Book trailer for A Beauty So Rare

So watching this book trailer, I know I'll probably cry through this book. But that's ok. That's my favorite kind of book. You can watch it here:

http://youtu.be/TGpDawUqbhk

Here is the link to an excerpt:

http://www.tameraalexander.com/cmsdocuments/ABeautySoRareExcerpt.pdf

"The Dancing Master" made my heart dance...

              

The Dancing Master, Alec Valcourt, arrives in town with his mother and sister and takes up residence with his uncle.  Little does he know, that the way he makes is living is not allowed in Beaworthy.  Soon after he arrives in town, he meets Julia Midwinter.  Julia is the daughter of the most prominent lady in the town.  She is a lively and carefree girl, and longs for more freedom and adventure than she can find around her. Alec is trying his best to support his mother and sister in the only way he knows.  After Julia and Alec meet, they become entwined in an adventure that neither one of them expected, filled with mystery and maybe more adventure than Julia was looking for.  Alec is trying to keep the secrets of his past hidden, and Julia is trying to find out the secrets have been hidden from her all of her life. 

 

I have read most of Julie Klassen’s books and I have to say that this was one of my favorites.  It ranks very high on my list of her books.  I am a Jane Austen fan, and I loved catching the nods she makes to Austen’s works in this novel.  Ms. Klassen’s weaving of mystery and romance engage the reader from the start and keep them guessing until the end.  There are enough clues revealed throughout the story to keep the reader enthralled.  At the first, Julia seems like a shallow character, but her personality soon comes out in full force and I could not help but love her.  And what's not to love about Alec?  If you enjoy Jane Austen and like historical romance set in England, then this would be a great book for you to read.

I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. My opinions are my own.  

 

A review of Tide and Tempest by Elizabeth Ludwig

Tide and Tempest is the third book in Elizabeth Ludwig’s Edge Of Freedom series.  I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books and I patiently waited for this book to come out.  Well, my patience paid off!  Tillie McGrath was introduced in the previous books.  A little bit of her history was revealed in the prior two books.  She arrived in New York from Ireland, having traveled on Captain Keondric Morgan’s ship.  The book starts with Captain Morgan checking in on Tillie, having not seen her since he dropped her off two years before.  He has discovered some information that may affect her life, and in his quest to see her remain safe himself becomes endangered. 

 

I have to say that I loved this book and had a very hard time putting it down. Keondric is a very well rounded character and I fell in love with him from the first.  Tillie is also a great character and very easy to love.  Cass Morgan, the captain’s brother, is an excellent secondary character and really helps tie the story together.  I really love how Ms. Ludwig continued with the mystery from the first book, and keeps the reader guessing all of the way through.  Each book in the series reveals a little more until you get a full picture of what was going on.  What is great about this book is that the author also retells what is going on and gives enough details about the story, so the reader still knows what is going on even if she hasn’t read the first two books.  If reading this book first, you will definitely want to go back and read the first two. 

 

If you love history and romance and mystery, then this book is an excellent recommendation for you as all three genres are covered.  I highly recommend this book.

*I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for an unbiased review. My opinions are my own. *

Learning to persevere

Recently, I watched man rake his yard. The yard wasn't huge but it took him a couple of hours because he had to use a walker to help him stand. He didn't stop until he had all of the leaves in bags. Something that would keep some (moi) from completing a job, didn't stop this man. If only I had that tenacity...

Usually, I let something small keep me from completing a project. I can be doing well, everything going fine, and something small will make me stop completely.  I'm sure the man above could have had several things go wrong. But he did not stop until his job was complete. The lessons we can learn from the people around us...might teach us a lot. 

Participation required...

While I was a student at Oklahoma Baptist University, there were a couple of pertinent questions that always got asked. Name? Major? Hometown? These are the three questions that were always asked when meeting a fellow student for the first time. As I became involved in Bible studies and ministry groups on campus, I discovered another pertinent question: What is your life verse? 

My life verse in college was Proverbs 3:5-6. (There's a really nifty story about the summer Olympics that goes along with it but that's for another post.)  Back to this post, I would have to guess that the life verse of at least 50% of the other students was Jeremiah 29:11.  This was an oft-quoted verse at OBU. 

I like the concept of this verse but I think many people have the wrong idea about what it means (besides not knowing the historical context of how it relates to the Babylonian captivity - but again, that's another post.) Yes, God planned each one of us and formed us in the womb (Psalm 139).  He created each of us with a plan and purpose in mind.  

However...these plans and purposes do not come about on their own. There is a another ingredient that is needed. Participation. God also created each of us with a free will.  We have a choice of whether or not to follow God's plan for our life.  I, myself, have spent the last few years of my life only partially participating, and I believe that God has so much more for me.

My Thoughts on Sex and the Single Christian Girl

Purity seems to have become almost a dinosaur in our world today.  It may not be extinct, but it's certainly not as prevalent as it used to be. I'm sure we all heard the "True Love Waits" story and how we should "save ourselves" for our future spouses.  Movies and other media give us a different view of true love, however.  Purity is so much more than just waiting for "the one," and many things in the world tempt people into abandoning their purity. 

Using experiences from her own life and from real people, Mrs. Ellis discusses how to fight these things that tempt people away from purity, namely Satan. As an older, never-married, not-much-dated, single woman, I was almost afraid that I wouldn't be able to relate much to this book. I was very pleased to find that this book is not targeted for a specific demographic, and that any single women (and even those who are married) will draw a lot from this book.

Mrs. Ellis provides very relevant, Scripture-based strategies to help any woman with maintaining purity in our dark world. She stresses that sexual purity is not just for dating relationships, but that it is very vital in our Christian walk.  She provides hope for those who may fear that it is too late for them to have purity.  Mrs. Ellis tells us how to fight the lies the enemy uses to draw us away, and also how to stay strong in Christ. I cried through many chapters because the message of the book really touched me in many ways.  I would recommend this book for all single women of any age, and also married women, because purity is important to everyone.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest and unbiased review. My opinions are my own. 

My praise for this book cannot remain "Unspoken!"

Dee Henderson has outdone herself again in her latest thriller.  It was very hard to anticipate anything in this book, as Ms. Henderson keeps the reader guessing until the end.  As usual, I was unable to put this book down until I had read the last word.  

Unspoken is the story of Bryce and Charlotte.  Bryce Bishop is a vintage coin dealer.  Charlotte Graham comes to him with a business proposition that quickly turns into a major acquisition.  Bryce knows that there is more to Charlotte from the first, but with her past she has a hard time letting people get through to her private life.  She has a few people she lets close, but with very good reason.  Bryce realizes almost immediately that he wants to be one of those people; however, unwrapping Charlotte is like unwrapping a roll of vintage coins.  Careful planning and much patience have to be used to make sure the coins and the wrapping aren't damaged.  Of course, one never knows what will be found in a roll of coins, and Charlotte is no different.  What Bryce expects may not be what Bryce gets.  Ms. Henderson does a fantastic job of showing how Bryce "unwraps" Charlotte to discover what is at her very center and helping her discover her real value.  

The book is a MUST-read for anyone who has read and enjoyed any of Dee Henderson's books in the past.  It is also a must-read for anyone who has not read one of her books.  If you like suspense with romance mixed in, then this book would be an excellent read for you.  I must warn you though, once you get started, don't expect to put the book down anytime soon.  It hooks you from the first and does not let you go.  You will not want to put the book down for the fear that you might miss something important.   I know.  What will you miss by putting a book down for the night, but it is SO good and intense that you will not want to put it down.

This book can be read as a stand-alone book, but there are characters from Full Disclosure in this book as well.  If you haven't read that book yet, you will want to read it as well.

*Thanks to Bethany House for my review copy of this book.  I received a free review copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. *