Clash of the Titles Turns Four and Celebrates with AmazingGiveaways!

...

Happy Birthday,

Clash of the Titles!

Can you believe Clash of the Titles is FOUR years old?

It hardly seems possible.

Four years ago this month, COTT's arena opened for its first Clash, and it's been going strong ever since! Hundreds of Christian authors have competed, and 58 have left victorious. Each author has earned a special place in our hearts, and we at COTT find it an immense privilege to promote Christ through their work.

Join us this week as both COTT champs and COTT staff celebrate these four,amazing years together!

Over the next four days, our generous champions will be giving away 61 oftheir books.

Sixty-one!

We've divided those books into four giveaways--one for each year God has blessed us!

(See below for today's list.)

Each participant has myriad opportunities to enter the four drawings,

but there will only be FOUR WINNERS.

Will you be one of them??

Find out at Clash of theTitles on Tuesday, September 23rd!

Drawings will be open until Monday night,

September 22 (midnight PST).

Until then, it's free rein on entries.

Don't miss out on the fun!

Below, you'll find the four links, one for each giveaway. 
See the Rafflecopter at the end of each article for your entry options.

GIVEAWAY ONE

GIVEAWAY TWO
GIVEAWAY THREE
GIVEAWAYFOUR

Best wishes!

Margaret McSweeney's Mother of Pearl Facebook Party! {9/4} RSVP today

To celebrate the release of Mother of Pearl: Luminous Lessons and Iridescent Faith I'm hosting an evening of chat, laughter, and encouragement on Facebook! I've invited the Pearl Girl contributors to join us on the evening of September 4th. I'd be so honored if you'd come too! We'll be giving away a ton of fun stuff {books, gift certificates and a Beautiful Pearl Necklace set}. Mother of Pearl celebrates the collective iridescence of motherhood. We'll gather to connect, be encouraged and make some new friends! So RSVP today and then come back on September 4th (at 5pm Pacific, 6pm Mountain, 7pm Central, and 8pm Eastern) and join us for the "Pearl" party. Let's share our stories and encourage one another. We'll also have an update from the charities involved with Pearl Girls, Wings and Hands of Hope. (See what others are saying about Mother of Pearl.)

Reading Habits ? A Fun Meme!

Reading Habits? 
Saw this Meme on Sarah Says Read looks interesting.  I snagged this meme after a couple of stops over at some friendly blogs and decided to do it myself. If you do the same, please link back so I can read your answers!

 Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack: 
I must admit I do like to snack on is frozen mixed fruit. Better than grabbing a carton of Blue Bell's banana pudding ice cream. Yummmy

What is your favorite drink while reading?
My favorite drip would be Chocolate Truffle Coffee. Other than that water is refreshing.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you? 
I would never mark one of my books nor turn down a corner. I have notebooks for that. Now if it is an ebook there are options for that. Plus I love cute bookmarkers.


How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears? Laying the book flat open? 
I save my place with cute bookmarks. If I want go back to something I read I just add another bookmarker.

Fiction, non-fiction, or both?
I prefer Historical Fiction so I guess that would be both.

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of a chapter, or can you stop anywhere? 
I would rather read to the end of a chapter but there have been times when I had to just stop where I was.

Are you the type of person to throw a book across the room or on the floor if the author irritates you? 
No but I have thought about throwing it at my dear hubby for interrupting my reading too many times.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop and look it up right away? 
Sometimes because it will distract me worrying over it.

What are you currently reading? 
I am currently reading THE CHAMOMILE by Susan F. Cratt. I have had it on my to read list and thought it was about time I read the book. I won it from the author. It is a really good book.

What is the last book you bought? 
The last book I bought for myself was Mary's Blessing by Lena Nelson Dooley. I read the first book in the series had to have this one.


Are you the type of person that reads one book at a time, or can you read more than one? 
If I am having a hard time getting into a book instead of throwing it I will put it aside for awhile and read something else.


Do you have a favorite time/place to read? 
I prefer to read alone. I really like reading on my nice big front porch but my allergies have gotten so bad and the cats have decided to take it over so now I sit in my living room in my favorite chair and read. I will not lay down to read unless I am ready to fall asleep.


Do you prefer series books or stand alones?
I love them both.  But I do mourn the loss of some of the books wishing for more time with the characters.

Is there a specific book or author you find yourself recommending over and over? 
I have too many favorites. So no real competition there.

How do you organize your books? (by genre, title, author's last name, etc.) 
I usually organize them on my book shelf by author's last name. But then I have a shelf for the books scheduled for review in order of the review date. Then there is my Goodreads. I have them listed according to who I am reviewing for. Even a list for my personal choices and wishlist. I think the only genre I have listed is children's books, tweens and young adult. The rest are mainly christian fiction.

Well that was FUN!!  It's your turn now.  Don't forget to drop back by when you post yours on you blog and give me your link so I can read your answers.

I CAN DO IT MYSELF written by Diane Adams, illustrated Nancy Hayashi Giveaway & Review

About Book: 

 Emily Pearl can do lots of things by herself. But sometimes even resourceful little girls need help. Emily Pearl is a very big girl. She can pour her own juice. She can tie her own shoes. She can feed her goldfish. She can even curl her own hair. Whenever her mother tries to help, Emily says, “I can do it myself!” 


But even a very big girl like Emily can sometimes feel a teeny bit small, especially at bedtime when dark shadows creep across the walls of her bedroom. Lucky for Emily, her mom understands and gives her a helping hand. 


Young children will surely recognize themselves in Diane Adams’s delightful, rhyming story of one child’s determined quest for independence. Nancy Hayashi’s charming illustrations complement the text, colorfully capturing the chaotic ups and downs in the life of a preschooler. 


I Can Do It Myself Activities 

• Write a story about what you can do by yourself. 
• Draw a picture of something that you still like your mom or dad to do for you. 
• Plan to try one new thing this week that you haven’t done before. 
• Share with the class your bedtime routine.

For more info about the AUTHOR and GIVEAWAY of HARDCOPY of "I CAN DO IT MYSELF" provided by Peachtree Publishers. Follow this blog.  Then  click here and it will take you to my other blog ITS ABOUT TIME MAMAW where you can enter giveaway.

NEW COTT WINNER!! CHAWNA SHROEDER

Guest blogger: Jennifer Slattery

Sometimes Clash of the Titles highlights great talent. Other times we get to "discover it." This is exactly what happened with our speculative fiction unpub'bed clash.

Join me in welcoming Chawna Schroeder to the COTT family!

There's nothing like discovering great talent before it goes to print! And I have a feeling we're going to see our latest COTT champion's books on bookshelves very soon. When we do, we can all say, "We saw her on COTT first!" And this clash--a battle for best speculative fiction unpub'bed--was even more exciting because the winner has been invited to submit a full proposal to Asraea Press for immediate review!

Her winning excerpt was pulled from the pages of Metamorphosis, a gripping tale of a Beast and her master:

Once upon a time there lived a Beast…
Not in a shining castle, but among a pack of dogs.

For as long as Beast can remember she has lived among her master’s dogs. With them she sleeps. With them she eats. With them she fights and struggles to survive. But through hunger and cold, she dreams of one day becoming Master’s favorite, earning bones with meat and a place beside the fire.

Then strangers attack. Her pack scatters. Fire eats the village. And Beast knows: Master is no more.

Alone and unprotected, Beast tries to defend herself against slavers scavenging for any leftovers. But she is only one, and they are strong.

Tracked by men, sold as a monster, is Beast only prey to be hunted…
…or something more?

A few comments from readers:

"I enjoyed both excerpts! I am curious about the world created in A, but B really got me in the gut."

"Great job! Keep writing!"

"God has given you a gift. Your TRUE fans will always be there for you!! Never give up and follow your dreams!!! I am sending up a prayer for you and your family!!!"


Join us March 19-23 for a fun Flash Clash!

Litfuse Tour: Song of My Heart by Kim Vogel Sawyer

About the book:

Sadie Wagner has always been devoted to her family. So when her stepfather is injured and can't work, she decides to leave home and accept a position as a clerk at the mercantile in Goldtree, Kansas. Goldtree also offers the opportunity to use her God-given singing talent--though the promised opera house is far different from what she imagined. With her family needing every cent she can provide, Sadie will do anything to keep her job.

McKane comes to Goldtree at the request of the town council. The town has been plagued by bootlegging operations, and Thad believes he can find the culprit.

After he earns enough money doing sheriff work, he wants to use it to pay for his training to become a minister.

Thad is immediately attracted to the beautiful singer who performs in Asa Baxter's unusual opera house, but when he hears her practicing bawdy tunes, he begins to wonder if she's far less innocent than she seems. And when Sadie appears to be part of the very crimes he's come to investigate, is there any hope the love blossoming between them will survive?

About Kim:

Kim Vogel Sawyer is the author of nineteen novels, including several CBA and ECPA bestsellers. Her books have won the ACFW Book of the Year Award, the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, and the Inspirational Readers Choice Award. Kim is active in her church, where she leads women's fellowship and participates in both voice and bell choirs. In her spare time, she enjoys drama, quilting, and calligraphy. Kim and her husband, Don, reside in central Kansas, and have three daughters and six grandchildren.

She invites you to visit her Web site at www.kimvogelsawyer.com for more information.


Link to buy the book: http://ow.ly/9uLOD



Win a Nook Tablet from Kim Vogel Sawyer and RSVP for her "Song of My Heart" Facebook Party {3/29}!

Celebrate with Kim by entering to win a Nook Tablet and connecting with her at the Book Chat Party on 3/29!



One "songbird" winner will receive:

• A Nook Tablet
• Song of My Heart by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends 3/28/12. Winner will be announced at Kim's Book Chat Facebook Party on 3/29. Kim will be hosting an evening of chat, fun trivia and more! She'll also be giving away some GREAT prizes: gift certificates, books, and much more!

So grab your copy of Song of My Heart and join Kim and friends on the evening of March 29th for an evening of fun.

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP TODAY and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 29th!

Blog Tour Schedule here           

My Thoughts


Sadie Wagner has taken a job away from her hometown and family in order to provide for her parents and siblings.  Her stepfather was badly injured and is unable to work.  An long time family friend recommends Sadie for a job as store clerk in Goldtree, Kansas.  She not only has a job to be a store clerk but also the chance to sing in the town's Opera House. God had given Sadie an amazing talent for singing.


Thad McKane is also a new resident in town. But he does not plan on staying in town very long. He has been hired to be the Sheriff of Goldtree only long enough to flush out a bootlegging operation.  His future plan is to solve this case earning enough money to pay for training  to become a minister.  It did not take long for Thad to notice Sadie.  He is very attracted to her but is afraid she might be involved in the boot legging operation.   


Sadie fears her new boss at the opera house because some of the things her boss has asked her to do could compromise her reputation .  She just can not agree with her boss as to what her role at the opera house was about become.  


I am sure Sadie moving away from home for the first time in her life and feeling betrayed by someone your family and everyone else had thought to be trust worthy must have been traumatic.  When God gives us gifts, like all things in our lives they are to be used to glorify God.  Only by the grace of God can we do this.


Another reviewer made a comment in one of her reviews that she wanted to scream at the characters in the book telling them what they should do.  Well this is how I felt in this book I wanted to scream at Sadie wanting to protect her from making the wrong choices she was faced with so far from home. 


I highly recommend this book.


I rate this book a 5 out of 5


Disclosure
I was given a free copy of this book for review by Bethany House.  I was in no way compensated for this review.  It is my own opinion. 

A Texan's Honor (Heart of a Hero #2) by Shelley Gray Q&A, Review and Giveawy

About Shelley

I live in southern Ohio with my husband, two teenagers, and two dogs. My days are filled with busy activities like most any other mom and housewife. But I also love to write books.

Each morning, after my kids go off to school, I sit at my desk, look out my window, and dream of other places. The hours fly by as I make up people and places and drink way too much coffee.

Writing for Avon Inspire has truly been a dream come true. Being able to spend my days in my make-believe world of the Brenneman Bed and Breakfast is a true blessing. I have enjoyed getting to know more about the Amish culture and tapping into my faith as I show each character’s progression toward a personal relationship with our Lord.

Before becoming a full time writer, I taught elementary school in Texas, Arizona, and Colorado. A job transfer to Ohio led my husband to encourage me to finally give writing a try. After all, I had notebooks full of made up stories.

I’ll never forget that first book I typed in our unfinished basement. It was exciting to make up a story, but also very scary. I was also so embarrassed, sure someone would come out of the woodwork and point out that I wasn’t a ‘real’ writer. But I persevered, and sold my third manuscript.

Things have changed a bit. Now I have a real office of my own. (think old guest bedroom!) My walls are painted pink, and more than a couple of book covers decorate my walls. But my days are still the same. I wake up, dream about other people, and do my best to type out stories.

Website: http://www.shelleyshepardgray.com

Q&A with Shelley


What made you choose to write the series in this particular era?


I used to watch those old black and white western movies with my dad. I loved the good guys/the bad guys, and the heroines who were always in trouble! Since I grew up in Texas, writing historical westerns is a good fit for me, too. I live in Ohio now, so any chance I can get to go back to Texas makes me happy!

Why did you choose Christian Historical Fiction over Fantasy, Science Fiction or other genres?

Though I read just about any genre, I am a romance writer. That’s my favorite genre, and it’s the one I’m most comfortable in. I enjoy writing about my faith as well. For a Texan’s Honor, where so many of the characters had done lots of dangerous and ‘bad’ things, I loved showing how God’s word can help each of us.

Can you tell just a little about the next book in this series and when will it be published?


The next book, after A Texan’s Honor, is the last book in the trilogy, A Texan’s Choice. It’s Scout Proffitt’s story. Scout is a secondary character in A Texan’s Honor, and the younger, ‘missing’ brother of Clayton Proffitt, my very honorable hero from A Texan’s Promise. In A Texan’s Choice, Scout arrives at a ranch he won in a poker game to find Rosalie living on it. She’s got absolutely no where to go, and Scout is forced to offer her shelter. On the ranch, Scout is given a taste of what his life could be like if he dares to put his past behind him. But since he’s a notorious outlaw, it’s a difficult thing to do. I believe A Texan’s Choice will be out this fall.


JUST FOR FUN

Tell us something about yourself we might not know.


Well, one thing most people are surprised to find out about me is that I’m a pretty terrible housekeeper. I’d always rather be writing, or cooking. Or shopping…watching tv. I also have a little dachshund named Suzy that I’m very fond of. I keep threatening to go get a couple more wiener dogs…I’d like my own little barking herd. 

Do you have a muse?   Any special place that helps to get your writing juices flowing?

I am so thankful to have several contracts, which means that I’m almost constantly on deadlines. That seems to do the trick! I also have an office in our basement. It has no windows. I go down there every morning, and don’t stop writing until I get my page count done for the day.

What is choice of drink iced tea, hot tea, coffee black or w/cream, soda, etc.?

For most of the day, I drink coffee with creamer. But I am very fond of Diet Coke in a glass with ice. 

Are you more into blogging, tweeting or into Facebook?

Good question! I haven’t started ‘tweeting’ yet. I guess I like blogging the best, though I do enjoy Facebook. But all of that always comes after writing. I’d rather write than do just about anything else.

Paperback, 320 pages
Expected publication: March 1st 2012 by Abingdon Press
ISBN 1426714637 (ISBN13: 9781426714634)
series Heart of a Hero #2


About book:

Texas, 1874. Years ago, Will McMillan had fought in the open, next to his Captain, Clayton Proffitt. Now he’s waging another war undercover, pretending to be a member of the notorious Walton Gang. But when a hostage situation goes awry and an innocent woman is in the middle of the fray, Will knows he must protect her no matter what happens. Even if his cover is blown. Even if they risk being killed by his gang or by the lawmen on their trail. Even if the woman he’s risking everything for will never love him back.

My Thoughts

Will McMillan jumps a train with the Walton Gang with the intent to rob the train. They emptied the train of it's passengers with the exception of a few men and one woman. They normally would not have held a woman hostage but it was too late to set her free. Will did not like the idea of keeping the woman. She was being man handled by one of the gang when Will stepped in and removed her to another car out of harms way. The young woman was frightened almost to the point of hysterics. Things go wrong with the hold up and the gang start killing the men hostages. Will decided he needed to get this woman off the train and away from the gang.

There is another character in this book whom seems like a Billy the Kid type. He shows that even though he is a hired killer he has a tenderness about him. He does what he can to help Will get the woman off the train. 

This is an adventurous story with secrets, love, faith and honor. Will's character is quite the gentleman bandit. The young woman puts her trust in this stranger in hopes of staying alive. She later can't seem to help the fact that she is developing feelings for Will. 

When is it lie not a lie?  How would that hamper ones budding relationship?  You will have to read the book to find out.

I highly recommend this book.

I have rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure: I was provided a digital copy of this book from Abingdon Press via Netgalley.
 I was in no way compensated for this review it is my own opinion.

Giveaway 2/29-3/6:


Winner will be announce 3/7/2012.


Shelley has provided a copy of A Texan's Honor to giveaway.  


All you need to do is make a comment about the Q&A and the book.  Also with this comment leave your email address so we can contact you if you are the winner.


Follow me by Linky Follower or GFC . Leave the name you are using to follow.  Also leave your email address again with a comment about which you followed.

Join newsletter or by email on the author's  Website: http://www.shelleyshepardgray.com
Leave comment as to which you signed up for  and leave email address again.


GOOD LUCK!

Scholastic Top 100 Greatest Children's Books

    

Scholastic Top 100 Children's  Books

I AM GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU THE TOP 10

 

              

                                                                       

                                                

Litfuse Tour - Rosslyn Elliott author of Sweeter Than Birdsong (Saddler's Legacy series #2)

About Rosslyn:

Rosslyn Elliott is the award-winning author of Fairer than Morning, the first in the Saddler's Legacy series. She holds a B.A. from Yale University and a Ph.D. in English from Emory University. Her study of American literature and history inspired her to pursue writing fiction. Elliott lives in Albuquerque, where she homeschools her daughter and works in children's ministry.

For more about Rosslyn, visit her website: http://rosslynelliott.com




Link to buy the book: http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/product_detail.asp?sku=159554786X&title=A_Saddler's_Legacy_Novel:_Sweeter_than_Birdsong

About the book:
Music offers Kate sweet refuge from her troubles . . . but real freedom is sweeter.

In Westerville, Ohio, 1855, Kate Winter’s dreams are almost within reach. As the first woman to graduate from Otterbein College, she’ll be guaranteed her deepest wish: escape from the dark secret haunting her family. But with her mother determined to marry her off to a wealthy man, Kate must face reality. She has to run. Now. And she has the perfect plan. Join the upcoming musical performance—and use it to mask her flight.

Ben Hanby, Otterbein College’s musical genius, sees Kate Winter as an enigmatic creature, notable for her beauty, yet painfully shy. Then he hears her sing—and the glory of her voice moves him as never before. He determines to cast her in his musical and uncover the mystery that is Kate. Still, he must keep his own secret to himself. Not even this intriguing woman can know that his passionate faith is driving him to aid fugitives on the Underground Railroad.

A terrifying accident brings Kate and Ben together, but threatens to shatter both their secrets and their dreams. Kate can no longer deny the need to find her courage—and her voice—if she is to sing a new song for their future.

Read an excerpt here: http://rosslynbooks2.blogspot.com/2011/11/chapters-one-and-two-preview.html

About the giveaway and party:

In this second in the award-winning Saddler's Legacy series, Rosslyn Elliott has written a stirring novel of hope and faith inspired by real historical people and events. With Ben Hanby, a genius composer, Kate Winter, one of the first female college graduates in America, and John Parker, an ex-slave who risked his life time and again to help fugitive slaves, Sweeter than Birdsong is full of real heroes to inspire us. "I hope readers will find a renewed sense of strength in their own lives," says Elliott, "knowing that change is possible, and our efforts matter. I want them to remember these unique, brave people in history who left us a shining example of what it means to live out one's beliefs with passion and commitment."

So to celebrate the music in all of us, Rosslyn and Thomas Nelson are hosting this "sweet giveaway".

One fortunate winner will receive:

• A Brand new iPod Nano (Winner's choice of color!)
• Fairer than Morning by Rosslyn Elliott
• Sweeter than Birdsong by Rosslyn Elliott

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on February 28th. Winner will be announced at Sweeter than Birdsong Author Chat Facebook Party on 2/28. Rosslyn will be chatting with guests, sharing a sneak peek of the next book in the series, hosting a trivia contest, and more! She'll also be giving away some GREAT prizes: gift certificates, books, season 1 of DowntownAbbey, and a book club prize pack! (Ten copies of the book for your small group or book club AND a LIVE Author Chat for your group with Rosslyn.)

So grab your copy of Sweeter than Birdsong and join Rosslyn and friends on the evening of the 28th for an evening of fun.

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 28th!

My Thoughts:

I loved this book! It will break your heart reading about pain and sorrow people went through fleeing and fighting for freedom. This book gives us a look at the underground railroad from the heart and eyes of a two young college students who want more than anything to make a difference in this world. Kate Winters is very shy and withdrawn. But Ben Hanby, musician and song writer, sees much more in this young woman. He tries bringing her out of her shell and into a world she was unaware. Which happened to be reality. As Kate is pulled from her cocoon she was forced into, by an over bearing mother and drunkard father, her world explodes into a world of adventure and grave danger. This part of her new life she tries to hide from her mother but knows she must honor her parents and tell them the truth she encountered while on an outing with Ben Hanby's mother.

This historical fiction has adventure, suspense, love, faith, hope and redemption.

This is the second in the series of Sadler's Legacy and Ben Hanby's mother and father were the heroine and hero of the first book in this series.

I highly recommend this book.


I rate this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Litfuse for review. I was in no way compensated for this review. It is my own opinion.


Blog tour schedule: http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13456229/birdsong

Book Review: by Jenn McLean on "Catch Me" by Lisa Gardner

                                     written by Jenn Mclean

So, I finally finished a fantastic book that I received for free from Penguin Books as an "Advanced Reading Copy" to be reviewed by ME!! I was so thrilled to be asked to do my first review. I must admit, I'm an avid reader. I know this is new information to most of you who regularly read my blog, Just Add Water Silly. 
Usually I'm waxing poetic about new amazing artists I've "discovered" on my travails through the blogosphere, or expounding on what fun it is to paint and have the outcome be just exactly what you wanted it to be. You are also probably used me interspersing these artistic centered posts with other posts about cool tools or new artist's supplies or even explanations about artist's techniques. What I have never done is review a book. Until today!

Now, back to my announcement. I L♥VE to read. I was actually kindly but mercilessly teased by friends and acquaintances alike about the fact that I was never without a book. Now that I have a Kindle it's filled with hundreds of books that I've read or have yet to read. I love it. What a thrill to have a book just magically show up in my mailbox, asking to be read and reviewed. Yes! I'm on it!

The title of this thrilling mystery (my favorite genre, by the way) is "Catch Me" by Lisa Gardner. The back cover pulls you expertly into the story by giving you two pertinent details...

1. Charlie Grant claims she will be murdered in the next four days.
2. She wants Boston's best murder cop, Detective D.D Warren to investigate her upcoming death four days hence.

This begs the question... Is Charlene Rosalind Carter Grant (known as Charlie) actually about to become Boston's next murdered citizen or is she just as crazy as she sounds. This is what Det. D.D. Warren has to find out and she only has four days to do it.

This book is the sixth in Lisa Gardner's series centered around Det. D.D. Warren, a Boston murder cop with a "get'er done" attitude. Det. Warren, now 41, has just had a baby. D.D's afraid motherhood is going to soften her. She comes off of maternity leave to find herself having to balance two unusual cases. One involving Charlie Carter and another that seems to involve a vigilante killer plumbing Boston's seedy underbelly for child predators. Yet the cases seem to strangely be connected. But how could that be?

Author: Lisa Gardner

Gardner is expert in instantly pulling you into her story. Her writing is tight and adds only minimal extraneous information. I didn't find myself thinking, "get on with it" once throughout this fantastic read. That's rare these days. So many authors seem to fill pages with every detail surrounding each character that one feels "trapped" in too many words. Not with Gardner. She gives many details but stops at just the right point where you're learning about the characters and their environment but you're not bored. It's a well balanced book.

Let me also say that her character development is perfectly paced. Her first "punch" of information to hold our interest is followed by enough details to flesh out each additional main character. In just one book I've gotten to to "see" the main characters as multi-dimentional people who I want to read more about. Gardner forces you to wish her books were longer and makes you thankful you can go and get her preceeding five books.

This is a "can't put it down, read past your bedtime" kind of book. Gardner adds double twists, keeping the reader guessing until the very last page. A truly spectacular read, I can't wait to peruse her other offerings. I'm hooked on this author and her fully developed characters!!Thank you to Penguin Books, I had needed a new author, they provided a perfect fit.

My suggestion, go to your local bookstore or Amazon.com and get this book. You won't regret it. I'll be back with a more art focused post soon.
We'll talk, have coffee. K?
Best,

All Different Kinds of Free by Jessica McCann

About this author:

Thank you for visiting me on Goodreads! I'm the author of the novel All Different Kinds of Free and a professional freelance writer. My creative nonfiction and reporting have been published in Business Week, Phoenix, Raising Arizona Kids and ASU Research magazines, among others.

Reading and writing historical fiction is my passion, though I'm also drawn to memoirs, contemporary fiction, nonfiction, literary classics -- anything with a compelling story. I only review books I enjoyed reading, hence the abundance of 4- and 5-star ratings!

About book:

A free woman of color in the 1830s, Margaret Morgan lived a life full of promise. One frigid night in Pennsylvania, that changed forever. They tore her family apart. They put her in chains. They never expected her to fight back.

In 1837, Margaret Morgan was kidnapped from her home in Pennsylvania and sold into slavery. The state of Pennsylvania charged her kidnapper with the crime, but the conviction was later overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. It was the first time a major branch of the federal government had made a pro-slavery stand, and the ruling in Prigg v. Pennsylvania sewed the bitter seeds of the states' rights battle that eventually would lead to the Civil War.

Yet, the heart of this story is not a historic Supreme Court ruling. It is the remarkable, unforgettable Margaret Morgan. Her life would never be the same. Her family had been torn apart. Uncaring forces abused her body and her heart. But she refused to give up, refused to stop fighting, refused to allow her soul to be enslaved.

Paperback, 274 pages
Published April 2nd 2011 by Bell Bridge Books (first published January 1st 2011)
ISBN139781611940053

I CAN'T WAIT TO READ THIS BOOK!

Secret of Lies by Barbara Forte Abate Q&A and Review

About Barbara

Barbara Forte Abate was born in Millbrook, New York, the middle of five children. After graduating from Millbrook High School, she married young and promptly launched into the joys of family life, in short order becoming the mother of four very fabulous children, and along the way earning a doctorate from the University of Real Life.


Initially having settled in Franklin, New Jersey, she has lived with her family in a wonderful historic home in Chester County, PA, for the past fifteen years.
While increasingly challenged for several years by old house renovations and raising her children, Barbara never considered abandoning her dreams of writing. Most often composing her stories on yellow legal pads while babies napped and supper simmered (and sometimes burned) on the stove; piling up the pages until the time at last arrived to borrow a friend's typewriter and transfer her longhand scribbles onto finished pages.


While that particular milestone transpired some twenty years ago, and the aforementioned first novel has since lived a quietly rejected life in a rarely visited closet, Barbara's passion for writing has continued at a gallop. Her debut novel, "The Secret of Lies" was released on June 30, 2010.


Barbara's website http://www.barbaraforteabate.com/




Q & A with Barbara

What do you like most about writing?

I absolutely love getting lost in my characters lives and experiencing their joys and turmoil’s, throwing out obstacles and watching to see what they’ll do – lending them a hand when all seems lost. Considering how much I enjoy solitude and thrive on quite moments, writing is a beautiful fit for me. Finishing that final edit after a dozen rewrites and knowing a book is really done is exhilarating.


Do you write genres other than fiction?

I've only ever written literary fiction. I enjoy reading a variety of genres though, and don’t rule out branching beyond my comfort zone with future books. At any given time I have three or four books on my nightstand which I alternate reading: a novel, spiritual writing, and memoir, something related to the craft of writing.


What’s next from Barbara Forte Abate, perhaps a new book you can tell us about?

I have four other novels I’ve written, but am still working to perfect. Two are getting close to being finished; two others need a major overhaul. Until I’m convinced that a project is “really” done I generally don’t talk it up all that much because it then dampens my enthusiasm for getting it done. I can tell you that I have a penchant for writing about wounded characters in challenging situations, who are in need of hope and redemption. In real life and in fiction, I am intrigued by the unexpected strength of the human spirit when life is looking especially bleak.


What led to your crafting of the main character Stevie?

Writing Stevie became an incredibly personal and profound experience over the years it took for me to tell her story. She felt like something of a one dimensional cardboard cutout when I started writing her, a body moving about in my story, but her voice, her struggles, and inner turmoil notably took on weight with each draft. I recall a distinct point when I was writing a scene with Stevie, and it all at once occurred to me that Stevie wasn’t as much being written as she was writing herself, consistently lending me prompts into her character in order to help me get her right. It was a thrilling transition and I consequently learned the importance of listening rather than simply telling a story.


Was the secret lie in the story something you shared for any other purpose than storytelling?

As a writer and voracious reader, I think it’s supremely important to find and understand the truth that is such an integral part of well written fiction. It’s certainly wonderful to be entertained, but something extraordinary happens when we recognize those things we might have experienced or struggled with in our own lives. The very nature of secrets so often comes into question over the course of our life experience. While some secrets are arguably necessary as they cause less damage when tucked away and left alone, there are those which are something altogether different – things tangled up and sold as secrets for the deliberate intention of concealing infinitely damaging mistruths. When Stevie is confronted with the question of whether the secret she’s protected so diligently in a bid to protect her wounded family is in actuality a terrible lie, it is an opportunity for the reader to catch a glimpse beyond fiction and possibly recognize something of their own personal experience.



The environment the story took place in was described in a way that made me want to visit and stay awhile. Was there a reason you chose a particular backdrop?

From the time this story first started to unfold in my mind, I saw it in shades of an earlier time – black and white to be precise. There is a certain innocence and simplicity of life apparent in the 1950’s that was essential to how I wanted to tell this story and that era very much fit the sequence of events that would transpire over the course of the novel. As much as settings are in effect characters themselves, the ancient house on the cliffs beside the sea where the sister’s spend summer vacations felt to be the perfect backdrop for capturing the carefree sense of two young girls away from home on a grand adventure, and then later, the lonely isolated family farm will serve to magnify everything that’s been lost.


How long did the Secret of Lies dwell in you before penned and published?

I have shared a most incredible journey with this story and its characters. When the first threads of this idea came twenty years ago, I hadn’t a clue as to how to go about writing a book other than a rather naïve sense of logic that assured me to “just do it”. To look at that first draft now is to be horrified, but absolutely it was the bazillion rewrites that followed which taught me how to write – how to listen for the strengths and nuances of my characters, and how to bring otherwise stagnant scenes to life. Twenty years may seem like an excessive amount of time to reach a goal and cross the finish line, but for me it was necessary. I was literally learning to write a sentence at a time.



Just for Fun. What advice would you give the women characters if you had the chance to teach them about secrets?

Know what you’re protecting! My characters made a fatal mistake that so many of us make, which is that they ignored their instincts in favor of hoping it would all work itself out with the sunrise. We come into this life with the most wonderful gift of God given instinct, which is to say that if something smells rotten – even just a little – we need to keep a watchful eye and proceed with caution. Too often we end up protecting or making excuses for things or people that by any other name are simply hurtful, harmful, and evil. Equally painful and infinitely damaging, is our tendency to confuse grief with guilt, and we so often convince ourselves that we must carry blame for mistakes and sins that are not truly ours. Such burdens can effectively cripple our very existence and my characters truly do need to understand the danger of such erroneous beliefs.


Do you have a muse? Any special places you write to get the ideas flowing faster?

I can only focus when the house is quiet and the neighborhood dogs are quietly curled up under a porch taking a nap. I’m very blessed that I have a wonderful little room of my own with a creaky old desk and all my favorite pictures, books, and doodads on walls and shelves around me. I always say a prayer before I settle in to write, because my Creator is first and foremost my muse. (Besides which, His book is the blockbuster best seller of all time, so I know He understands the process and how essential it is to get the words just right.


How addicted are you to Facebook?

I’m currently in recovery! I was very late coming to the party, but very quickly caught the fever. It’s been amazing for finding and keeping in touch with family and friends, and social networking has never been such fun or allowed us to reach so far, but there is a downside in that it becomes so much easier and infinitely pleasant to drop over at Facebook and check on the happenings, rather than stare at the blank screen and agonize because my novel in progress has hit a roadblock and refuses to move on. Before you know it hours have passed and so has your allotted writing time. So I’m trying to be more disciplined about my time. A big glitch in that plan though, is that The Secret of Lies now has its own pretty new book page on Facebook, which means I’ve just increased my FB activities, when my intention has been to wean away from it. http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Secret-of-Lies-Novel/195421757151252


What is your favorite holiday?

I’m crazy about Easter. Which is really very startling in a way, because springtime was my least favorite season as a child, and I considered it terribly depressing as a teenager. Rebirth, new life, the Earth waking and renewing after a long winter’s sleep….beautiful and infinitely awesome.



If you were stranded alone on a desert island, what one item would you have to have and why?


My Bible. It doesn’t require electricity or special operating instructions, which is certainly a bonus. But most importantly it has everything essential for survival: hope, eternal promises, consolation, comfort, wisdom, commandments for life ... not to mention drama, mystery, and tons of spot-on storytelling. And once I tire of all that delicious solitude, there are detailed instructions for building an ark, which I could then use to sail back to civilization.

Thank you Barbara.  The Q&A was very informative and a whole lot of fun!  Can't wait to have an excuse to do this with you again. We will just have to keep up with you on Facebook and your website.

About book:


Propelled by an insurmountable sense of desperation, Stevie Burke is recklessly abandoning home, husband, and outwardly contented life under cover of night; at last resigned to defeat in her long battle against the tortured memories of her past.


Days later, lost and floundering in a dreary motel room without plan or destination, it is a long ago song playing on the radio that gently tugs Stevie back through the dust of remembrance. 1957 – The last summer spent at the ancient house overlooking the North Atlantic. A season which had unfolded with abundant promise, but then spiraled horribly out of control – torn apart by a shattering tragedy that remains splintered in fragments upon her soul. And it is only now, when Stevie at last lifts her eyes to stare deep into the heart of her long sequestered memories, that the long held secrets of past and future are at last unveiled...


It began in much the way of all the perfect golden summers at her aunt and uncle’s beach house. Stevie is in love with Jake, an intriguing deaf boy; so thoroughly absorbed in her new romance that she easily ignores the evidences of breakdown in her aunt and uncle’s once blissful marriage and the hairline indicators of her sister Eleanor’s role in their faltered relationship. Not until Stevie and Jake slip away from the farewell bonfire on the beach, anxious for a private moment on this last night together, will she finally be forced to confront the ugly truth of those things unfolding around her. The resulting tragedy shattering her family and leaving her emotionally paralyzed.


Although desperate to leave behind the gnawing emptiness and press of memories suffocating her life, Stevie remains helplessly bound to the family farm. She eventually lands a job as an advice columnist for the local newspaper, and only then does her life finally make a turn toward steady ground, her new position as advisor to the troubled allowing her to address her own deepest feelings of love and loss.


Even then, Stevie is infuriated when her mother hires a farm hand, Ash Waterman, irrationally rejecting his overtures of friendship – drawn to him as passionately as she feels determined to push him away.


Her silent battle is continuous; an insurmountable sense of guilt holding her to the firm conviction that she is responsible for her family’s suffering. Despite Ash’s patient love and support she is unable to smooth the painful cracks etched deep into her memories, continuing to sacrifice her future in order to shelter the sins of the past. And it is only as Stevie feels her life spiraling out of control, that she at last comes to understand the true secret of the lies she has so diligently guarded.


Book can be purchase at Barnes and Noble here.

Paperback, 304 pages
Published April 21st 2010 by Dog Ear Publishing
ISBN160844418X (ISBN13: 9781608444182)




My Thoughts:


Stephanie and her sister Eleanor leaves their families farm for the summer to vacation at their Aunt and Uncle's beach house. This is something they look forward to every year. But recently the visits have become a little tense because of an under current between her Aunt Smyrna and Uncle Cal. Stevie just tries to overlook the tension and enjoy the summer.


As the girls get into their teens they become more interested in boys than finding sea shells and swimming. Eleanor is the oldest so she would stay pretty busy with her summer flings leaving Stevie to entertain herself. Then Stephanie becomes very interested in a young boy on the that is deaf. She convinces her sister and aunt to get a book from the library and learn how to sign so they can befriend the boy.


Each summer they come to stay things just get worse between the aunt and uncle. This makes their time there very uncomfortable.


I connected with the timline of this book since I was born in 1950 and the story is set in the 1950's.


The teens characters were very realistic with their attitudes and relationship toward each other.


I got a bit anxious towards the last half of the book and did not want to put it down. I think you will be very surprised at how it ends, I know I was.


I recommend this book!


I rate this book a 5 out of 5.


Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the author for review. I was in no way compensated for this review it is my own opinion.

Janet Tronstad author of Dry Creek Series

I have found more books to add to my To Be Read list.  I love Janet Tronstad's bio and the way she introduced herself and her Dry Creek series on Goodreads.                                                                                                                                                                                                                

About Author:

I 've been giving some thought about how to capture the themes that run through  my long-time Dry Creek series. As many of you know, Dry Creek is a fictious small town in the southeastern corner of Montana. I was born in that corner of the state, but my parents moved from there when it was time for me and my sister to go to school. It was so isolated there was virtually no way for us to attend school once they closed the one room school that had served the few rural families for decades. I doubt there were more than fifteen in all eight grades of that school (I would know as my mother was the teacher and she brought me to school with her in a basket of some sort. I spent the first few years of my life in that school before I actually officially attended).
WEBSITE http://www.janettronstad.com

In any event, even though my family moved to a more prosperous part of the state, the feelings of that remote area are woven through of family's life and find their way into the stories I tell in my Dry Creek series. When it came time to do what I call 'a bigger promotion' of my books, I decided to write a song to talk about the values of that area. Fortunately, I have a good friend who was a professional musician 'in the day' and was eager to help me bring my lyrics to life. I now have a You Tube of that song. I located Depression era photos to go with the song (one of those photos is shown here). These are actual pictures taken by a US government program during the years of the depression. You can listen to part of the song here. You will need to scroll down a little until you see my name and Montana Quilting Song.Come listen to a song I wrote. Lyrics by me, music by my good friend, David White. Depression era photos.

It's a tribute to my Dry Creek books.Montana Quilting Song http://www.youtube.com/

ONE OF THE MANY BOOKS IN THE DRY CREEK SERIES

Rodeo rider Wade Stone never thought he'd step foot in Dry Creek, Montana, again. Not with his family's harrowing past. But nine years later, he's back on the Stone ranch and getting stared down by the townspeople. Except by Amy Mitchell, whose heart he broke after one sweet kiss. Wade knows she's afraid he'll leave again, but surely there's no second chance for them.
It seems the whole town—and her family—is against them. Until one beautiful Christmas sleigh teaches everyone the true meaning of the holiday.

I will be sure to post a review of any of the books from this series once I have read them.

*******

It's Your Kid not a gerbil by Dr. Kevin Leman - GIVEAWAY

I received this announcement in my email and part of entering the giveaway is to blog about it.  I will be more than glad to blog about the giveaway.  It is for a this book and an iPod Touch.  So read this post and follow the links.

Good luck to everyone!  Hee! Hee! But I hope I win a book and the iPod Touch.

Blessings to All,

Patricia  aka Mamaw

---

We're giving away some excellent prizes to celebrate the release of Dr. Kevin Leman's new book It's Your Kid, Not A Gerbil. You can visit the Tyndale Blog to enter where we're giving away an iPod Touch, three Kevin Leman book prize packs, and 5 copies of It's Your Kid, Not A Gerbil.

To enter you must visit the contest page and fill out the entry form after completing at least one of the following actions (each action completed counts as an entry into the giveaway).

• Visit the It's Your Kid Not A Gerbil Facebook page and become a fan
• Invite at least 10 friends to become a fan of the It's Your Kid Not A Gerbil Facebook page.
• Share a link to this contest page on your own Facebook page or on Twitter.
• Write a blog post linking to this contest page.

Click this link to visit the contest page.
Thank you for being a part of the Tyndale Blog Network!

IN MY MAILBOX

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, where we share what books we received this week.  The hope is that you will share in the comment section and let us know what you received in books this week.  Anyone can participate.  You can share what you won in a giveaway, what you purchased for yourself, what you received as a gift, etc.

Books I received this week:

I just purchased this one today.  Wanted to read it before I see the movie.

ONE DAY 
by David Nicholls

It’s 1988 and Dexter Mayhew and Emma Morley have only just met. But after only one day together, they cannot stop thinking about one another. Over twenty years, snapshots of that relationship are revealed on the same day—July 15th—of each year. Dex and Em face squabbles and fights, hopes and missed opportunities, laughter and tears. And as the true meaning of this one cruc...more

Published May 31st 2011 by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group (first published August 28th 2009)

ISBN

0307946711 (ISBN13: 9780307946713)

I just purchased book one because I won book two in the series.

Destiny's Dream (Solomon's Gate #1)

by Delia Latham (Goodreads Author)

Is a little respect too much to ask at a funeral? Apparently it is for Destiny May. Clay Gallagher is built like a small mountain and far more vocal than is fitting when he shows up late to her mother's "going away party." When it turns out he's not even at the right funeral, Destiny demands retribution in the form of an escape from the day's dreary proce...more

    

Published December 17th 2010 by White Rose Publishing

ISBN

1611160456 (ISBN13: 9781611160451)

Kylie's Kiss     

by Delia Latham (Goodreads Author)

On a dare, Kylie Matthews lands smack in the middle of Solomon's Gate-Castle Creek's new Christian dating agency-and she finds herself revealing exactly what she's waiting for in a relationship: "The kiss that steals my breath away."

What she doesn't reveal is her lack of self-esteem or her irrational reaction to facial disfigurement. Neither is applicable to her

...more

Published April 29th 2011 by Pelican Ventures

ISBN

1611160782 (ISBN13: 9781611160789)

Also in My Mailbox was a

Pandigital Multimedia Novel 7" Android Multimedia Tablet & Color eReader - U.S. - Black model

Disclosure: By clicking on the above ads from Amazon I will receive a small percentage from the sale of the books.