Waiting on Wednesday (6)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Breaking the Spine. It showcases books that we can't wait to read. Most have just been released, or will be released very soon. My pick for this week is...

Juliet by Anne Fortier, releasing the week of August 24th

This pleasing labyrinth takes readers back to the medieval Italian tale that inspired Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and then forward into a treasure hunt that will beguile fans of both Dan Brown and Sarah Dunant. A key leads young protagonist Julie on a search deep into her family's history and on the trail of "Juliet's Eyes," wondrous gemstones that ornament of vanished golden statue. Danger and romance await our heroine as she pursues her quest. Adeptly plotted; artfully written.

From Publishers Weekly:

Fortier bobs and weaves between Shakespearean tragedy and popular romance for a high-flying debut in which American Julie Jacobs travels to Siena in search of her Italian heritage--and possibly an inheritance--only to discover she is descended from 14th-century Giulietta Tomei, whose love for Romeo defied their feuding families and inspired Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Julie's hunt leads her to the families' descendants, still living in Siena, still feuding, and still struggling under the curse of the friar who wished a plague on both their houses. Julie's unraveling of the past is assisted by a Felliniesque contessa and the contessa's handsome nephew, and complicated by mobsters, police, and a mysterious motorcyclist. To understand what happened centuries ago, in the previous generation, and all around her, Julie relies on relics: a painting, a journal, a dagger, a ring. Readers enjoy the additional benefit of antique texts alternating with contemporary narratives, written in the language of modern romance and enlivened by brisk storytelling. Fortier navigates around false clues and twists, resulting in a dense, heavily plotted love story that reads like a Da Vinci Code for the smart modern woman.

Review: Drawn to the Land

Drawn to the Land: The Romance of Farming by Elizabeth & Barton Cockey

(For review from Phenix Publicity)

Synopsis:

Drawn to the Land: The Romance of Farming takes readers on a spellbinding tour of upstate New York and its farming community. A follow-up to Upstate New York: Towns That We Love, this volume focuses on the men and women who feel the enduring pull of the land. From beekeeping to winemaking, the book tells the story of the dedication and passion that mark every sustainable New York homestead. The reader learns about raising chickens, building silos, and growing potatoes from conversations with the people who remain devoted to the natural world in an increasingly urban age. Alongside Barton s descriptions of animals, farm stands, and fresh ice cream are Elizabeth s oil paintings, which burst from the page with the love and admiration of an artist revisiting the place she was raised. Rural upstate New York is a one-of-a-kind locale, and Drawn to the Land celebrates its unique culture, conveying the richness of both its soil and its traditions.

Thoughts:

Drawn to the Land looks like a story book when you pick it up, with the rich colors and paintings you might expect in a children's book, but it's a lot more than that. Elizabeth & Barton Cockey have done a wonderful job with this book that will adorn many coffee tables because of it's beauty and it's stories of the farmland of upstate New York. This is the second book this husband and wife duo have done that takes them back to their roots and childhood.

Elizabeth's oil paintings show the great love she has for her home state, with vibrancy and joy. The paintings really make Barton's stories come alive. He talks of many things that have always interested me like winemaking and and the fresh fruit and vegetable stands, homemade ice cream and the forgotten machinery of the nineteenth century.

When I first got this book I was sure it was going to be something different and I was really pleased that it turned out to be a really enjoyable book about upstate New York, which is a wonderful area of the country. I was sold on it immediately. It is a quick read that gives a lot of focus to the paintings which are just beautiful.

Drawn to the Land: The Romance of Farming is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag.

Here is additional information about Elizabeth & Barton Cockey.

Elizabeth and Barton Cockey live in Maryland and love to visit upstate New York, where they enjoy antiquing, painting, and sightseeing. Barton is a diagnostic radiologist who earned his medical degrees at Johns Hopkins University. He practices medicine for the Advanced Radiology group in Baltimore. Elizabeth holds degrees in art and psychology, as well as a master s in art therapy. She works at several nursing facilities, including Good Samaritan Hospital s Nursing Center in Baltimore. The couple s first book together, Upstate New York: Towns That We Love, chronicled the history and beauty of six towns in the region.

Teaser Tuesday (32)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read.

Open to a random page.

Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and the author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers.

My teaser this week comes from Drawn to the Land: The Romance of Farming by Elizabeth & Barton Cockey, page 14.

"The nineteenth century, that great age of mechanical inventions, saw a proliferation of hand-powered and horse-drawn machines for plowing, harrowing, planting, mowing, threshing, baling, and shucking. Many of the old machines have rotted away, abandoned in the weeds, but a fair number have survived..."

Review: The Wolf of Tebron

The Wolf of Tebron (Gates of Heaven series - Book 1) by C.S. Lakin

(For review from Phenix Publicity)

Synopsis:

Long ago, and far away, an apprentice blacksmith named Joran is tormented by nightmares. He claws his way up a sand-strewn cliff battered by ocean waves, desperately trying to reach his imprisoned wife. Every night, he fails, sucked under the dark, roiling water as a baleful moon looms overhead, mocking him.

It’s just a dream, isn’t it? That’s what Joran thinks, until he discovers that the wife he sent back to her relatives in a nearby village after a heated argument never reached her destination. She’s vanished without a trace, and Joran sets off to find her. His quest will take him to the very boundaries of his world, in the company of an extraordinarily strange ally, to grapple with forces beyond his imagination. He needs all the help he can get–Joran will soon discover that the most merciless, relentless enemy of all lurks closer than he ever thought possible.

Thoughts:

In the tradition of Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, C.S. Lakin brings us a fairytale and an allegory rolled up in one. A Christian fairytale. I was really excited when I got this book to review. The cover is absolutely gorgeous. It just makes you want to read the book that much more. I have long been a fan of stories akin to The Chronicles of Narnia or Hind's Feet on High Places. Books that tell the Christian story of Jesus, but from a fiction and fairytale like point of view. Lakin, has done a wonderful job of making her true point very obvious while still giving the reader a fairytale.

Joran is trying to save his wife, who has been taken captive by the Moon. In his pursuit of her, he meets the wolf, Ruyah, who stays with him regardless of the situation. He is never really alone. Through the greatest difficulties of his life, he has someone to lean on, someone who has his back no matter what the obstacle. Joran is forced to make a terrible decision when he reaches the shore of his dreams. His very survival depends on the death and sacrifice of Ruyah's life. Not only that, but it must come from his own hand. The wolf he has come to trust and love must give it's own life to protect him and save him from certain death. A true picture of Christ in our own lives. He never leaves us even when it seems everyone else has stepped out, He steps in. He made the ultimate sacrifice for us, just as Ruyah does for Joran.

I was really captivated by this story for many reasons. First and foremost I was interested to see if Lakin could pull off a fairytale with a message. I was certainly not disappointed. I look forward to the second book in The Gates of Heaven series, to see what happens next. This is a good book for young readers, as well as adults, since the book delves into a lot of issues adults struggle with in their own Christian lives.

The Wolf of Tebron is available NOW at your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag! If you liked The Chronicles of Narnia, you'll love this one.

Here is additional information about C.S. Lakin. In her own words. (taken from the author's website. cslakin.com)

I come from a family of successful writers, i.e.: they have actually made a living writing books and television scripts. I have finally landed my first fiction contract, after winning the Zondervan First Novel contest at Mount Hermon in April 2009. But as a friend once said, "God doesn't call us to be successful; he calls us to be faithful." My prayer is to keep focused on God—it's all about Him, not me, and my dream is to reach people with hope and the means to extol my faithful and loving God to my readers.

Another friend encouraged me to keep on pressing forward. She said, "A life spent loving God is never a failure." I keep these comments fresh in my heart each day, knowing God has a plan. He always does. He doesn't tell me what it is, so I try to guess. (laugh). Sometimes I even ask him to please tell me his plan. He never does. He intends to show me. He wants me to wait and see.

Waiting has never been my strong point. My friend Renae says this is my favorite word: Sheesh. Sheesh. Just where did that word come from, anyway? My twenty-year wait has paid off, and now I see how God has been training me—not just in my writing skills but in my nature—to understand that success means nothing, but God's will is everything.

I love: hiking, backpacking, watching Star Trek reruns cuddled up on the couch in my husband's, arms, doing everything with my daughters (especially eating and baking), gardening (when I'm not writing or editing, I landscape for a living), taking my dog Sweetie for walks, reading, playing Zuma on the computer (OK, I confess my addiction), sleeping with my three kitties on the bed, and the list is endless. Most of all I love God and give him the glory for "He created all things, and by his will they exist and were created." I am just a little speck of dust in this vast universe. What do I know? Only one thing. (I am picturing Billy Crystal in "City Slickers" holding up his one finger to his buddies). When you hold up that one finger, it only points in one direction and to one Person. And that's all that matters. God is the creator of all things. God is in control. Thankfully, God knows what he is doing, and that makes me feel so relieved. So, I'll just keep on writing...

Review: Third Time's a Charm

Third Times a Charm (Sister To Sister series - Book 3) by Virginia Smith

(For review from Kathy Willis Communications)

Synopsis:

Tori Sanderson has the professional opportunity of a lifetime. If she can prove she's executive material, she's in line for a big promotion. But there's only room for one new account executive, and her co-worker has his eye on the job--and on Tori. Her matchmaking sisters have a handsome handyman in mind for her. But how can she consider romance when she couldn't hold on to the one man who was supposed to love her forever--her own father? The time has come for answers, and Tori decides to search out the father who deserted her twelve years ago. While Tori may find the answers she craves, will she ever be able to love again? A heartwarming story of sisters, retail therapy, and love that endures, Third Time's a Charm is the satisfying conclusion to Virginia Smith's SISTER-TO-SISTER series.

Thoughts:

This is a book about sister's. A subject that's close to my heart since I have an older sister and I have two daughters. In the third book of the Sister-to-Sister series, Third Time's a Charm, Virginia Smith takes us back to the lives of the three Sanderson sisters; Tori, Allie and Joan. Three women who could not be more different. Smith is able to show the bonds that are formed between sisters and how unbreakable those bonds can be.

I really entered the fact that Allie and Joan took it upon themselves to try to fix Tori up with the neighborhood, handy man. That is soooo like something my sister did to me at one time. LOL! It's also interesting to see how Tori deals with the possibility of an office romance. Not only with someone she may like, but also the person who may just take the promotion she has in her sights.

I liked this book a lot for several reasons. It was very contemporary and dealt with issues that people are facing in their every day lives. Tori has to wonder if office romances really work out? Is it necessary to always buy the trendy expensive brands when you shop? What is the appropriate way to show your faith in the work place? How much information is out on the internet about you?

This is a great addition to the Sister-to-Sister series. Smith shows that great romance doesn't have to be steamy and erotic, most of the time there is some of that, but isn't the focus of most real romances. This book was breath of fresh air.

Third Time's a Charm as well as the other books in the Sister-to-Sister series are available NOW at your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag! This is a great easy, light read, that's realistic and very contemporary.

Here is some additional information about Virgina Smith.

Virginia Smith is the author of eight novels, including Stuck in the Middle and Age before Beauty. In 2008 she was named Writer of the Year at the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. She and her husband, Ted, divide their time between Lexington, Kentucky, and Salt Lake City, Utah, and escape as often as they can for diving trips to the Caribbean.

Simply Marvelous Monday (34)

Shelia at, One Person's Journey Through a World of Books, gets all the credit for this one...

On Simply Marvelous Monday Here at Debbie's Book Bag, we want to know... What are you reading?

FINISHED LAST WEEK:

Theater of Illusion (Spirit of the River series - Book 3) by Kathy Steffen (E-Arc for review from Medallion)

Emma and the Vampires by Wayne Josephson (For review from Sourcebooks)

Vanishing Act by Liz Johnson (For review from the author)

With One Eye Open by Polly Frost (For review from the author)

His Princess Girl Talk With God: Love Letters and Devotions for Young Women by Sheri Rose Shepherd (For review from Revell)

The Paris Vendetta (Cotton Malone series - Book 5) by Steve Berry (For review from Media Muscle)

Outlander (Outlander series - Book 1) by Diana Gabaldon (E-Book from the Library)

Well, I finally got to finish Outlander and I'll have to say it's one of the best books I've ever read. That's certainly saying a lot since I read around 6 or 7 a week at times. I loved everything about it. My review will post some time this week.

READING OR LISTENING TO THIS WEEK:

The Wolf of Tebron (The Gates of Heaven series - Book 1) by C.S. Lakin (For review from Phenix)

Drawn to the Land: The Romance of Farming by Elizabeth J. Cockey and Barton M. Cockey (For review from Phenix)

The Winner's Brain: 8 Strategies Great Minds Use to Achieve Success by Jeff Brown, Liz Neporent and Mark Fenske (For review from Phenix)

Third Times a Charm (Sister to Sister series - Book 3) by Virginia Smith (For review from Kathy Willis Communications)

Amish Proverbs: Words of Wisdom from the Simple Life by Suzanne Woods Fisher (For review from Revell)

Code 15 by Gary Birken (For review from Goldberg McDuffie)

Had to make a few changes to my plan for this week, due to publication dates being moved back. Amish Proverbs is a beautiful little gift book that I can't wait to share with you. I have a copy for giveaway. I'm looking forward to Third Times a Charm and The Wolf of Tebron as well. Drawn to the Land has some exquisite art in it and The Winner's Brain is just one of those books that you think, hmmmm... I need to read that.

UP NEXT:

Seduced by The Wolf (Heart of the Wolf series - Book 5) by Terry Spear (For review from Sourcebooks)

The Brothers of Gwynedd, Pt. 4: Afterglow and Nightfall by Edith Pargeter (For review from Sourcebooks)

Hero (The Cat Star Chronicles - Book 6) by Cheryl Brooks (For review from Sourcebooks)

The Truth About Lord Stoneville (Hellions of Halstead Hall series - Book 1) by Sabrina Jefferies (For review from the Author)

There will be a couple of giveaways, guest posts and interviews coming up on this particular week, so I left it a little sparing on the amount of books I'll try.

Review: Vanishing Act

Vanishing Act by Liz Johnson

(For review from the author)

Synopsis:

Eighteen months ago, Nora James watched as her father was shot in an alley—and then she fled. She changed her name, her appearance and her job, hoping to keep her father's shooter at bay. For months, it worked…but now her luck has run out. A ruthless assassin is on her trail, and soon Nora, now known as Danielle, will be found. But this time, she has FBI agent Nate Andersen by her side—right? The handsome agent would give his life to protect Danielle, but he's wary of giving his heart…until a deadly confrontation leaves him with both on the line.

Thoughts:

Liz Johnson does a wonderful job of weaving suspense and romance in her latest novel, Vanishing Act. A lot of people believe that an inspirational novel can't have those elements and Liz Johnson proves them wrong with this book. Johnson shows once again that you can have a good romance without all the steam of erotica. It's a feel good romance that packs a punch with intrigue and suspense.

The main character Nora is running for her life, not only from the man who brutally murdered her father, but from the FBI as well. When Nora is discovered by an agent, she is living under and assumed name and trying to lay low, but her past is catching up with her. Nate is willing to protect her to the end, but he is reluctant to give her the love she is seeking. Both Nora and Nate are Christians and their lives play that out, in how the conduct themselves.

I was excited to get this book for review and I wasn't disappointed with it. It's a great book, and easy light read, that will give the reader a sense that romance doesn't have to be all fluff and roses. The suspense feels real and readers will be on the edge of their seats wondering what's going to happen next.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag! It's your looking for a good Christian Fiction novel or you want to try something new and different I think you'll love this one.

Vanishing Act is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

Here is some additional information about Liz Johnson.

Liz Johnson grew up reading Christian fiction and always dreamed of being a part of the publishing industry. After graduating from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff with a degree in public relations, she set out to fulfill her dream. In 2006 she got her wish when she accepted a publicity position at a major trade book publisher. While working as a publicist in the industry, she decided to pursue her other dream--becoming an author. While she was writing her first book, she completed the Christian Writers Guild apprentice course and wrote articles for several magazines.

Liz lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she enjoys theater, ice skating, volunteering in her church's bookstore and making frequent trips to Arizona to dote on her nephew and three nieces. She loves stories of true love with happy endings. The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn was her first novel. Keep up with Liz's adventures in writing through her Web site, lizjohnsonbooks.com.