CFBA Tour: In the Shadow of Evil

This week, the  Christian Fiction Blog Alliance  is introducing  In The Shadow of Evil    by  Robin Caroll   


With a story ripped from the headlines, Robin Carrol is back with her trademark southern suspense. When a body is found in a burned Homes of Hope house that Layla Taylor built her life begins to unravel. In the running for a prestigious award, all that will disappear if she's tied to the destruction. Then people she cares about begin getting sick. Maddox Bishop is back as the investigating detective, and with his appearance the romance ramps up. This book has it all: puzzling mystery, tight suspense and enough romance to make you fall in love. A book I really enjoyed!

ABOUT THE BOOK   

Informed by the real-life fallout of the U.S. economy plus devastation caused by multiple hurricanes along the southern coast, In the Shadow of Evil casts the modern day story of a building rebound scam exposed. It begins when the body of a property inspector is found among the ashes of a burnt out Homes of Hope house. Wrapped up in this mounting case of unethical practices, supply shortages, and murder, top Louisiana homicide detective Maddox Bishop is losing his heart to a charitable contractor, Layla Taylor, whose own sister is under suspicion. He’s also about to discover a deep secret about his tragic past.

If you would like to read the first chapter of In The Shadow of Evil, go HERE.

Watch the trailer:



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born and raised in Louisiana, Robin Caroll is a southerner through and through. Her passion has always been to tell stories to entertain others. Robin’s mother, bless her heart, is a genealogist who instilled in Robin the deep love of family and pride of heritage—two aspects Robin weaves into each of her books. When she isn’t writing, Robin spends time with her husband of twenty years, her three beautiful daughters, one precious grandson, and their four character-filled pets at home—in the South, where else?

Robin gives back to the writing community by serving as Conference Director for ACFW. Her books have finaled/placed in such contests as RT Reviewer's Choice, Bookseller's Best, and Book of the Year. An avid reader herself, Robin loves hearing from and chatting with other readers. Although her favorite genre to read is mystery/suspense, of course, she’ll read just about any good story. Except historicals!   

A homeschooling success

As most of you know, I homeschool my two older children (ten and seven). We do that in no small part because I was homeschooled for the greater part of my education and my husband and I see the value of it.

The challenge is finding the right formula for our kids for this year. For example, this year, I've done a bit of battle with my 10 year old. Sixth grade math has been a challenge for her and so she's procastinated. That used to mean she held the rest of us hostage, because I wanted math and English done before we proceeded to other topics.

That just wasn't working well. Most days held an element of stress as I hounded her. She didn't like it, and neither did I.

A few weeks ago I was praying about it and got an idea to switch our days up.

Now we start with the subjects the kids do together (Bible, History, Science and whatever book we're reading aloud) and then they move on to the subjects they do separately. If they're motivated, like they were the other day, both kids can get up and finish those subjects before we start the together elements. Or they can do them afterwards.

This one little change has really helped smooth out our days. If you homeschool, what one tip that has worked well for you? If you don't homeschool, what's a great homework tip?

Classic Hollywood Reviews: High Society

High Society is a 1956 flick that remakes The Philadelphia Story (1940). Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart are replaced by Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. Grace Kelly slides into Katherine Hepburn's role as the spoiled socialite preparing for her wedding. I LOVE the original. But one thing High Society has that the original doesn't is Bing and Frank singing and dancing. That's something extra that's pretty special, too. Add in Louis Armstrong and his trumpet and gravelly voice, ad you have some great music.

But the movie still lacks something that the original has...well, it lacks Kate, Jimmy and Cary. And while I adore Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly just isn't Kate Hepburn (IMHO). The original also won two Oscars, so I guess the Academy agrees with me.

The basic storyline is identical. Rich, spoiled heiress is preparing to marry her second husband in a matter of days. Reporters and first husband show up making a mess of her ordered life. In the process she comes to realize she wants more from her life than the cold, above-it-all persona she's crafted for herself.

High Society is still worth watching...just watch it first and then pull out The Philadelphia Story.

Couple Delightful Books: Mountains Bow Down & Dining with Joy

In Dining with Joy, readers get to return to the lowcountry in South Carolina. First, I love the cover and the new ones for earlier books. They just make me smile and want to pick them up. Joy Ballard is a character, the kind of gal I'd love to get to know. Too bad she's only a character!

When her father died, she took over his job as host of a cooking show. She's brilliant at it except for one not so minor detail: the girl can't cook. At. All. The charade is getting tiring and when the producer sells the show without telling the new owner that she can't cook, the deception digs deeper. Enter Luke...a hunk of a hero who can cook. Very. Well. The sparks fly immediately and the two are paired as co-hosts for the show.

That would be enough to make the book interesting, but the author doesn't stop there. She adds complicated layers with family, Joy's past with her dad, her inability to see a future apart from the show, an inability to dream. The result was a book that i delighted in reading. Many books I'll read because they're good. Or they might be interesting. Or occasionally engaging. But this one truly delighted me. I slowed down the reading so I wouldn't have to say good-bye. Some of the parts don't end the way I'd like -- but isn't that life? God doesn't promise us a smooth, easy life. Instead, He promises to be there through all the rough patches as well as the delightful times.

I loved this book. And for me to say that about a straight romance is rare. This book is a treat you've earned!


Raleigh Harmon is back and this time she's on an Alaskan cruise ship. Every girl needs a vacation right? But trouble follows Raleigh like calcium forms rocks. What should have been an opportunity to explore Alaska and hunt for rocks turns into a murder investigation. Then there are the problems with her mom and cousin. And don't forget her love life. This book has more points to it than one of the unique Star of David rocks she finds.

The author is a gifted writer, spinning words into a web that is lyrical and engaging. I even had to grab the dictionary for one word that she later explained. But she uses words in a beautiful way to paint pictures and make Raleigh a truly unique character that I've come to love. I'm already eager to read the fourth book in the series and go back to book one. Each book in the series stands alone, but has enough ties to prior books to keep someone who loves a series engaged without losing new readers.

And the spiritual threads in this book are poignant. I loved this book.

Done in by Fashion

I'm usually a pretty stable gal. But yesterday morning as I was getting ready for church I was in tears...over clothes! That is so not me!

I'm back in all my pre-pregnancy clothes, which is awesome, but somedays I feel like my options are living in jeans every day of my life -- blech -- or looking like a college student or my grandma. Now I love my Grandma dearly, but I'm not even close to 84. I don't want to dress like it! But I'm also not as close to 18 as I once was.

Can anyone help a girl out?

I spent some time Sunday afternoon darting through all the stores in the mall -- no luck. Problem probably was that I knew exactly what I was looking for. Problem is none of the designers must be on the same page. Ever have that happen to you?

I guess I want to adopt Audrey Hepburn's style. Boatneck t-shirts and capris (when it gets a bit warmer). Pretty skirts with ballet slippers. Things like that.

So what's your style? And if you're a fortunate soul, have you found any place that actually sells clothes that reflect that style?

Classic Hollywood Reviews: Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House

I must be on a Cary Grant kick right now. A couple weeks ago, Eric and I pulled out this 1948 Cary Grant flick. I love that it co-stars Myrna Loy, one of my favorite actresses thanks to the Thin Man series. In Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, Jim and Muriel Blandings decide their apartment is impossibly small and rather than be content there, they are going to build a dream house in Connecticut. The only problem is they'd never heard of Dave Ramsey and his financial principles. They find that building the house is much more trouble than they anticipated, not to mention over the top financially.

The movie is not the typical quick repartee comedy...but if you stick with it, and understand all the mistakes the couple makes, it is a fun movie. Just don't take any financial advice from this couple!

I personally like the attorney who plays narrator and breath of ignored reality to the couple. He can't help it that Mr. Blandings refuses to take his advice -- at any turn.

And here's a fun piece of trivia for you from IMDb: The house "Blandings' Way" really exists on Indian Hill Road in New Milford, Connecticut. It's a beautiful huge white art deco/colonial house that has many of the actual rooms discussed in the movie - such as a room to cut flowers. Also less than a mile away on Long Mountain Road is executive producer of the movie and MGM head Dore Schary's old country home.

How do we generate creativity in kids?

In Sunday school we talked about a study Mark Batterson referenced in his book In a Pit... It focuses on divergent thinking and showed that 98% of children between the ages of 3-5  score in the genius category, 32% of children between the ages of 8-10 score at the genius level, 10% of teenagers, and 2% of those over 25. And yet our God is a divergent thinker. Just look at the Bible to see a host of examples where He did things or told people to do things that weren't...normal. Naaman, go dip in the Jordan seven times. Joshua, march around Jericho seven times. Donkey, go talk to Balaam. Etc.

So as a homeschooling mom, it has me thinking. What can I do to help my children keep that divergent way of thinking? Why would I care? Because I want them to be willing to do anything God asks. I want them to be able to look at problems from a different perspective because they aren't limited.

I guess I want more for my kids. I want them to be willing to do things that seem foolish -- if God asks them to do them.

In the same chapter he talks about another author who had a common experience when he went into schools. He'd ask kids who were the artists in the class. In first grade it was all the kids, yet by sixth grade it was only one or two self-conscious kids.

Now I don't want to force my kids to be artists. But we were created by the ultimate Artist. And I want them to feel the freedom to create.

So how do I do that? Again as a homeschool mom and in general. To the left is a painting my oldest daughter painted when she was 8. She was actually commissioned by a friend to paint a similar painting of their dog after my friend saw this one. Will my daughter by the next Monet? Um, doubt it. But she's learning to be creative and use what skill God has given her.

I don't want her to lose that. I want her to love to create so much that she sets her alarm for 6:30 a.m. so she can create a new bracelet to go to church. I want my son to be forever constructing random Lego masterpieces because it's a way he reflects creativity.

What about you? How do you foster creativity and divergent thinking in your kids?

The Life Ready Woman: Thriving in a Do-It-All World

Recently, I received the Life Ready Woman, in part because I've found Shaunti Feldhahn's other books to be filled with practical information I can use pretty much immediately. The Life Ready Woman tackles the idea that Christian women can balance the many roles they have if we approach the process intentionally. As a woman who teeters on the edge of spinning out of control on any given day, yet passionately desiring to use every moment, I am always looking for new tips and strategies in this area.

I LOVE the concept of this book. It's all about finding the right balance at this season so that we can use our God-given gifts to the maximum potential. I don't know about you, but I don't want to get to heaven and hear that I've missed a purpose that God had me here to accomplish. But one thing that the authors stress in the introduction is that the book can best be used with the companion video series. After reading most of the book, I wonder how much of the video content is required to dive deep into the subject. Now, that may be because I am constantly looking for and reading books in this area. But I would love to do this book with a group in the video setting.

You can watch the video sampler for session one here. I'm eager to dive into that since the handout that accompanies the video looks great.

In celebration of Shaunti Feldhahn’s Life Ready Woman, MomLife Today is giving away 2 Weekend To Remember Gift Packs and much more!

Not only, is MomLife Today helping promote Life Ready Woman, but they are thrilled to announce that Shaunti will be joining MomLife Today as a regular contributor!!!

Weekend To Remember Get-Aways offer marriage-changing principles that you can take home and apply to your daily lives to strengthen your marriage. Whether you are newly engaged or have been married for 50 years, you will find value in the tools provided at the getaway.

Don’t miss this opportunity to receive a conference registration for you and your spouse … and more! MomLife Today will be randomly selecting NINE lucky recipients to receive one of these great gifts:

1. 2 Weekend To Remember Get Away conference registrations for two. $259 value each pair (Two couples will receive this.)
2. 2 Life Ready Woman DVD packs. $149 value each (Two different people will receive this gift.)
3. 5 The Life Ready Woman books. (Book will go to 5 people.)

To enter click one of the icons below then tell your friends. Winner will be announced on March 2nd on the MomLife Today website.

MomLife Today provides encouragement, advice and resources to help YOU with your daily Momlife! Because…every MOMent counts!

Do We Shortchange Christian Youth?

I know...the title isn't typical of what I've posted lately. But it's something I've thought about the last couple weeks. In In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day Mark Batterson mentions almost as a sidenote: Lion chasers refuse to live their lives in a defensive posture. They are actively looking for ways to make a difference." (p. 121)

Then he quotes from Bob Briner's Book Roaring Lambs, where he challenges us to dare to dream that the top director in Hollywood, the Pultizer Prize winning journalist, and the principle dancer for the leading ballet company are all Christians. To quote Batterson again, "We need to stop criticizing culture and start creating it."

I can remember as a teenager telling people (mainly from the church) that I wanted to go into journalism or politics. That's where I felt called from about the age of 14. And I remember the recoiling in horror. "Christians can't go in those areas and remain Christians."

I wanted to ask why not. I might have even done it. And then I had the strength to pursue those fields anyway, despite what people I admired and respected said. Thanks to Mom and Dad for not joining that chorus.

And now I wonder...do we continue in that same path? Do we tell young people in the church that the only way they can truly serve God is by being a teacher, minister, or missionary? I pray not.  Because as I look at the world, Hollywood needs a lot of tent makers. As does Washington, D.C., New York City, and every other seat of power.

What do you think? Does the church direct youth one place or is it getting better?

Save the Date by Jenny B. Jones

This week, the  Christian Fiction Blog Alliance  is introducing  Save The Date  Thomas Nelson (February 1, 2011)  by  Jenny B. Jones  
I adore Jenny's books and Jenny, so had to share this since the bio so shows her sense of humor!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
I write Christian fiction with a few giggles, quite a bit of sass, and lots of crazy. My novels include the Katie Parker Production series and So Not Happening. I would also like to take credit for Twilight , but somewhere I think I read you’re not supposed to lie.

When I’m not typing my heart out (or checking email), I teach at a super-sized high school in Arkansas.

My students are constantly telling me how my teaching changes their lives and turned them away from drugs, gangs, and C-SPAN.

Okay, that’s not exactly true.

Some facts that are true include:

I've always been refined!

A. I got my camera confiscated by big boys with guns at the American  Embassy in Europe this past summer. O la la!

B. I once worked in a seed mill office and cleaned out mice on a regular basis. Ew.

C. I’m a former drama teacher.

D. I didn’t pass my drivers test the first time. Or the second…

E. I attract stray animals like a magnet.

F. I used to assemble and test paint ball guns for a local factory...

Since my current job leaves me with very little free time, I believe in spending my spare hours in meaningful, intellectual pursuits such as:

-watching E!
-updating my status on Facebook
-catching Will Ferrell on YouTube and
-writing my name in the dust on my furniture

I’d love to hear about you, so drop me a note. Or check me out on Facebook.

ABOUT THE BOOK -- Totally fabulous book!

You’re invited to the engagement of the most unlikely couple of the year.

When the funding for Lucy’s non-profit job is pulled, she is determined to find out why. Enter Alex Sinclair, former professional football star and heir of Sinclair Enterprises—the primary donor to Lucy’s Saving Grace organization. Alex Sinclair has it all . . . except for the votes he needs to win his bid for Congress. Both Lucy and Alex have something the other wants. Despite their mutual dislike, Alex makes Lucy a proposition: pose as his fiancée in return for the money she desperately needs. Bound to a man who isn’t quite what he seems, Lucy finds her heart – and her future – on the line.

Save the Date is a spunky romance that will have readers laughing out loud as this dubious pair try to save their careers, their dreams . . . and maybe even a date.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Save The Date, go HERE

The Me Project Tour & Guest Article

I love the idea of this book. Kathi's other books that I've seen have been great jumpstarts. And if the article below is any indication, then this book is a great way to discover a dream or put some feet to the dream.

Be sure to leave a comment if you would like to be included in a chance for a Starbucks basket the author is giving away to one person who comments during the tour.

(San Jose, CA) Has that rush to make (and break) New Year’s resolutions already waned? According to Daniel Pink, author of Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, taking small steps every day will not only help you stay committed to your goal, but will also help you ultimately achieve that goal when obstacles come up. Author Kathi Lipp wants you and your friends to live out those dreams—and have some fun along the way.

As women, we forget the goals and dreams of our younger years. The busyness of everyday life gets in the way. To-do lists replace goals. The Me Project provides women with fun and creative ways to bring back the sense of purpose and vitality that comes with living out the plans and dreams God has planted in our hearts. Kathi Lipp’s warm tone and laugh-out-loud humor motivates women to take daily steps toward intentional goals. The end result? We get back our lives and enjoy living in the confidence of a purposeful life in spite of our chaotic schedules.

This handy guide coaches women to do one simple thing toward achieving our goals each day for three weeks. A woman experiencing the exhilaration of a rediscovered life offers more as a wife, mother, friend, volunteer, career woman.

Three Super-Simple Kick Start Living Your Dreams
– in the next 15 minutes

by Kathi Lipp

Is there a dream that God has given you, but you are waiting until the kids are grown and you have money in the bank before you get started?

You may not be able to enroll in a month long pastry making class or take a week off of work to get started on your novel, but today you can take three little baby steps to making your dream a day-to-day reality.

1.     Go Public with It

It’s a little scary to tell the world what you want to do when you grow up—but this is one little step could get you closer to living your dream than almost any other. Plus—it takes very little time and you don’t have to raid your kid’s college fund to make it happen.

When you gather up all your courage and tell your best friend, “I want to learn how to paint,” suddenly she remembers an old art book she has laying around she would love to give you, or her friend from church who teaches art classes. The people you know and love want to be a resource. Give them the privilege of being a part of making your dream happen.

2.     Join an Online Group

This is one of the simplest—and cheapest—ways to start exploring your passion. Find out who else is talking about restoring antiques and listen to their conversation. Start by Googling your interest along with the term “online groups.” You will be amazed with the number of people who want to talk about the proper way to care for 1950’s lunchboxes as much as you do.

3.     Don’t be Afraid to Pray

I remember the first time I put an offer in on a house—I wanted it more than I had wanted almost anything else in my life. While I knew that I had dozens of other people praying on my behalf, I was too scared to pray.

I didn’t want God to tell me no. I was afraid to pray until my co-worker Kim asked me (in a loving, kind way), why I didn’t believe that God wanted His best for me. Don’t be afraid to pray—as with anything amazing in my life, the path is never what I expected, but it has always been obvious that God’s hand has been on it the whole way.

 


Finding the balance between living day-to-day with purpose while pursuing the passions God has placed in our hearts is a delicate pursuit. In this refreshing, insightful book, Kathi lays out a doable plan that makes sense and helps make our God-given dreams a reality. Never stop dreaming, because women who dare to dream do make the world a better place.
—Jean Blackmer
author of MomSense: A Common Sense Guide to Confident Mothering
Publishing Manager, MOPS International www.MOPS.org

Kathi Lipp is a busy conference and retreat speaker, currently speaking each year to thousands of women throughout the United States. She is the author of The Husband Project and The Marriage Project, serves as food writer for Nickelodeon, and has had articles published in several magazines, including Today’s Christian Woman and Discipleship Journal. Kathi and her husband, Roger, live in California and are the parents of four teenagers and young adults. For more information visit her website: www.kathilipp.com.


Kick Start Living Your Dream -

Review: Lady in the Mist

Lady in the Mist is the fruition of a dream that was birthed in author Laruie Alice Eakes while she was in grad school. Then one of the things she studied was the role of midwives in history...and she knew she'd someday write books highlighting the contributions of those women. Now she's doing just that.

I've heard a lot about Laurie Alice's books, but this was the first time I've read one of them. Set in coastal Virginia in 1809, it took me the first chapter or two to get into the time period. Once I did, though, this book kept calling me back to its pages. The book is a blend of romance, suspense, and historical. Tabitha Eckles is a midwife, and with that role comes the responsibility of keeping secrets. All alone in the world, she is drawn to an English redemptioner who could be a spy. Either way, he isn't free to marry until his indenture is complete -- and even then, he's titled. What would he want with a woman like her? Then there's the fisherman she'd planned to marry before he disappeared...only to return two years later.

The book is layered with alternating twists of suspense and romance. And the setting grew on me as the town and characters became real.

For those who love the regency time period, this book is an easy one to pick up. And for those of you who haven't tried it before, this is a great one to start with. And being set in a rural American village made for an interesting twist in the genre.

Reviews of Save the Date and A Billion Reasons Why

This morning I want to introduce you to two new books from two of my favorite Christian romance writers. Kristin Billerbeck first sold me on chick lit with her delightful Ashley Stockingdale series. I simply loved those books. She's written other romances since then, and has a new one release this month. And Jenny B Jones is one of my newer discoveries. I adored her first women's romance (she also writes for the young adult market), and have to say this second one lives up to the promise of the first. Here's more.

Save the Date is another great romance from award-winning author Jenny B. Jones. She has a gift for creating characters I want to root for and thrusting them into situations that make me laugh out loud while wondering how they can ever resolve their love life. Save the Date was no exception.

This book is a must read. And I love what the author does with highlighting the outreach to young women who have outgrown foster care and need someone to believe in them while they transition. This book has so much heart! But the romance...sigh...it was perfect. I LOVED reading the ups and downs between Lucy and Alex. They both need each other...but the last thing either expects is love. The other thing the author does so well is incorporate a spiritual thread that adds to the story without detracting from it. This book really is a perfect blend of romance, laugh out loud moments, and heart. I give it two and a half very enthusiastic thumbs up.

With a Billion Reasons Why, Kristin Billerbeck is back with a light romance that is a fun, quick read. Katie and Luc have a history that has kept them apart but also serves as a magnet attracting them to each other. Instead, Katie is ready to marry a man she met at her church. He's safe and predictable...but is that enough? This book didn't have the zany feel of her Ashley Stockingdale series, but reminded me of the Spa Girls series. It was a fun read, with interesting characters that kept me engaged. A great spring break read especially for those who love romance.

Reader's Theater Resource by Doraine Bennett

I took a reader's theater class in college and really enjoyed it. For someone who has a tough time memorizing, it was a great way to get dramatic experience without the stress of memorizing pages of scripts.

Doraine Bennett, a family friend, has written Reader's Theater for Global Explorers, a resource filled with scripts for those who want to try reader's theater while learning about neat locations. You can check out more on Amazon at the link above.

Here's more from Doraine:

Readers theatre is a little like radio drama. It is an oral reading presentation that is more relaxed and informal than traditional theater. No sets or costumes are needed, and readers hold their scripts as they read. Narration provides a framework for the drama that occurs. Since there is little visible action, readers use their voices to interpret their lines and create the setting, characters, and action in the minds of the audience.

            Students enjoy the opportunity to “become” the character they are reading. With practice and coaching, their reading skills improve. Participation in readers theatre gives students a purpose for repeated reading that translates to fluency.  As students practice their scripts, they improve their communication skills by learning voice projection, intonation, inflection, and pronunciation.

            Readers theatre stimulates the imagination. Readers must imagine the emotions their character experienced in order to decide how to speak their lines. Listeners imagine the scenes spoken before them. Performance is a team effort that helps students to learn to interact creatively with one another. If the script performed is fiction, students often want to read the entire book. If the script is nonfiction, they are drawn to learn more about a character or an event.

            Readers Theatre is a relatively simple activity for teachers. No props or costumes are necessary. If they are used, they are minimal, suggestive elements. A scarf might suggest another culture. If girls are reading male roles, a simple prop can suggest gender, such as a hat or a tie. Students are not required to memorize their parts. The stage may be the front of the classroom. Readers may use music stands for their scripts or hold them. Chairs may be used to group readers according to script directions, but readers may simply stand at the front of the room. Readers theatre can be as simple or as elaborate as you and your students wish to make it. It may be performed for the class or you may decide to invite an audience. If you have a few minutes at the end of a lesson, you may pull out a readers theatre script and have students perform it impromptu.

            The scripts in this book are divided into sections based on the areas of the world where exploration occurred. Many of the explorers visited additional areas of the globe, but I have chosen one aspect of their journeys for each script. Scripts may be used throughout the year as you touch different areas of curriculum.

            At the end of each script, extension exercises incorporate cross-curricular tie-ins for multiple modalities. Extension activities may be assigned to the classroom, to the group of readers, or to an individual.

 

Looking for Exercise Fun?

Yes, really. I'm serious.

At the beginning of the year, I treated myself to a few new exercise DVDs. I am really enjoying two of them and thought I'd tell you about them in case you're looking for inspiration.

The first one I've been enjoying is Jillian Michael's Yoga Meltdown. This DVD comes with two workouts. The first is a bit easier than the second, but both contain good descriptions of the beginning and advanced forms of the exercises. What I enjoy about this is you get the stretch and training of yoga with a cardio element as she has you rep out the exercises. There's also no of the Eastern religion that I don't want. The extent is melting your heart to the sky -- or stretching. :-)

I've enjoyed it and I've got my pre-baby abs back -- not bad considering he was born eight weeks ago today (as I type this.)

The other video is Denis Austin's Hit the Spot Pilates. Again, this is a great workout for strengthening and stretching your muscles. An element I really like about this one is that there are seven targeted mini-workouts (10-15 minutes each) and then you string them together. So if I want to work abs/core, no problem. Or I can add a butt, thigh or hip element to it. And then there's a combined workout at the end. I really like it, and it emphasizes the beauty and grace of pilates.

So you can get the strength with yoga and the grace with pilates. Neither takes very long -- and you can stop in the middle to answer a baby's cry, wrestle a toddler, or put out the dog :-)

Remembering the North Platte Canteen

When the "Greatest Generation" passed through North Platte, Nebraska during WWII, they got a hug and a handshake, homemade cakes and cookies, and a moment of respite and prayer provided by thousands of volunteers from the surrounding communities. This spirit of service is vital to America today. You can give something back to our military members and their families. Visit militaryministry.org to see how!

In honor of my hometown, I will give away a copy of Canteen Dreams to someone who comments on the blog and one on Facebook. How can we serve the members of the military and their families today?

Lisa Wingate: A new author I love

Lisa Wingate has been writing for awhile, but I've just discovered her. And I have to tell you I am inhaling her Daily, Texas books. The ironic thing is the first in the series literally sat on my TBR shelf for more than a year. When I finally made time for it, I kicked myself for waiting so long. She has an amazing sense of humor that I can only pray to develop -- I'd match her with Jenny B. Jones in the humor category and y'all know how much I adore Jenny's books.

Word Gets Around is on sale at CBD for 2.99. Since the books all stand alone with recurring characters and setting, you could certainly start with it. But if you want to try a new-to-you author who writes delightfully funny romances that go more than skin deep, then please give her Daily, Texas series a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Classic Hollywood Reviews: American Madness

For those of you who are Frank Capra fans, here's a film you probably haven't seen yet. American Madness is a film from 1932 that plays with many ideas that come to fruition in It's a Wonderful Life.

It's the 1930s, the Depression era, and the Board of Directors of Thomas Dickson's bank want Dickson to merge with New York Trust and resign. He refuses. One night, Dickson's bank is robbed of $100,000. The suspect is Matt Brown, an ex-convict whom Dickson hired and appointed Chief Teller. Brown, who's very loyal to Dickson, refuses to say where he was that night. He actually has two witnesses for his alibi, Mrs. Dickson and fellow worker Cyril Cluett, but Brown is protecting Dickson...

Mr. Capra uses the film as a way to speak out against the evils he saw in big banking. He also speaks to the values that become common in his films. The idea that one man can make a difference. That we should believe in the little guy and give him a chance.  I enjoyed the film...and if you like Frank Capra movies, you really should track this one down.

The Stage in August, 1932 gave the following opinion: "Now we have American Madness, produced by Columbia and Frank Capra, showing the scenes of wild panic incident to a run on a big bank. Although it is frankly propaganda urging us to have faith in our poor, dear bank presidents, it is effective and occasionally exciting melodrama. Certainly Mr. Capra's scenes of the rapidly growing mob in the bank are expertly handled and make grand pictures. Perhaps the story is improbable and the happy ending impossible, but whether you agree with President Walter Huston's bank policy ("to stop hoarding and get business running again") or with the depositors hammering on the cages for their cash, you feel that American Madness is a good show, and hokum only part of the time."

Review: Lady in Waiting

Writing a novel within a novel is a serious challenge. So many times one story line or the other suffers. In Lady In Waiting, Susan Meissner hits the perfect balance -- in a manner similar to her Shape of Mercy.

Jane Lindsay finds a ring inside the binding of an antique prayer book. The ring is beautiful, but when she sees an inscription on the inside with her name, she becomes enthralled with finding out the history of the ring. And when she learns the ring is between 350 and 400 years old, the English Jane's that it could have belonged to seems to narrow. What will she learn from Jane's story that will help her as she tries to navigate the troubled waters of a separation she didn't ask for or want?

Lucy Day finds herself assigned to be the dressmaker for the young Lady Jane Grey. The two become friends as the years unfold and their lives intertwine. A girl caught between power hungry groups, Lady Jane seems to have no choices or voice.

This book is lyrical in writing and pacing. The story is captivating, not in small part because of the way tension heightens when one story pauses so the other can proceed. And the layers add a depth to the story that I've come to expect from Susan Meissner's writing. Beautiful from beginning to end.

Ohio Brides has Landed!!!

Ohio Brides is arriving in people's mailboxes and on Wal-Mart's shelves. Yes, I jumped up and down when I saw it coverout on the shelf half a mile from my house! In honor of it's arrival, I'll give away two copies: one to someone who comments here on the blog and one to someone who comments on Facebook. if more than twenty people comment each place, I'll give away a total of four copies.

I love this cover! And the stories inside.

Three Ohio women seek God's promises for peace on the 1940's home front. Josie is a new bride struggling with dreams unfulfilled. Evelyn serves with the WAVES, but feels unappreciated. Kat becomes a professional softball player amidst criticism. Can each of them find love in such times of trial?

The video shows an engima machine...Evelyn worked on the project the broke the code :-)

Classic Hollywood Reviews: You Were Never Lovelier

It's time for another Classic Hollywood Review, and thanks to my friend Stephanie who recommended this movie and loaned it to me.

You Were Never Lovelier stars Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth. Frankly you could stop right there in my book and have a great movie. There's lots of singing and dancing as Fred's character (Bob) stumbles into wooing Maria (Rita's character). In Maria's family the daughters have to get married in order of birth. That's not a problem since the movie starts with the oldest daughter's wedding, except that Maria has no interest in the men around her. Instead, she's waiting for a prince that will never come -- at least that's what her younger sister's fear. In steps Papa with his grand solution, and the next thing you know Bob is wooing her only he's not but he really is.

It's a fun romantic romp that fits the 1940s perfectly. The dancing is elegant -- though I still chuckle when I see strangers dance so beautifully the moment they meet.  The other thing that made me chuckle is how un-South American looking the girls are - especially Rita. Just fun since the movie is supposed to take place in Argentina.

Over all this is a pleasant film that is worth the time -- especially if you're a Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth fan.

Fatal Judgment Review

Y'all know I really enjoyed Irene Hannon's Heroes of Quantico series. So when I received Fatal Judgment from her publisher, it jumped to the top of my reading pile. And I inhaled the book like I expected. Unlike the Quantico series, this book focused on a Marshal -- with a cameo by some of the FBI agents from her prior series.

When I worked at a federal courthouse clerking for a judge, I interacted with U.S. Marshals on a daily business. When 9/11 happened a week after I started clerking, their job ramped up in intensity while new protocols were developed. As I read this novel which focuses on marshals trying to protect a federal judge from an assassin, it held the ring of truth and of an author who did tons of research to get the details right. I so appreciate that.

This book has the perfect blend of suspense and romance. A federal judge walks home to find her sister shot on the couch. While she's waiting to see if her sister will survive, she comes under the protection of a marshal with whom she has history. The two have to work together as the marshals and FBI work to find the killer. They keep hitting deadends and the tension ramps up on both fronts.

I don't want to give the story away, but if you love romance laced suspense, then this book is for you!

Product Description

U.S. Marshal Jake Taylor has seen plenty of action during his years in law enforcement. But he'd rather go back to Iraq than face his next assignment: protection detail for federal judge Liz Michaels. His feelings toward Liz haven't warmed in the five years since she lost her husband--and Jake's best friend--to possible suicide. How can Jake be expected to care for the coldhearted workaholic who drove his friend to despair?

As the danger mounts and Jake gets to know Liz better, his feelings slowly start to change. When it becomes clear that an unknown enemy may want her dead, the stakes are raised. Because now both her life--and his heart--are in mortal danger.

Four Years Ago

Four Years Ago today was the day of our first miscarriage. So much has happened since then.

Grieving. Healing. More grieving. And seeing how God has used our tragedies for His glory. I am so grateful for that. I'm also grateful that this year the anniversary hasn't been paralyzing.

We have two children in heaven. Two children I will one day meet. Just this week the kids and I were talking about Baby Gabe and deciding the other baby's name is Baby Mickie (for Michael/Michelle).  I love that we can talk about them, and it's not some family secret.

When I took our Christmas tree down a week ago, two of the ornaments represent the babies. And thanks to a dear friend from church who is more creative than I am, I've started giving grieving moms a pair of hand-knit, precious booties...a way to let them know their baby is cherished and missed by others. Maybe they'll put them on their tree, or somewhere else where they can see and know their baby is special. Sometimes just knowing someone else cares and grieves with you is all you need.

So if you know someone who's lost a baby, pray about how you can come alongside them. It may just be as simple as a pair of baby booties.

CFBA: Digitalis

This week, the  Christian Fiction Blog Alliance  is introducing  Digitalis    by  Ronie Kendig
I LOVED this book. You can read my review here. Be sure to click on the link so you can read an excerpt and get hooked on Ronie's writing.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:   

Ronie has been married since 1990 to a man who can easily be defined in classic terms as a hero. She has four beautiful children. Her eldest daughter is 16 this year, her second daughter will be 13, and her twin boys are 10. After having four children, she finally finished her degree in December 2006. She now has a B.S. in Psychology through Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. Getting her degree is a huge triumph for both her and her family--they survived!!

This degree has also given her a fabulous perspective on her characters and how to not only make them deeper, stronger, but to make them realistic and know how they'll respond to each situation. Her debut novel, Dead Reckoning released March 2010 from Abingdon Press. And her Discarded Heroes series began in July 2010 from Barbour with the first book entitled Nightshade.

This is the second book in the series.

ABOUT THE BOOK
Step into the boots of a former Marine in this heart-pounding adventure in life and love. Colton “Cowboy” Neeley is a Marine trying to find his footing as he battles flashbacks now that he’s back home. Piper Blum is a woman in hiding—from life and the assassins bent on destroying her family. When their hearts collide, more than their lives are at stake. Will Colton find a way to forgive Piper’s lies? Can Piper find a way to rescue her father, trapped in Israel? Is there any way their love, founded on her lies, can survive?

If you would like to read an excerpt of Digitalis, go HERE.

Love & War Devotional: Review

In honor of our 15th anniversary this week, I wanted to introduce you to a devotional for couples by John & Stasi Eldredge. Taken from their book Love & War, the devotional is broken into eight weeks. Each day has a short (small page) devotional, then a prayer to read, and a scripture. The devotionals are short enough to add to even the busiest schedule. And they are thought provoking with the underlying question: do we care enough about our marriages to wage war to keep our love alive and strong? The devotions are the right length to make it very possible for a couple to squeeze in some together time and invest in their marriage.

Taking Time to Pause

Next week I'll return to the Classic Hollywood Reviews. Feel free to let me know what some of your favorites are through comments. I'm always looking for new movies to try. But as this month has blown by, I've been thinking about pausing. I know...those of you who know me are laughing hysterically. I am not a girl known for slowing down. But from time to time God builds a pause into my life.

I'm busy, but it's different. I'm homeschooling and caring for a newborn -- well, he's seven weeks old. I'm writing lots of proposals this month and then turning back to writing a novel and novella while waiting to hear on the other proposals. So even in this pause, I haven't really stopped. I'm just more tired. It's got me thinking.

Have you ever noticed how fast life races by? Even when we think we're at a standstill?

Ever wonder what you're missing as you rush to keep up with everything and everyone in your life? The rounds of job, housekeeping, kid transportation guru, etc.

When I spoke at a women's retreat last Friday, I talked about God requiring the Israelites to pick up stones for remembering when they crossed the Jordan River (See Joshua 4).  How He wanted to make sure they didn't blow by this miracle and forget it as they returned to the busyness and routine of their lives. I'm a big believer in journaling -- in part to help me remember the way God has moved. Otherwise, I'm afraid I will forget...and in the forgetting, I'll lose out on the faith-building ways God has intersected my life.

I don't want to miss Him when He's moving. And I don't want to forget the history of His goodness and moving in my life.

So how do you remember His acts in your life?

Guest Post: Care for Me

My ten year old daughter wrote a poem last night that shows a heart for adoption. She's asked me to share it with you -- and I'm delighted to do so. Here she is:

My hope for this poem is that your hearts will be touched. And as a result, that there will be fewer kids crying these words. And more people will step out and help. If you would like to share this with friends and family, you may. Abigail

Care for Me
    by Abigail Putman

Care for me.
Please care for me.
I need a loving father and mother.

Please care for me and call me your own.
Take me home.
Give me a home.
Please, Mommy, come and get me.

Oh, Daddy, I need someone
to teach me wrong from right.
Who will love me for who I am more than you?

I need you more than ever!
Come and get me before I'm 18.
They'll kick me out.
I'll need a home. I'll need food and a job.
But I really need you to lead me through.

Please come and care for me.

Heaven is for Real

Curious about the book Heaven is for Real? The author Todd Burpo spoke at my parents' church yesterday. Listen to the stories. Read the book. Judge for yourself. I read the book in an afternoon. And my ten-year-old read it in two nights.

Heaven is for Real. Just like Christ is real. The chapter that meant the most to me is the first story that Sonya shares about their daughter.

''

Review: Digitalis

Digitalis picks up tempo quickly and launches you into the world of an elite military team. But rather than being only action-driven, there's also a great, star-crossed romance. Cowboy had a strong supporting role in the first book, but comes to life as the kind of hero I adore. He's strong, passionate, and filled with angst. And he's met his match in Piper Blum, a woman with a hidden past. This series reminds me of Dee Henderson's books, but with even stronger suspense. I highly recommend this book for those who love romantic suspense set in a military setting. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough!

In fact Digitalis was so good, I went back and read Nightshade. For some reason I struggled to get into it the first time -- probably because of the struggling marriage romance. But after I finished Digitalis, I picked up Nightshade and inhaled it.  Nightshade follows the leader of the elite group, and shows his battles with post traumatic stress syndrome. His wife Sydney files for divorce after she becomes convinced he won't change -- and it's a divorce neither wants. Thoughout the book, I hoped they'd get back together, but there were no guarantees. In fact, at every turn, things jumped into the way, making that option impossible. Then Max's team is sent into a hostile jungle to free missionaries all while Sydney is tracking a military group that shows up as a shadow on the world stage. They've saved villages but nobody knows who they are.
Trust me. This is a series lovers of romantic suspense will want to read!

CFBA: Courting Miss Amsel

This week, the  Christian Fiction Blog Alliance  is introducing  Courting Miss Amsel  Bethany House (January 1, 2011)  by  Kim Vogel Sawyer

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kim Vogel Sawyer is the author of fifteen 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.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Edythe Amsel is delighted with her first teaching assignment: a one-room schoolhouse in Walnut Hill, Nebraska. Independent, headstrong, and a strong believer in a well-rounded education, Edythe is ready to open the world to the students in this tiny community. But is Walnut Hill ready for her?

Joel Townsend is thrilled to learn the town council hired a female teacher to replace the ruthless man who terrorized his nephews for the past two years. Having raised the boys on his own since their parents' untimely deaths, Joel believes they will benefit from a woman's influence. But he sure didn't bargain on a woman like Miss Amsel.

Within the first week, she has the entire town up in arms over her outlandish teaching methods, which include collecting leaves, catching bugs, making snow angels, and stringing ropes in strange patterns all over the schoolyard. Joel can't help but notice that she's also mighty pretty with her rosy lips, fashionable clothes, and fancy way of speaking.

When Edythe decides to take her pupils to hear Miss Susan Anthony speak on the women's suffrage amendment, the town's outcry reaches new heights. Even Joel isn't sure he can support her newfangled ideas any longer. And if he can't trust her to know how to teach the boys, how can he trust her with his heart?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Courting Miss Amsel, go HERE.

What's Your Word for 2011?

Since it's the beginning of a new year, I've been asking God over the last several weeks what my word or theme for this year is. If you listen to K-LOVE, I'm sure you heard them talking about that last week, too.

I don't remember where I first ran into the idea, but I love asking God for a word or theme verse to ponder and incorporate into my life. This year I think my word is BELIEVE and the verse is Isaiah 43:18-19:

“Forget about what’s happened! Don’t keep going over old history. Be alert! Be present! I’m about to do something brand new. It’s bursting out. Don’t you see it? There it is! I’m making a road in the desert and rivers in the badlands.” (MSG)

This verse and really the chapter have spoken to me over the last few years. What's really standing out to me this year are the middle sentences: Be alert! Be present! Don't miss what I'm doing now. Ouch. How often am I somewhere else rather than in the moment? Whether that moment is teaching one of the kids long division, interacting with our toddler, or playing a game? Often my mind is working on multiple levels, and that's not always a good thing.

So what's your word for the year? Here are some people gave me last week...maybe they'll inspire you or resonate...

o   Rest   o   Hope   o   Prosper  o   Work  o   Change   o   Finish  o   Love

o   Seeing  o   Productivity  o   Love: I Cor 13  o   Balance  o   Empowerment

o   Trust       o   Sustain   o Center (prior year was gather)  o   expectation  o   listen

o   intention  o   relax  o   focus  o   give  o   transformed  o   nurse  o   harvest

o   wait  o   faith

Love Food & Live Well Review

Just in time for New Year's Resolutions, here's a book that can help you gain a fresh perspective on food and health. This book is an easy read and loaded with great ideas. Most are also very easy to implement. She includes a section about fitness to go along with the nutrition information.

If you've struggled to understand how to balance the necessity of food with letting it rule you, this book could be a huge help in providing freedom.
 
More about the book:
You don’t have to hide it. You can love food right out in the open—and lose weight at the same time. With the latest release from Chantel Hobbs, Love Food and Live Well, you’ll know when to have carrot cake and when it’s time to just have a carrot.

Let life coach and fitness expert Chantel Hobbs show you how to lose pounds to reach the weight that is right for you and then maintain it while enjoying healthy, delicious food. Built into this amazing plan is knowing that you can count on the occasional splurge with absolutely no guilt.

Using personal inventories, original recipes, and simple eating plans, plus new exercises for strength training and aerobic fitness, Hobbs will inspire you to live well in every area of life. Her positive and highly motivating approach is changing the way dieters look at food and will inspire you to pursue a life of lasting health in body, mind, and spirit.

Hobbs isn’t like other fitness and nutritional experts. She doesn’t just have the knowledge of what to eat. She’s experienced the heartache of feeling unworthy. In her book she says, “We’ll look at the deal the world has been selling us all of our lives—the message that we’re not good enough, not pretty enough, not thin enough, and just basically that we’re not enough.” Hobbs doesn’t just offer expert advice. She offers hope.

She exposes the lies that trap dieters in self-defeating habits and shows them how to break free from destructive attitudes toward food. You will no longer need to hate food or be limited to eating boring, bland, unsatisfying meals. You can learn to live with freedom.

Chantel Hobbs is a life coach, marathon runner, personal trainer, wife, and mother of four. Her amazing story of losing two hundred pounds and keeping the weight off has been featured on Oprah, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Fox & Friends, Life Today with James Robison, The 700 Club, and Focus on the Family Radio—and in People and First magazines. Hobbs hosts a weekly radio show and is the on-air fitness expert on the WAY-FM radio network. She is also a regular guest on the KLOVE radio network. Hobbs is a frequent speaker to women’s groups and makes personal appearances at fitness conventions. The developer of The One-Day Way Learning System and the author of four books, including Never Say Diet and The One-Day Way, Chantel lives with her family in south Florida.

Classic Hollywood Reviews: Dial M for Murder

For Christmas I bought a TCM collection that contains four suspense movies. The other night I watched Dial M for Murder, an Alfred Hitchcock flick I'd never seen, but very much enjoyed.

An ex-tennis pro executes a plot to kill his wife. When things go horribly wrong, he shifts to plan B. The plot is brilliant, as the husband plots the perfect murder. I love that the boyfriend is a crime novelist, who tries to weave a tale of how the husband could have plotted the murder.

Grace Kelly plays the wife while Ray Milland plays the husband. I haven't seen him in anything else, but very much liked his screen presence. All in all this is a great movie when you want something that has twists and not a hint of romance. It's definitely one I'll watch again.

If you've seen Dial M for Murder, what did you think?

Review: The Girl in the Gatehouse

This week, the  Christian Fiction Blog Alliance  is introducing  The Girl in the Gatehouse    by  Julie Klassen   

I loved this book! We got back from Christmas and several books waited for me. As soon as I saw this one from Julie Klassen, I picked it up, knowing I wouldn't be disappointed. I was right! The author does an amazing job transporting you back to the Regency period. And with the Girl in the Gatehouse she tackles tough issues regarding love and marriage from that time period -- and in the process made me think about some of our cultural strictures.

The plot is complex with secrets keeping people apart and threatening to collide. When they do, the fallout is immense and healing. And Mariah Aubrey is the kind of haunting heroine that pulled me through the story. I wanted to know how her story would end and hated to reach the last page.

Even if you don't think of yourself as a Jane Austen/regency fan, I urge you to try Julie Klassen's books. You may find yourself hooked...just like I did.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Miss Mariah Aubrey, banished after a scandal, hides herself away in a long-abandoned gatehouse on the far edge of a distant relative's estate. There, she supports herself and her loyal servant the only way she knows how--by writing novels in secret.

Captain Matthew Bryant, returning to England successful and wealthy after the Napoleonic wars, leases an impressive estate from a cash-poor nobleman, determined to show the society beauty who once rejected him what a colossal mistake she made.

When he discovers an old gatehouse on the property, he is immediately intrigued by its striking young inhabitant and sets out to uncover her identity, and her past. But the more he learns about her, the more he realizes he must distance himself. Falling in love with an outcast would ruin his well-laid plans. The old gatehouse holds secrets of its own. Can Mariah and Captain Bryant uncover them before the cunning heir to the estate buries them forever?

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Girl in the Gatehouse, go HERE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  

Julie says: My background is in advertising and marketing, but I am blessed with a dream job—working as an editor of Christian fiction. I have been writing since childhood, but Lady of Milkweed Manor was my first novel. It was a finalist for a Christy Award and won second place in the Inspirational Reader's Choice Awards. My second novel, The Apothecary's Daughter, was a finalist in the ACFW Book of the Year awards. I am currently writing one novel a year.

I graduated from the University of Illinois and enjoy travel, research, BBC period dramas, long hikes, short naps, and coffee with friends.

My husband and I have two sons and live near St. Paul, Minnesota.

Book of Days Review

Book of Days is a page-turner from James Rubart. With some authors it's hard to sustain the success of a first novel. But with this book, the author has exceeded the skill he showed with his debut release.

Cameron Vaux's losing his mind. Each day it feels like his memories are slipping farther and farther away. In a desperate effort to restore them and avoid the end his father faced, he makes a desperate bid to find the Book of Days, a mysterious volume that both his father and his wife made him promise to find before they died. The search takes him to a small town in Oregon that is filled with secrets and hidden agendas. If his plight weren't so desperate, it would be easy to give up but he can't.

He is helped on his search by his reluctant friend Ann Bannister, who has her own reasons for being in town. And her presence adds a touch of romance to the book.

The plot hurtles through twists just like a rock climber who's slipped in their climb. The result is a book that I thoroughly enjoyed and couldn't put down. One aspect that I loved the most is that I did not identify the person behind the suspense thread. In many books lately, I've been able to do that, so it was a welcome relief to have a book that surprised me at the end. This book is perfect for those who like suspense with a twist. This time that twist is what if people thought the book of days really existed...here on earth?