If you are one of the few people who actually continue to occasionally check in on my blog, thanks for your patience. I am sure you have noticed that the only thing I have been doing on here lately is post book reviews. How incredibly boring for you if you are coming here to see what crazy and silly things that the kids are saying or doing. I am so sorry for not keeping this blog up to date for you.
I found some time recently and decided it was finally time to get pictures off my camera - something I had not done since September. There was something about this last year that made our lives more chaotic than it has been. To all those people who asked what I was going to do with my spare time...HA that was a pretty funny joke! I have had less time to get things done than when I had toddlers running around!
Anyway, a new year has started and perhaps I can find a new routine that will include blogging time and more picture taking...I only took 4 pictures in February and only 2 in March. YIKES what in the world happened? That is so not like me.
For now, I am going back in time...all the way back to May of last year to pick up where I left off. The good news is that we did a lot of things and most of those months (except for Feb and March) I took lots of pictures and videos and will post the good stuff. The bad news is that I have missed blogging all the "My Kids Made Me Laugh" posts. These kids drive me crazy, but they still make me laugh all the time and I am really sad that I have missed more than a year of that. However, all I can do is pick up where I left off and keep going.
So if you are just checking in, there is some new stuff I have posted. Go all the way back to May in the archives :-)
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Monday, August 27, 2012
Friday, August 24, 2012
Suspenseful right from the first page
Submerged
Alaskan Courage - Book One
by Dani Pettrey
Suspenseful right from the first page, this mystery hooks you immediately and continues to build until the dramatic end. Woven into this fascinating mystery is a romantic storyline between the main characters. The depth of the character and relational development between the two main characters is fabulous. Underlying the character development is a strong Christian message which takes the main character from insecure to confident with the forgiveness of Christ.
Although I enjoyed this book, I found that there were many characters introduced very early and I had a hard time keeping them all straight. Other than that this was a fast paced story that kept me engaged and turning pages as quickly as possible. I am eagerly awaiting the next book in this series!
Go here to read an excerpt and buy the book
Disclosure: Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group provided me with a complimentary copy of this book as part of their book reviewers program.
About the Book:
A sabotaged plane. Two dead deep-water divers. One single clue.
Bailey Craig vowed never to set foot in
Yancey, Alaska, again. She has a past, and a reputation--and Yancey's a
town that doesn't forget. She's returned only to bury a loved one killed
in the plane crash, but then dark evidence emerges and Bailey's own
expertise becomes invaluable for the case.
Cole McKenna can face dangerous rescue dives.
He can face the fear a murderer may be threatening his town. But facing
the reality of Bailey's reappearance is a tougher challenge. She broke
his heart... but doesn't seem to be the same girl who left Yancey ten
years ago. And he's not the same guy she left behind.
Racing against the clock and a rising body
count, Bailey and Cole must move beyond the hurts of their pasts to work
together until the truth of what is hidden in the depths finally
surfaces.
Dynamic Characters
Over the Edge - The Kincaid Brides Book 3
By Mary Connealy
Not a typical historical romance! Instead, this is a book with a unique storyline, dynamic characters and intense relationships. I loved it from beginning to end and completely enjoyed the escape into a delightful, easy read with a main character that inspires me to brush up on my shooting skills.
This is the third book in a series but it is easily read as a stand alone book. However, the story is so engaging that you will certainly want to read the entire series.
Disclosure: Litfuse Publicity Group provided me with a complimentary copy of this book as part of their blog tours program.
See what other reviewers are saying here and Buy the book here.
About the Book:
Seth Kincaid survived a fire in a cave, but he's never been the same. He was always a reckless youth, but now he's gone over the edge. He ran off to the Civil War and came back crazier than ever.
After the war, nearly dead from his injuries, it appears Seth got married. Oh, he's got a lot of excuses, but his wife isn't happy to find out Seth doesn't remember her. Callie has searched, prayed, and worried. Now she's come to the Kincaid family's ranch in Colorado to find her lost husband.
Callie isn't a long-suffering woman. Once she knows her husband is alive, she wants to kill him. She's not even close to forgiving him for abandoning her.
Then more trouble shows up in the form of a secret Seth's pa kept for years. The Kincaid brothers might lose their ranch if they can't sort things out. It's enough to drive a man insane--but somehow it's all making Seth see things more clearly. And now that he knows what he wants, no one better stand in his way.
About the Contest/Facebook Party:
Celebrate with Mary by entering to win a Nook Color with GlowLight!
- A Nook Color with GlowLight
- The entire set of Mary Connealy's The Kincaid Brides series
So grab your copy of Over the Edge and join Mary on the evening of the August 29th for a chance to connect with her and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book - don't let that stop you from coming!)
Don't miss a moment of the RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 29th!
Monday, August 20, 2012
Filled with Mystery and Suspense
The Stars Shine Bright
by Sibella Giorello
The author has dramatically written the mystery and suspense of an unusual undercover FBI assignment - but then goes so much deeper as the main characters personal problems and despair are expertly interwoven into the story and the plot. I loved it!
I am lover of books in a series so I was excited to learn that this is the 5th book in a series. Unfortunately I did not have time to read the other books before this review was posted but I was still able to thoroughly enjoy this book without reading the others in the series. I loved the book and the author so much that I soon want to go back and read the other four books. I think there is probably some background character development that would make the book even more enjoyable to read in sequence.
Although I really love this book, there is one drawback - it is listed as "Christian Suspense". I have a pretty big problem with that listing description because I did not see any Christian writing in this book. There are no inspiring moments where a character suddenly sees and understands that it is God at work. There are no dramatic moments where characters come to know Jesus and their lives are changed. There are no story lines that develop the spiritual growth of a character. If you are expecting any of this type of Christian writing then this book will disappoint you, but if you are wanting a well written suspense you will stay up late with this one and will run out and get the other four books as soon as possible!
Disclosure: Litfuse Publicity Group provided me with a complimentary copy of this book as part of their blog tours program.
Check out the cool trailer here! and Buy the book here.
GIVEAWAY!!!
Novelist Sibella Giorello is celebrating the release of the latest book in her praiseworthy Raleigh Harmon series by giving away a Kindle Fire!
Find out what the reviewers are saying here!
- A brand new Kindle Fire
- The entire 5-book Raleigh Harmon series.
Just click one of the icons below to enter. Tell your friends about Sibella's giveaway on FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Light on the romance, Heavy on the intrigue
Love Finds You in Mackinac Island
by Melanie Dobson
The storyline twists and turns with hidden identities, discoveries, and emotional upheavals. Even more than that, blended into this darling story was a historical mystery that the author used to draw all of it into a neat, tidy bow.
The author wrote so beautifully that it was easy to visualize the island, the surroundings and also to be drawn into the emotional ups and downs and desperate situations of the characters. Although the book is classified as a historical romance, I found the romance storyline to be rather light. The more interesting storyline was the character development and the meetings of the two main characters at the lighthouse when they didn't know who the other person was. The intrigue of the story was trying to figure out how the author was going to reveal the characters identities to each other and then how the emotional mess would be resolved. This was a fun read!
Disclosure: Litfuse Publicity Group provided me with a complimentary copy of this book as part of their blog tours program. Find out what other reviewers are saying here!
Buy the book here.
Melanie Dobson's "Mackinac Island' Kindle Fire Giveaway! Celebrate with Melanie by entering her Kindle Fire Giveaway!
- A brand new Kindle Fire
- Signed copies of Melanie’s Love Find You books: Love Finds you in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, Love Finds You in Amana, Iowa, Love Finds You in Homestead, Iowa, and Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana.
Just click one of the icons below to enter! Tell your friends about Melanie's giveaway on FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.
More about Love Finds You in Mackinac Island, Michigan:
As the Gilded Age comes to a close, Elena Bissette's once-wealthy family has nearly lost its fortune. The Bissettes still own a home on fashionable Mackinac Island, where they will spend one last summer in the hope of introducing Elena to a wealthy suitor. But Elena is repulsed by the idea of marrying for money.
Quickly tiring of the extravagant balls, Elena spends most evenings escaping back into Mackinac's rugged forest. There she meets Chase, a handsome laborer who shares her love for the night sky. The two begin to meet in secret at an abandoned lighthouse, where they work together to solve a mystery buried in the pages of a tattered diary.
As Elena falls in love with Chase, her mother relentlessly contrives to introduce her to Chester Darrington, the island's most eligible bachelor. Marriage to the elusive millionaire would solve the Bissettes' financial woes, and Elena is torn between duty and love.
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