black is a nice, sleek design...now only if I would stop trying to talk myself out of buying it!

Pride and Prejudice Tea Cup by Zinnia Pea

This girl has talent up the waazoo and is from my neck of the woods.

Geisha in Silver by Flight of Fancy

Now, you can't tell me that us Aussies don't have talent! The above is a gorgeous necklace made by a talented artist in Melbourne.

Ah me, the choices!

Have a lovely weekend, my caffeinated randomness types of chickas (& fellas, if there are any such)! For more randomness, visit:

make me happy :: {birthday edition wk 1}

2010-08-26T18:34:00.000+09:30

Well, as I mentioned in my last post, it is my birthday coming up in September. So I have been doing a little browsing on the internet for things that I love to love and am going to be sharing them with you over the next couple of weeks. First cab off the ranks is this little item from the Corelle range at Cookware.com.

Corelle Coordinates 7 oz Ramekin in Pretty Pink

...or how about this gorgeous, gorgeous mobile for my little man...

Bedtime Originals Baby Zoo Musical Mobile

...or these gorgeous double wall drinking glasses...

Bodum Pavina 8 oz Double Wall Insulated Glass

Stick around cos I'll have the opportunity to review one of these products in the near future, thanks to CSN stores!

make me happy :: {august}

2010-08-19T00:27:00.000+09:30

I just love floating around on the internet, looking for beautiful, inspiring and definitely necessary items that I must must have! So here is yet another edition of make me happy!

Saved by Grace Glass Tile Pendant made by BeadsByEvelyn

How gorgeous is this pendant?! Do yourself a favour and go visit Evelyn's shop. You won't be disappointed! I love this pendant so much (with it's co-ordinating necklace) that I may just purchase it in the near future! A little birthday present to myself, methinks!

So tell me, what delicious item would make you happy right now?

Healer by Linda Windsor

2010-08-13T11:42:00.000+09:30

Healer by Linda Windsor

Publisher: David C. Cook, June 1, 2010
ISBN: 1434764788
ISBN-13: 9781434764782
Paperback. 351 pages.

my rating: 5 of 5 stars

A special thank you to Audra Jennings at The B&B Media Group, for providing a copy of Healer for me to review.

The Book:

Brenna of Gowrys has grown up in hiding-hunted by the O'Byrne clan, who fear her mother's dying prophecy, and by her own kinsmen, who expect her to lead them against their oppressors. But Brenna is a gifted healer, not a witch or a warrior queen. So she lives alone in the wilderness with only her pet wolf for company. When she rescues a stranger badly wounded from an ambush, she believes he may be the answer to her deep loneliness. Healing him comes as easy as loving him. But can their love overcome years of bitterness and hatred?

The Author:

Linda Windsor is the best-selling, award-winning author of 29 novels in both the CBA and ABA markets, with an estimated million books in print. A former professional musician, Linda speaks often (and sometimes sings) for writing and/or faith seminars. Her recent work includes the early Celtic Fires of Gleannmara trilogy.

The Trailer:

The Take:

Healer is Book 1 in the Brides of Alba Series and is set in the beautiful backdrop of sixth-century Scotland. I am a huge fan of books set in historical times, especially the "Arthurian Scotland" era, so of course I was extremely happy to pick up this book and read it. Once I began, I didn't put it down. The preface was enough to put me on the edge of my seat and the first chapter (read an excerpt here) kept me wanting to read more. Windsor brings the characters to life as they fight to overcome rivalry & war amongst the clans and bring peace to the land once again. A refreshing Christian take on the usually "murky" fantasy genre, I can't wait to read the next book in this series!

Other Resources:

Buy it from Koorong
Buy it from Amazon
Linda's Other Books

caffeinated randomness :: {baby love}

2010-07-30T21:36:00.001+09:30

Ah, I haven't participated in Caffeinated Randomness for a while, so I thought that it was about time I joined in AND time for an update on my beautiful little man.

So, what are most 10 week old (yes, can you believe it??) babies doing? Glad you asked:

Your baby is by now very comforted by your embrace and may well cry when picked up by someone unfamiliar. They’ll move their arms when they’re stimulated or excited, and can comfort themselves by sucking their fingers or thumb. Your two month old baby’s body is continuing to straighten out. Soon they’ll be able to lift their head and hold it for a few moments while they’re lying flat on their tummy. Although your two month old baby won’t be able to talk using words for about a year, they’re already learning how to communicate. Your voice is probably their favourite sound. When your baby hears it they’ll instinctively respond by making a sound in reply. As their instinctive grasp reflex lessens, your baby will become fascinated with their newly discovered hands, and will use them (as well as their mouth) to explore new and different objects.

Well, all this and more! Little Man is very strong and holds his head up all the time. His eyes follow me around the room (so cute) and when he is contented, his smile is so gorgeously big! He makes lots of sounds and has become quite good at making himself heard, squeals n all. Here he is in all his smiling glory!

So that is my little man. And these are some more additions to my Eensy Weensy Designs:

I have also added my blog to Giveaway Scout which is a fantastic search engine for all things free & giveaway-ish!

So, for more randomness, please visit

randomness :: {eensyweensy, owls & such}

2010-07-28T12:06:00.001+09:30

Bit of a random post .. just because!

1. What do you think of my new banner for Eensy Weensy Designs?

2. I've bought the pattern for these and will be making them for my Little Man. Unfortunately, due to conditions of sale, I can't sell them in my shop... but maybe I'll have to come up with my own pattern, suitably changed of course! So cute!

3. My Little Man & Me

make me happy :: {july}

2010-07-24T09:00:00.000+09:30

This month's make me happy is:

God's Purpose For Every Woman by Lysa Terkeurst & Rachel Olsen

Proverbs 31 Ministries touches the lives of thousands of women daily with their popular online subscription devotions. Ministry president Lysa TerKeurst and devotion co-editor Rachel Olson present this collection of heartfelt, insightful meditations selected to empower women to become fully devoted to God. Each day's offering includes a key Scripture, devotional, prayer, application steps, reflection points, and power verses to refresh women with confidence in their God, support in their situations, spiritual lifesavers for trials and transitions, nourishment for their daily living, grace and guidance for their relationships. The distinctive strength of these devotions comes from the varied voices and perspectives of more than a dozen writers who offer words relevant for today's woman.

What would make you happy right now?

artshushu's giveaway :: {eensy weensy designs}

2010-07-22T12:59:00.001+09:30

The lovely Violet from ArtShuShus is hosting a giveaway in honour of the opening of Eensy Weensy Designs!

...GIVEAWAY...

So please go visit as she really is a wonderful artist!!

summer recipe link-up :: {pavlova}

2010-07-20T14:32:00.003+09:30

Now, apparently, two things Australian's can be proud of in the food realm are lamingtons and pavlova. So, my lovelies, today I share a recipe with you that is absolutely fantastic and tasty and fits in perfectly with:

So, cook, enjoy and remember to link up with Critty Joy for more fantastic, summery recipes!

Pavlova Stack with Berry Coulis
and Summer Fruits

Ingredients

Meringue
4 egg whites
125g caster sugar

Raspberry coulis
4tbs caster sugar
100mls water
1 punnet raspberries
1 cup pouring cream
¼ cup icing sugar

Fruit
½ punnet strawberries, hulled, quartered
Blueberries
1 pomegranate, seeded
1 banana, thinly sliced

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 140°C

2. For the meringues, place the egg whites into a clean, dry bowl, using a hand beater whisk the egg whites until peaks form. Gradually add the sugar continuing to whisk constantly until stiff peaks form. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Spoon the meringue mixture onto the tray and place try in the oven, reduce temperature to 90°C to bake for 10-15 minutes or until cooked. Set aside to cool.

3. For the coulis, combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over a medium heat, stir until the sugar has dissolved then allow to boil and reduce to a syrup. Place the berries in another small saucepan over a low heat, crush lightly then pour over the sugar syrup, cook for a few minutes then strain through a sieve and pour into a small jug.

4. Combine the cream and the icing sugar and whisk until soft peaks form.

5. Stack the meringues between layers of cream and berries, top with banana and pour over some berry coulis to serve.

creativeness :: {EensyWeensy Designs}

2010-07-19T02:49:00.001+09:30

Well, hello there! Welcome to my 'in progress' Etsy shop!

http://eensyweensydesigns.etsy.com

It has been a while coming and I will be updating it with more designs shortly but in the meantime, please visit and enjoy looking around!

of course you like books :: {merger}

2010-07-17T11:18:00.002+09:30

Ah my lovely readers! Tis the season for change and therefore the decision has been made to merge my book blog with this one. That way, you won't have to visit there as well (cos I know you do!). Over the next few weeks, I'll be trying to move the posts over to here. So, to give you an idea on what you will be seeing here in the future, my most recent review of an extremely wonderful children's book:

What a gorgeous book! I have been a longtime fan of books by Andrew McDonough and this new one did not disappoint me! Full of vibrant pictures, McDonough tells the story of Mark 10:13–16 in a fun and easy to read way that our little people can understand (and fun for the adults too)! This book teaches us how important children are to God and that He will never turn them away. What a great message to tell our little folk. I can't wait to read McDonough's fourth series of books!

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

Today's Wild Card author is:

Andrew McDonough

and the book:

Jesus and the Children

Zondervan (January 15, 2010)

***Special thanks to Pam Mettler of Zondervan for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Andrew is the creator, writer, and illustrator of the Lost Sheep series. Way back in 1989 as a young Bible college student, Andrew was asked to give the dreaded “children’s talk” at a large church. Andrew possessed one talent: he could draw sheep. He bought some overhead projector sheets and drew up the story of Cecil and the Lost Sheep. The congregation loved it, so Andrew continued to draw stories to use with kids and adults. Other students, pastors, and teachers started borrowing the stories.

Product Details:

List Price: $4.99
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (January 15, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 031071947X
ISBN-13: 978-0310719472

Press the browse button to view the first chapter:

as of late :: {july}

2010-07-16T00:13:00.001+09:30

Oh, I am so excited! My lovely chicka, Kristen, used to do a monthly update on her old blog called 'as of late'. Well, she has decided to start it up again. Did I mention that I was excited? You can find details about it here. So, do grab the button and join in with us cos I'd love to hear what you have been feeling/doing/seeing as of late.

Lately, I have been so extremely loving not working full time;
Lately, I have been loving getting to know my little man;
Lately, I have neglected reading the Word and as much as I want to, I never set aside the time to do it;
Lately, I have been asking for more wisdom in regards to church matters;
Lately, I am loving winter and all the rain, thunder, lightning, cold and wind that goes with it;
And lately, I have been feeling creative and am in the process of setting up my Etsy shop.

And don't forget our Favourite Summer Recipe Link-Up run by Critty Joy next Tuesday! Should be a blast!!

a favourite summer recipe in winter.

2010-07-14T22:04:00.000+09:30

My lovely chicka, Critty Joy, is having a favourite summer recipe link-up on her blog. Now, we are dead set in the middle of winter here in my corner of the world, so what better way to warm up than to cook all the summer recipes I can?! Warped thinking, I know! So, my lovelies, it is now up to you and me to spread the summer joy! So, go to her post, grab the button and then tell the world. The particulars are:

When: Tuesday, July 20
Where: Over at Critty's
What: You post your favorite summer recipe (you can post more than 1 if you like!) on your blog for Tuesday and then you go to Critty's and link up. Then explore the other blogs and find great new recipes to try! McLinky will go live at midnight EST on the 20th.

Can you believe my little man will be 2 months next week? No, me either! I promise I will update you on his progress very shortly! Love to you all!

winner :: {csn stores giveaway}

2010-07-11T19:45:00.000+09:30

Sorry for the belated post! The winner of the CSN Store giveaway is:

Domestic Diva

Congratulations! Your voucher will be emailed to you shortly!

giveaway :: {csn stores}

2010-07-01T12:35:00.003+09:30

Oh my goodness, I have been so slack lately! Thank you for sticking it out with me, you lovely bunch of coconuts! :) So, as an apology of sorts, I have a brilliant little giveaway for you! Do you need a new sofa? How about some cookware? Well, the lovely CSN group has offered to give my US & Canadian readers a one-time-use $50 gift certificate for you to use as you wish on any of their 200+ websites. How fantastic is that?

So, how do you win this brilliant gift certificate, I hear you asking? Simple! Just leave a comment on this message by the 8th July and I will pick the winner via a random number generator. Didn't I tell you it was simple? So get commenting, my lovelies! I want YOU to win :)

PS. Any new followers will get a second entry!

make me happy :: {june}

2010-06-16T15:23:00.001+09:30

This month's make me happy are these:

Mary Jane Slippers by BrokenHallelujah

Aren't they just so gorgeous and adorabubble? This girl has so many more fantastic items to buy buy buy so please go and visit her Etsy store and purchase away! :) And while you're there, buy these for me???

Anything that you especially want right now?

who says you need the drugs...?

2010-06-08T18:31:00.001+09:30

Ah, my lovely people. Tis I, back again from a much needed 2 week siesta!

I'm doing well, just in case you were wondering..

... and of course, so is my little RJ!

As for that memorable night/day/night/day... well!

Wednesday night, 19th May (Reuben's due date): People were surprised that I was still up & around for Bible study, but I was feeling fine & fit & ready to take on the world.
Thursday morning, 20th May, 3am: Uh-oh, pesky pains have arrived! Every 15 minutes...14...12...10...9 and there they stayed steady for most of Thursday. Down to 5 minutes apart. "When will they get closer so I can go to the hospital" was my main train of thought. Midwife says that I have to wait until they're a steady 3 minutes apart... pesky midwife.
Friday morning, 21st May, 2am: The pains were nearly too much to handle. Rang the midwife and told her that I had enough and was going to the hospital. She called the one on-call (who was not my regular). Arrived at hospital and told that I needed to go home cos I was only 1/2cm dilated and it could be up to 8 hours more before baby was ready to come, being my first n all. Very mean midwife.
Given some Temazepam and Panadene Forte for the pain & the lack of sleep.
Arrived home at 3:30am/4am, took the said pills.. and promptly threw them up. No sleep for me!
7am and the pain was almost too much to bear. Told husby that I needed to go to the hospital NOW and he rang one of our friends to come pick us up (parking sucks around the hospital).
Arrived at the hospital 8:30am-ish and my regular midwife was back on duty (praise God!) and was told that I was already fully dilated (so, no epi) and that we had better go to the birthing suite. A shower was run, the bath was filled (I was planning on having a waterbirth) and then... RJ decided to become a little distressed so... no bath for me.
Moved to the delivery suite and strapped to monitors (nothing like knowing when your next painful contraction is coming! :P). As soon as I was in there, RJ decided that he wanted to come now so...
Friday morning, 21st May, 10:19am: Out he came!

It was only as they were handing him to me that they realised... woops, no gas was given! Yes ladies, I did it the natural way. Not by choice because if I had the option...bring it on!

So, there you go. We all survived! Husby was fantastic and didn't squirm at the sight of blood (I lost about 1ltr) and needless to say, after that 30 hour long labour, we were all in much need of some sleep!

and the winner is...

2010-05-30T20:45:00.000+09:30

A quick post just to let you know that the winner of this wonderful bookmark, chosen by random.org is

Amy @ Filled With Praise

Congratulations! Please email me with your email address ASAP & I will get your gorgeous bookmark out to you!

Now back to my sweet, little man!

announcing :: {reuben jack}

2010-05-24T15:24:00.000+09:30

Announcing the arrival of

Reuben Jack

born 21st May 2010 at 10:19am
7lb 8&1/2oz
52cm long

We're all doing really well but I have to say that I may be scarce from here for a couple of days! In the meantime, check out my giveaway ... which I have EXTENDED to Saturday 29th May due to the fact that I am performing a disappearing act. They really are beautiful designs, so please enter!

The Right Call by Kathy Herman

2010-05-19T11:39:00.000+09:30

The Right Call by Kathy Herman

Publisher: David C. Cook, March 1, 2010
ISBN: 1434767841
ISBN-13: 9781434767844
Paperback. 352 pages.

my rating: 5 of 5 stars

A special thank you to Audra Jennings at The B&B Media Group, for providing a copy of The Right Call for me to review.

The Book:

It's summer in Sophie Trace, and Ethan Langley has returned home from college, eager to grow his friendship with Vanessa Jessup and her infant son, Carter. And Vanessa's parents, Police Chief Brill Jessup and her husband, Kurt, approve: Ethan is thoughtful, kind, hard-working, and ambitious.

Before Ethan has time to settle in, a series of random shootings leaves someone he loves dead. The police have no suspects. While Ethan scrambles to make sense of it, a coworker takes him aside and divulges a shocking secret that could break the case-but would imperil the lives of those Ethan's come to love. Then when the coworker is discovered dead, Ethan is pulled still deeper into the mystery. Going to the police with what he knows endangers Vanessa and Carter . . . yet not telling them is just as dangerous. He's been dealt a risky hand in a game for which he doesn't know the rules. Will he make the right call?

The Author:

Best-selling suspense novelist Kathy Herman worked for the Christian Booksellers Association in Colorado Springs, then married a retailer and moved to Texas, where she managed the children's department in the family's Christian bookstore. She has written fourteen novels, including Tested by Fire and All Things Hidden, since retiring from the retail business. Kathy and her husband, Paul, have three grown children and five grandchildren and live in Tyler, Texas. They also enjoy world travel, deep-sea fishing, and bird watching—often tied into one grand adventure!

The Trailer:

The Right Call, by Kathy Herman from David C. Cook on Vimeo.

The Take:

A fast-paced, full of action, Christian thriller. I had trouble putting this book down and read it late into the night, just to get the mystery solved! I liked the fact that I didn't necessarily have to read the two other books in this series (because I haven't!) and still managed to connect with each of the characters. A recommended read and, if you can, read the other ones to get the full story - I plan to!

Other Resources:

Buy it from Koorong
Buy it from Amazon
Kathy's Other Books

giveaway :: {little must have}

2010-05-19T09:00:00.010+09:30

Happy Frankie's Due Date! I found a gorgeous little Etsy shop yesterday and decided that for my giveaway in celebration of Frankie's due date, I would let you have something marvelous!

I am a stay at home mother of 2 pre-teen girls. I am a jack of all trades when it comes to craft. I taught myself crocheting a few years ago and Ive successfully made and sold, Mohair bears, Reborn dolls, leather journals, however I just love creating jewelry and that's what makes me happy. I love making my chunky trendy crochet earrings and designer crochet necklaces. I have many tastes and I also adore making Vintage Heirloom Silver Spoon Bracelets, Charm Bracelets and Victorian Glass pendants. I basically love anything feminine.

So, in order to win one of these beautiful book marks,

1st entry: leave a comment
2nd entry: become a follower of this blog & then leave a separate comment
3rd entry: visit Little Must Have and come back to tell me which bookmark is your favorite
4th entry: post about this giveaway on your blog or Facebook! Come back and let me know with a link...

So there you go! This giveaway will end at midnight (CEST) on Saturday the 22nd May. I'll pick the winner through a random generator on Sunday and announce the winner then! : ) Happy entering!

tuesday tummy update :: {week 40}

2010-05-18T12:59:00.001+09:30

Due date is tomorrow.. this may be my last tummy update! :)

Frankie is now the size of a watermelon. Looking at my belly, I think it may be a small one (yay!!).

At birth, the average baby weighs around 3.2-3.5 kg and measures between 48-52 cm from head to toe (hopefully Frankie will be on the small scale). Inside, there is no spare room, so Frankie can only move from side to side. I bet Frankie can't wait to get out!

How far along? 40 weeks (AKA: Due date tomorrow!)
Total weight gain/loss: Would you seriously weigh yourself during this time? :) Baby weighs about 3.5kg apparently!
Stretch marks? *sigh* More than my fair share...
Sleep: Enough for the moment. Random wake-ups each night at about 3:30am.
Best moment this week: Able to do some washing & vacuuming!
Movement: Not so much. Frankie is ready to come out!
Food cravings: Still Cadbury!
Gender: General concensus among friends is boy BUT we'll see what happens! :)
Labour Signs: Not much yet... does that mean Frankie won't come tomorrow? :)
Belly Button in or out? Still in.. yay!
What I miss: Being able to walk without pain.
What I am looking forward to: Seeing my little Frankie in person & not having to share my body anymore!
Weekly Wisdom: If anyone offers to make food or clean your house for you, say YES :)
Milestones: Frankie's room is done & most items have been purchased.

In celebration of Frankie's due date (whether coming tomorrow or not), I'm going to be hosting a giveaway.. so stay tuned for more details!

make me happy :: {may}

2010-05-12T12:39:00.002+09:30

If you know only one thing about me, it should be that I really love lists. "To Do" lists, "Not To Do" lists, "To Buy" lists, the list goes on (ha). So I'm pleased to inform you that I am indeed starting another one! This one is mostly superficial but it is the beginnings of a list of things that I would really love to own right now! My goal is to cross these off when I obtain them but I realise that most of them will be dreams only :).

So, for my inaugural 'Make Me Happy' post of the series, the first item on my "Must Have" list is:

The Pioneer Woman Cooks

I love this woman! Her recipes are so easy to follow.. and she includes step by step pictures!! Currently selling for AU$43.95 at Angus&Robertson makes this numero uno on my list at the moment.

And if you would like to play along:

What superficial item would make you happy right now?

Finding Jeena by Miralee Ferrell

2010-05-11T11:41:00.000+09:30

Another enjoyable read! Finding Jeena really delves into the problems that we can face when we fall into the trap of materialism, of 'living the dream' with a big house, new car, high paying job etc. The main character, Jeena, starts off on a high but soon finds herself in situations that she had never before dreamed she would be in. It is only at her all time low that she realises her prejudices against people in a lower position than her are wrong and recognises her need for a Saviour. I can't wait to read further books in this series.

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

Today's Wild Card author is:

Miralee Ferrell

and the book:

Finding Jeena

Kregel Publications (March 8, 2010)

***Special thanks to Cat Hoort of Kregel Publications for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Miralee Ferrell and her husband, Allen, live in a rural community in Washington State. She serves on staff at their local church as a licensed minister and is actively involved in ministry to women, as well as speaking to women’s groups. She’s always been an avid reader and dabbled in writing, but never considered it as a serious calling until 2005 when she felt the Lord directing her to write. Since then she’s had several magazine articles published, two in book compilations, and four full-length novels released with a fifth releasing in early 2011. Miralee loves working in her flower beds, riding horseback with her daughter, and sailing with her husband.

Visit the author's website.

Product Details:

List Price: $13.99
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Kregel Publications (March 8, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0825426456
ISBN-13: 978-0825426452

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Jeena Gregory chewed on her lip as she stared at the red silk dress hanging in the closet. Would it be enough? She wiped her sweaty palms down the legs of her jeans, trying to vanquish the knot in her stomach. The same feeling she’d experienced as a ten-year-old hit her. She’d walked into her new school and tried to ignore the snickers as some of the students eyed her worn-out sneakers and hand-me-down clothes.

She refused to let fear or insecurity take control. Fear couldn’t hurt her—only men could do that. And Sean loved her.

No way would she believe the rumor she’d heard from Connie, the biggest gossip in her small group of friends. Sean couldn’t be seeing someone else. He was close to proposing; she’d sensed it more than once. Jeena shook her head, trying to dislodge the disquieting thoughts. He’d have a good explanation.

Her confidence level soared after applying makeup and slipping into the dress. It had cost her two days’ salary, but it was worth every cent. Hugging her in all the right places, the dark red silk accented her long black hair and green eyes. Working out at the club kept her figure where she wanted it.

Sean’s car flashed past Jeena’s window and halted in front of her small condo. Jeena ran a hand over her trim hips. She’d be thirty later this year, and her body still looked like that of a twenty-year-old—she’d maintain it if she had to work out every day.

The doorbell chimed, but this time Jeena didn’t rush to answer. Sean Matthews needn’t think her life revolved around his arrival, even if it did. Playing a little hard to get might work in her favor.

The bell chimed a second time, and Jeena imagined its tone changed to one of impatience. Better not overdo it. She opened the door and stepped back into the glow of the entry light to give him the full effect.

A small frown turned down the corners of Sean’s mouth, giving a serious aspect to his rugged face. His tapping toe stilled, but his lowered brows didn’t lift until he stepped across the threshold.

The smile Jeena expected didn’t appear. Apprehension flickered through her mind. “Something wrong, Sean?” She touched his arm.

He ran his fingers through his dark blond hair, giving a slightly rumpled look to a man who prided himself on his appearance. “Our reservation is in fifteen minutes. We’re going to be late.”

He hadn’t seemed to notice the gown or the accentuated curves. “I had a bit of a struggle zipping up this dress.”

“You might need a jacket. That looks a little skimpy for a chilly evening.”

The small wisp of fear grew, fanned by the coolness of his impatience.

“Skimpy? That’s it?” She stepped back, folding her arms.

He shot a quick, cool look at the dress. “You look great. Is it new?”

She pursed her lips. Something was up. “Yes, it’s new.” She swung toward the closet. “Fine. I’ll get a jacket.” She yanked open the door and pulled a black cape off the rack. Great start to our evening.

He helped her into his silver Lexus, then slipped into his seat and turned the key. “You really do look stunning.” Sean paused. “It’s been a crazy day, and I’ve had a lot on my mind.” He gave her a soft smile before turning his attention back to the road.

They pulled out into the street and headed through the residential area toward the edge of town. Silhouetted against the skyline, tall fir trees flanked the elegant homes along the way. Kids still played in front yards, and a couple of eager homeowners mowed their yards. Jeena sighed. She missed having a yard and flowerbeds. The new townhouse she’d put a deposit on boasted a small backyard and window boxes in the front, so she could indulge her gardening hobby on her days off.

She sank deeper in the seat and released a small breath. Peaceful silence enveloped her as the quiet car snaked around the curves and the sun glinted off the nearby Columbia River. Sean loved her. Losing sight of that was foolish. Sure, he’d neglected to kiss her when he’d arrived, but she understood the stress generated by work. His job as a financial consultant to a large corporation in Portland often kept him distracted.

Connie was being catty and nothing more.

Jeena gave a low laugh. “You had me worried. I thought aliens had taken over your body when you didn’t react to this dress.”

He pulled away from a stop sign and glanced in his mirror, then reached over and took her hand. “Never fear. If aliens attempt a takeover, I’ll shoot ’em dead.” His quick smile flashed. “Hungry?”

“Very.” She’d been foolish to listen to Connie. An hour earlier, she couldn’t have eaten a thing, but now she was ravenous.

Sean had chosen a small, rather exclusive restaurant, a rarity in River City, Oregon. They could have driven an hour up I-84 to Portland, but the recent growth of tourism in the Columbia River Gorge had birthed new hot spots, popular with locals and tourists alike.

They were seated by a window that afforded a breathtaking view of the river, and Jeena could see the colorful sails of windsurfers kiting along in the evening breeze, the soft glow of the late April sunset bronzing the multi-colored sails. Candles glowed against the damask tablecloth, giving off a subtle air of luxury. Strains of low music added to the ambiance, creating a soothing background for the trickle of diners still drifting in.

Sean had requested a quiet spot in the corner, giving a sense of privacy that still allowed a good view. While he ordered, Jeena glanced around the room, wondering if any of their friends might be here tonight. No familiar faces appeared within her line of sight. Good. She wanted this evening to be theirs alone. Maybe they could sort out the nasty rumor starting to circulate and kill it before it morphed into something worse.

Sean leaned back in his seat and sighed, stretching his legs out from under the heavy brocade cloth.

“Long day?” Jeena reached across to stroke the side of his face. He didn’t pull away, but he didn’t wrap his long fingers around hers as she’d expected. A small alarm went off in the back of her mind.

He gave a small shake of his head, dislodging her hand. “Not really. It feels good to sit across the table from a beautiful woman, instead of looking at bored businessmen all day.”

She sat back in her chair and relaxed. “Something going on at work that’s bothering you?”

“Very little. How about you? When does your lease start on the new townhouse?”

“In ten days, so I’m boxing everything up now. I’ve got my final interview a week from Monday with Browning and Thayer.”

“It’s too bad it’s only a temporary job, but with your expertise in design, they can’t go wrong contracting you.” He straightened in his chair and leaned toward her, an affectionate smile flickering across his lips.

She flashed him a grateful look. “Thanks. I hope they feel the same. But being a private contractor has its advantages, and the project is big—it should last at least a year.”

The waiter arrived, placing steaming plates of fragrant pasta in front of them and gathering the empty salad dishes. A few minutes passed in comfortable silence, and Jeena’s misgivings evaporated in the relaxed intimacy.

Candlelight cast a warm light across Sean’s face, accentuating his masculine good looks. Jeena smiled and settled deeper into her chair. “So tell me about your family. Last time we talked, you were concerned about your mom living alone, now that your dad’s gone. How’s she doing?”

“Great, from what I gather when I have time to call.” He wound the last strand of pasta onto his fork and took a bite, then wiped his mouth with a napkin. “I’m sorry—I see a client I need to speak to. I’ll only be a minute. Do you mind?” He nodded across the room to a silver-haired man sitting with an elegantly dressed woman.

“Not at all.” She smiled, then watched him make his way through the tables.

She’d first spotted him at a party a little over a year ago. Tall, mid-thirties, dressed in an Italian three-piece suit, and built like a model, he stood out in the crowd of older businessmen. An air of sophistication clung to him, enhanced by vivid blue eyes set in a deeply tanned face. A striking blonde who’d had too much to drink was hanging on his arm. He looked slightly disgusted and appeared to be searching for an escape.

Setting aside her drink, Jeena strolled across the room, knowing she’d captured his attention even before she approached.

She extended her hand and smiled when he held it longer than necessary. “I don’t think we’ve been introduced. I’m Jeena Gregory, a friend of our hostess.”

“Sean Matthews. This is . . . I’m sorry, what’s your name again?” His bored gaze turned to the blonde.

The woman released her grip on his arm and glared at Jeena. “Angie.”

Sean cocked his head toward the woman. “Right. Sorry. This is Angie.”

Angie’s lips turned down in a pout. “I’m getting something to drink. I’ll find someone more interesting to take me home.” Angie flounced across the room without looking back.

Sean’s blue eyes shone with something more than amusement. “I didn’t bring her, but she’s had too much to drink and must have forgotten. She latched onto me when I arrived. Thanks for the rescue.”

Jeena spent the rest of the evening in his company—and many evenings after that. Within a few weeks, she knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with this man. Intelligent, witty, generous, and advancing up the corporate ladder at a fast pace, he possessed much that she found attractive.

Sean, however, remained an enigma. While engaging and attentive, he had yet to commit to a permanent relationship. Jeena sensed his frustration at her adamant refusal to move in together. She enjoyed the party life and didn’t judge others for their lifestyle choices, but she drew the line at moving in with a man before marriage. She deserved more. Besides, too many of her crowd had gone that direction, and she’d seen disaster strike more than once.

“Jeena? I’m sorry I took so long. I hope you weren’t bored.” Sean’s deep voice woke her from the memories.

She brushed the hair from her eyes. “Not at all. Just remembering our first meeting.”

“Ah, yes. The party.”

Jeena tried to suppress a smile but failed. “And poor Angie.”

Sean laughed outright. “Poor Angie, nothing. That woman clung like a leech with no encouragement from me. You came along just in time.”

She leaned toward him and stroked the back of his hand. “Did I?”

He slowly pulled back, and the smile disappeared.

“What’s wrong?” Her heart rate accelerated.

He cleared his throat and picked up a napkin. “There’s something I want to tell you.”

Tell. Not ask. Jeena leaned back and crossed her arms. “Yes?”

“I’ve been offered a new job. It means a huge increase in pay and could lead to a partnership.”

“That sounds wonderful. I didn’t realize you were looking.”

“I didn’t mention it until I knew something would come of it. I didn’t want to worry you.”

“Why would I care?” Her palms grew clammy, but she refused to give in to fear.

His lips set in a firm line; then he took a deep breath and plunged forward. “It’s taking me out of the States. A large construction conglomerate wants me in the Middle East.”

A small shiver of fear traveled up her back. “But that’s dangerous. Tell me you’re not going to take it.”

“I’ve said yes. I’ll be living in Kuwait and going across the border occasionally, and then only to areas that are deemed safe. I leave in two weeks.”

“Two weeks,” she whispered. “What about us?”

He shifted in his chair and looked at his hands, then raised his eyes. “I’m sorry, Jeena.”

“What do you mean, you’re sorry? You’re not asking me to come with you or wait? How long will you be gone?” She tried to keep the pain out of her voice, but her words rose in tone and volume.

An irritated look flashed across his face. The small, secluded spot he’d chosen closed in around her. No longer did the flickering candles on the table give off an aura of romance—instead, they gleamed with an ominous light.

“I’ll be gone at least a year, maybe two. You didn’t want to live with me here in the States, so I didn’t think you’d be willing to move to Kuwait.” Sean leaned back in his chair, holding her gaze.

She’d probably hold onto him if she gave in, but something inside protested. Her parents’ marriage had been lousy, no doubt about that. But her mother had saved herself for the man she married and had often urged Jeena to do the same. Besides, Grammie would be be horrified if Jeena made that decision. A deep love for both her mother and grandmother had prompted Jeena to walk the same path.

“But if we were married . . .” She could have bitten off her tongue for letting the words slip.

Sean’s lips twisted in a wry smile. “I have no desire to get married.”

“So all of this has been what . . . a game? You aren’t in love with me? Never have been?”

He shrugged. “I think a lot of you. But marriage isn’t part of my plan. I thought we’d have a good time. Frankly, I hung around hoping you’d change your mind.”

“You knew how I felt about living together. It’s not something I’m comfortable with.”

Sean smirked. “You told me your dad was a religious Jekyll and Hyde and you had no use for God. I never expected you’d stick with your decision and be such a prude.”

His words brought the chaos in her mind to a halt. An icy calm washed over her. “Prude. I see. So, who is she?”

His face flamed red, then faded to a dirty white. “Who?”

She rose quickly, her chair sliding into the waiter who was walking behind her. Pride stiffened her spine and held her head high. “I nailed that one. Never mind. I’m sure you’ll be very happy together, and my prudish life will be better off without you.”

She slipped around the table and started to walk past him, but he reached out and grasped her wrist. “Jeena. Don’t be that way. I’ll drive you home. I’m sorry.”

Shaking off his hand, she stepped out of his reach and lowered her voice, conscious of the curious looks from the tables nearby. “I’ll get a taxi. Have a great life, Sean.”

Somehow she managed to exit the restaurant without calling more attention to herself. Humiliation at making a scene while leaving the table forced her to increase her pace and not look back. The poor waiter—she’d nearly bowled him over while rushing from the table. But no way could she allow Sean to see her cry. She needed to get home and face this. The tears would come later, and no telling when they’d stop.

Men. Anger bubbled inside, momentarily pushing aside the sting of tears. Her father had proven men couldn’t be trusted—he hadn’t loved her, either. Why had she forgotten? Never again would a man suck her in with promises and lies. From now on, her career would come first. She’d show them all. The only person in the world who mattered was her grandmother. She’d neglected her recently, but tomorrow was a new day. Grammie would be happy to see her, and Sean was no longer important.

An Unwilling Warrior by Andrea Boeshaar

2010-05-10T11:49:00.000+09:30

I only received this book today and therefore have not had a chance to read it. A full review will be posted as soon as I do!

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

Today's Wild Card author is:

Andrea Boeshaar

and the book:

An Unwilling Warrior

Realms; 1 edition (May 4, 2010)

***Special thanks to Anna Coelho Silva | Publicity Coordinator, Book Group | Strang Communications for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Andrea Kuhn Boeshaar has been writing stories and poems since she was a little girl and has published articles and devotionals as well as 31 novels and novellas. In addition to her writing, Andrea is a certified Christian life coach and speaks at writers’ conferences and for women’s groups. She has taught workshops at such conferences as: Write-To-Publish; American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW); Oregon Christian Writers Conference; Mount Hermon Writers Conference and many local writers conferences. Another of Andrea’s accomplishments is co-founder of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) organization. For many years she served on both its Advisory Board and as its CEO.

Visit the author's website.

Product Details:

List Price: $10.99
Paperback: 291 pages
Publisher: Realms; 1 edition (May 4, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1599799855
ISBN-13: 978-1599799858

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

New Orleans, December 1861

Raindrops splattered against the garden’s cobblestone

walkway, forming puddles in low-lying areas.

Above, the heavens seemed to mourn in tearful shades of gray.

Staring out the floor-to-ceiling window, Valerie Fontaine realized

she’d forgotten the dreariness of the season. She’d been back

in New Orleans only a week, arriving Christmas Eve, but now

she questioned her decision to leave Miss C. J. Hollingsworth’s

Finishing School for Young Ladies, a year-round boarding school

in Virginia where she’d studied for the last sixteen months. She

let out a long, slow sigh. Life here at home was—well, worse than

the weather.

Closing the shutters, she stepped away and hugged her knitted

shawl more tightly around her shoulders. She strolled from the

solarium to the parlor, steeling herself against her father’s continuing

tirade. But at least they were talking now. He hadn’t said more

than six words to her since she’d been home. “You should have

stayed at school.” She had thought Father would be glad to see

her, given that it was their first Christmas without Mama.

But such wasn’t the case. Instead of spending the holiday with

her, he’d been at his gentlemen’s club almost continuously. His

actions hurt Valerie deeply. Nevertheless, he was the only family

she had left now.

“You should have stayed at school,” Edward Fontaine muttered

as he poured himself another scotch. His third.

“Yes, so you’ve stated. But isn’t it obvious why I came home?

I’m grieving, and I need the love and support of my father.” She

gave him a once-over, from the tip of his polished shoes to his

shiny, straight black hair. “And it might not seem like it, but I

think you need me too.”

“Need you? I should say not!” He teetered slightly but caught

her reaction. “And don’t roll those pretty blue eyes at me either.”

Valerie turned toward the roaring hearth so he wouldn’t see

her exasperated expression.

Holding out her hands, she warmed them by the fire. Although

temperatures registered well above the freezing mark, the cold and

dampness had a way of seeping into her bones. She shivered.

“I told you, ma fille, your efforts, as you call them, aren’t

needed.”

She flicked him a glance. “I think perhaps they are.” She

sensed her father mourned Mama’s death too. However, drowning

himself in scotch would hardly help, and he’d lose his good

standing in society if anyone found out about his . . . weakness.

Did neighbors and friends already know?

“Bah!”

Valerie turned to watch as he seated himself in a floralpatterned,

Louis XV wingback chair.

“You were to stay in Virginia and complete your education.”

Father gave a derisive snort. “I doubt Miss Hollingsworth will

give me a refund on your tuition.”

Valerie placed her hands on her hips. “How can you value

money over my well-being?”

“This is not a question of one or the other. These are

ous times . . . there are plans that you know nothing of . . . ”

“What plans?” Curious, Valerie tipped her head.

Silence.

“Father?”

He lifted his gaze to hers, and she saw a flicker of something

in his eyes—regret perhaps? Then his face hardened. “My plans

were for you to stay in school and marry a young man from an

established family.”

Valerie groaned. Running her hands down the wide skirt of

her black dress, she gathered the muslin in clenched fists of frustration.

How could she make him understand? She simply had

to follow her heart and come home. Otherwise, she surely would

have stayed at Miss Hollingsworth’s, as many students did. On

most holidays, like this one, time constraints restricted travel.

School let out the Friday before Christmas and began next week,

on the sixth of January. However, Valerie didn’t plan on returning,

and her reasons to leave boarding school ran deep.

She lifted her fingertips to her temples as a headache formed.

“Father, school proved too much for me after Mama’s untimely

death. I tried to make it, stayed all last summer, but after the war

broke out I had to come home.”

“Silly girl. You risked your life traveling through that part of

the country. Did you think I wanted to bury a daughter too?”

“No, of course not. But I thought you would have wanted to

see me at Christmastime.”

He didn’t comment on her remark. “So, what am I going to do

with you? I can’t very well send you back. It’s too dangerous.”

“It’s not as if I need a nanny.” Indignation pulsed through

Valerie’s veins. “I’m almost nineteen, and I can take care of

myself—and manage the household for you too.”

“I manage my own household.”

Hardly! she quipped inwardly. Thankfully for him, Adalia,

their precious and loyal maid, had seen to almost everything

since Mama died.

But Valerie wouldn’t tell her father that. She’d learned neither

retorts nor reasoning did much good when he’d been imbibing—

which was frequently of late.

She watched as he swallowed the dark golden liquid, emptying

the crystal tumbler in his hand. He made a sorrowful sight, to

be sure. And yet Valerie knew her father was an honorable man,

a capable man who owned and operated a large business. Her

grandfather had started Fontaine Shipping when he had come

from France. Father grew up near the docks and learned everything

about ships and cargo, importing and exporting, and then

he took over the business after he had finished his education at

Harvard. Grandpapa had been so proud. And now Father secured

his importance among the international shipping community as

well as in New Orleans’s society.

Or at least that’s the way she had remembered him.

“I see I’ll have to marry you off myself.”

“Oh, Father, I’ll marry when I’m good and ready. Right now I

can’t think of a single man I’m even remotely interested in.”

“And what of James Ladden?” Father asked

“James is . . . a friend. That’s all.” Valerie moved to the

burgundy-colored settee. Gathering her black hoop skirts, she sat

down. Her fingers played across the rose-patterned, embroidered

armrest. Her father’s gaze seemed troubled. She shifted. “Perhaps

I should ask Chastean to bring you some coffee.”

He gave her a blank look, as though she’d spoken in a foreign

tongue.

“Our cook . . . will bring you some coffee.”

He held up his empty scotch glass and said, “I’m fine with this.”

Valerie sighed when he rose to pour another drink. His fourth.

How she wished she could hide that scotch bottle!

“We’re having a houseguest tonight,” he said.

“What?” Her jaw slacked at the surprising news.

“You heard me.” He eyed the amber potion glistening in his

glass. “A houseguest.”

“Who is it?”

He lifted his slim shoulders and wagged his dark head. “Last

name’s McCabe. Don’t know his first. He’s the son of an acquaintance.”

He looked her way. “I extended the invitation before I

knew you would burst in from school unannounced.”

Valerie chose to ignore the slight. “Where did you meet him,

or rather, his father?”

Father’s gaze met hers. His brown bloodshot eyes watered

slightly, and his Adam’s apple bobbed several times as if he were

struggling to contain his emotions. “I met him,” he continued in

a pinched voice, “just after your mother passed away.”

Valerie swallowed an anguished lump of her own. He’d so

rarely spoken of Mama since her death.

Her mind drifted back to that terrible day she’d received the

news. She’d been at school, getting ready to paint with the other

girls when a telegram had been delivered. The weighty sorrow

that descended then returned now as she recalled the words:

Your mother took ill with a fever on 23 June 1861 and

has died. You have our sympathies and our prayers. The

telegram was signed Mrs. Vincent Dupont, the doctor’s wife.

Upon returning home, Valerie learned that a tropical storm

had detained the family physician when her mother had taken

ill. He hadn’t been able to reach Mama in time to help her.

Valerie had never gotten a chance to say good-bye or even

attend Mama’s funeral.

“I miss her too.” Valerie whispered the admission, hoping this

time it wouldn’t fall on deaf ears.

But Father drained his glass and poured another. Number five.

“Our guest will be arriving sometime tonight. I’ll be out. I’ve

left instructions with Adalia.”

“You won’t be here to greet him?” Valerie swiped away an

errant tear and squared her shoulders.

“Not tonight.” He suddenly hollered for his coat, hat, and

walking stick.

“Where are you going?” Stunned, Valerie strode toward him.

“The club. For supper.”

“Again? But I had so hoped you’d come to the Donahues’

tonight and celebrate the coming of the New Year with me.”

“You should know right now, ma fille, that hope is a useless word

in the English vocabulary. All of mine died with your mother.”

Valerie’s breath caught at the admission, tears obscuring her

vision as the portly British maid, who’d been part of the family

ever since Valerie could recall, entered the room carrying Father’s

belongings. He donned his winter coat.

“I hadn’t planned to stay home to entertain a houseguest.”

“I don’t expect you to.” He moved into the foyer and adjusted

his black top hat. “Adalia will show him to his room, and you

can go to your party.”

“But—” He swung open the front door and disappeared, closing it

behind him before Valerie could speak again. All she could do

was stand there, stunned.

At last she exhaled, her lower lip extended so the puff of air

soared upward and wafted over the strands on her forehead. “Oh,

this is a fine mess.” She folded her arms.

“You needn’t worry. I’ll be sure to tidy the gentleman’s room.”

“I know you will.” Valerie smiled at the good-natured woman.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, dearie. But here now—” Adalia bustled

across the room and slipped one arm around Valerie’s shoulders.

“Don’t look so glum.”

“I can’t help it.” Valerie’s bottom lip quivered as she peered

into the maid’s bright green eyes. “My father has no room in his

life for me, Adalia. I’m a burden to him.” She paused. “Maybe I

always have been, but I never noticed because of Mama.”

Adalia patted her shoulder.

When the moment passed, Valerie straightened. “Well, Father

said I can go to the party. I’ve been looking forward to it.”

“Go. I’ll take care of Mr. McCabe. Now you’d best be getting

yourself ready.”

Valerie gazed down at her dark skirts. “And another thing. I’m

tired of this dreary mourning garb. It’s been six months.”

“That it has, and you’ve fulfilled your societal obligations and

behaved as any good daughter would.” Holding her by the shoulders,

she turned Valerie so they stood face-to-face. “I don’t think

I’m out of place to say that y’ mother’d want each of us to go on

with our living. So go and have fun tonight. As for y’ father’s guest,

he can occupy himself in the library. Plenty o’ books in there.”

Valerie sighed, remembering some of Father’s former houseguests.

“He’s probably some eccentric old geezer who’ll just want

to read and go to sleep anyway.”

Adalia snorted. Her eyes twinkled with amusement. “We’ve

seen our share of those over the years, now haven’t we?”

“Yes.” A smile crept across Valerie’s face. “We certainly have

at that.”

****

Beneath the bright glow from her bedroom’s wall sconces, Valerie

studied her reflection. She selected a sapphire-blue silk gown

with satin trim around its off-the-shoulder neckline. The flouncy

creation matched the color of her eyes and complemented her

pale complexion. Adalia had expertly swept up Valerie’s dark

brown hair into a becoming chignon, although several tendrils

rebelliously escaped and curled around her face.

“Pretty as a princess, y’ are. Just like y’ mother.” Adalia stood

back to admire her. “You look just like her.”

“Thank you.” Valerie took the compliment as high praise. “But

do you think I seem a bit pale?” She pinched her cheeks until

they turned a rosy pink.

“Not anymore.” Adalia placed her hands on her hips. Valerie

smiled, then chuckled. Adalia turned and folded an article of

clothing on Valerie’s four-poster bed. “Now, you be sure to catch

the latest gossip, dearie. Chastean and I are dependin’ on you.”

Valerie whirled from the full-length mirror in a swish of silk.

“Why, Adalia, I don’t listen to gossip.”

“’Tis such a pity. We’ll be needin’ something to talk about

while we stir our soap.”

“Mama’s soap.” Valerie’s grin faded as wistfulness set in. She’d

almost forgotten how she and Mama used to create the specially

scented soaps from garden herbs and the essential oils that Father

had shipped in from around the world. The practice had started

with a church bazaar for which Mama had to bring something

she’d made, something unique.

She called her little square bars “Psalm 55 Soap” after her

favorite passage of Scripture. Mama gave them to friends or

left them near the basin in the guest room with a handwritten

portion of that psalm. Feeling a sudden deep determination to

hang on to the memory, Valerie decided to somehow keep her

mother’s custom alive.

“We’ll make a new batch soon,” she said.

“Good, ’cause we’re down to the last few bars of the lavender

rose.”One of Valerie’s favorites. “They’re from the last batch Mama

made?”

Adalia replied with a remorseful bob of her gray-blonde head.

That weighty sorrow descended again. Valerie’s shoulders

sagged.

Several long, reverent seconds ticked by, and finally Adalia

picked up where she’d left off. “I’m particularly interested in

hearing if Mrs. Field’s wayward daughter married that sailor she

ran away with.” She fidgeted with Valerie’s dress. “So listen up.”

“I’ll do no such thing. Besides, James told me yesterday that

Nora Mae married the man in a private ceremony.”

“Y’ don’t say!”

Valerie turned to her. “I shouldn’t have even repeated that,

except there’s nothing wrong with saying a wedding took place,

right?”

“Right.”

Valerie narrowed her gaze. Maybe she had succumbed to

gossiping after all.

“Now you’d best get downstairs.” Adalia wisely changed the

subject. “Mr. Ladden’ll be here soon, and you know how impatient

that one gets if he has to wait even a minute.”

“You go on down. I’ll be there in a bit.” Valerie wanted to

check her reflection one last time.

“Don’t tarry.”

“I won’t.”

The maid left, and Valerie checked her reflection once more. It

felt good to shed those black mourning clothes. She thought of all

her friends she hadn’t seen in the almost year and a half since she’d

been away at Miss C. J. Hollingsworth’s. They’d always been such

fun-loving girls. Valerie smiled, thinking about how they used to

laugh together with chatter of balls and beaus and fashion.

Would it be the same when they saw each other again tonight?

Sadness spilled over her when she thought things might have

changed. She felt so removed from those subjects now. They

seemed trite, considering her present circumstances. She’d

never imagined her life without Mama. But here her future lay,

stretched out before her in grim uncertainty.

Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee . . .

Valerie smiled as part of Mama’s favorite psalm waltzed across

her mind. Drawing in a deep breath, she plucked her satin shawl

from where it lay on her canopy bed. She pulled it around her

bare shoulders, admiring its ivory softness, and fixed her mind

on the gala. She’d laugh and dance, and maybe some semblance

of joy would return to her life.

Leaving her bedroom, Valerie made her way down the stairs to

the parlor. As it happened, she turned out to be the one who did

the waiting. It seemed forever before she heard James’s carriage

pull up in front of the house.

At long last he entered the foyer, looking dapper in his overcoat

with its fur-trimmed collar. He shed it and handed the garment,

along with his hat, to Adalia. Valerie noted his foggy-gray dress

coat, waistcoat, and matching trousers. The flame-red curls on

his head, usually unruly, were combed neatly back.

“Why, James Ladden, don’t you look handsome!” She held out

her hand in greeting, and he took it at once.

“Thank you, honey. I’ll have you know this suit is cut from the

best cloth money can buy.”

“It’s quite . . . nice.” Valerie felt a bit wounded that he didn’t

remark on her gown or the style of her hair.

Instead James puffed out his chest and smiled. “We have some

time before we have to go.” He ambled across the parlor’s large

Persian carpet. “Perhaps a drink to warm the blood would be

appropriate.”

“Yes, of course. I’ll call for Adalia.” She flicked a glance at him,

hoping he didn’t imbibe like Father. This was, after all, their first

public outing together. A moment later she decided to serve hot

cider in spite of the fact he hinted at something stronger.

She looked at him again. James had been a childhood friend,

an auburn-headed prankster who annoyed her by putting twigs in

her braided hair and calling her names. He threw slimy, creepycrawly

creatures at her and laughed when she screamed in terror.

But then James matured into a dashing young man, and when

he discovered that she’d come home from school, he offered to

escort her to every social event in New Orleans beginning this

New Year’s Eve. She’d accepted because . . . well, it was a kind offer,

and James seemed to have transformed into a gentleman.

“Is your father home?”

“No, he chose to ring in the New Year at the club.”

“He won’t be at the Donahues’, then?”

Valerie shook her head.

“I had hoped to speak with him tonight about an important

subject.” His frown turned to a smile. “You.”

“Me?”

“I have courtship on my mind.”

His news surprised her. “I thought we were just friends, James.”

“We are. But the way you look tonight makes me wish we were

more.”

So he’d noticed. That was something anyway. However, his

backhanded flattering didn’t change her feelings for him. But

unwilling to hurt him, she chose her words with care. “I am fond

of you. It’s just—”

“Y’ father’s houseguest just arrived.” Adalia poked her head into

the room. “What would you like me to do with him, dearie?”

Valerie grimaced. “Oh, yes . . . ” She’d almost forgotten about

the man. “Show him in.” Looking back at James, she said, “Excuse

me for a few minutes.”

“What’s this?” He stepped forward, frowning his displeasure.

“What houseguest?”

“Forgive me. My father only told me at the last minute.” She

moved toward the door. “I must see to him. It won’t take too

long.”

Putting on her best hostess’s smile, Valerie strolled into the

foyer in time to see a tall but shadowy figure of a man coming

down the hallway. He must have entered through the back way.

Over his shoulder he carried a large satchel and, in the opposite

hand, a valise. As he neared, she saw that he was soaked to the

skin. Rain dripped from the wide brim hat.

“Good evening.” He set his burdens down with a thunk onto

the tiled floor. “Name’s Benjamin McCabe.”

“Valerie Fontaine.” She held out her hand to him. He took

it politely, and Valerie felt how cold he was. He also appeared

young, in his midtwenties. Hardly the old codger she and Adalia

had envisioned.

“Miss Fontaine, I must say you look . . . lovely this evening.” He

spoke in a velvet baritone, and yet Valerie heard a hint of a twang

in his voice.

“Why, thank you.” It had been more of a compliment than

what she’d received from James.

He shifted his stance. “The liveryman is seeing to my wagon.”

He gave a backward nod. “I trust it will be safe in the stables.

Most of my equipment—”

“Your wagon will be just fine,” Valerie assured him. “Willie is

a very capable attendant.”

An awkward moment passed as Valerie tried to get a better

view of the man standing there in the dim, candlelit entryway.

“I apologize for dripping rain on your floor.” Mr. McCabe

glanced down at the puddle forming beneath him. “That last

downpour caught me.”

caffeinated randomness :: {rhubarb cake}

2010-05-08T00:03:00.008+09:30

So, I'm feeling pretty lethargic today & am pretty glad its a caffeinated randomness sort of day. I thought I would share with you the cake recipe that I will be making tomorrow. I have had a hankering for rhubarb so what better way to eat it then in the following:

Rhubarb Cake

Cake Ingredients
125g butter
1½ cups castor sugar
1 egg (59g size)
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
1 cup plain flour
1 cup self-raising flour
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cups chopped rhubarb
1 tablespoon flour extra

Topping Ingredients
¼ cup butter
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

Method

Cream the butter and the sugar, then add the egg and whisk till well combined. Fold in 1 cup of plain flour, 1 cup of self-raising flour, and the vanilla, milk and lemon juice.
Mix together the rhubarb with the extra 1 tablespoon of flour, then fold this into the above cake mixture. Pour into a 20cm round cake tin that has been greased and the base lined with baking paper.
For the topping: rub together the brown sugar, cinnamon and butter. This is not quite the consistency of the 'normal' crumble topping - it is much moister. Distribute this evenly over the top of the cake mixture. No need to be too fussy about this.
Bake at 160°C for about 45 minutes. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out.

Note: This cake can be converted to a slice very successfully by simply using a 28cm x 18cm (11in x 7in) slice pan.

So, if you are feeling all 'Betty Crocker-ish', why don't you join me in making this cake tomorrow (if rhubarb is indeed obtainable & in season, in your area)!

For more randomness, visit:

yes, I read as well...!

2010-05-06T12:52:00.001+09:30

Hello, lovely followers! I just thought I would write a quick post to let you know of my book review blog ...She Reads...

Some of you may already visit it but I thought I would put the word out there. I get so many wonderful books to read and I think that you may enjoy reading them as well.

Check out my recent review of Chosen by Ginger Garrett - A beautiful, fictional story about the well-known Biblical account of Queen Esther. Or if non-fiction is more your style, have a look at the review of Be Authentic by Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe. Definitely a must-read!

Now, off to clean my study so I can fit more books in! :)

Chosen by Ginger Garrett

2010-05-06T11:52:00.000+09:30

Chosen by Ginger Garrett

Publisher: David C. Cook, April 2010

ISBN: 1434768015
ISBN-13: 978143476801
Paperback. 304 pages.

my rating: 5 of 5 stars

A special thank you to Audra Jennings at The B&B Media Group, for providing a copy of Chosen for me to review.

The Book:

Based on the historical account of Queen Esther of Persia, Chosen, by Ginger Garrett, is a contemporary account of this beloved and ancient story. Uniquely written in first-person diary format, renderings of Esther’s thoughts and experiences are interspersed with current-time news excerpts, which show how Esther’s tale is woven into our own lives.

Chosen tells the story of Queen Esther, the young woman with the future of her nation in her hands. Wrenched from a simple life for her beauty, Esther finds herself at the mercy of King Xerxes. Leaving behind her only relative, her cousin Mordecai, and her first true love, Cyrus, she is thrown headlong into the unrestrained extravagance of palace living. Quick of mind and strong in spirit, she refuses to suffer the fate of her harem sisters and boldly challenges Xerxes to give of his heart before taking his pleasure, thus sealing her place beside him as queen. While conspiracy spins its diabolical web, Esther’s mind and spirit waver, and she is forced to confront the past in order to save her future—and that of an entire nation.

The Author:

Ginger Garrett is the author of the Chronicles of the Scribes series (In the Shadow of Lions, In the Arms of Immortals, In the Eyes of Eternity), Dark Hour, and Beauty Secrets of the Bible. Focusing on ancient women’s history, Ginger creates novels and nonfiction resources that explore the lives of historical women. A frequent media guest and television host, Ginger has been interviewed by Fox News, Billy Graham’s The Hour of Decision, The Harvest Show, 104.7 The Fish Atlanta, and many other outlets. A graduate of Southern Methodist University with a degree in theater, she is passionate about creating art from history.

The Trailer:

Chosen, by Ginger Garrett from David C. Cook on Vimeo.

The Take:

Once I picked this book up, I didn't put it down until I had finished. Beautiful characters & imagery contributed to the wonderfully engaging story about a girl who is forced to leave her life, family & love on the whims of a king. A very well researched fictional story using the very well known Biblical account of Queen Esther.

Other Resources:

Read about Queen Esther
Buy it from Koorong
Buy it from Amazon

mop it up monday :: {study}

2010-05-03T18:24:00.000+09:30

A dismal fail, I'm afraid! Last week, I promised that I would clean my study for Mop it up Monday at Under Grace & Over Coffee. Well, I think I spent 1 hour on my craft desk and... that's about it! So, in order to keep me accountable, I have taken some photos of the current mess:

So, hopefully next week I will have some nice, clean photos to show you! Wish me luck! :)

baby steps :: {home stretch}

2010-04-24T17:27:00.000+09:30

It must be time for a baby update! Can you believe that I only have 3 & 1/2 weeks to go? Nope, me either!

Frankie's senses are continuing to improve -- when light peeks in through my stretched belly, those tiny eyelids and irises blink and dilate. And, Frankie can now recognize and react to simple songs {time to start practicing my lullabies}! Growth is starting to slow, but Frankie's head is on its way down to get ready for birth!

Frankie now measures approx 47 cm in length and probably weighs around 2.6 kg occupying the entire space inside me so there’s not much room left in there!

How far along? 36 & 1/2 weeks.
Total weight gain/loss: Not much emphasis on weighing me but I don't seem to have put on much except for the belly! Yay :)
Stretch marks? *sigh* A few nasties have now appeared.
Sleep: Tossing & turning. Frankie likes getting up at 7ish every day!
Best moment this week: I became a lady of leisure and left work!
Movement: Lots of jabs in my ribs from those legs & buttinski!
Food cravings: Cadbury. Anything Cadbury!
Gender: Will it be blue or pink.. its anyone's guess! ;)
Labor Signs: Those pesky Braxton-Hicks keep happening but otherwise, nope!
Belly Button in or out? Still in.. yay!
What I miss: Being able to bend over to put on my socks.
What I am looking forward to: The next 3 weeks (provided Frankie doesn't arrive early) to rest, relax and catch up on some serious cleaning.
Weekly Wisdom: Make sure you make time for some 'you time'. Once people realise that you are home all the time, the phone won't stop ringing. (Advice given to me by a friend!)
Milestones: Nursery is getting there. We bought the wardrobe/shelves today! Can't wait to post some pictures, after Frankie is born of course! ;)

caffeinated randomness :: {winter love}

2010-04-09T18:51:00.000+09:30

Oh, I am so getting ready to have me some winter! I have been looking forward to it for so long and this week we have had rain twice - SO excited!!

So, I thought I'd do me some virtual shopping and have come up with the following cutesy outfits! Does anyone want to buy them for me?! :)

Ready for Winter by alihsee featuring Fahrenheit shoes

Winter Time by alihsee featuring Jigsaw accessories

For more caffeinated brews, visit

we've only just begun.

2010-04-07T12:00:00.001+09:30

I came across this draft post, written but never posted. How I have grown! More thoughts after the post...

24 September 2009

Dear “Bundle of Joy”,

Last week, I found out that I was going to bring you into the world. First impressions? Not too impressed! A million thoughts are running through my head. How am I supposed to bring up a child for the next 18 years & beyond? Me? The only reason I like children is because I can always hand them back. God sure is laughing up there. Now? Why not when I’m ready, God???!!!

And precious one, you have made me none too well over the past week and I’m just not one bit impressed with that. My only hope is that this ‘morning-and-all-day-sickness’ only lasts for a few more days because I really don’t know if I can handle much more. I have been told that it is good because it teaches me that children make us sick for the most part of our lives… how is that encouraging?

I know you will grow on me (and in me) but right now, it’s a pretty hard thing to take in. I know God has His perfect plan and mostly, I just get in the way of it, but He’s gonna need to give me a lot of extra strength cos I’m gonna need it!

How fast we learn! Don't worry, they were just my preliminary thoughts on the whole situation but God has been working in me and indeed, He has given me the extra strength that I need. He even made it easy on me by keeping me relatively small so I don't feel like an oversized hephalump (I'm sure its a real animal!). I have more energy than most ladies of 34 weeks and can still do most things. I know that this journey has just begun but I'm trusting God will keep me sane (enough) and I have tonnes of support around me!

Oh the joy! :)

caffeinated randomness :: {baby steps}

2010-03-26T17:00:00.000+10:30

Oh goodness, I have been so slack lately! I don't have much time to post so I will just give you a little update on how things are going!

How far along? 32 weeks.
Total weight gain/loss: Things are getting bigger but I haven't had my 'big pop' yet!
Stretch marks? Once again, none that I didn't have before.
Sleep: Strange strange dreams. I think I actually tried to have a conversation with my husby last night.. I wonder if he remembers.
Best moment this week: When I got a massive jab in my side & I put my hand over it, I could actually feel a hand/foot moving.
Movement: All the time, pushing against my ribs... wants to get out obviously. That, or Frankie thinks that my womb should be a lot bigger than it is!
Food cravings: Always the chocolate.
Gender: Not telling!
Labor Signs: Not yet.
Belly Button in or out? In but its trying to pop out.
What I miss: Having as much caffeine as I want. I have to ration it out now :(
What I am looking forward to: The 3 weeks after I finish work & in between when Frankie comes, because Frankie WILL come on time!
Weekly Wisdom: Don't drink caffeine before bedtime. Even if you don't have an energy lift, 9 times out of 10, your baby will!!
Milestones: 5 more weeks to go of work.. woohoo!

For more random Fridays, visit

Deliver Us From Evil by Robin Caroll

2010-03-23T11:53:00.000+10:30

I read this book in about 3 hours, I just couldn't put it down! Full of suspense & intrigue, a really well written fictional book about such a non-fiction subject. Definitely an A+ from me!

For more information on child trafficking, please visit HumanTrafficking.org

Today's Wild Card author is:

Robin Caroll

and the book:

Deliver Us From Evil

B&H Academic (February 1, 2010)

***Special thanks to Julie Gwinn of B&H Publishing Group for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robin Caroll has authored eight previous books including Bayou Justice and Melody of Murder. She gives back to the writing community as conference director for the American Christian Fiction Writers organization. A proud southerner through and through, Robin lives with her husband and three daughters in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Visit the author's website.

Product Details:

List Price: $14.99
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: B&H Academic (February 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0805449809
ISBN-13: 978-0805449808

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Tuesday, 3:30 p.m.
FBI Field Office
Knoxville, Tennessee

Jonathan’s throat closed as he stared at the building from the parking lot. He gripped the package tight in his arthritic hands. Could he do this? Turn over evidence that would implicate him?

His heart raced and he froze. Not the best time for his atrial fibrillation to make an appearance. Despite being on the heart transplant list for eight months, it looked like his progressed heart disease would do him in. The most important reason he couldn’t go to prison—he’d never get a heart and would die. While Carmen wanted him to confess his crimes, she wouldn’t want him to die. The memory of saying good-bye to his beloved mere hours ago scorched his soul.

Her eyes fluttered open. Those blue orbs, which had once sparkled even in the absence of light, now blinked flat and lifeless.

He swallowed hard.

“Jonathan,” her voice croaked, “it’s time.”

Tears burned the backs of his eyes, and he rested his hand over her parchmentlike skin. “No, Carmen. Please, let me get the medicine.”

Her eyelids drooped and she gasped. Air wheezed in her lungs. “Sweetheart, the fight’s . . . gone from me.” She let out a hiss, faint and eerie. “The cancer’s . . . won.”

Jonathan laid his lips against her cheek, her skin cold and clammy, as if in preparation for the morgue. How could she continue to refuse the medicine? Even though she didn’t approve of his means of acquisition, the drugs had kept her alive for five years. Five years he cherished every minute of. He’d do anything to keep her alive and the pain at bay—the intense pain that had become her constant companion these last two weeks. It killed him to witness her agony.

She licked her bottom lip, but no moisture soaked into the cracked flesh. “You’ve done . . . your best by me, Jonathan. I know . . . you meant . . . no harm to . . . anyone.” Her eyes lit as they once had. “Oh, how I’ve enjoyed loving you.”

His insides turned to oatmeal. Stubborn woman—she’d allow herself to die, all because she discovered how he’d gotten the money.

“Promise me . . . you’ll . . . tell the . . . truth. Admit what . . . you’ve done.” Her breath rattled. “What you’ve . . . all done.”

Pulling himself from the wretched memory, Jonathan breathed through the heat tightening his chest. He’d secure himself the best deal possible—immunity—or he wouldn’t decipher the papers. And without him no one could make sense of the accounting system he’d created more than five years ago. Officials hadn’t a clue.

With a deep breath he headed to the guardhouse in front of the fenced FBI building. His legs threatened to rebel, stiffening with every step. He forced himself to keep moving, one foot in front of the other.

At the guardhouse, a man behind bulletproof glass looked up. “May I help you?”

“I need to . . . see someone.”

“About what, sir?”

“I have some information regarding a crime.” He waved the file he held.

“One moment, sir, and someone will be with you.”

Jonathan stared at the cloudy sky. He could still turn back, get away scot-free. His heartbeat sped. The world blurred. No, he couldn’t lose consciousness now, nor could he go back on his promise. He owed it to Carmen. No matter what happened, he’d honor Carmen’s dying wish.

“Sir?” A young man in a suit stood beside the fenced entry, hand resting on the butt of his gun. “May I help you?”

Jonathan lifted the file. “I have some evidence regarding an ongoing crime ring.”

The agent motioned him toward a metal-detector arch. “Come through this way, sir.”

Jonathan’s steps wavered. He dragged his feet toward the archway.

A car door creaked. Jonathan glanced over his shoulder just as two men in full tactical gear stormed toward them. He had a split second to recognize one of the men’s eyes, just before gunfire erupted.

A vise gripped Jonathan’s heart, and he slumped to the dirty tile floor, the squeezing of his heart demanding his paralysis.

Too late. I’m sorry, Carmen.

Two Weeks Later—Wednesday, 3:45 p.m.
Golden Gloves Boxing of Knoxville

Ooof!

Brannon Callahan’s head jerked backward. She swiped her headgear with her glove.

“You aren’t concentrating on your form. You’re just trying to whale on me.” Steve Burroughs, her supervisor and sparring partner, bounced on the balls of his feet.

“Then why am I the one getting hit?” She threw a right jab that missed his jaw.

He brushed her off with his glove. “Don’t try to street fight me. Box.”

She clamped down on her mouthpiece and threw an uppercut with her left fist. It made contact, sending vibrations up her arm.

He wobbled backward, then got his balance. “Nice shot.”

It felt good to hit something. Hard. Sparring with Steve was the best form of venting. The energy had to be spent somehow—why not get a workout at the same time? She ducked a right cross, then followed through with a left-right combination. Both shots made full contact.

Steve spit out his mouthpiece and leaned against the ropes. “I think that’s enough for today, girl. I’m an old man, remember?”

She couldn’t fight the grin. Although only in his late forties, the chief ranger looked two decades older. With gray hair, hawk nose, and skin like tanned leather, Steve had already lived a lifetime.

She removed her mouthpiece, gloves, and headgear before sitting on the canvas. “Old? You’re still kickin’ me in the ring.”

He tossed her a towel and sat beside her. “So you wanna tell me what’s got you all hot and bothered this afternoon?”

She shrugged.

“Come on, spit it out. I know something’s gnawing at you, just like you were picking a fight with me in the ring. What’s up?”

How could she explain? “I’m not exactly keen that the district feels there’s a need for another pilot in the park.” She tightened the scrunchie keeping her hair out of her face.

“That’s a compliment—having you on staff has been so successful they want to expand.”

“But I have to train him. Did you notice his arrogance?” She ripped at the tape bound around her knuckles. “He’s nothing more than a young upstart with an ego bigger than the helicopter.” While only thirty-six, she often felt older than Steve looked.

“You’re so good, you can come across a bit intimidating at first, girl.” Steve grabbed the ropes and pulled to standing, then offered her a hand. “Give him a chance.”

She let Steve tug her up. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Even if he had maturity, I still have to train him. With all the rescues we’ve been called out on of late . . . well, I really don’t have the time.” She exited the ring. “Like those kids yesterday.” She shook her head as she waited for Steve to join her on the gym floor. “Their stupidity almost cost them their lives.”

“They were young, Brannon.”

“Please. Any amateur with half a brain should know better than to try to climb Clingmans Dome in winter.” Didn’t people realize if something happened to them they’d leave behind devastated family and friends? Loved ones who would mourn them forever? She fought against the familiar pain every time she participated in a search and rescue. All because people hadn’t taken necessary precautions.

“They didn’t know any better.”

“It takes a special kind of stupid not to have researched your climb.” Most SARs could be avoided if people planned a little more. It ripped her apart that so many parents, grandparents, siblings . . . fiancées . . . survived to deal with such grief. She’d tasted the bitterness of grief—twice—and the aftertaste still lingered.

Steve paused outside the locker rooms and shifted his sparring gear to one hand. “I agree, but most people don’t see the dangers we do every day.” He tapped her shoulder. “Hit the showers, champ. You stink.”

She laughed as she headed into the ladies’ locker room. Maybe Steve was right and the new pilot just made a lousy first impression. Maybe he’d be easy to train.

Please, God, let it be so.

Friday, 2:15 p.m.
US Marshals Office, Howard Baker Federal Courthouse
Knoxville, Tennessee

“You want me to escort a heart?” Roark struggled to keep his voice calm. He tapped the butt of his Beretta, welcoming it back to its rightful place on his hip.

Senior US Marshal Gerald Demott glared. “Look, I know you think this is a slight, but it’s important. And for your first assignment back on the job . . .”

“IA cleared me of all wrongdoing. I’m seeing the shrink and everything.” He gritted his teeth and exhaled. “I’ve been released to return to active duty.”

“This is active. It’s a field assignment, and it’s important. Here’s the case information.” Demott passed him a folder, then glanced at his watch. “You’d better hurry or you’ll miss your flight.”

Roark grabbed the file and turned to go.

“Holland.”

He looked back at his boss. “Yeah?”

Demott held out Roark’s badge. “You might want to take this with you, too.”

Roark accepted the metal emblem, then clipped it to his belt before marching out of Demott’s office. A heart. His job was to escort a human heart from North Carolina to Knoxville. Any rookie could handle that. But no, they still didn’t trust him enough to handle a real assignment.

He’d done everything they asked—took a medical leave of absence while Internal Affairs went over every painful minute
of his failed mission, saw the shrink they demanded he speak to every week since Mindy’s death, answered their relentless questions. The shrink reiterated he’d been forgiven for acting on his own.

Maybe one day he’d forgive himself. How many innocent lives would he have to save for his conscience to leave him be?

Roark slipped into the car, then headed to the airport. But to be assigned a heart transport? Not only was it wrong, it was downright insulting. After almost fifteen years as a marshal, he’d earned the benefit of the doubt from his supervisors. Especially Demott. His boss should know him better, know he’d only disregard orders if it was a matter of life and death.

But Mindy Pugsley died. They’d all died.

He pushed the nagging voice from his mind. Even Dr. Martin had advised him not to dwell on the past. On what had gone wrong. On disobeying a direct order.

If only Mindy didn’t haunt his dreams.

Roark touched the angry scar that ran along his right cheekbone to his chin. A constant reminder that he’d failed, that he’d made a mistake that took someone’s life. He’d have to live with the pain for the rest of his life.

He skidded the car into the airport’s short-term parking lot. After securing the car and gathering the case folder, Roark grabbed his coat. Snowflakes pelted downward, swirling on the bursts of wind and settling on the concrete. The purple hues of the setting sun streaked across the mountain peaks beyond the runways, making the January snow grab the last hope of light.

Yes, he’d handle this mundane assignment, then tell Demott he wanted back on real active duty. Making a difference would be the best thing for him. Would make him feel whole again.

Be Authentic by Warren Wiersbe

2010-03-13T11:54:00.000+10:30

Be Authentic by Warren Wiersbe

Publisher: David C. Cook, January 2010
ISBN: 1434766306
ISBN-13: 9781434766304
Hardcover. 224 pages.

my rating: 5 of 5 stars

A special thank you to Audra Jennings at The B&B Media Group, for providing a copy of Touching Wonder for me to review.

The Book:

Life is full of imitations. Which is why today's culture needs genuine, transparent people of God. People of purpose, not perfection. Believers who crave real spiritual growth. But what does this look like? The book of Genesis provides the answer, where we find three men who experienced an authentic life: Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.

Part of Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe's best-selling "BE" commentary series, Be Authentic has now been updated with study questions and a new introduction by Ken Baugh. A respected pastor and Bible teacher, Dr. Wiersbe shares the vital need for authenticity in an artificial world. You'll discover how to pursue authentic relationships with others and God, and live out your faith in an irresistible, compelling way.

The Author:

Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe is an internationally known Bible teacher and the former pastor of three churches, including the Moody Church in Chicago. For ten years he served as general director and Bible teacher for the Back to the Bible radio broadcast. Dr. Wiersbe has written more than 150 books, including the popular "Be" series of expositional Bible studies, which has sold more than four million copies. In 2002, he was awarded the Jordon Lifetime Achievement Award by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. He and his wife, Betty, live in Lincoln, Nebraska.

The Take:

I had my mum pose as a guest reviewer for this book so here is a snippet of what she thought (thanks mum!):

"Two points to ponder - “God is looking for authentic people who will dare to have firsthand spiritual experiences in life and not settle for the second-hand imitations that are promised if you listen to the right seminars, watch the right videos, and attend the right meetings” and “why be a cheap imitation when you can be a valuable original”?

It takes faith to go against the flow and be the person God desires you to be. Familiar Bible characters and their stories can often be glossed over however this text boldly displays the lives of Abraham (very briefly), Isaac, Jacob and Joseph, who are great examples of authenticity, warts and all. Families fall apart and dreams are blown away by relationships gone wrong, while the sovereignty of God throughout it all is stand alone and fuel for encouragement and faith.

I was constantly amazed at the various points the author brought out with each individual character and Gods’ presence in it all to bring about His plan and purpose, as well as His gracious manner in dealing with His people – points to ponder indeed and very thought provoking.

The final chapter in the book is a call to be authentic and after a brief summary of the text, really drives home the point of what it really means to be an authentic believer and the privilege through the grace of God that we have in not needing to be ‘cookie-cutter’ Christians.

If the lessons throughout the text are appropriated the reader will learn to not only live ones’ life as an authentic individual, but realize that life is a stewardship from God that needs to be invested and not wasted.

I loved this book and am excited about using it as a group study with the ladies in my church. This is also a book worth having in every home library – one to return to often."

Other Resources:

Buy it from Koorong
Buy it from Amazon

caffeinated update :: {week 29}

2010-03-05T17:00:00.002+10:30

Well, Frankie is now 29 weeks old - can I say that even when he/she isn't born yet?

A usual baby is now nearly 40 cm in length, and weighs 1.1 kg - or thereabouts, but I think Frankie is smaller than usual. Usually the uterus is supposed to measure the same number of weeks you are but at last measurement, we were down 2cms. Its not an unusual thing so I'm not worried. I'm sure Frankie will pick up soon! During the third trimester I can expect Frankie to triple in weight by the time 40 weeks comes around. In many respects Frankie is fully formed now – all the organs are developed but these will continue to mature baby gets ready to enter the world.

How far along? 29 weeks.
Total weight gain/loss: Still not a huge bump going on. People keep telling me that I'm going to "pop" any day now. No obvious weight gain except for the 1kg inside of me!! :)
Stretch marks? Not so much.. lucky me eh!?
Sleep: Usual amounts but leg cramps keep waking me up.
Best moment this week: Yesterday, because I was given the day off. It was even suggested that I go to 4 days a week. Now that would be utter bliss! :)
Movement: Frankie goes crazy when I drink my one daily coffee!
Food cravings: Cadbury chocolate... oh yes, I crave muchly for that!
Gender: Not telling!
Labor Signs: Zilcho
Belly Button in or out? Way in!
What I miss: Being able to walk without pain - Frankie is positioned in not too good a spot & putting pressure on certain bones.
What I am looking forward to: Bending over & touching my toes.
Weekly Wisdom: Even if you aren't pregnant, take a day off every now & then - it'll do you wonders!
Milestones: Tim got to poke & prod my stomach to feel Frankie's head & back and heard the heartbeat, with the midwife's help of course!

So there's my update. Now I'm going to go and enjoy my relaxing weekend away! Enjoy your caffeinated weekend ladies, and for more of it, please visit:

four years :: {and counting}

2010-03-04T10:00:00.001+10:30

Happy 4 Years, Husby

Yes, it has been 4 whole years since I signed my life away, tied the knot, changed my name, all those good things! God couldn't have picked a better man for me and I'm sure my parents agree! :)

We're celebrating by taking off for the weekend to South Australia's very own wine region (none for me thanks, I'm drinking for two!) and to this very cosy B&B

So, I'm excited and looking forward to a well deserved break and I promise that I will give you a baby update ASAP. Only 11 weeks to go!

Desert Fire by Shannon Van Roekel

2010-02-25T11:55:00.000+10:30

This book packed a lot of punch for me! Having had a lot to do with Sudanese people now & in the past, I know a little of what kind of war-torn country they have come from. This book delves deeply into this and highlights things that ordinary people would never read in the paper or watch on the news. I highly recommend that you read this book.

Read more on the war in Darfur here.

Today's Wild Card author is:

Shannon Van Roekel

and the book:

Desert Fire

Kregel Publications (September 22, 2009)

***Special thanks to Cat Hoort of Kregel Publications for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Shannon Van Roekel has volunteered on the mission field in both Africa and Mexico and much of this novel is influenced by her experiences. She published works in Guideposts 4 Teens and The Upper Room and now lives with her husband and five children in British Colombia.

Visit the author's website.

Product Details:

List Price: $15.99
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Kregel Publications (September 22, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0825439221
ISBN-13: 978-0825439223

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Dear Julia,

I want to die better than I’ve lived. So I ask you, please read this letter to the end.

It’s the only one I’ll send.

Cold, fluorescent light shone down on the metal desk where Fred Keegan sat. His hair was closely shaven along a massive neck between a pair of muscle-bound shoulders. He hunched over white notepaper, his right hand engulfing the pen.

A sigh escaped him, a moment passed, and then the pen scratched its way across the paper again:

If you receive this, it will mean I am gone from this world—so you can relax, I won’t come and disturb your life.

There are some things, however, that I’d like you to know about me.

One is that I’ve always loved you. I guess your mama didn’t spend much time talking about the father you probably had no trouble forgetting. I don’t blame either of you for having nothing to do with me. I was a real jerk. I was guilty, as charged, for the crimes I committed. That life, I am ashamed of, and I paid a high price. Thirty years in the slammer. And counting. I won’t bore you with the sorry-old-me stuff. Mostly, I want to tell you about the last eight years. Something important happened, and you should know not just who I was, but who I got to be and the Treasure I found. This is why I write to you.

I’ve got a picture of a cute kid taped to my wall. You’re missing your front teeth and have two of those pony things. You’re a cute gal and no mistake. Pretty, like your mama. The picture came in the last letter with the divorce papers.

Fred stopped, head bowed, eyes squeezed shut. The memories of that day still filled him with remorse. The rage he’d felt and his inability to control it. Two guards had taken the brunt, both of whom still carried scars marking the event. Two weeks in solitary was his punishment. Regrettably, not long enough to cure him of his anger-management problem.

Picking up his pen again, he gazed at the photo. The tape had yellowed with age. The girl never aged. She smiled back with sweetness and youth.

I guess you were seven in that photo. That means you’d be thirty-three now. I wonder if I’d know you if I saw you today. Can a man walk past his own kin and not feel the bond of blood that connects them? Recognize the spirit in the other who shares his same history, ancestors, and perhaps God? Maybe that’s why we get goose bumps. Maybe I’m a crazy old fool who’s had too much time to think about the inner workings of this thing we call life.

“Keegan, you got a visitor.”

Fred looked up as the guard unlocked the steel door and stepped aside, allowing a tall man access into his cell. His frown at being interrupted from his writing smoothed immediately into a grin when he recognized his guest.

“Mr. Lawyer, good to see ya.”

“Good to be seen, Keegan. How are you feeling today?” Joel Maartens returned Fred’s grin with one of his own.

“Feeling? I guess I’m fine. I’ve got things to do, and that helps keep my mind off the pain.” Fred tried to ignore the pity in Joel’s eyes.

“Let me guess, you’ve got new books?”

Fred followed Joel’s gaze as he glanced at the bookshelf on the opposite wall. His cell was compact: bed, desk, chair, toilet, sink. But the bookshelf reaching from floor to ceiling was the focal point.

“Nah! Not books this time. I’ve got a letter to write, and it’s not an easy thing to do, Mr. Lawyer.” Fred folded his large frame into a sitting position on the edge of his bed so Joel could take the chair. “That’s why I asked to see you. I need some help with its delivery.”

“You need a letter mailed?” Joel asked.

“Not mailed, delivered,” Fred explained.

“Got an address, Keegan?”

“Well, no. No, I don’t. But it’s to my daughter.”

Fred watched Joel, wondering how his lawyer would respond to his proposal. They had known each other for the last five years, and during that time, he had learned to value the man’s opinion. Joel seemed less like his lawyer and more like a nephew.

Joel leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees and his fingers laced together as he spoke.

“I wouldn’t think it should be too difficult. There’ll be a marriage certificate if your ex remarried—would she be the type to remarry?” As Fred nodded and grimaced, Joel continued. “And of course, school registration forms. Maybe with some help from the Web, I could find an address or addresses where you can send the letter—”

“No,” Fred interjected. “I don’t want to mail it. It’s taken me a long time, Joel, but now that I have something of value to offer her, I want to know that it’ll get put into her hands. I don’t know who else to ask. I thought this thing through till my head feels like I’ve got two tumors, not one, and I keep coming back to you. I need you to do this.

“My daughter, Julia, will be my only heir, and you will be the executor—if you agree to it, that is. This search shouldn’t be complicated, but if it is, you can take any funds you require for it from the inheritance provision that you will write up with my signature and a third-party witness. I’m not a rich man, but I’m not a poor one, either, thanks to some of the investments you’ve helped me with.” He stopped. His outburst had winded him.

Fred prepared himself for disappointment as he watched Joel struggle with the ramifications of his request. Things that should be simple and straightforward were sometimes the opposite. For a lawyer to take on the unknown with no guarantee was a leap, and Fred knew it.

Joel hesitated for a moment, then gave a quick nod.

“I’ll do it, Keegan,” he told him.

As they shook hands over the agreement, Fred sighed with relief. He knew Joel would see it through. It was enough.

random mumblings.

2010-02-11T16:42:00.003+10:30

I managed to get a day off work today so I have a bit of time to update you lovely people on what has been in my mind today!

Is it a bad thing that I have eaten Cadbury Snack chocolate, Vanilla Coke, pasta and a Magnum icecream today? I think I'll need to bring on the healthy food for dinner and ... ~~possibly for the rest of my life~~ tomorrow.
It is a gorgeous 20 degrees Celsius today with rain & thunderstorms... I can't wait for winter! We have had up to 38 degree days for the past few weeks and I'm a bit over summer now!
My stomach jumped a mile today when I got a random but very huge kick from little Frankie. Pretty active today, unlike me!
Baking is quickly becoming my favourite passtime so I'm going to leave you with a recipe that I made the other day

Raspberry Butter Cake

INGREDIENTS
150g butter, softened
1 cup caster sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 ¾ cups self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ cup milk
200g raspberries thawed if frozen
TO SERVE
300ml thickened cream, whipped
250g fresh raspberries
Icing sugar for dusting

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line a 22cm springform cake tin with baking paper. Place the butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until pale and creamy. Add the vanilla then eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift the flour and baking powder and then add the milk and raspberries, and stir until the mixture is just combined. Pour into the cake tin and bake for 45 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cook the cake completely before decorating with the whipped cream, raspberries and icing sugar. Serves 10.

Face of Betrayal by Lis Wiehl with April Henry

2010-02-06T11:35:00.006+10:30

Face of Betrayal by Lis Wiehl with April Henry

Publisher: Thomas Nelson, February 1, 2010
ISBN: 1595548173
ISBN-13: 9781595548177
Paperback. 320 pages.

my rating: 5 of 5 stars

A special thank you to Thomas Nelson, for providing a copy of Face of Betrayal for me to review.

The Book:

Fox News correspondent and former Federal Prosecutor Lis Wiehl's New York Times bestseller that's as timely as tomorrow's headlines.

While home on Christmas break, a seventeen-year-old Senate page takes her dog out for a walk and never returns. Reporter Cassidy Shaw is the first to break the story. The resulting media firestorm quickly ensnares Federal Prosecutor Allison Pierce and FBI Special Agent Nicole Hedges. The three unique women are life-long friends who call themselves The Triple Threat--a nickname derived from their favorite dessert and their uncanny ability to crack cases via their three positions of power.

Though authorities think Katie might have been kidnapped or run away, those theories shatter when Nicole uncovers Katie's blog. They reveal a girl troubled by a mysterious relationship with an older man. Possibly a US Senator.

There are many faces of betrayal, but they must find the one face in a crowd of growing suspects before they become the next victims.

The Author:

Lis Wiehl is a New York Times bestselling author, Harvard Law School graduate, and former federal prosecutor. A popular legal analyst and commentator for the Fox News, Wiehl appears on The O’Reilly Factor and was co-host with Bill O’Reilly on the radio for seven years

Noted author, Roald Dahl, helped New York Times bestselling author April Henry take her first step as a writer. When April was eleven, she sent the famous children's author a short story about a frog who loved peanut butter. He read it to an editor of an international children's magazine, who then asked to publish it. April has since written several highly acclaimed mysteries and thrillers. Her books have been short-listed for the Agatha Award, the Anthony Award, and the Oregon Book Award, and translated into several languages. Two have been chosen for BookSense by the independent booksellers of America. April lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and daughter.

My Take:

The first in what I believe will be a great series, Face of Betrayal introduces us to "The Triple Threat" girls, a great combination of TV Reporter, Federal Prosecutor & FBI Special Agent. As advertised, I found this book a fantastically fast-paced thriller, full of intrigue & suspense. Though it may have seemed obvious, through some great twists, Wiehl & Henry kept me guessing throughout the book as to who the killer was. I loved meeting each of the characters & am ready to read the next book in the series, Hand of Fate.

Other Resources:

Buy it from Koorong
Buy it from Amazon

caffeinated catchup :: {weeks 22 to 24}

2010-02-05T16:00:00.002+10:30

Goodness me, it has been ages since I have written. Apologies my dearests but I have just been flat out!

"Watch what you say" -- Frankie is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that Frankie finds gentle music and my voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, Frankie's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It isn't hard to figure out when -- Frankie's kicks are enough of a giveaway (Frankie says hi right now and just rolled over, I'm sure! What a mover!).

Baby things are being bought left and right. Cots, prams, bedding, clothes.. the list goes on! And can I recommend your local Salvos enough?! We have picked up some great finds for no more than AU$3 each.. nearly brand new as well! Ah the joys of being thrifty when you have the foreknowledge of no work/money in the future!

Any other tips on money saving would be greatly appreciated!

And for more caffeinated fridays, please visit

caffeinated randomness :: {on top of the world}

2010-01-22T21:13:00.003+10:30

Aw gee shucks! Lovely Under Grace & Over Coffee nominated me for this award and I just feel so priviledged that I have to share it!

Here are the Rules:

Use only one word answer the questions, pass along to six favorite bloggers, and tell 'em you did so.

1. Where is your cell phone? Handbag

2. Your hair? Short

3. Your mother? Creative

4. Your father? Softy

5. Your favorite food? Sweet

6. Your dream last night? Forgotten

7. Your favorite drink? Standard-skinny-vanilla-latte (I order it like that so it IS one word ;)

8. Your dream/goal? Heaven

9. What room are you in? Reception

10. Your hobby? Singing

11. Your fear? Alone

12. Where do you want to be in six years? Here

13. Where were you last night? Meeting

14. Something that you aren't? Energised

15. Muffins? Yesterday

16. Wish list item? This

17. Where did you grow up? Perth, WA

18. Last thing you did? Ate

19. What are you wearing? Pyjamas

20. Your TV? On

21. Your pets? Sleeping

22. Friends? Numerous

23. Your life? Changing

24. Your mood? Unenergised (is that a word?)

25. Missing someone? Always

26. Vehicle? Daewoo

27. Something you're not wearing? Shoes

28. Your favorite store? Fireflies

29. Your favorite color? Random

30. When was the last time you laughed? Everyday

31. Last time you cried? Months

32. Your best friend(s)? Blessings

33. One place that I could go over and over? Perth

34. One person who emails you regularly? Numerous (is that a cop out?)

35. Favorite place to eat? WildThyme

And for my six favourite, over the top blogs...

The chicka that gave me this award, Under Grace & Over Coffee
My lovely mumma, Artshus by Violet
Another top chicka, Critty Joy
An inspiration to me, South East Country Wife
My lovely "Misho" (read: Missionary) friend, Ravvy
One of my new favourites, Joyful Adorations

And for more of this random caffeine, please visit

tuesday tummy update :: {weeks 20 & 21}

2010-01-12T16:42:00.010+10:30

Because I have been so slack of late, I'll be giving you a 2 week update today! Also, don't forget this giveaway!

{Week 20}

Frankie is now measured from head to toe. This is because Frankie has been curled up in utero until now and is very difficult to measure. Frankie's weight is approx 300 grams and measures approx 22cm from head to toe. The part of Frankie's brain that controls the senses is developing fast.

At this time, Frankie's skin is secreting a thick white waxy substance called vernix which acts as a waterproof barrier to protect the baby’s skin during pregnancy. Vernix prevents dehydration and prevents the skin from becoming prune-like while living underwater for nine months!

Frankie is about the length of a rockmelon (cantaloupe) - hopefully not as round!!!! :)

{Week 21}

Frankie is now around 26 cm long and weighs about 400 grams – the size of a banana! Apparently, Frankie can hear when I talk and sing – so I'm guessing now’s a good time to start playing my favourite music so that Frankie develops exceptional music taste & ability! :)

Frankie is still small but is developing stores of fat deposits underneath the skin which provide warmth, protection and helps maintain body temperature. The brain is developing fast too, and needs lots of omega fats to sustain its growth. Unfortunately, this means I probably should be taking fish oil tablets.. haven't started yet!

artschus giveaway :: {february}

2010-01-11T10:56:00.000+10:30

I just thought that I would let you in on a giveaway that Artschus by Violet is holding. You must visit & enter your name because, and I'm sure you will agree, the prize is oh-so-gorgeous. Entries close at the end of February, so click on the link below & happy entering!

February Giveaway

Stay tuned for a tummy update tomorrow!

Pearl Girls compiled by Margaret McSweeney

2009-12-30T11:56:00.000+10:30

Pearl Girls compiled by Margaret McSweeney

Publisher: Moody Publishers (July 1, 2009)
ISBN: 0802458629
ISBN-13: 978-0802458629
Hardcover. 192 pages.

my rating: 5 of 5 stars

A special thank you to Amy Lathrop at Litfuse Publicity Group, for providing a copy of Pearl Girls for me to review.

The Book:

After experiencing the death of both parents, Margaret McSweeney recognized the importance of community like never before. Through these difficult times in life, she learned how God uses gritty circumstances to conform us to the stunning image of Christ.

McSweeney also realized that she was not at all alone. It is for this reason that she decided to compile essays into an inspiring book: Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit Experiencing Grace. Through this collection, readers will be encouraged by the heartfelt writings that deal with loss and hardship in a real and honest way. Respected authors such as Shaunti Feldhahn, Melody Carson, Debbie Macomber, Robin Jones Gunn and others help remind every woman that they are not alone and that no circumstance is beyond the grace of God.

McSweeney uses the metaphor of a pearl in order to better describe the situations that ail us all. When an oyster takes in a piece of sand in order to create its coveted masterpiece, it is initially painful to the soft flesh of the creature. But after the pain, appears a clean, white symbol of simplicity, purity, and endurance that any woman would be proud to wear. McSweeney believes that each woman is a pearl and together, form a necklace of great worth. In this book, readers will discover community and encouragement: women are alone in neither their pain nor victories in life.

The Author:

Margaret McSweeney lives with her husband, David and two teenage daughters in the Chicago suburbs. After earning a master’s degree in international business from the University of South Carolina, Margaret moved to New York City to work at a large bank where she met David. Margaret is the editor of Pearl Girls, author of A Mother’s Heart Knows and co-author of Go Back and Be Happy. Charity and community involvement are very important to Margaret. She has served on the board of directors for WINGS (Women in Need Growing Stronger) for over six years.

My Take:

A georgeous collection of stories, compiled by Margaret McSweeney, tell of women encountering unexpected hardship in their lives: illness, disappointment, forgiveness... the list goes on. Each story is an encouragement and I encourage you to get a copy of this book, read it & then pass it on!

Book Trailer:

Pearl Girls from Michael J Garvey on Vimeo.

Other Resources:

Buy it from Koorong
Buy it from Amazon.

tuesday tummy update :: {week 19}

2009-12-22T08:45:00.002+10:30

Frankie is now the size of a mango! Frankie's tastebuds are now well developed and they can taste the sweetness of the amniotic fluid. Before they are born, babies already like sweet tastes (like mangos)!

Developing fast, Frankie's hearing is now sensitive enough to pick up sounds that are too high or too low for adults to hear. Hearing will have developed to a point where Frankie may startle to a loud noise or music. Frankie has also grown another centimeter in the last week - so now measures around 15 cm! I keep getting comments that people can't tell I'm pregnant so it would be interesting to find out just how Frankie is fitting in there!

We go to our 19 week ultrasound today where we will hopefully find out the sex... We both have our preferences but will be absolutely happy with whatever we are blessed with!

Touching Wonder by John Blase

2009-12-11T11:58:00.000+10:30

Touching Wonder by John Blase

Publisher: David C. Cook, September 2009
ISBN: 1434764656
ISBN-13: 9781434764652
Hardcover. 128 pages.

my rating: 5 of 5 stars

A special thank you to Audra Jennings at The B&B Media Group, for providing a copy of Touching Wonder for me to review.

The Book:

This bold retelling of Luke 1-2, based on Eugene Petersons Message translation, reads like a novel and invites readers to experience the Nativity with fresh wonder. To Eugene Petersons The Message Bible translation, John Blas adds his own storytelling voice, exploring the familiar events from multiple first-person viewpoints. What emerges is the intimate story of unlikely peoplea frightened teenaged girl, a worried carpenter, a collection of senior citizens, a disillusioned young shepherdmeeting up with the divine as they bumble and stumble toward the realization that the little one just born is the One. This retold story of Word made flesh invites readers to react appropriatelywith eyes opened wide in wonder, jaws dropped in amazement, and hearts rejoicing. The beautiful design and Amanda Jolmans lively line drawings make this book a fitting gift as well as a Christmas tradition that families will treasure for years to come.

The Author:

John Blase’s work includes Living the Questions and Living the Letters Bible-study series, the Worldviews reference book (TH1NK), Real Life Stuff for Couples, and The Message Children’s Bible. A former pastor, John currently edits by day and writes by night. He and his wife, Meredith, have three children and make their home in Colorado.

My Take:

A recommended stocking-filler for the fast-approaching Christmas Day. A wonderful, heartfelt retelling of the story of Christmas with passages taken from The Message Bible translation and at the end of each chapter, an honest prayer written by the author. John Blase's Touching Wonder: Recapturing the Awe of Christmas does just what it promises and is a book that you will want to re-read each year.

Book Trailer:

Other Resources:

Buy it from Koorong
Buy it from Amazon.

caffeinated randomness :: {love me some muppets}

2009-12-11T10:28:00.000+10:30

Wow, I have so many random things to share today, so please bear with me! First off, the theme for CR today is to share my favourite Christmas movie of all time.

Drumroll please...

The Muppet Christmas Carol

I absolutely love this movie! I think it would make a great Christmas Eve tradition that we can all love. Because who doesn't love themselves a bit of Muppets?!

On to more randomness...

My lovely mum is having a great December giveaway at her new blog, Art Shu Shus. So if you would like to score yourself some original, hand-painted Christmas gift tags, please visit!! That link again - here.

And last, but I would say definitely not least, an update on Frankie (the temporary boy/girl name we chose to keep people guessing)!

Frankie is now 17 & 1/2 weeks old and the size of an onion. Strange because I can't stand eating onions at the moment!

According to The Bump, Frankie's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. The umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes are now topped by one-of-a-kind prints. So there you go!

For more randomness, please visit my chicka Andrea.

Lonestar Secrets by Colleen Coble

2009-12-05T11:58:00.000+10:30

Lonestar Secrets by Colleen Coble

Publisher: Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 1595544879
ISBN-13: 9781595544872
Paperback. 320 pages.

My Rating: 5 of 5 stars

A special thank you to Thomas Nelson for providing this free review copy.

The Book:

Five years ago, Shannon Astor left the beautiful high-mountain country of West Texas as a single mother. She was desperate for a fresh start...and a way to keep the secrets of her past buried. It almost worked.

Until a chance to make a better life for her daughter leads her right back home. To the very place of the past betrayals.

But it also leads Shannon to horse-trainer Jack MacGowan--her handsome high-school nemesis, now a widowed father. His daughter looks so startlingly like her own that Shannon can't help but question the circumstances surrounding her daughter's birth. Wary of each other's intentions, Shannon and Jack reluctantly join forces to untangle a deep mystery that swirls around Shannon's parents, a lost Spanish treasure, and a legendary black stallion.

If Shannon can learn to entrust her secrets to the man falling in love with her, the truth just might set her free.

The Author:

Colleen Coble is the best-selling author of several novels including Cry in the Night, Lonestar Sanctuary, and Anathema. She lives with her husband, Dave, in Indiana.

My Take:

It took me a while to pick up & read Lonestar Secrets by Colleen Coble but once I did, I was not disappointed. Mystery and intrigue are introduced in the very first chapter which makes it a hard book to put down. The plot line could have made for a very predictable book but Coble's wonderful writing drew me into twist after twist. Yet another enjoyable delve into mystery, romance, intrigue, treasure & great family values. You won't be disappointed!

Other Resources:

Buy this book from Amazon.
Buy this book from Koorong.

Haunt of Jackals by Eric Wilson

2009-12-04T11:59:00.000+10:30

Haunt of Jackals by Eric Wilson

Publisher: Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 1595544593
ISBN-13: 9781595544599
Paperback. 416 pages.

My Rating: 5 of 5 stars

A special thank you to Thomas Nelson for providing this free review copy.

The Book:

When Jesus was resurrected, ancient scripture says many rose from the grave. Today, 36 from this group of undead remain. Known as the Nistarim, they are here to watch over the world.

When Judas hung himself, his blood mysteriously gave rise to another group of undead: the unholy Collectors. Now very much alive, they feed on souls and human blood.

Both groups of immortals still walk among us in an eternal struggle. Now both are after a single target--a boy named Pavel who may possess the key to the Collectors' unlimited power...or ultimate downfall.

Gina, a woman fleeing for her own life, is determined to protect the boy at all costs. She has survived one battle with the undead already, but has no idea how long she'll be able to stay a step ahead of them.

The Jerusalem's Undead Trilogy takes readers on a riveting journey, as imaginative fiction melds with biblical and archaeological history.

The Author:

Eric Wilson is the New York Times bestselling author of Fireproof as well as eight suspense novels, including Dark to Mortal Eyes and The Best of Evil. His fiction explores earth's tension between heaven and hell. Through he grew up in the Pacific Northwest, he now lives in Nashville, TN, with his wife and two daughters.

My Take:

Firstly, I have to stress that this book is purely fiction and I know that many have found it quite controversial. Saying that, I also have to say that I really quite enjoyed it! I haven't read the first book in the Jerusalem's Undead Trilogy but I found that as I started reading, the story was quite easy to pick up and characters that had been introduced in the first book, Field of Blood, were reintroduced in this one. The character development and fantastic historical & archeological settings made this book a pleasure to read and as I'm a fan of all things vampire & warewolvish, an A+ in my books. I'll be waiting until the next one comes out!

Blog Tour Participants

Brandon Barr
Wayne Thomas Batson
Jennifer Bogart
Justin Boyer
Keanan Brand
Amy Browning
Karri Compton
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Beth Goddard
Todd Michael Greene
Timothy Hicks
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Julie
Carol Keen
Dawn King
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika
Nissa
John W. Otte
James Somers
Speculative Faith
Rachel Starr Thomson
Robert Treskillard
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
Jill Williamson
KM Wilsher

Other Resources:

Buy this book from Amazon.
Buy this book from Koorong.
Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy Blog Tour