Readathon Hour 15 - Creativity Challenge

For the creativity challenge I have created a word cloud - I am currently reading The Girl She Used To Be - This book is about a girl who has been in the Witness Protection Program since she was 6 - These are all the names of who she has been, the big one, of course, is her real name.


Click on image to see it larger - I was not able to get it to turn. . .

Readathon - Hour 13 Challenge and Update

I am back to get serious! I have only finished one book - The Lost Hours by Karen White - it was a super book! I am just beginning The Girl She Used to Be and after that I am not sure. I plan on trying to spend more time reading and less time on challenges tonight (so what am I doing here right?) I took a break to go out to eat with my husband.

Mid-Event Survey:
1. What are you reading right now?

The Girl She Used to Be by David Cristofano

2. How many books have you read so far?

Only 1

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?

Finishing Murder, Mayhem and a Fine Man by Claudia Mair Burney

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?

Yes - our 4 year old went to spend the day (and night) with his Aunt. I considered finding a babysitter for my hubby. . . jk

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?

Only interruptions were of my own choosing.

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?

Surprised that I haven't gotten as much read as I have wanted to!

7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?

This is my first readathon so I had no expectations - There are things that I personally need to improve before the next one - but you guys are doing great!

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?

Read more - Cheerleaders have been great! Thanks for all the encouraging posts!

9. Are you getting tired yet?

Yeah - I am a little tired - but I am always a little tired!

10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered?

Nope - but feel free to post any tips for me in my comments!

Readathon Hour 8 Update and Challenge

I cannot believe how fast the time is passing! I am up to 170 pages, have taken a walk, gotten something official to eat for lunch - not just snacks - watched you tube videos and played with some Polly Pockets and toy farm animals. Whew -

The challenge now is to tell a little about your local library.

1.What is the name of your local library? What city is it located in?
2.How often do you go to the library? If you're a regular, do the staff know you?
3.Do you browse while you're there or just pick up items you have placed on reserve?
4.What is your favorite thing about your local library?

My answers:
1. Warren Newport Public Library in Gurnee.
2. I am usually at the library at least once a week - either picking up an interlibrary loan or reserve, or taking my son for some books/movies. Our library is too large for the staff to know little ole me though.
3. I love to browse, but can only do that when I don't have my 4 year old - unless of course I have conned one of the non-readers in my family to go with me to supervise him while I go wander the aisles!
4. We have a great library! If I can't find something that they have, I have always been able to get it off of their interlibrary loan system. There isn't an area of the library that is lacking - great adult books, YA books, and children's books. They have a large selection of movies and CD's. They have a wonderful reading room and a huge network of computers. I really love their used book store called "Book Ends" -I have picked up many books there over the last few years. They also have a "Stitch n Share" night once a month that I am sometimes able to go to.

I am off to visit everyone else's libraries!

Readathon Mini Challenge - Hour 7

The suggestion for this hour was to take a walk - and to take a picture of something you saw. Well, a walk sounded wonderful, as it is a perfect 70 degrees outside with just a small breeze - I will probably go find a chair outside after this post and sit out there and read. I found some lovely flowers in a neighbors yard - which made me come back home to my own backyard - where I found my lilac bush budding and the rhubarb that I planted last year just starting to come up. Can anyone say Strawberry Rhubarb pie?

Here are the pics:

Readathon update Hour Six

It seems impossible that this is the beginning of hour six and I have only read 100 pages. I have been trying the mini challenges and watching you tube videos and visiting other blogs - but this has all been fun too! My husband is at the driving range, my daughters are at friends houses, and my son went to spend the night at his Aunt's house. She was so excited when she heard I was doing this and jumped all over the chance of getting to have him for the night!

Ok - update - It is noon here
Only 103 pages read this is about 7 chapters - reading from The Lost Hours by Karen White. This is a great book!

Food - one bagel, one banana, 3 pretzels sticks and a piece of chocolate! (Hoping my husband brings us something home for lunch!)

Drinks - one cup of coffee and a Wild Cherry Pepsi.

It is getting warm in the house, so I am thinking about moving outside to read!

Talk with you soon!

Readathon - Mini-challenge 1

Here is the challenge:

Look through the pile and take a picture of the cover you like the best, for whatever reason. It can be the prettiest, the oddest, the brightest...Flip the book over and look at the blurb (or look on the inside of the jacket).

Now here's the fun, little kid part - recreate the blurb anyway you want. What I'm looking for is some kind of tableau that expresses the main thrust of the book's plot (which the blurb should hopefully capture). You can recreate it using action figures, poppets, stuffed toys, lego creatures, models made from bluetack and paper clips, anything you can find around the house. If you're feeling really ambitious you can get people to help you out - dress them up and take a picture of them acting out the main idea behind the book. Mock it up quickly and have fun doing it :) Snap a picture of whatever you create. The challenge runs from 2pm - 4pm (GMT).

My book is So Not Happening - I picked it because I liked the pig on the cover!

Here is my "scene" to depict the blurb:

:

Readathon - Introduction Meme

It is the beginning of hour 2. I started reading about 40 minutes ago from The Lost Hours by Karen White. I had started this book earlier this week and new that I would enjoy reading it.

Three facts about me: 1)I have had a library card for 40 years. (wow - that sounds like a long time!) 2)I just got my cholesterol levels checked this year and they were normal for the first time in about 10 years - YAY! (and no medication!) 3) I got married to my husband in Las Vegas with "Elvis" in attendance.

I don't know how many books in my TBR pile - probably about 20. My goals are basically to read some books that I have reviews due on - and to actually see how many books I could read in a day. I have never done this before, so not sure how long my eyes will last! But I really just want to have fun!

Fatal Illusions by Adam Blumer (Book Review)

Title: Fatal Illusions
Author: Adam Blumer
Publisher: Kregel Publications
Available: Now
Genre: Christian/Suspense
First sentence: As dusk settled over the suburban Cincinnati neighborhood, the sodium-vapor lights along the quiet street blinked and came to life on cue.

Marc and Gillian were a couple in crisis - though at first they did not seem to realize this. Marc was an assistant pastor and one of his duties was Christian counseling. Stacey, on of his parishioners, had been coming to counseling as she said she was trying to reconcile with her husband. Marc felt that she was developing a crush on him, so had a female staffer take over her counseling. Stacey continued to call him and send him e-mails, which Marc tried to ignore.

Gillian had given birth to stillborn twins six months ago. She was still grieving, visiting their graves and writing them letters. Neither confided in the other the obstacles they were up against.

On the day that Stacey's feelings got out of hand, Gillian finds a love letter that she had written to Marc, hinting at an affair. Before Gillian can confront him about it, Stacey shows up at their house and shoots Marc in the chest, accusing him of attempted rape as she runs from his home. Fortunately, he survives, but he and Gill are further apart than ever.

Together, accompanied by their 16-year-old daughter Crystal, they take a sabbatical to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in hopes that the media circle will die down in their absence. Little do they know that they are moving to the same remote area as the Magician Murderer, a serial killer who has killed 4 girls in Cincinnati. Girls that all resemble their daughter Crystal.

This book was hard for me to put down. You are instantly immersed in the murders and through them begin to know Detective Riley. A veteran cop and a Christian who is on the brink of retirement. But he can't seem to let go of this case.

Between the loss of the babies, Marc's shooting and Stacey, Marc and Gillian have lost faith in each other and where is their faith in God? You cheer them on that they will somehow be able to see how the other is hurting and open up to the love they once had for each other and the love that God still has for them.

There are a lot of twists in this book, but the way it came together in the end was very believable! As everyone begins to close in on the killer, I found myself urging them on - trying to tell them how close they were. I also loved the way it brought everything around to believing and trusting in God. I highly recommend this book! You can read the first chapter here.

Purchase book here.

First Wild Card Tour - Fatal Illusion

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!

Read my review here. I loved it!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Adam Blumer

and the book:

Fatal Illusions

Kregel Publications (March 5, 2009)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Adam Blumer graduated from Bob Jones University with a degree in a print journalism. Since childhood he has been writing stories and has since been published in a variety of periodicals. He lives in Michigan with his wife and their two daughters.

Visit the author's website.

Product Details:

List Price: $14.99
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Kregel Publications (March 5, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0825420989
ISBN-13: 978-0825420986



AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Prologue

As dusk settled over the suburban Cincinnati neighborhood, the sodium-vapor lights along the quiet street blinked and came to life on cue. They chased the shadows from the grade school parking lot, now littered with dried leaves that scraped across the pavement and swirled in their seasonal dance of joy.

Across the way, a man in a jet-black jogging suit eased behind a tree and checked his watch as the chilly breeze tousled his hair. He breathed deeply, noting the intoxicating aroma of burning leaves, and impatiently studied the faces of the pedestrians now strolling toward the school auditorium. Anxious children tugged at reluctant parents, their excitement barely contained.

“Yes, yes,” he overheard a woman tell a child. “We’ll get there in plenty of time. No need to rush.”

He smiled. He had been that overzealous child once, but that was a long time ago. He’d grown up, things had changed, and not every change had been welcome.

His smile faded as he continued to search for a certain bespectacled face. He’d been watching her for weeks and knew everything about her: when she got up in the morning, when she went to bed, where she went each day, how she spent her time. He even knew she was failing English for the second time, even after her teacher had given her a two-week extension on her term paper. Going through her trash, he’d discovered her addiction to Snickers bars, her affection for Ruffles potato chips and cream soda, and her preference for Pantene shampoo, which added luster to the blond hair she wore long and wavy.

A familiar red nylon jacket caught his eye, and he sucked in his breath. Concealing himself further behind the tree, he waited for her to pass.

Hmm. She was so close. He could have reached out, could have touched her hair. But he steadied his breathing and let the moment pass, deciding that reason must win the battle with emotion. There were simply too many people around who might see him and remember his face. He watched as she strolled into the school with her two charges in tow, carefree and unsuspecting.

Just the way he wanted her.

He took another deep breath, surprised by how calm he felt tonight. He knew what he needed to do and realized he had the resolve to execute his plan. Now all he needed was the opportunity, but waiting had never been easy for him. He could hear his mother’s chiding words strumming across the strings of his memory.

You’re so impatient, Donny. So restless. Don’t you know that good things come to those who wait?

Time to get inside.

***

Someone was watching her. For weeks, she’d felt unseen eyes following her every move. Evaluating. Judging. But when she would whirl around, no one was ever there—just brittle leaves scudding across the empty sidewalks.

“C’mon, you two. Hurry up.”

Clutching their hands with icy fingers, Erin yanked Daphne and Thomas along to match her stride. It was bad enough that she was stuck taking care of these first-grade brats on a Friday night. Worse, the evening’s entertainment promised to be a childish, elementary school musical, and she had better things to do with her time.

She’d been planning to give Sheryl a cut and dye job tonight. Her hairdressing service brought in more money than babysitting, but her mom had said she owed the Spensers a favor.

Yeah, whatever.

Erin wished for her father right now. Divorced from her mom and recently remarried, he had moved three states away, leaving them with the mortgage and a barely enough paycheck from her mom’s job as a nighttime gas station attendant. Her mom had said he was a no-good lowlife, that they were better off without him, but Erin wasn’t so sure. She had fond memories of her dad taking her ice-skating, just the two of them. He had shown her the spins he’d mastered as a young man, when he had almost qualified for the Olympics.

Almost. Dreams are never easy, he’d told her. You have to work hard and never, ever give up.

One more year and she would graduate from high school. Maybe then she could free herself from her mother’s stranglehold and open the beautician’s shop she’d always wanted.

The lights of Bridgetown Elementary glimmered against the darkening sky, the crisp wind swirling the leaves at her feet. She wished she’d worn her jean jacket instead of the thin, red windbreaker. She pushed her wire rim glasses up on her nose and glanced at her watch, realizing that in her reverie she’d slowed her stride.

“C’mon, we’re going to be late if you two don’t hurry,” she said.

“Slow down!” Daphne cried. “We can’t keep up.”

Erin peered down into Daphne’s frustrated hazel eyes. “Look, I’ll let you wear my watch if you’ll get a move on.”

Daphne squealed. “Cool!”

Though they were five minutes late, the program hadn’t yet started. But Erin realized that they should have come much earlier if they’d wanted to get a good seat. The place was packed, and she didn’t see an open row anywhere.

Biting her lip, she spied a friend coming down the aisle toward her. Laurie was a stagehand—and, as it happened, she was also the solution to their problem. She had been saving seats for her mother and sisters, but they’d all been waylaid by food poisoning or something, and wouldn’t be coming.

Three seats. Right in front. Perfect.

Erin couldn’t help smiling smugly as Laurie escorted them to the front row like celebrities at the Academy Awards, minus the red carpet pre-show, of course. She felt the indignant glares drilling into her back from those who had arrived a half hour early to get their seats. She felt a rush of pleasure at the realization that she was the cause of their indignation.

Let them sulk. Sometimes good things happen when you least expect it.

Her mind replayed a similar thrill she’d felt just a month ago, when she’d been summoned to give testimony in a big court case downtown.

***

She’d done up her hair special, dry-cleaned her special navy twin set, and worn her new high-heeled shoes, which made her short, lithe figure seem several inches taller. Approaching the stand, she had, for once in her life, felt important; felt as if every eye in the room was glued to her, mesmerized by this long-haired, blonde goddess with the porcelain skin and sapphire blue eyes. She hadn’t realized until later how important her testimony had been.

“And you saw the defendants enter Margaret Stowe’s house?” Stan Loomis, the prosecuting attorney, had asked.

“That’s right.”

“And you’re sure it was Walter and Virginia Owens. You’re positive?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Remember, Miss Walker, you are under oath. You saw their faces?”

She had bitten her lip as she tried to remember.

She had just finished house-sitting for Mrs. Stowe, as another way to make some extra money. The old lady was loaded. She had said good night to Mrs. Stowe and had walked off, feeling giddy at the sizable check. Almost to her car, she’d dropped her keys and bent to pick them up. Hearing voices, she’d glanced back and had seen two people walking up the sidewalk to Mrs. Stowe’s front door.

A man and a woman, wearing long, dark overcoats. They had looked wealthy. The man had placed his black-gloved hand at the middle of the woman’s back.

“You don’t think she’ll mind?” the woman had asked, a musical quality to her husky voice. “It’s late.”

“You’re right. It is late. Too late.” The man’s voice had sounded rough, like a smoker’s. “She can’t turn us away now.”

Standing beside her car, Erin had watched as the man knocked. When the door opened, a band of light had slashed across their faces for an instant before they disappeared inside.

Staring unflinchingly at Stan Loomis, she had said, “Yes, it was them. I’m sure of it.” She’d pushed away the fact that the encounter at Mrs. Stowe’s house had occurred the week before she’d gotten her new glasses.

“For the benefit of the jury, would you please point out who you saw?”

Her hand had trembled as she pointed to the pale-faced Owenses, who sulked beside their defense attorney. They didn’t flinch. They didn’t move. But their eyes—they hated her. They wanted her dead. Ever since, those eyes had stared back at her in her dreams.

Those dark, hateful eyes.

Friday's Finds 4-17-2009

These are just a few of my great finds this week - Hope you find something here you like!

Breathing by Cheryl Renee Herbsman

Found at The Story Siren.

Savannah would be happy to spend the summer in her coastal Carolina town working at the library and lying in a hammock reading her beloved romance novels. But then she meets Jackson. Once they lock eyes, she’s convinced he’s the one—her true love, her soul mate, a boy different from all the rest. And at first it looks like Savannah is right. Jackson abides by her mama’s strict rules, and stays by her side during a hospitalization for severe asthma, which Savannah becomes convinced is only improving because Jackson is there. But when he’s called away to help his family—and seems uncertain about returning—Savannah has to learn to breathe on her own, both literally and figuratively.

The Midwife by Jennifer Worth

Found at The Printed Page.

An unforgettable story of the joy of motherhood, the bravery of a community, and the hope of one extraordinary woman.

At the age of twenty-two, Jennifer Worth leaves her comfortable home to move into a convent and become a midwife in post war London’s East End slums. The colorful characters she meets while delivering babies all over London—from the plucky, warm-hearted nuns with whom she lives to the woman with twenty-four children who can’t speak English to the prostitutes and dockers of the city’s seedier side—illuminate a fascinating time in history. Beautifully written and utterly moving, The Midwife will touch the hearts of anyone who is, and everyone who has, a mother. (Description from Amazon)

Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo

Found at The Novel Bookworm

Some secrets are too terrible to reveal . . .
Some crimes are too unspeakable to solve . . .

In the sleepy rural town of Painters Mill, Ohio, the Amish and “English” residents have lived side by side for two centuries. But sixteen years ago, a series of brutal murders shattered the peaceful farming community. In the aftermath of the violence, the town was left with a sense of fragility, a loss of innocence. Kate Burkholder, a young Amish girl, survived the terror of the Slaughterhouse Killer but came away from its brutality with the realization that she no longer belonged with the Amish.

Now, a wealth of experience later, Kate has been asked to return to Painters Mill as Chief of Police. Her Amish roots and big city law enforcement background make her the perfect candidate. She’s certain she’s come to terms with her past—until the first body is discovered in a snowy field. Kate vows to stop the killer before he strikes again. But to do so, she must betray both her family and her Amish past—and expose a dark secret that could destroy her. (Description from Amazon)

In the Forest by Edna O'Brien

Found at The Book Zombie

In the Forest returns to the countryside of western Ireland, the vivid backdrop of Edna O'Brien's best-selling Wild Decembers. Here O'Brien unravels a classic confrontation between evil and innocence centering on the young, troubled Michael O'Kane, christened by his neighbors "the Kindershrek," someone of whom small children are afraid. O'Kane loses his mother as a boy and by age ten is incarcerated in a juvenile detention center, an experience that leaves him scarred from abuse — and worse, with the killing instinct buried within. A story based on actual events, In the Forest proceeds in a rush of breathtaking, hair-raising episodes and asks what will become of O'Kane's unwitting victims — a radiant young woman, her little son, and a devout and trusting priest.

Riveting, frightening, and brilliantly told, this intimate portrayal of both perpetrator and victims reminds us that anything can happen "outside the boundary of mother and child."(Description from Houghton Mifflin Books)

What great books did you find this week?? Stop over at Should Be Reading and share yours!

The Friday 56 - 4-17-2009

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
*Post a link along with your post back to Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

"You know how to drive?" Sam asked.

"I've seen it done."

"I've seen heart surgery performed on TV, too," Astrid said. "That doesn't mean I'm going to try it."

(From Gone by Michael Grant, p56)

Dewey's 24-Hour Read-a-thon

I am signed up for the 2-hour Read-a-thon for this Saturday. It starts at 7AM my time. You can go to Dewey's Read-a-thon blog to sign up and to get all the info. They have these twice a year, but this will be my first time. I have clued my husband in on it - and I figure since he starts golfing this weekend and will golf just about every Sunday through September - that he can give me this one day! We will see how that goes...

So, I thought that I would share my potential list of books. I am going to throw everything in here that I can think of, so I have a large selection to choose from.

From the library:

Murder, Mayhem and a Fine Man - Claudia Mair Burney (already started)

Foolproofing Your Life - Jan Silvious

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrow

Remember to Forget - Deborah Raney

Gone - Michael Grant

ARC's

The Lost Hours - Karen White (already started)

The Girl She Used to Be - David Cristofano

Unquiet Bones - Mel Starr

So Not Happening - Jenny B. Jones (Just got this one today!)

Jantsen's Gift - Pam Cope and Amy Malloy

Flirting with Temptation - Kelley St. John

Fire Me - Libby Malin

Wild Highland Magic - Kendra Leigh Castle

Ultimatum - Matthew Glass

Spiced - Dahlia Jurgenson

Outcasts United - Warren St. John

Sag Harbor - Colson Whitehead

Big Sid's Vincati - Matthew Biberman

My own books:

Ink Exchange - Melissa Marr (If it comes in the mail!)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling

Sunday at Tiffany's - James Patterson

Wintergirls -Laurie Halse Anderson

Inkheart - Cornelia Funke

That should be a good list! Happy Reading! See you all on Saturday!

Big Mother's Day Giveaway at 5 Minutes for Books!

5 Minutes for Books are giving away 17 books between April 15-25. The grand prize is one of every book that they are giving away - over $225 worth! They will have novels, memoirs, other non-fiction, and books to encourage a mother's heart. Head on over there and get in on the action!

Thursdays Threads 4-16-2009

Since the name of my blog is "Books and Needlepoint" I have decided that it is time that I started posting about my other passion - needlepoint. This will be a weekly post in the hopes that it will jump start me into stitching again. It has been a few months since I have picked up a needle! (Except for the one I found on the kitchen floor last week. . .)

I am a self-taught stitcher - I learned in college back in the 80's while I was working in the craft department of a Ben Franklin store. I fell in love with cross-stitch. I would pick up anything and everything that had to do with needle, thread, and canvas. The more complicated the stitch - the better. Of course, I didn't know that I had crossed the line over to needlepoint - the speciality stitches to me where just more complicated cross stitch!

I have attended the National Counted Cross Stitch Show in Illinois, CATS(I think this stood for Creative Arts and Textiles Show) festivals in Iowa and Las Vegas and this year I am going to my very first ANG seminar in Milwaukee. I only joined ANG (American Needlepoint Guild) 2 years ago, or maybe it has been 3, and have loved every minute of it! I am also a member of Cyberpointers (ANG web group) and Cyberstitchers (EGA web group - Embroidery Guild of America).

I want to thank all of you who have commented on my various canvases that have been in my header. The one on top and seen throughout this post - Noah's Ark - took about 6-7 months to do . You can see some of the other details in the various pictures.

What I am going to try to do with this weekly feature - is show progress on anything that I am working on - that way it might force me to work on some of it! If there is anyone out there that does ANY kind of craft -from scrapbooking to quilting to knitting etc and would like to join me, please create a post and leave us a link below so we can all see what you are working on!

Happy Stitching!

More Giveaways! Just in Time For Mother's Day!

Waterbrook Multnomah (RandomHouse) is giving 3 of my readers the chance to win 1 of the following books!


Dear Mom by Melody Carlson

Raising a teen daughter can be like trying to chart a course underwater. You can drown in an ocean of one-word answers, defensive conversations, and unpredictable outbursts, and never get anywhere. Popular teen girls’ novelist Melody Carlson helps you cut through murky, deep, uncharted and seemingly unsafe waters so you can hear what your daughter’s really trying to tell you through her anger, silence, and mixed messages:

“I need you, but I won’t admit it.”
“I’m not as confident as I appear.”
“I have friends. I need a mother.”

Instead of focusing on outward behaviors, Dear Mom captures your daughter’s heart and soul. You can know your daughter’s hopes and fears, doubts and dreams about her identity, guys, friendships, and even you. And you can connect on a deeper, more intimate level that will carry both you and your daughter through the stormy seas of life.

Mama's Got a Fake I.D. by Caryn Dahlstrand Rivadeneira

No one begins life as a mom. Before you have children, you are an amazing combination of friend, daughter, confidant, visionary, encourager, and thinker. You start out in life using your gifts and abilities in a surprising variety of settings.

Then you have children and the role of mom–as wonderful as it is–seems to consume you. It’s easy to lose your identity when others see you as a mom and little else. What happened to the artist, the team-builder, the organizer, the entrepreneur, the leader–the person you’ve lost touch with?

In Mama’s Got a Fake I.D., Caryn Dahlstrand Rivedeneira helps moms like you reclaim the person God made you to be. God still wants to use you in ways that let your gifts, passions, and personality shine.

This inspiring and practical guide will show you how to break free from false guilt, learn a new language to express your true identity, and follow God’s lead in sharing who you really are. God wants you to discover who he made you to be–in your family and beyond. It’s time to reveal the woman who got hidden behind all that mom.

Enduring Justice by Amy Wallace

A PAINFUL PAST
Hanna Kessler’s childhood secret has remained buried for over two decades. But when the dark shadows of her past threaten to destroy those she loves, Hanna must face the summer that changed her life and the man who still haunts her memories.

A RACIALLY-MOTIVATED KILLER
As a Crimes Against Children FBI Agent, Michael Parker knows what it means to get knocked down. Difficult cases and broken relationships have plagued his entire year. But when the system fails and a white supremacist is set free, Michael’s drive for retribution eclipses all else.

A LIFE-ALTERING CHOICE
A racist’s well-planned assault forces Hanna and Michael to decide between executing vengeance and pursuing justice. The dividing line between the two is the choice to heal. But when the attack turns personal, is justice enough?


RULES:

Must live in the U.S.

No PO Boxes.

Giveaway will run until Sunday, May 10 at midnight (CST)

You can enter to win 1, 2 or all 3 of the books - I have one copy of each to give away!

How to Enter: (please leave all entries in one comment)

1. Leave a comment with E-mail address.

2. For 2 additional entries - blog or twitter and leave a link back here.

3. For 2 more entries - sign up as a follower over on the left, where I can see your little picture!

4. If you already follow - either by RSS feed, email, etc - let me know and you will get your extra entries also.

5. Maximum of 5 entries possible.

Free E-books by Donald James Parker

You can currently download all eight of Donald James Parker's book from his website. Titles are: The Bulldog Compact (Book 1 in the Masterson Family Series), More than Dust in the Wind (Book 2), All the Voices in the Wind (Book 3), All the Stillness of the Wind (Book 4), All the Fury of the Wind (Book 5), Angels of Interstate 29, Reforming the Potter's Clay, and Love Waits!

ENJOY! Thanks Mr. Parker!

OOPS!

Somehow my comments box got omitted from the last couple of posts - but thanks to some bloggers who gave me the heads up everything is working again!

Wondrous Words 4-15-2009

Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading. To join in the fun, post your words on your blog and then leave a message over at Bermudaonion's Blog!

My words today are from Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne.

Porphyry - Used like this: When he chose to take a walk it was with a regular step in the entrance hall with its mosaic flooring, or in the circular gallery with its dome supported by twenty red porphyry Ionic columns, and illumined by blue painted windows.

Definition: Rock containing relatively large conspicuous crystals, especially feldspar, in a fine-grained igneous matrix.


physiognomists - Used like this: His countenance possessed in the highest degree what physiognomists call "repose in action," a quality of those who act rather than talk.

Definiton: The art of judging human character from facial features.

rubicund - Used like this: His eyes were blue, his complexion rubicund, his figure almost portly and well-built, his body muscular, and his physical powers fully developed by the exercises of his younger days.

Definition: Inclined to a healthy rosiness; ruddy.

That's all I have for today! Have you learned any new words this week?

Waiting on Wednesday: Prairie Tale: A Memoir

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Prairie Tale: A Memoir by Melissa Gilbert

Publisher: Simon Spotlight Entertainment

Available: June 9, 2009

Who doesn't know Melissa Gilbert? I grew up on both the books and the T.V. series so I was excited when I stumbled across this book this week. Who doesn't recognize the theme music as soon as it starts - and watching the little girls run through the tall prairie grass. Even thinking about the show reminds me of my childhood - you know, when you had all the time in the world to read however much you wanted! I am really looking forward to this book!

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

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr (Book Review)

Title: Wicked Lovely
Author: Melissa Marr
Publisher: Harper Teen
Published: 2007
Genre: Young Adult/Paranormal
I read this because it is the first in a series and I received the third book as an ARC.

First sentence: The Summer King knelt before her, "Is this what you freely choose, to risk winter's chill?"

Aislinn has been taught three things all her life - 1) Don't stare at the faeries. 2)Don't speak to the faeries. 3) Don't ever attract their attention.

Now the faeries we are talking about here is not the garden variety "Tinkerbell" faeries. These are human size, invisible faeries. Some are beautiful - love to sing and dance - and others are horrible to look at and torment whomever they want whenever they want.

For many years Aislinn - or Ash, was home schooled by her grandmother. Her mother, Moira had died in childbirth. Ash's grandmother can also see the faeries. She has taught Aislinn those three important rules. They have also learned that only the strongest faeries can tolerate steel or iron, so they have fortified their house with iron bars.

Ash has a best friend named Seth who has always stood by her. She has wanted to take their relationship up a notch, but is afraid to lose him as a friend. Seth lives in 2 train cars that he has converted into a home - so Ash feels safe there, as the faeries tend to stay away. Seth, however, does not know of her incredible Sight.

Ash discovers that there are two faeries following her, Keenan and Donia. When Keenan dons his "glamour", which allows him to be visible to mortals, and talks to Ash - she is terrified. She tries her best to be nonchalant and brush him off, but after this first encounter, he only becomes more persistent. He enrolls at her school as a student and basically starts stalking her. She is the first mortal that has not fallen immediately for his charms.

You see, Keenan is the Summer King and he has been searching for his Queen for centuries. Whoever believes enough to pick up the Winter Queen's staff will either become the Summer Queen, or, if she is not the chosen one, will be filled with winter's chill. Donia was the last girl to take the test and fail. She has been destined to a life with Keenan, whom she loves dearly, but can never truly be with. Her fate lies in the hands of any future mortal girl who takes the test. She will remain filled with winter's chill until someone takes her place - and worse yet, she has to discourage any takers from trusting Keenan.

Ash finally breaks the rules that she has learned and confesses all to Seth. Being her true friend, and secretly in love with her, he believes her without question. Together they set out to discover what Keenan wants with her.

As Ash is pulled further and further into the faery world, will her love for Seth be able to keep her "grounded"? (OK bad pun) Will she be able to fight the pull she feels whenever she is around Keenan? And how does the Donia and the future of both the mortals and the summer faeries rest with Aislinn?

Aislinn leaned in - almost toppling over as she did - but she didn't bite the strange fruit. Instead she whispered, "Why don't all the other faeries glow like you do?"

Keenan lowered his hand. "All the other what?"

"Faeries." She gestured around them, but it was as empty of faeries as it was of humans. (p180, Wicked Lovely)

I had never read a faery book before and I am hooked! Even though this is a young adult book, I found it very entertaining. It is the first book of a trilogy - following is Ink Exchange and then Fragile Eternity. Our library had a three week wait for Ink Exchange and I don't want to wait, so I have already ordered it off of Amazon. I hope to get it soon! Fragile Eternity I was lucky enough to get as an ARC.

Visit these blogs for other reviews of this book:
Bloody Bad Book Blog
Dear Author
Juiciliciousss Reviews

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (Book Review)

Title: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Author: J.K. Rowling
Publisher: Random House Listening Library
Narrated by: Jim Dale
Genre: YA/Fantasy
I listened to this book for fun!

First sentence: It was nearing midnight and the Prime Minister was sitting alone in his office, reading a long memo that was slipping through his brain without leaving the slightest trace of meaning behind.

Year six finds Harry, Ron and Hermione headed back to Hogwarts after passing their O.W.L.s. There is also a new Prime Minister of Magic after Fudge was fired over his handling of Voldemort's return. Ron and Harry are disappointed as they had not scored high enough on their Potions test to continue on in this class - but this is soon rectified by Dumbledore. Since they hadn't purchased Potions books, they must use some old ones from the classroom until theirs arrive. Harry is lucky and gets one filled with detailed notes and spells. Notes left by the Half-Blood Prince. But who is the Half-Blood Prince?

Dumbledore believes Harry (since he is the Chosen One) is ready to start learning more about his enemy Voldemort. Through a series of memories viewed through the pensieve, Harry sees Voldemort as Tom Riddle and watches his transformation into the Dark Lord. He is also able to discover what a horcrux is and how Voldemort has used them to gain his advantage.


Along the way we have Harry's adventures in Quidditch, learning to apparate and see him developing feelings for Jenny, Ron's sister.

I continue to enjoy this series, having read the first four and now listened to 5 and 6. I was happy to have finished this one before the movie comes out! I have decided though, that I enjoy listening to them more than reading them - probably because I can clearly see the characters (because of the movies) and very much enjoy listening to Jim Dale read them. If you have not read the Harry Potter series, I think you definitely should - regardless of your age. I guess I can admit now that I tried to read the first one when it came out and couldn't get past the first chapter. All the muggles and mudbloods and Quidditch! I am not sure what has changed.

Blog Links

I have a question today for some of you readers who are more experienced in blogging and more tech savvy than myself. It was brought to my attention by a blog that I follow that after the last few posts on their blog that there had been links created linking them to my blog. Does anyone know how these links get created? I had not even visited this blog in over a month and am clueless how they came to be there. Any light that anyone can shed would be much appreciated - I want to make sure that there isn't someone out there randomly linking me to people!
Thanks everyone!!

BoneMan's Daughter by Ted Dekker (Book Review)

Title: BoneMan's Daughter
Author: Ted Dekker
Publisher: Hachette
Genre: Thriller
Available: Today! April 14
My ebook was provided by Net Galley.

First sentence: The day that Ryan Evans' world forever changed began as any other day he'd spent in the hot desert might have begun.

Ryan Evans is a Naval Intelligence Officer on location near Fallujah. Normally he deciphers information from his desk, but today he is being sent out to a remote location. His caravan is hit on the road and he is taken hostage by a man called Kahlid. Kahlid wants to show America all the senseless killing of women and children that is happening because of America's bombs. He tells Ryan that he must either tell him where his wife and daughter live, or watch more children die in front of him by having their bones broken one by one.

Many days and several children later, Ryan is able to escape. But is he leaving the same man that he was when he was captured?

Celine and Bethany are Ryan's wife and 16 year old daughter back in Texas. They were abandoned by Ryan years ago because he felt the best way to serve them, the only way he knew how, was to serve his country. Now he is back and wants to be the husband and father he never was. But Celine is currently involved with the D.A. Burton Welsh. Is it too late for this family to mend?

BoneMan is a serial killer that made his way across Texas two years earlier. A man was convicted and sent to prison. Evidence has come to light that the blood samples that were used to convict may have been planted. BoneMan has been set free. Ricki Valentine, the FBI agent who was on the case 2 years ago, reopens the investigation now. Either they have just released a serial killer back on the public, or they never had him to begin with.

BoneMan has been looking for the perfect daughter - as he considers himself to be the perfect father. When the girls he abducts do not live up to his expectations - he is forced to kill them by breaking their bones one by one. After two years of no activity, he is feeling the need to find a daughter again. Who better than the soon to be step daughter of the D.A. that is trying to find him and the daughter of a man who doesn't deserve her - as he abandoned her years earlier? How far will a father go to protect his daughter?

This is my second Ted Dekker book and I can't wait for more. I love the way that we really get to know these characters. We can feel their pain, their frustration, their fear. And what is scarier than having one of your children abducted! If you love thrillers, this is a book you won't want to miss.

Where are you? 4-14-2009

I have just been in to meet with my pastor and my boss. He has "recommended" that I take a sabbatical with my family to let the press die down. See, I was shot in the chest by a parishioner who claimed that I had tried to rape her, when in actuality it was because I had rebuked her. My wife is struggling with believing that I was not having an affair. (Fatal Illusions by Adam Blumer)

Where is your reading taking you? Stop over at Adventure in Reading and share!

Teaser Tuesday 4-14-2009

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’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!

"I'm late." The words resounded outside her body, as if someone else might be reminding her of the PJ she knew she should be, the PJ who should fight to extricate herself from Boone's magnetic pull. She managed to turn away, and as she did, the hallway bowed, as if made of gelatin. She took another step; it wobbled, and she ricocheted off the lockers.

(from Nothing but Trouble by Susan May Warren, p74)

Musing Mondays 4-13-09

Musing Mondays is hosted by Rebecca at Just One More Page.

Today's Musing Monday question is about blog posts:

How do you respond to the comments on your blog? Do you try to email individually or comment on post yourself answering the comments above? What do you think is the best way to respond to comments and do you respond to all of them? Do you feel slighted if you don't receive a response back from the blog owner?

Lets break this down as this covers quite a bit of ground.

Do I respond to comments? This is something that I have just been trying to get better at - so this question is very timely for me.

Do I email individually or comment on post? I will try to email the person back if their comment comes through with an email address and not a address. If there is no email address, I will at least try to visit their blog and comment somewhere, thanking them for visiting mine. I generally don't leave answers/comments in my own comment section in response to other questions - the reason I don't is because I seldom go back and read answers if I have left a question. If it is something that I really wanted to know, then I will mark it to get emailed if there is new comments - but this is infrequent. If I have a way to contact the blog owner, and I want to ask a question - I might leave it on the blog and then also send an email.

What is the best way to respond to comments and do you respond to all of them? Again, if I am able to just shoot a reply email, then that is what I will do. If they are just commenting and I don't feel I have anything relevant to add, I leave it at that. If I want to share additional information or answer a question, then I will definitely email back. To me that is the best way - I get too many emails to have to link up to everyone's comments - that would just make it crazy!

Do I feel slighted is someone doesn't answer? Not at all. I know that I don't always have the time to answer - and most of the time my comments aren't being left to get an answer, but to just show support to the person who created the blog - to let them know that I am reading it!

So readers - I would like to hear from you? Do you like getting email responses? Do you need a response to your comments? Do you ever feel slighted? I would really like to know!