Waiting on Wednesday

(Compliments of Jill @ Breaking the Spine)

It allows bloggers to feature pre-publication
books that they are eagerly anticipating!

This week I've chosen:
Within My Heart
(Timber Ridge Reflections, Book 3)
by Tamera Alexander

Coming in: Fall 2010


Widow Rachel Boyd struggles to keep her ranch afloat and provide for her two young sons, though some days it feels as though her efforts are sabotaged at every turn. When her cattle come down with disease and her sons' lives are endangered, she must turn to Rand Brookston, Timber Ridge's physician and reluctant veterinarian. While Rachel appreciates his help, she squelches any feelings she might have for Rand--her own father was a doctor and his patients always took priority over his family. Rachel refuses to repeat the mistakes her mother made. But when she's courted by a wealthy client of the local resort, she faces a choice: self-sufficiency and security or the risk inherent in the deepest of loves.

Tamera Alexander is a bestselling novelist whose deeply drawn characters, thought-provoking plots, and poignant prose resonate with readers. Having lived in Colorado for seventeen years, she and her husband now make their home in Franklin, Tennessee, where they enjoy life with their two college-age children and a silky terrier named Jack.

I can hardly wait to read Rand and Rachel's story! If you haven't read the first 2 books in this series, Timber Ridge Reflections, please be sure to pick them up ASAP ~ they are absolutely wonderful! To read my review of Beyond This Moment (Book 2), just click on the title.
The first book in this series is: From a Distance.

Book Review Blog Party!! Join the fun!!

I've found yet another fun meme ~ Book Review Blog Party!
It's really simple! =) Just click the image below to join the fun!

A-Z Wednesday

I've decided to join in on a new meme this week....A-Z Wednesday!
It's hosted by Vicki at Reading at the Beach.
The rules are pretty simple.....

1. Visit Vicki to get this week's letter.
2. Browse through your shelves for a book that starts with this week's letter.
3. Post the following info about the book you've chosen on your blog:
~ Photo, synopsis/description, link (Amazon, Christian Books, Borders, etc.)
4. Hurry back to Reading at the Beach and post a comment with a link to your post.

Sounds simple enough, doesn't it? Here's my choice:

How Sweet It Is by Alice J. Wisler

From School Library Journal:
Atlanta chef Deena Livingston returns home to the North Carolina cabin she inherited from her grandfather to start a new life far from the heartbreak she suffered in Georgia. But instead of becoming isolated in self-pity, Deena finds her grandfather's will also stipulates that she work with local middle-school children. Written with a seasoning of Southern charm and populated with richly drawn characters, Wisler's second novel (after Rain Song) mixes romance, humor, and drama and tackles such issues such as child abuse and self-image. Sure to appeal to fans of Susan May Warren, Lisa Wingate, Angela Hunt, and Rene Gutteridge.

Product Description:
Deena Livingston leaves behind a broken romance and her chef job in Atlanta to spend time at her grandfather's cabin in the mountains of North Carolina. But her grandfather has an odd request: he wants Deena to teach cooking classes to the ragtag group of middle-schoolers who attend the local afterschool program, The Center. Reluctantly, Deena agrees, but how is she supposed to convince these kids that cooking at home is better than eating at McDonalds? And after all she went through in Atlanta, why is she attracted to Zack, the social worker at The Center? Can a Dr. Seuss-quoting plumber, a curly-haired basketball player, and a group of middle-schoolers change Deena's outlook on life?

Teaser Tuesdays

(Compliments of MizB @ Should Be Reading)

Here's what you're asked to do:

1. Grab your current read.
2. Let the book fall open to a random page.
3. Share two teaser sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
4. Share the title of the book that the “teaser” comes from ~ so people can find the book if they like the teaser.
5. And remember – AVOID SPOILERS!!

Here's mine:

"Letting go of *******'s arm, he grinned and scowled at the same time. 'Well son, for your sake I hope it was just a kiss.' 'You'll have to ask your daughter.' 'Don't worry, I will.'"

Page 66 from Of Men and Angels
by Victoria Bylin

Top 10 Books on My Wishlist...

Welcome to my first meme!!
Top 10 Books on My Wishlist...
I plan to post this every Monday, so be sure to
join in whenever you can.

I'm hoping this meme will help everyone find books to add to their own Wishlist, but to also allow others to see what books you want, so maybe they can help you get them. Kinda like my own personal swap site...in a way...

By getting book lovers together, and sharing the books we most want, maybe we can help each other out. I would love to know what books you're looking for, so I can try to help you find them. What do y'all think? Please leave me a comment(s) with your thoughts.

Here's how it works:

- Look thru all of your wishlists (I'm sure you have more than one...just like me!)
- Decide which 10 you're really wanting ~ at least for this week *grin*
- Come back and post them in your comment...or better yet...create a post on your blog, linking back to me, and post your link here
- You can list books from any genre
- It doesn't matter if they are: already available for purchase, newly released, coming soon, etc.
- If you have a book(s) on someone's WL that you're willing to get rid of ~ let them know ~ they may be willing to swap for something on your WL...I know I would!!
- I've added a button in my sidebar, please take it with you, if you're inclined to do so

I may add more ideas to the "list", but that's it for now. Here we go!!

My Top 10 Books for this week are (in no particular order):

1. The Bride Backfire - Kelly Eileen Hake
2. The Bride Blunder - Kelly Eileen Hake
3. Brides of the West - Michele Ann Young, Kimberly Ivey, Billie Warren Chai
4. Fools Rush In - Janice Thompson
5. Google Blogger for Dummies - Susan Gunelius
6. He's No Prince Charming - LuAnn McLane
7. The Husband Tree - Mary Connealy
8. Perfect Piece - Rebeca Seitz
9. Superb and Sexy - Jill Shalvis
10. Three Times Blessed - Lori Copeland





Well...let's see your list!! Don't be shy...there will be no judging here...everyone is entitled to their own personal reading choices. Do you enjoy Mysteries, Fiction, Romance, Suspense, Historical, Paranormal, Erotica, Young Adult, Non-Fiction? Whatever your preference, please share your Top 10 Books on your Wishlist for this week. As always ~ thanks for dropping in! =)

Mailbox Monday

Thanks to Marcia @ The Printed Page, we get a chance to share with others any books we've received the previous week,
via our mailbox.
Be sure to comment and leave a link to your Mailbox Monday post,
or just post your list in your comment.

Here's mine for Sept. 20 - 26:





To Tease a Texan by Georgina Gentry (PBS)
The Drifter by Lisa Plumley (PBS)
The Other Bride by Lisa Bingham (Goodwill)
Taming the Texan by Charlene Sands (PBS)
Wyoming Wildcat by Elizabeth Lane (PBS)
Of Men and Angels by Victoria Bylin (Goodwill)
Always a Bridesmaid by Jane Sullivan,
Isabel Sharpe & Julie Kistler (SwapTree)
Some Like it Hot by Lori Wilde (SwapTree)
So Into You by Sandra Hill (PBS)



From Revell's Book Review Blog Tour, I received an extra
copy of Maggie Brendan's The Jewel of His Heart. I plan
to give away this book sometime in October, when I post
my review for Revell. Be sure to check back then, for
your chance to win! =)

Of course, the 2 books from Goodwill did not come in my
mailbox, but I wanted to share them anyway.

What books were in your mailbox last week???

My Review of Seaside Letters by Denise Hunter

Please visit my new Book Review blog,

~Some of My Favorite Books~,
to read my review of Seaside Letters by Denise Hunter.
This is where I'll be posting my Book Reviews from now on.

My Favorite Cover

Cowgirl at Heart
(A McCord Sister Romance, Book 2)
by Christine Lynxwiler

Release Date:
February 1, 2010

Welcome to the Ozarks, the setting of award-winning author Christine Lynxwiler’s latest breath-taking romance, where the lives of a timid dog whisperer and an out-for-revenge reporter collide. Elyse McCord, the biological daughter of a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde, turns into a mighty warrior when a dog’s well-being is at stake. Finding herself in the sights of a pistol-wielding maniac whose been mistreating his dog, she’s suddenly swept to safety by Andrew Stone, a widower bent on hunting down his wife’s killers. Is there any future for an outlaw’s daughter and a Texas ranger’s son?

Still struggling with her painful past, Elyse McCord transforms from a timid canine coiffeuse into a mighty warrior when a dog’s well-being is threatened. But when her life collides with that of Andrew Stone, a widower bent on revenge, she goes into protective mode. Can love mend their bitter, broken hearts?

The first book in this series, The Reluctant Cowgirl, is great! You should read it while we're waiting for Cowgirl at Heart to be released. =)

Isn't this cover beautiful? It makes me want to head out West...

Friday Fill-Ins

(compliments of Lori's Reading Corner)

Here we go ---->


1. One week ago today, I mailed Renee's birthday gift.

2. I wanted to be a librarian when I was young.

3. Mama told me "Can't never could".

4. It's time for you and me to go to bed!! *huge yawn*

5. Take your time, there's no rush.

6. Did you see that awesome touchdown pass?!?!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to getting home to see my hubby (I was out of town and missed him terribly!), tomorrow my plans include sleeping late ~ then watching the UGA game, and Sunday, I want to spend the day catching up on my reading!

Waiting on Wednesday

(I'm sorry all of my posts are so late this week ~ I decided to go out of town for a couple of days.)


This week I've chosen:

The Husband Tree
(Montana Marriages, Book 2)
by Mary Connealy

Release date:
January 1, 2010


Belle Tanner only wants a man to move her cattle—nothing else. Silas Harden needs a job, even if it means he’ll be the only man at hand. As they move a herd to market, the pull of love seems irresistible. Will they be able to steer clear of the matrimonial noose?

Hit the trail into the Old West, where a tough lady rancher and a seemingly aimless wrangler attempt to avoid the matrimonial noose. When Belle Tanner hires Silas Harden to help her get her cattle to market, the last thing she’s looking for is romance. So why does she turn into jelly whenever he’s near? Silas wants nothing to do with women, but he can’t seem to resist the pull of love when it comes to Belle. Can they make it through this cattle drive without getting hitched? Or will they steer straight into a commitment neither one counted on?

I can't wait to read this book ~ I absolutely LOVED Montana Rose! If you'd like to read my review of Montana Rose...click here.

Teaser Tuesday

I know I'm late posting this, but I was gone all day. My Mom, my youngest sister, Lindsay, and I went on an all-day shopping spree! We had a blast! I even bought a couple of Christmas gifts. :)

(Compliments of MizB @ Should Be Reading)

Here's what you're asked to do:

1. Grab your current read.
2. Let the book fall open to a random page.
3. Share two teaser sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
4. Share the title of the book that the “teaser” comes from ~ so people can find the book if they like the teaser.
5. And remember – AVOID SPOILERS!!

Here's mine:

"You always wear this." His fingers found the S charm on her bracelet. The bracelet had once been a symbol of love. Now it was a reminder of loss. A tangible warning that some risks weren't worth the cost."



Page 126 - Seaside Letters (A Nantucket Love Story) by Denise Hunter.
Be sure to watch for my review coming soon on my Book Review blog: Some of My Favorite Books.

GIVEAWAY ~ The Smart One and the Pretty One...

Wendi over a Wendi's Book Corner is holding a
Giveaway for 5 copies of this book...

The Smart One and the Pretty One by
Claire LaZebnik

From the Hachette site:
When Ava Nickerson was a child, her mother jokingly betrothed her to a friend's son, and the contract the parents made has stayed safely buried for years. Now that still-single Ava is closing in on thirty, no one even remembers she was once "engaged" to the Markowitz boy. But when their mother is diagnosed with cancer, Ava's prodigal little sister Lauren comes home to Los Angeles where she stumbles across the decades-old document.

Frustrated and embarrassed by Ava's constant lectures about financial responsibility (all because she's in a little debt. Okay, a lot of debt), Lauren decides to do some sisterly interfering of her own and tracks down her sister's childhood fiancé. When she finds him, the highly inappropriate, twice-divorced, but incredibly charming Russell Markowitz is all too happy to re-enter the Nickerson sisters' lives, and always-accountable Ava is forced to consider just how binding a contract really is . . .

To find out more about the book, and the giveaway, be sure to visit Wendi's blog before September 30th for a chance to win.

DEBUT BOOK OF THE YEAR goes to....

JULIE LESSMAN

for A Passion Most Pure

Here's what Julie had to say...

I JUST got home not two hours ago, and Denver was a blast!! It was a TOTAL SHOCK that I won Debut Book of the Year as I was told by the ACFW bookstore coordinator (a friend of mine) that two of the books I was up against were absolutely amazing, and another was by an author who had beat me out in several other contests, so I really did not hold out much hope.

They call the finalists' names and ask them to stand until they read the first line of the winning book (like the Christys). I was getting ready to sit down (because NO way did I expect to win) when I heard "Sisters are ..." and then like an ice-cream brain freeze, shock shot through me head to toe and I couldn't hear anything else, not my friends screaming behind me or applause or anything. I stumbled up to the stage the wrong way and had not even written a speech. But I got some laughs (and some tears) when I told them that the last time I was up on that stage, it was to receive the boobie prize (a lovely basket of books) for the most rejections in a year at the 2005 ACFW Conference. I told them that it was up to 19 that year but eventually rose to 45 rejections, 39 of which I garnered on my own before my agent took me under my wing and sold me in 3-book deal six months later. Grin ... apparently it inspired quite a few people, which is reallllly good! :)

I had emailed Julie to congratulate her on her award; she responded a little while ago, when she got back home. She is such a sweetheart, and a great friend! Congrats again, Julie!!! You have truly earned the award! :)

Thank you, again, for allowing me to post your response on my blog to share with everyone.

(To read my review for A Passion Most Pure, just click the title.)

Mailbox Monday

Thanks to Marcia @ The Printed Page, we get a chance to share with others any books we've received the previous week, via our mailbox. Be sure to comment and leave a link to your Mailbox Monday post, or just post your list in your comment.

Here's mine for Sept. 13 - 19:


From Swaptree:


The Wedding Ransom by Geralyn Dawson


Blog Giveaway:
Lena Nelson Dooley's blog:
A Christian Writer's World ~~ Characters who grip your heart


Christmas Homecoming by Debby Mayne,
Paige Winship Dooly, Elizabeth Goddard & Elizabeth Ludwig


From Revell and Maggie Brendan:


The Jewel of His Heart (Heart of the West, Book 2)
by Maggie Brendan

(I'm going to be reviewing books for Revell, so be sure
to watch my Book Review blog to see which ones.)


From eBay:


Flat-Out Sexy (Book 1) by Erin McCarthy
Hard and Fast (Book 2) by Erin McCarthy
(This series is about race-car drivers, from one
of my favorite secular romance authors.)

*********************************************************
These books did not arrive in my mailbox, I got them at Yard Sales,
but I wanted to share them anyway. :)


Twenty Wishes by Debbie Macomber
Fame by Karen Kingsbury
The Wedding Promise by Carolyn Davidson
The Rebel and the Lady by Kathryn Albright

Well...that's it for me...what did you get?

2009 ACFW Conference Winners

I just saw this over at Woven by Words and wanted to share the winner list with everyone!

Here they are:

DEBUT AUTHOR ~ A Passion Most Pure (Julie Lessman)

LITS ~ Sweet Caroline (Rachel Hauck)

LONG CONTEMORARY ~ Symphony of Secrets (Sharon Hinck)

LONG CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE ~ Controlling Interest (Elizabeth White)

LONG HISTORICAL ~ TIE
I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires (Cathy Gohlke)
My Heart Remembers (Kim Vogel Sawyer)

MYSTERY ~ For Whom the Wedding Bell Tolls (Nancy Mehl)

NOVELLA ~ Stuck On You (Rhonda Gibson in A Connecticut Christmas anthology)

SHORT CONTEMPORARY ~ Family Treasures (Kathryn Springer)

SHORT CONTEMPORARY SUSPENSE ~ Broken Lullaby (Pamela Tracy)

SHORT HISTORICAL ~ Family of the Heart (Dorothy Clark)

SPECULATIVE ~ The Restorer’s Journey (Sharon Hinck)

SUSPENSE ~ Fossil Hunter (John B. Olson)

WOMEN'S FICTION ~ The Shape of Mercy (Susan Meissner)

YOUNG ADULT ~ The Big Picture (Jenny B. Jones)

CONGRATULATIONS to all of the winners! Great job! I want to say a special Congrats! to Julie Lessman ~ her and I have become fast friends ~ and I just want to let her know how happy, and proud, I am for her!! Way to go, Julie! :)

My Book Review of That Certain Spark by Cathy Marie Hake

Please visit my new Book Review blog,
~Some of My Favorite Books~,
to read my review of That Certain Spark by Cathy Marie Hake.
This is where I'll be posting my Book Reviews from now on.

My Favorite Cover

This week I've chosen:
Things Worth Remembering by Jackina Stark
Release date: October 1, 2009

From Amazon:

Maisey asked for a bride doll the Christmas she was five, mesmerized by her aunt's wedding the fall before. Since then I've been dreaming of the day, or days, we would shop for her wedding dress. A mother helping her daughter find just the right creation for that momentous walk down the aisle strikes me as one of life's happiest endeavors. The night she called to tell us she'd bought her "dream of a gown," I sat beside Luke on the couch, a striking contrast to Maisey's exuberance. My dejection seemed a tad inappropriate. "Being hurt because I wasn't included is silly, isn't it?" I asked. "Not so silly," he said. Will I ever quit longing for the Maisey who was once mine?

Kendy Laswell and her daughter, Maisey, used to do everything together--until one fateful summer when Maisey witnessed something she shouldn't have, and their relationship fractured. Now, Maisey is back home to get married and Kendy realizes this is her last chance to reconnect with her daughter. Will Kendy and Maisey be able to reclaim the bond they once shared?

In a way, this sounds like an interesting book, but then again, it sounds a little depressing! I loved the cover though ~ daisies are my favorite flower.

My Book Review of No Place for a Lady by Maggie Brendan

Please visit my new Book Review blog,
~Some of My Favorite Books~,
to read my review of No Place for a Lady by Maggie Brendan.
This is where I'll be posting my Book Reviews from now on.