Double Blog Tour! Blind Sight and Terror By Night (Gift Basket Opportunity)

About Terror by Night:

(Greenville, TX) – A father denied his daughter dating privileges with a certain young man. Typical teenage behavior might have included pouting, a bad attitude or perhaps even a yelling match. Never in a million years would Terry Caffey have suspected it would involve murder. Yet, in the early morning hours of March 8, 2008, Terry’s whole world turned upside down. His wife and two sons where brutally murdered and burned in the house they lived and Terry was shot twelve times…by his daughter and her friends.

Terry Caffey and James Pence reconstruct this tragic yet strangely beautiful true story of God’s sovereignty, forgiveness and grace in Terror by Night. As if the story of Caffey’s family wasn’t enough, readers will be captivated by the way God ordained the meeting between the Blind Sight author and Caffey with a burnt page from Blind Sight found at the crime scene.

About Blind Sight:

No one plans for bad things to happen. No one plans on losing their family. No one knows how to move on after horror strikes. No one. Not even Thomas Kent. After receiving a strange phone call from a long-ago friend requesting Kent to pick up a package at the airport, Kent begins a spine tingling, suspense filled journey in which he hopes to reunite the package (his friend’s children) with their mother, Justine, a traitor in the Fellowship for World Renewal Cult. Twists and turns in this page turning drama make Blind Sight not only a journey of extreme action and thrills, but one of discovering the sovereign plan of God.

James H. Pence is a full-time professional writer and editor living near Dallas, Texas. James is a multi-talented writer who has been published in both fiction and nonfiction. His publishers include Tyndale House, Kregel, and Osborne/McGraw-Hill. James holds a master’s degree in Biblical Studies with an emphasis in creative writing and journalism from Dallas Theological Seminary. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in theology from Dallas Bible College.

James is also a vocalist and gospel chalk artist, and he regularly uses his talents to share the gospel in prisons. James is the author of Blind Sight, a gripping novel about mind-control cults and coauthor (along with Terry Caffey) of the new book: Terror by Night: The True Story of the Brutal Texas Murder that Destroyed a Family, Restored One Man’s Faith, and Shocked a Nation.




How I Met Terry Caffey...

Terry Caffey and I met through my karate for homeschoolers class. Back in 2005, his wife Penny brought two of their three children and enrolled them in my class. Erin their oldest daughterand Tyler their youngest son or two of my students. Over time, Erin and my daughter Charlene became very good friends. As a matter of fact, Charlene would often stay with the Caffey's when my wife and I were traveling.

Somewhere in there I gave Mrs. Caffey a copy of my novel Blind Sight. I don't remember if she read it, but she was a big reader so she probably did. As far as I know Terry had never read it.

About six weeks after his family was murdered and his house burned, Terry returned to his property and stood on the ashes of his house crying out to God. His burden that day was to understand why God had taken his family and left him behind without them.

As he was praying, he noticed about 15 feet away a brown scorched page from a book leaning up against the trunk of a tree. He went over and picked it up and read it. It just happened to be a single page from Blind Sight that had survived the fire.

But it wasn't just any page. It was the page where my main character, a man who had lost his family in an automobile accident, came to grips with God's sovereignty in his loss. When Terry picked up that piece of paper the first lines he read were, "I couldn't understand why you would take my family and leave me to struggle along without them but I do believe you are sovereign. You are in control."

It was as if God had saved or preserved that piece of paper to remind Terry that he still cared.

Some time ago, when I was struggling with my own depression over the fact that Blind Sight hadn't sold very well, I gave my book back to God. And I told the Lord that he would just use it in someone's life I would be happy. And boy did he use it in someone's life. From the standpoint of a writer I can think of no greater honor than for God to use my words to change someone's heart.

A few weeks after I learned of the connection between Terry and my book, we got together and began to discuss the possibility of telling this amazing story in book form.

An Interview with James Pence:

1. You've dabbled in a little bit of everything career-wise. Give us a brief summary of your journey so far.

I have definitely had a colorful background as you've already mentioned. I guess the one unifying thread that has run through everything I do is the service of God. I knew when I was 14 years old that God had called me into the ministry, and I've never wavered from that. And even though that ministry now includes such things as teaching karate to homeschoolersI consider that as much a part of my calling as anything else.

Since finishing Bible College back in 1978 I have been a youth pastor, a camp director, a pastor, a prison evangelist, a gospel chalk artist, a speaker, a singer, a Web designer, a writer, a karate teacher, an art teacher, and a writing teacher. Amazingly, I'm still active in most of those things. I'm not pastoring anymore, and I've long since left directing summer camps behind me, but everything else I still do.

It would be a book in and of itself if I were to try to go into the details of all of those different things and how I got started doing each of them. Suffice it to say that I've always believed that the talents that we have are stewardships. Thus I've always felt that if I have a talent in an area I have a responsibility to develop and use it for God's glory. And that's why do so many different things. I wouldn't have it any other way.

2. There was a tight deadline for Terror by Night. Tell us a little bit about how you interviewed Terry Caffey and the timeline you had to submit your book.

There was definitely a tight deadline for Terror by Night. I had a total of 12 weeks in which to write it and that included doing all the interviewing with Terry. I'm very happy to say that I was able to meet that challenge, but there were times when I wondered if I could get it all done.

Terry and I got together every Wednesday for several hours and I would interview him. Our first few interviews were just for getting the layout of the book planned. I had to get an idea of the different aspects of the story that needed to be pulled together, sort of like a plot outline. And then I actually had a plan the storyline based on my discussions with Terry.

It was sort of a cumulative thing, because as we talked each week more questions would come up and I would make notes on those and we would discuss them in subsequent weeks.

I recorded all of the interviews with a digital voice recorder and then transferred them all to my computer. After that I edited the interviews down into soundbites of two to three minutes all according to topics. Then I put them all on my iPod and would listen to them at every spare moment. My goal was to be familiar enough with Terry's voice so that the book would sound natural and that it would sound like Terry was doing the speaking or writing.

3. Because of the intensity of this book, how did you deal with the emotional side of writing? Did it ever become more than you or Terry could deal with at one sitting?

This was a very difficult story to write and it was very stressful for both of us, but in different ways. As we went through the interview process Terry began to struggle with depression and had some rough moments. Once or twice we had changed the topic of our discussion because it was just getting to be too hard on him.

For me the stress came from the deadline more than the storyline. The fastest I'd written a book before was 20 weeks, and writing this one in 12 weeks was like running a marathon. Near the end I was exhausted, but still had to get that word count out every day. There were times when I would just become overwhelmed with the size of the task. But there was nothing to do but keep moving forward.

So we were both very happy when this project was complete.

4. You enjoy some great ministry opportunities outside of your writing. Share how God is using your other gifts to reach others for Christ.

As I mentioned earlier, in addition to being a writer I am a gospel chalk artist and a vocalist. I've been doing that for over 30 years now and really enjoy being able to use art and music to bring a message to people. For about the last 15 years I've been going into prisons with my art and music and sharing the gospel with inmates. That's been a huge blessing to me. In fact, I often say that after a prison service I've been far more blessed than the inmates. And recently God has begun to open up more doors both in prison and out. Over a six-week period, I'll be drawing in Florida, Iowa, and Alabama.

One of the great things about chalk art is that even if the people who see a drawing don't remember everything I say, they will remember the picture and the scripture that the picture represented. I've had people write me who saw my pictures 20 years ago and came to Christ through them, and now they are serving Christ in churches and other ministries. That's one of the great joys of this ministry.

5. With the re-release of Blind Sight, it's almost like two books releasing at once. What message do you hope readers will take away from reading both books?

I was so excited when Tyndale decided to release Blind Sight a second time. It's rare that a novel gets a second chance at life. And it's especially satisfying that both books were released simultaneously. And even though one is a novel and the other a nonfiction book, the message that people can take away from the books is really the same. God is sovereign.

So often we are confused when difficult circumstances come into our lives and we wonder why God would allow that. Sometimes we even get angry with him and demand an explanation like Terry did. But the message of both Blind Sight and Terror by Night is that while God doesn't explain himself to us, we can trust in his goodness and sovereign grace. We know that he is working all things together for our good and we can trust him in that. Blind Sight communicates that message by way of a novel; Terror by Night communicates the same message by way of a true story.

Terror By Night
Publisher: Tyndale
ISBN-10: 1414334761
ISBN-13:9781414334769
Hardcover: 288 pages
Retail: $22.29

Blind Sight
Publisher: Tyndale
ISBN-10: 1601454384
ISBN-13: 978-1601454386
Paperback: 364 pages
Retail: $17.95

Special Gift Basket Opportunity!

This special one of a kind basket includes:

Angel- James Pence

Bind Sight- James Pence

Terror By Night- James Pence

Quality 8.5 X 11 in printing of the scorched page

DVD of Chalk Art Illustrations from James Pence

I can send in one commentor's name to the blog tour sponsor for a chance to win this basket! So be sure to leave me an email address for your chance to be added to the big drawing! Ends Dec 16th at 8AM! Spread the word!

New winners!

We won! We won!


Congratulations to the winners of the audiobook - Say You're One of Them:
Jaime
roswello
Renee G

Congratulations to the winners of the audiobook - The Lovely Bones:
Natalie W
Sandra K321
ossmcalc

I will be emailing the winners in a few minutes and they will have 48 hours to get me their mailing info or a new winner will be drawn.

Waiting on Wednesday: An Unfinished Score

An Unfinished Score by Elise Blackwell

Unbridled Books, April 2010

As she prepares dinner for her husband and their extended family, Suzanne hears on the radio that a jetliner has crashed and her lover is dead. Alex Elling was a renowned orchestra conductor. Suzanne is a concert violist, long unsatisfied with her marriage to a composer whose music turns emotion into thought. Now, more alone than she’s ever been, she must grieve secretly. But as complex as that effort is, it pales with the arrival of Alex’s widow, who blackmails her into completing the score for Alex’s unfinished viola concerto.

As Suzanne struggles to keep her double life a secret from her husband, from her best friend, and from the other members of her quartet, she is consumed by memories of a rich love affair saturated with music. Increasingly manipulated by her lover’s widow and tormented by the concerto’s many layers, Suzanne realizes she may lose everything she’s spent her life working for.

A story of love, loss, sex, class, and betrayal, this psychologically compelling novel explores the ways that artists’ lives and work interact, the nature of relationships among women as friends and competitors, and what it means to make a life of art.



Elise Blackwell is the author of three previous novels: Hunger, The Unnatural History of Cypress Parish, and Grub. Her books have been chosen for numerous “best of the year” lists, including the Los Angeles Times, Sydney Morning Herald, and Kirkus. Her short stories and cultural criticism have appeared in Witness, Topic, Seed, Global City Review, Quick Fiction, and elsewhere. Originally from southern Louisiana, she has lived in many others places and is currently Associate Professor of English at the University of South Carolina.

What are you waiting for? Waiting on Wednesdays is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Library Loot: 12-9-2009

I have been spending way too much time at the library recently - the problem is that I have actually been combing back over all my Friday Finds and Waiting on Wednesdays and reserving them!

Library Loot is hosted by Eva at A Striped Armchair and Marg at Reading Adventures.

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in "The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas." As her family lay dying, little Libby fled their tiny farmhouse into the freezing January snow. She lost some fingers and toes, but she survived -- and famously testified that her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, Ben sits in prison, and troubled Libby lives off the dregs of a trust created by well wishers who've long forgotten her.

The Kill Club is a macabre secret society obsessed with notorious crimes. When they locate Libby and pump her for details -- proof they hope may free Ben -- Libby hatches a plan to profit off her tragic history. For a fee, she'll reconnect with the players from that night and report her findings to the club . . . and maybe she'll admit her testimony wasn't so solid after all.

As Libby's search takes her from shabby Missouri strip clubs to abandoned Oklahoma tourist towns, the narrative flashes back to January 2, 1985. The events of that day are relayed through the eyes of Libby's doomed family members -- including Ben, a loner whose rage over his shiftless father and their failing farm have driven him into a disturbing friendship with the new girl in town. Piece by piece, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she started -- on the run from a killer. (inside cover)

The Girl on Legare Street by Karen White

There was a time when Melanie's dysfunctional family was out of sight and mind, and her only worries were her monthly sales figures, what shade of beige to paint her low-maintenance condo, and whether she was ready to make charming journalist Jack Trenholm a permanent fixture in her life. Those days are over.

After receiving a deadly premonition, Melanie's mother, who deserted her more than thirty years ago, suddenly returns to Charleston to protect her. But all Ginnette Prioleau Middleton does is remind Melanie of how little they have in common - except for their ability to communicate with ghosts.

And now Ginnette is moving into their ancestral home on Legare Street, and she needs Melanie's advice on restoring it and her sixth sense to talk to the dead who inhabit it. But Ginnette's return has awakened a dark spirit, whose strength has been growing for decades -- and who is ready for revenge. With Jack's help, Melanie and her mother must find a way to work together to fight the malevolent presence and save what's left of their family. (back cover)

The September Sisters by Jillian Cantor

Abigail Reed and her younger sister, Becky, are always at each other's throats. Their mother calls them the September Sisters, because their birthdays are only a day apart, and pretends that they're best friends. But really, they delight in making each other miserable. Then Becky disappears in the middle of the night, and a torn gold chain with a sapphire heart charm is the only clue to the mystery of her kidnapping. Abby struggles to cope with her own feelings of guilt and loss as she tries to keep her family together. When her world is at its bleakest, Abby meets a new neighbor, Tommy, who is dealing with his own loss, and the two of them discover that love can bloom, even when it's surrounded by thorns.

This exquisitely written first novel illustrates life as it truly is -- filled with fear and danger, hope and love, comfort and uncertainty. (inside cover)

Start the New Year out Right! Win a copy of Denise's Daily Dozen!

From Denise Austin comes the perfect health book for anyone who wants to live better but just can't seem to find the time. Much more than just another exercise book, Denise's Daily Dozen covers a whole range of health and diet related concepts yet manages it all in a no-stress, time-conscious program of 12's. At it's core, this book contains the minimum daily requirements to keep the reader flexible, strong and trim. Organized simply into seven chapters, which equal the seven days of the week, it covers a full week in daily allotments. Each day will have it's own focus from Monday being "fat burning day" to Sunday's "recharge and rejuvenate."

Denise has created a total body program, including a 7-day balanced meal plan that includes healthy recipes, and a workout that encompasses 12 exercises done in 12 minutes each day. Everyone can take just 12 minutes, at whatever time of the day works for them, and turn it over to these simple and fun exercises. Cardio, toning, yoga and breathing exercises...they're all here but in a way the maximizes effect while minimizing time.

Beyond a dozen exercises for each day of the week this book will include many other of Denise's dozens for each day.



About Denise:

A native of San Pedro, California, Denise started gymnastics at the age of 12 and earned an athletic scholarship to the University of Arizona, graduating in 1979 with an exercise physiology degree. She began her career teaching aerobic exercise classes in the Los Angeles area and went on to cohost the The Jack LaLanne Show, in 1981. (Denise considers Jack LaLanne one of her role models, and she is delighted to still speak regularly with the 94-year-old fitness legend.)

During more than 25 years promoting health and fitness, Denise has created 82 workout videos or DVDs. Her enormous number of sales led to her 2003 induction into the Video Hall of Fame.

Denise has been married for 25 years to Jeff Austin, a sports attorney and brother of tennis champ Tracy Austin. They share a home with their two teenage daughters, Kelly and Katie.

You can follow @DeniseAustin_ on Twitter or find her at her Facebook Fan Page.

I have five copies of this book to giveaway courtesy of Hachette Books. For your first entry (MUST DO THIS ONE FOR ANY OTHER ENTRIES TO COUNT) share a diet tip, favorite exercise, or what you do to try to stay in shape. Also leave your email address.

For additional entries you can sign up to follow (old followers let me know), Twitter or post it on your blog. Each entry must have it's own comment. (Four entries total.)

This giveaway if for U.S./Canada only - no PO boxes and will end Dec 29th! Good luck!

Born of Night Giveaway - Hurry - Ends Dec 15!

New from St. Martin's Press is #1 New York Times bestselling author, Sherrilyn Kenyon's 3-book series, 'The League'! With over 19 million books in print, Sherrilyn Kenyon is renowned the world over as "the reigning queen of the paranormal genre that she pioneered long before the world had heard of Twilight." All three books in the series are available now.

St. Martin's Press is allowing me to give a copy of Born of Night - book 1 in the series to one of my readers! They are also offering a chance to enter a sweepstakes to win digital downloads of all three books from 'The League'.

You can find out more about Sherrilyn Kenyon at any of these sites:

http://www.Livetheleague.com

http://www.Sherrilynkenyon.com

http://www.Officialsanctuary.com

To enter the giveaway - tell me your favorite paranormal book and your email address. Giveaway open to U.S./Canada - no PO boxes. Giveaway ends Dec 15th!

What Have You Forgotten? (Fun Facts and a giveaway)

Have you ever had your child come to you with a question that you know you should know, and you realize you don't know? Know what I mean? My daughter and I were having a discussion this morning about some pre-calc that she didn't understand. I told her yet again, that math had been my best subject in high school/college - and she informed me that it was so long ago she just figured I wouldn't remember! (To be honest - and I think I can be honest with you all - I probably wouldn't have remembered, but as long as she had her text - I'm a quick study!)

If you have ever forgotten something you think you once knew, leave a comment for the chance to win a copy of I Used to Know That: Stuff You Forgot From School. Please leave your email address so that I can get in touch with you. (Giveaway open to U.S./Canada only and will end Dec 29.) I guess you can even enter if you still know it all, too! Meanwhile, see if you remember the facts below.

12 Days and 12 Facts for This Holiday Season
By Caroline Taggart,
Author of I Used to Know That: Stuff You Forgot From School

Ever catch yourself saying I Used to Know That?

Each holiday season brings another round of cocktail parties, family get-togethers, and corporate gatherings -- and invariably, lots of small talk. It's easy to feel overwhelmed when discussing politics, literature, and other intellectual "stuff," especially when what is thought to be general knowledge is often long-forgotten. Enter I Used to Know That: Stuff You Forgot From School. From English and Literature to Math and Science, from History and Geography to Religion and Other-Worldly Topics, this book leaves you equipped to handle any topic of conversation.

Here we've cherry-picked twelve fun facts for the holiday season -- one for every day of Christmas (or whatever holiday you prefer!) Quiz yourself to see how much "stuff" you need to brush up on before hobnobbing with the boss or office crush.

1. On building sentences: Just what is a "clause"? (Not to be confused with Santa Claus.)

Answer: A clause contains a subject and a verb and may stand alone as a sentence or as part of a sentence (when it is often called asubordinate clause): Santa Claus loves cookies but can't eat them without milk.

2. How many bones is the spine made up of?

Answer: 26 small bones called vertebrae (Be careful lifting all those heavy holiday boxes.)

3. Acclaimed author Charles Dickens (1812-70) wrote which Christmas classic?

Answer: A Christmas Carol. The miserly Ebenezer Scrooge tries to ignore Christmas and is haunted by the ghost of his former partner, Marley, and by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come, who show him the error of his ways.

4. The fist chapter of this famous book opens with "Call me Ishmael." Name the book and author. (Hint: it makes a whale of a gift!)

Answer: Moby Dick by Herman Melville. Melville is also the author of Pierre and the unfinished Billy Budd.

5. There's a name for the process of watering your Christmas tree? Who knew?

Answer: Grab the kids and give them this science factoid as they nurture the family tree: Osmosis is a form of diffusion that is specific to the movement of water. Water moves through a selectively permeable membrane (that is, one that lets some types of molecules through but not others) from a place where there is a higher concentration of water to one where it is lower.

6. Can you name all 6 wives of Henry VIII, father of the Church of England?

Answer: (Listed in order) Catherine, Anne, Jane, Anne, Catherine, Catherine. They are often remembered as divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. Sure makes you think twice when complaining about bad relatives.

7. Who was the 16th President of the United States?

Answer: Abraham Lincoln (R, 1861-65) and yes -- he really was born in a log cabin on a winter's day. Notably famous for many reasons including his Gettysburg Address: "Four Score and Seven Years ago our fathers brought fourth upon this continent a new nation conceived in Liberty . . . "

8. 'Tis the season to be jolly giving! Don’t forget to tip well this season -- etiquette coaches will tell you that means no less than 18%. So just how much should you tip on a bill of $50?

Answer: Percent means by a hundred, so anything expressed as a percentage is a fraction (or part, if you prefer) of 100. So 18% is 18 parts of 100, or 18/100 or .18. If your bill is $50, multiply 50 by .18 to get your tip total of $9. If you're feeling generous, a 20% tip would require you to multiply 50 by .20, for a total of $10.00

50.00 x .18 = 9.00

50.00 x .20 = 10.00

Percentages can also be holiday-relevant when it comes to figuring out in-store sales. In this case, you want to multiply by the inverse of the percentage listed. So if you have a $50 sweater that's on sale for 25% off, multiply 50 by .75 for your total of $37.50. That same $50 sweater on sale for 40% off would equate to $30, or $50 multiplied by .60.

50.00 x .75 = 37.50

50.00 x .60 = 30.00

9. Brr, it's cold outside. But just how cold does it have to be to get some snow around here?

Answer: Did you know that the freezing point of water is 32 degrees Fahrenheit? Keep an eye on the temperature and watch your footing for ice on the ground. (See previous fact about those treasured vertebrae!)

10. Everyone knows Santa and his elves live in the North Pole. But what about the South Pole (aka Antarctica)?

Answer: The South Pole was discovered by Roald Amundsen (1872-1928, Norwegian), who was also the first to sail though the Northwest passage, the sea route from Pacific to Atlantic along the north coast of North America. Antarctica is the only continent that contains no countries -- instead, it is a stateless territory protected from exploitation by an international treaty. A good place for the elves to protest low wages?

11. Which Ocean is bigger: the Pacific or the Atlantic?

Answer: The Pacific Ocean is larger at 69,374 square miles -- that's almost double the Atlantic, which comes in at 35,665 square miles. Making it even more astonishing that St. Nick can cross the globe in just one night.

12. Remember the reason for the Season! Can you name a few things that both Judaism and Christianity have in common?

Answer: Both are monotheistic religions that share the first five books of the Christian Old Testament. Both religions view Jerusalem as a sacred site, the former for the Wailing Wall (contains the remains of the temple that was thought to be the place where God resides on earth) and the latter for Christ's burial and resurrection site.

Happy Holidays to all!

©2009 Caroline Taggart, author of I Used to Know That: Stuff You Forgot From School

Author Bio
Caroline Taggart, author of I Used to Know That: Stuff You Forgot From School, has been an editor of non-fiction books for nearly 30 years and has covered nearly every subject from natural history and business to gardening and astronomy. She has written several books and was the editor of Writer's Market UK 2009.

For more information please visit www.amazon.com.

Teaser Tuesday: 12-8-2009

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:
Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you have given!
Please avoid spoilers!

If you ask any successful man about his idea of a perfect woman and partner, he usually answers something like: Educated, intelligent, self-confident, funny, self-sufficient, independent. Still, when men are to decide between a woman with these qualities and the one without them, very often they end up choosing the later. (p30, Tales for Delicious Girls by Barbora Knobova)







Tales for Delicious Girls
Publisher/Publication Date: BK Publishing, Sept 2009
ISBN: 978-0-578-03339-6
180 pages

Fireflies in December by Jennifer Erin Valent (Book Review)

Title: Fireflies in December
Author: Jennifer Erin Valent
Publisher: Tyndale Fiction

First sentence: The summer I turned thirteen, I thought I'd killed a man.

About the book: This story is set in 1932 in Virginia. Jessilyn Lassiter lives with her parents and her best friend is Gemma, a young black girl who lives close by with her mom and dad. Gemma's parents have worked for the Lassiter's for a long time, so when they die in a fire, Harley (Jessilyn's dad) takes Gemma in to his home. This was taboo in the South in this era and caused the Lassiter's many problems. Fortunately there is a highlight to Jessilyn's summer. Luke Talley has moved on to the edge of their property and has taken on the task to help keep Jessilyn safe - and he eats dinner with them every night. Though Luke is about 6 years older than Jessilyn, it does not stop her from having her first crush.

The KuKluxKlan pay them more than one visit and all of their previous friends shun them when they come to town. This shadows pretty much all of Jessilyn's summer, and it doesn't help when she fires a gun on some KuKlux members who come to "call". With the threats getting more personal and the hired help acting more suspicious, Jessilyn doesn't know who she can trust.

My thoughts: Jennifer Erin Valent is a new author for me and I really enjoyed this book. Jessilyn was definitely my favorite character and I enjoyed how she discovered what it was like to become a young lady and her crush on Luke. Who out there doesn't remember their first crush? I believe this story continues in Cottonwood Whispers which I will be digging out to read soon!

(Fireflies in December was a library book.)

Fireflies in December
Publisher/Publication Date: Tyndale House, Sept 2008
ISBN: 978-1-4143-2432-6
352 pages

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 12-7-2009

What are you reading on Mondays? is hosted by J. Kaye at J. Kaye's Book Blog. If you would like to participate, please leave your link with Mr. Linky at J.Kaye's blog - but you can also leave me a comment - I would love to know what you are reading!


Old Books Reviewed

Old Books Still Waiting for Reviews
1. Fireflies in December by Jennifer Erin Valent
2. Bo's Café: A Novel by John Lynch, Bill Thrall, Bill McNicol

Finished Last week and Need Reviews
1. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray - on audio
2. The Cost of Dreams by Gary Stelzer

Finished and reviewed last week:
1. Beg, Borrow, Steal by Michael Greenberg
2. A Note From an Old Acquaintance by Bill Walker
3. Touching Wonder by John Blase

Kid's Books Read and Reviewed Last Week
1. Robert Pattinson by Jennifer M. Besal

Still Reading
1. Hoodoo Sea by Rolf Hitzer
2. Nibble & Kuhn by David Schmahmann
3. The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder: A Novel by Rebecca Wells (bathroom book) - this one has to be returned to the library though, so I cannot finish it at this time. . .

Audio Book
1. Woman in Red by Eileen Goudge

New this week:
1. Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception by Maggie Stiefvater
2. What Your Mother Never Told You: A Teenage Girls Survival Guide by Richard Dudum (with a giveaway!)
3. Tales for Delicious Girls by Barbara Knobova
4. My Unfair Lady by Kathryne Kennedy


What are you reading this week?

Mailbox Monday/In My Mailbox 12-7-2009

Mailbox Monday is hosted at The Printed Page or In Your Mailbox at The Story Siren. Please stop by those posts and take a look at what packages everybody else got this week!

Penguin Luck I received from Media Muscle for a February review.

Penguin Luck by Kay Mupetson

In the novel Penguin Luck, Doreen Lowe is a young, sophisticated junior associate in a small Manhattan law firm that primarily serves the lower echelons of society. Regularly visited by three ghosts, Doreen is forced to listen to their pleas that she "carry on for them" - after the Holocaust - all while balancing the demands of her career and personal life.

After Doreen marries a banker with an entrepreneurial spirit, he achieves his dream of establishing a telecommunications company. Within a few years, Doreen is serving as the company's legal counsel while simultaneously raising a son, but is still being tormented by her spirits. As the young couple rides out the tech boom of the late 1990s, Doreen must reconcile her unorthodox personal choices with her widowed father, her friends, and her large conscience.

Penguin Luck is a compelling tale about one woman's emotional journey as she learns to cope with a burdensome family history, a trio of determined ghosts, and the power of luck. (back cover)

I received The Mountain Beyond from TBB Media for a January review.

The Mountain Beyond by Terry Miller

"Hoppy is gone! What will we do?"

My father replied. "Well, we just have to search for him."

"Well, I'm sure he'll turn up in due time."

There it was, the final anticipation that he would come home! However, I didn't buy it! Off to my room I went - dejected and devoid of all hope. The tears came quickly in the quiet of my room. Emotion, especially tears, was an expression of feelings that were not allowed in our household. As a matter of fact, this era did not support the outward showing of emotion period! It was the philosophy that, "Grown men don't cry!" Why not?

Men were supposed to be strong, masculine and reserved. Showing other emotions diminished that role. Tears were not to be shown. Hugs and saying "I love you" were rarely seen nor were they acceptable. (back cover)

I received Cowboy Trouble from Sourcebooks for a Feb/Mar review.

Cowboy Trouble by Joanne Kennedy

A COWBOY LIKE THAT COULD BREAK YOUR HEART. . .

Fleeing her latest love life disaster, big city journalist Libby Brown's transition to rural living isn't going exactly as planned. Her childhood dream has always been to own a farm - but without the constant help of her charming, sexy cowboy neighbor, she'd never make it through her first Wyoming season.

BUT HE COULD SURE KEEP YOU WARM AT NIGHT, TOO. . .

Handsome rancher Luke Rawlins is impressed by this sassy, independent city girl. But he yearns to do more than help Libby out with her ranch. . .he's ready for love, and he wants to go the distance. . .

Then the two get embroiled in their tiny town's one and only crime story, and Libby discovers that their sizzling hot attraction is going to complicate her life in every way possible. . . (back cover)

I received Shadow of the King from Sourcebooks for a review in Feb/March.

Shadow of the King by Helen Hollick

At long last, the peace King Arthur was born to usher in has settled over the realm. But Arthur was also born to be a warrior. . .and all true warriors are restless without a fight. Yearning for battle and ever-loyal, Arthur is easily deceived into setting sail for Gaul to defend its territories - leaving his country vulnerable and leaderless.

A beacon of hope in a land of desolation, he was to be the Lord of the Summer Land for now and forever. But first, the Pendragon must face the ultimate test, one that will take all his courage, strength of will, and honor to survive.

Because once destiny is fulfilled, can you ever truly win again? (back cover)


Primal I received from Random House for a tour later this month.

Primal by Mark Batterson

BE ASTONISHED AGAIN

We have a tendency to complicate Christianity. Jesus simplified it: Love God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. If we are to live out the essence of Christianity, we must commit to being great at this Great Commandment.

In Primal, Mark Batterson explores the four elements of Great Commandment Christianity: compassion, wonder, curiosity, and power. Along the way, he calls you to be a part of God's reformation, starting in your own life.

As Mark writes, "Is there a place in your past where you met God and God met you? A place where your heart broke for the things that break the heart of God? Maybe it was a sermon that became more than a sermon. Maybe it was a mission trip or retreat. Maybe it was a vow you made at an altar. In that moment, God birthed something supernatural in your spirit. You knew you'd never be the same again. My prayer is that this book would take you back to that burning bush - and reignite a primal faith."

Primal will help you live in light of what matters most and discover what it means to love God. It will help you become great at the Great Commandment. (inside cover)




What books made a new home with you this week?

Latest Winners!

It's time to stop monkeying around
and announce the latest winners!


White Picket Fences was won by Jane Maritz!

Jane Goodall's audiobook won by:
Rhapsody in Books already won; new winner is bgcchs (anonymous)
Janet Ruth
fredamans

It Happened One Night won by:
MoziEsme
karen k
Marie
Lee P
Rebecca Graham

Cheating Death audiobook won by:
enyl
Anne-Marie T
dsandyboy - never responded to email so a new winner was chosen - etirv

What the Dog Saw - audiobook won by:
Darcy O
Martha Lawson
Linda Henderson

I will be sending out emails in a few minutes, so if you think you are a winner and haven't received a notice from me before tommorow, please send me an email (kherbrand at comcast dot ne)

Beg, Borrow, Steal: A Writer's Life by Michael Greenberg (Book Review)

Title: Beg, Borrow, Steal: A Writer's Life
Author: Michael Greenberg
Publisher: Other Press

About the book: In Beg, Borrow, Steal Michael Greenberg regales us with his vivid take on the life of a writer of little means trying to practice his craft or simply stay alive. He finds himself doctoring doomed movie scripts; selling cosmetics from an ironing board in front of a women's department store; writing about golf, a game he has never played; and botching his debut as a waiter in a posh restaurant.

Central characters include Michael's father, whose prediction that Michael's "scribbling" wouldn't get him on the subway almost came true; his artistic first wife, whom he met in a Greenwich Village high school; and their son who grew up on the Lower East Side, fluent in the language of the street and in the language of the parlor. Then there are Greenberg's unexpected encounters: a Holocaust survivor who on his deathbed tries to leave Michael his fortune; a repentant communist who confesses his sins; a man who becomes a woman; a Chilean filmmaker in search of his past; and rats who behave like humans and cease to live underground.

Hilarious and bittersweet, Greenberg's stories invite us into a world where the familial, the literary, the tragic, and the mundane not only speak to one another, but deeply enjoy the exchange. (inside cover)

My Thoughts: Being neither a writer or a New Yorker, I wondered if I would enjoy this book - as that is what some of the previous reviewers seemed to elude to on some level. Surprise, surprise - I enjoyed it very much. I don't read a lot of non-fiction work and I don't read a lot of short stories. As this was an autobiography that was composed of essays, I would have to say it doesn't fit my "type".

The essays were not necessarily chronological, but they were so entertaining. Like the one where his wife Pat, brings home a transgender friend named Georgina and he impulsively pulls out a tablet and begins taking notes. Or when he was working in a Manhattan criminal court as a translator for Spanish speaking defendant.

The spell finally broke when I was in court with a repeat violent offender who was about to be sentenced for kidnapping and "deranged indifference." The judge asked him if there was anything he wished to say for the record. The felon launched into a barrage of terrifying threats, each of which he vividly described. I stood mutely by his side until he ran out of steam, at which point I said in my politest voice: "Thank you, your honor. I have nothing to say." Amused, the judge let my omission slide, and handed down the mandatory sentence: twenty-five years with no chance of parole. (p92)

Bottom line is - this book doesn't take long to read, the chapters are each just a few pages long, so it is easy to read if you are sitting in your car waiting for your child's bus, sitting in a doctor's office, or standing in the kitchen waiting for the water to boil. While it doesn't do a lot to pump up a would be writer's hope, it does give an open look into the early years of Michael Greenberg. I haven't read his earlier work, Hurry Down Sunshine, but have a feeling I will be picking that one up soon.

Beg, Borrow, Steal: A Writer's Life
Publisher/Publication Date: Other Press, Sept 2009
ISBN: 978-1-59051-341-5
232 pages

~I was provided this copy for review from Tony at Random House.~

A Note From an Old Acquaintance by Bill Walker (Book Review)

Title: A Note from an Old Acquaintance
Author: Bill Walker
Publisher: iUniverse

About the book: Brian Weller is a haunted man. It's been two years since the tragic accident that left his three-year-old son dead and his wife in an irreversible coma. A popular author of mega-selling thrillers, Brian's life has reached a crossroads: his new book is stalled, his wife's prognosis is dire, and he teeters on the brink of despair.

Everything changes the morning an e-mail arrives from Boston artist Joanna Richman. Her heartfelt note brings back all the poignant memories: the night their eyes met, the fiery passion of their short-lived affair, and the agonizing moment he was forced to leave Joanna forever. Now, fifteen years later, the guilt and anger threaten to overwhelm him. Vowing to make things right, Brian arranges a book-signing tour that will take him back to Boston. He is eager to see Joanna again, but remains unsure where their reunion will lead. One thing is certain: the forces that tore their love asunder will stop at nothing to keep them apart.

Filled with tender romance and taut suspense, A Note from an Old Acquaintance is an unforgettable story about fate, honor, and the power of true love. (back cover)

My thoughts: I was hooked just by reading the book's synopsis. Who hasn't thought about the "what ifs" in their life. I am in a truly happy place right now and adore my husband, but there were times in my first marriage that I wondered what would have happened if only. . .

I liked Brian the best. He had made the decision to walk away from Joanna 15 years before, as she had been engaged to another. Now, his wife and son have died and he needs to pick up the pieces of his life. I think when he gets that e-mail from Joanna, he can't help but arrange to see her.

The story begins in the present (2006) and then we jump back 15 years to see how Brian and Joanna met. I enjoy flashbacks and this one helped to fill in some of the story - even if we did know where it was heading. We then jump back to 2006 to finish the story. I wanted to root for Brian, even though I don't condone cheating - and because Erik did love his wife Joanna. He continually tried to make her happy. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, so I am going to stop there.

Please see my interview with Bill Walker, and you can read an excerpt at Review from Here.

A Note from an Old Acquaintance
Publisher/Publication Date: iUniverse, June 2005
ISBN: 978-1-4401-3333-6
360 pages

~I received this book for my honest review from Tracee at Pump Up Your Book Tours.~