Winner: Amish Proverbs

I had one copy of this beautiful gift book for giveaway from Revell Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group. I had several participates and entries and I want to thank everyone for their participation. I will be e-mailing the winner shortly.

The winner is:

flychild7

Review: To Tame a Dangerous Lord

To Tame a Dangerous Lord (The Courtship Wars series - Book 5) by Nicole Jordan

(For review from the author)

Synopsis:

Seduction takes a delightful, daring twist as Nicole Jordan's irresistibly sensual Courtship Wars series continues.

Dangerously sexy nobleman and former spymaster, Rayne Kenyon, Earl of Haviland, has no interest in love. He merely desires an heir to carry on his title and therefore must have a wife. Rayne makes a surprising choice of brides by settling on the plain spinster daughter of a fellow spy who once saved his life. But, the spirited and witty Madeline Ellis proves much more than Rayne bargained for.

Dazed by Rayne's smoldering kisses, Madeline knows that she's at last found love - with a man determined to avoid it. Once wedded, she decides to take fate into her own hands. Maybe, just maybe, she can kindle the fires in Rayne's heart by turning her plain, ordinary self in to a dazzling temptress. With a little help from the Loring sisters, the Earl's artless new wife becomes a beautiful, bold seductress in their marriage bed. But who could imagine that a simple marriage of convenience can suddenly be flooded with danger, desire and unexpected love?

Thoughts:

I love a good romance and this one really hit the spot. Nicole Jordan is very talented at giving the reader romances that seem timeless, with themes that peak the interest and satisfy that place we have inside that wants everything to have a happy ending. In the fifth book in The Courtship Wars series, we find the theme of the ugly duckling who changes into a swan, with a twist. Regency romances are always a favorite of mine and this one is no exception.

Madeline not only turns into the swan but the very sexy and sensual swan at that. We have a character here that is underestimated in the beginning. She appears to be the very demure, very intelligent daughter of a former spy. But, underneath her appearance as a spinster, beats the heart of real seductress. Madeline uses the help of her friends to try to win Rayne's heart. They may be married but it isn't all it's cracked up to be, when the groom doesn't want love, just an heir. She goes to great lengths to prove to Rayne that he not only needs her for more than an heir but that he can find love with her like he's never imagined before.

Rayne is very interesting character. I absolutely loved the character names in this book. Rayne was a different name than I'd heard before and I liked it. He was a former spy which made for an interesting back story. It added danger to the very sensual story line. I found it kind of interesting that this earl was only interested in an heir. He didn't want to put up with much fuss and figured how better to accomplish this than to marry Madeline who would be no trouble in that category. He was quite mistaken. When he finds a love that is so unexpected he hardly knows what to do with it, he is surprised as much by the feeling as by the woman who causes it.

I liked this one a lot. It was an easy read with a good story line. I was definitely a very feel good kind of read. The plot moved along at a good speed and I found myself rooting for the underdog, Madeline, wondering how she was going to win his heart. I wish it were that easy in real life. LOL...

To Tame a Dangerous Lord is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag! A great addition to the series.

Here is some additional information about Nicole Jordan.

Nicole Jordan is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous historical romances. She lives with her real life hero (her husband) in the Rocky Mountains of Utah, where she is at work on her next enthralling tale about the sparks that fly when Regency lovers play the matrimonial mating game.

Review: Radiant Daughter

Radiant Daughter by Patricia Grossman

(For review from Ollie Media)

Synopsis from Publisher's Weekly:

Grossman (Brian in Three Seasons) pursues the erratic coming-of-age gifted daughter of a family of second-generation Czech immigrants living outside of Chicago. In 1969, 18-year old Elise Blazek, scholarly and haughty, gets both accepted into Princeton and apprehended for vandalism, revealing a contradictory, troubled nature that confounds her pushy, ambitious mother Irena. Elise can't wait to get out of her stifling suburban home where she also endures the distracted diffidence of her father, Stephen, a mild-mannered architecture draftsman, and younger cousin, Miloslav, a crack baseball pitcher dealing with his own tragedy. Over the course of 27 years, the novel traces Elise's gradual spiraling into mental illness and Irena's fixed denial: from Elise's decision to study Russian literature, grating on her mothers hereditary resentment; her abrupt and unceremonious marriage to her Russian language graduate professor; diagnosis of manic depression manifested by episodes of hearing the voice of poet Anna Akhmatova; to dismissal from her university. Ultimately, Irena rallies around her daughter with a fierce maternal sympathy, offering a fragile closure to this unsentimental story of one family's gossamer dreams.

Thoughts:

This was an interesting book. The author delved into many different themes in the book, but still held it all together in a very cohesive way. The main themes in the book dealt with the mother daughter relationship between Elise and her mother, Irena and the integration of their Czech ancestry into the lives of their children born in America. The theme of mental illness and depression is also very prominent in the book. Grossman follows this family through 27 years, which is remarkable. Most contemporary fiction novels do not tackle that big of an expanse of time.

Elise, the main character was a very dramatic young woman, who has a lot of issues. Not only is she gifted and very intelligent, but she is charismatic and unpredictable. There are times when Elise seems very lucid and able to do the things she has dreamed of, but then the depression takes over and she becomes someone else entirely. She feels extreme pressure to represent her family and to do what is expected of her by her mother. Irena has very specific ideas of how shes wants Elise's life to be. Elise is torn between what she feels she needs to do and what others want from her. This book gives insight into how a person can be so desperate that it effects everything in their life.

The mother-daughter bond between Elise and Irena seems to be strained to the utmost. But, in the end Irena finally faces the fact that Elise cannot be what she dreamed she would be. She needs her and she must show Elise that no matter what happens she loves her. The book may sound a bit depressing in itself, but it definitely shows a lot of hope as well. Irena's changed attitude really impacts the reader and will make them think of the bonds between them and their own parents.

Elise also fights with the stereo types and ideas associated with immigrants. Her family is stuck between the ideas of their own Czech heritage and how things are so very different for the children who have been born in America. Irena is beside herself when Elise decides to study Russian literature. She wants something different for her children but she is unable to let go of the heritage she was born with and the ideas of how things need to be. It's interesting to watch the struggle and the reader will wonder which form of idealism will win out.

Radiant Daughter is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples. There are some pretty heavy themes in this book and readers will become engrossed in figuring out what is going to happen to this family next!

Here is some additional information about Patricia Grossman.

Patricia Grossman was raised in suburban Cleveland and moved to New York City at the age of 18 to study drawing and painting at the Pratt Institute. Her lifelong love of the visual arts is often reflected in her fiction. After graduating from Pratt, Grossman acquired an MFA in fiction writing from Sarah Lawrence College, where she studied with E.L. Doctorow and Grace Paley. Grossman lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Review: Choosing to See

Choosing to SEE: A Journey of Struggle and Hope by Mary Beth Chapman, With Ellen Vaughn

(For review from Revell)

Synopsis:

"I've told my kids for years that God doesn't make mistakes," writes Mary Beth Chapman, wife of Grammy award winning recording artist, Steven Curtis Chapman. "Would I believe now, when my whole world as I knew it came to an end?"

Covering her courtship and marriage to Steven Curtis Chapman, struggles for emotional balance, and living with grief, Mary Beth's story is our story -- wondering where God is when the worst happens. In Choosing to SEE, she shows how she wrestles with God even as she has allowed Him to write her story-- both during times of happiness and those of tragedy. Readers will hear first hand about the loss of her daughter, the struggle to heal, and the unexpected path God has placed her on. Even as difficult as life can be, Mary Beth Chapman chooses to SEE

Thoughts:

This book is a really stirring memoir of Mary Beth Chapman, the wife of Contemporary Christian music artist, Steven Curtis Chapman. I have been a fan of Steven Curtis Chapman's music for many years and I have always been moved by how he expresses his faith through his music. Never more so than after the death of his adopted daughter, Maria in 2008. But, I was initially very uninformed about his wife. I didn't know a lot about her and never really considered who she was as a person, only that she was Steven Curtis Chapman's wife. In this memoir I found so many things that I could relate to Mary Beth in and so many things that makes her stand out as person devoted to God even when tragedy strikes. It takes a strong woman to come through something like that with her faith in God intact.

One of the things that I found interesting was that Mary Beth never really wanted to be a recording artist's wife. She wanted a quiet and orderly life. A home in the suburbs, a husband with a 9 to 5 job. But, God had other plans. Not only was her life filled with the hectic pace of a husband on the road, and three children of their own, but He also choose to lead them to adopt three daughters from China that would forever change Mary Beth's life. I'm not sure I would have been able to see beyond my own dreams to what God really had in store for me. Mary Beth chose to SEE what God was up to and embraced it.

There was so much happiness in Mary Beth's and Steven Curtis life, that it's hard to imagine the sadness at the death of their daughter Maria. Not only was the accident tragic, but for them it was even more heart wrenching because of the circumstances. Maria was killed when she was hit by a car in the driveway of their home, driven by her own brother, Will. She was five years old. Mary Beth had to deal with the loss of her child and the horrific grief and guilt that her son was feeling. I'm not so sure I would have been able to lay aside my own grief as well as she was able to do in order to SEE what God needed from me at such a point.

It was wonderful to see what God is doing in memory of their special little girl. Maria's Big House of Hope is located in a very poor area of China and serves the many orphans of that community. In Maria's honor, Maria's Big House of Hope is helping other orphaned children find homes and most of all love. Sometimes we don't understand why God chooses to do things the way He does, but Mary Beth shows us through this book, that if we choose to SEE, we can know that he doesn't make mistakes and everything happens for a reason, even if we can't understand what it is at the time.

I loved the book. It was heart wrenching, yet filled with great love and joy as well. Grief is something that is hard to describe, and even harder to live, but this book is as much about moving on as it is about anything. What happens after something tragic changes your life? This is a book about hope and what hope means. It was truly inspirational.

Available September 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

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

Here is some additional information about Mary Beth Chapman and Ellen Vaughn.

Mary Beth Chapman is the wife of Grammy and Dove award winning recording artist, Steven Curtis Chapman. Together they began Show Hope, a nonprofit organization dedicated to caring for the worlds forgotten and abandoned children by providing financial assistance to families wishing to adopt, as well as increasing awareness of and funneling resources to orphans domestically and internationally. Mary Beth serves as president of Show Hope and is a speaker for Women of Faith 2010 with her husband. She is also co-author with Steven of the Shaoey and Dot series of children's picture books. Mary Beth and Steven have six children, Emily (24), Caleb (20), Will Franklin (19), and adopted daughters Shaohannah Hope (10) and Stevey Joy (7) and Maria Sue, who is now with Jesus. The Chapman's live in Tennessee.

Ellen Vaughn is a New York Times bestselling author and inspirational speaker. Her recent books include, It's All About Him, which debuted at #1 on the New York Times nonfiction list. In addition to her nonfiction work, Vaughn is an award winning novelist. Vaughn and her husband Lee live in the Washington DC area.

Review: Almost to Die For

Almost to Die For: A Vampire Princess Novel by Tate Hallaway

(For review from Penguin)

Synopsis:

Twilight meets The Vampire Diaries in the new series from the author of Honeymoon of the Dead.

On her sixteenth birthday, Anastasija Parker learns that her so-called deadbeat is actually a vampire king. And he wants Ana to assume her rightful position at his side, in spite of the fact that she has witch's blood running through her veins from her mother's side.

Too bad witches and vampires are mortal enemies. And now Ana's parents are at each other's throats over her future. It's up to Ana to make a choice, but deciding your eternal destiny is a pretty big deal for a girl who just wants to get through high school.

Thoughts:

Almost to Die For is a great new YA release by Tate Hallaway. This series has a lot of appeal for both adult and young adult readers. It has elements from both Twilight and The Vampire Diaries, which will garner the book a lot of attention. Readers will be captivated by the characters that Hallaway has created. We are used to the vampires mortal enemy being the werewolf, not the witch, so that's an interesting break from what's become the norm. The heroine has the blood of both vampire and witch in her veins which makes for an interesting twist as well.

Ana is a typical teenager with typical teenage woes. How to make it through high school, which boy she wants to date, etc. until she finds out her dad is really not who she thought he was. He is a vampire king and he wants her to come live with him and rule by his side. That wouldn't be a bad idea, except that her mother is a witch, a sworn enemy of the vampire. It's interesting finding out how her parents actually got together and what possessed them to get together in the first place.

On top of all this Ana starts receiving attention from a moody witch boy and a bad boy vampire, what's a girl to do...

I really liked this one a lot. In fact I went so far as to pass my copy on to my daughter and we both loved it. So, if I'd recommend it her, you know it's good. LOL! Readers who are interested in a slightly different take from Twilight, but with all the good parts will love this one.

Almost to Die For is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

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

Here is some additional information about Tate Hallaway.

A Scorpio with a Leo rising, is an amateur astrologer and practicing Witch. Tate has been a fan of vampire fiction since she read Poppy Z. Brite in high school. Her first short fiction acceptance was to a vampire 'zine called, Nocturnal Ecstasy Vampire Coven. Tate lives in St. Paul, Minnesota with three black cats.

Waiting on Wednesday (7)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking The Spine. It gives bloggers a chance to showcase up coming releases that we are really looking forward to reading and passing along to you.

My pick this week is:

Chains of Fire by Christina Dodd

Publication Date: September 7th

I'm a big Christina Dodd fan and this book is #4 in her Chosen Ones series.

Synopsis:

Samuel Faa is a Gypsy lawyer with the power to control minds. Isabelle Mason is wealthy, privileged, and refined, and has the gift for healing. Two of the Chosen Ones, they share a past filled with love and betrayal, and a future denied by fate-until the day they're trapped underground. No way out. No way to deny the passion that still burns beneath the surface. And when danger threatens, Isabelle has only one choice: to place her trust in the power of the one man she could never forgive...or forget.

Review: Letters From Sweetwater

Letters From Sweetwater by Dr. Dale Garland

(For review from Phenix Publicity)

Synopsis:

Deep in the mountains of North Carolina is a tiny but wondrous valley called Sweetwater. Mysterious forces, both good and evil, have converged there to produce a tender but compelling story. Through occasional flights of fantasy, Jesse Gernon gets to peep "behind the curtain" and catch a glimpse of the Glory land. What he discovers there may prove to be far different from anything you ever have imagined, but come see for yourself and be prepared for the unexpected. Romans 8:28 KJV... And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose. When Keith, Jesse's troubled uncle, comes to visit it is with the intent of disclosing a secret he hints could involve the family honor. En route, however, he encounters a mysterious stranger who strongly advises against such. Soon thereafter Keith is stricken with bacterial encephalitis, leaving him permanently brain damaged and with amnesia... Is his secret lost forever? A question that is certain to haunt the reader. Written in poetic prose, LETTERS FROM SWEETWATER is a tribute to the human spirit with its ability to overcome and achieve when guided by Divine purpose.

Thoughts:

This the kind of book that needs to be savored. It needs to be read in your favorite reading spot with a good cup of joe and an open mind. Written in prose, Dale Garland makes, Letters From Sweetwater a book that's not easy to put down. Each chapter and page is full of wisdom and insight. Getting a glimpse into the hereafter is an interesting prospect. Ever wonder what that would be like? Garland gives the reader a scenario that is possible even plausible.

Jesse lives in a small town called, Sweetwater. His uncle Keith is coming for a visit and has the family in an uproar because he plans to reveal a secret that could destroy the family. During his trip Sweetwater, Keith meets a man who tries to deter him from this goal. When Keith unexpectedly comes down with bacterial encephalitis an amnesia the secret may be lost forever. It's keeps the reader wondering what the secret could possibly be. Very mysterious.

This book is a real eye opener. It's one of the books that kind of sneaks up on you. It starts out a little slow but then begins to build momentum. It starts to get really intriguing and you find yourself thinking about it, even when your not reading it. It's one of those books that makes you feel like you are a part of something great. One of the messages I enjoyed from this book, was the fact that sometimes we forget to stop an enjoy the roses so to speak. We get caught up in everything else and forget to be thankful for everyday things. This book reminds the reader that it's important to remember the little things and take pleasure in the unexpected. Always remember that life is short... so live it!

Letters From Sweetwater is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

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