I'm not going to lie. I feel terrible that I haven't reviewed a Christian fiction title in quite some time. I had the best of intentions to review at least one of these titles, but sometimes life has other plans. 
About the Book: The future is clearly mapped out for New York socialite Eugenia “Gennie” Cooper, but she secretly longs to slip into the boots of her favorite dime-novel heroine and experience just one adventure before settling down. When the opportunity arises, Gennie jumps at the chance to experience the Wild West, but her plans go awry when she is drawn into the lives of silver baron Daniel Beck and his daughter and finds herself caring for them more than is prudent–especially as she’s supposed to go back to New York and marry another man.
As Gennie adapts to the rough-and-tumble world of 1880s Colorado, she must decide whether her future lies with the enigmatic Daniel Beck or back home with the life planned for her since birth. The question is whether Daniel’s past–and disgruntled miners bent on revenge–will take that choice away from her.
About the Book: Once a month, the six women of the Sweetgum Knit Lit Society gather to discuss books and share their knitting projects. Inspired by her recently-wedded bliss, group leader Eugenie chooses “Great Love Stories in Literature” as the theme for the year’s reading list–a risky selection for a group whose members span the spectrum of age and relationship status.
As the Knit Lit ladies read and discus classic romances like Romeo and Juliet, Wuthering Heights, and Pride and Prejudice, each member is confronted with her own perception about love. Camille’s unexpected reunion with an old crush forces her to confront conflicting desires. Newly widowed Esther finds her role in Sweetgum changing and is surprised by two unlikely friends. Hannah isn’t sure she’s ready for the trials of first love. Newcomer Maria finds her life turned upside-down by increasing family obligations and a handsome, arrogant lawyer, and Eugenie and Merry are both asked to make sacrifices for their husbands that challenge their principles.
Even in a sleepy, southern town like Sweetgum, Tennessee, love isn’t easy. The Knit Lit ladies learn they can find strength and guidance in the novels they read, the love of their family, their community–and especially in each other.
About the Book: A vivid story of a private grief, a secret painting, and one woman’s search for hope.
Still mourning the loss of her family in a tragic accident, Lillian Diamon finds herself drawn back to the Rose House, a quiet cottage where four years earlier she had poured out her anguish among its fragrant blossoms.
She returns to the rolling hills and lush vineyards of the Sonoma Valley in search of something she can’t quite name. But then Lillian stumbles onto an unexpected discovery: displayed in the La Rosaleda Gallery is a painting that captures every detail of her most private moment of misery, from the sorrow etched across her face to the sandals on her feet.
What kind of artist would dare to intrude on such a personal scene, and how did he happen to witness Lillian’s pain? As the mystery surrounding the portrait becomes entangled with the accident that claimed the lives of her husband and children, Lillian is forced to rethink her assumptions about what really happened that day.
A captivating novel rich with detail, Rose House explores how the brushstrokes of pain can illuminate the true beauty of life.
Disclosure: I received copies of these books from the publisher for review...I ran out of time to review them.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Back to School Fiction Blog Tour
Monday, June 29, 2009
Blog Tour: Seduce the Darkness by Gena Showalter
Book Synopsis from Publisher: The war between otherworlders and humans changed Earth beyond recognition. It also saved Bride McKells's life. Before, the gorgeous vampire was a target for every fanatic with a stake and a crucifix. Now, she's free to roam the streets -- and desperate to find others of her kind. One man claims to have the answers she seeks. Devyn, King of the Targons, is a warrior and a womanizer, and he makes no secret of how much he wants Bride -- and how dangerous he could be to her in every way.
An avid collector of women, Devyn easily seduces human and otherworlder alike. Until now. Not only does Bride resist him, but she leaves Devyn feeling something entirely new...a bone-deep need bordering on obsession. Her blood is the key to curing a vicious alien disease, but helping Bride uncover her origins will compel her to choose between electrifying passion and a destiny that could tear her from Devyn's side forever.
My Thoughts: Romance is a genre I enjoy reading, but I struggle to find the right books to read. While some explicit sexual content is okay, there is a certain line for me and sadly this book was it.
I was interested in this book because I DO like the paranormal. And I did have a lot of interest in the world Showalter had created here...one mixed with aliens, vampires, and pretty much everything you could think of. But when sex and the hero's sexual conquests enter into every paragraph, well, I just need something more than that.
I probably should have been alerted by the title, but I didn't do my research and I apologize to the publisher for that.
Having said that, I know for a lot of people that won't be a problem. I do enjoy Showalter's writing style and like I said she's created a very interesting world. And it's possible that a different set of characters might have less of the sex, in this book the male was sexually repressed as a youngster so he goes around "collecting" experiences with females of every species now that he's free of that. And the female vampire hunts naked. I mean, really?
Anyway, I do think it would be a quick enjoyable read for someone who enjoys this genre.
Thanks to Pocket Books for sending me the book.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
An Interesting Turn of Events: The Note 2: Taking a Chance on Love by Angela Hunt
Today is the blog tour day for The Note 2: Taking a Chance on Love. I haven't been able to read the book, yet, but I did see the movie. Actually, the movie came out before the book!
This is a really interesting story because Angela Hunt wrote The Note and it got turned into a Hallmark movie at Christmas (admittedly my favorite kind! Yes, there's something about Christmas that lets me freely be a sentimental sap) The movie was very successful for Hallmark so they decided they wanted a sequel. But Angela Hunt didn't write it. But when they decided they wanted a sequel they also wanted a novelization, which Angela Hunt did write.
Now there are a couple of interesting factors that come into play here. One, Angela Hunt is by and large a Christian novelist. Hallmark's movies weren't really Christian. Secondly, Angela Hunt created these characters and this world and then someone else extended them...and she was totally fine with it!
I think it shows a pretty extra special measure of cool on Hunt's part that she went along with writing the novelization. I think I might have been ticked that they didn't want me to write the second part of my own character's stories. But that's just me.
Read the first chapter below if you like, but please please share with me what you think about this in comments! Would you have been willing to do this? Do you ever read novelizations of films?
She transferred her gaze to the computer monitor and fluttered her fingers over the keyboard. Some days the magic worked and the words flowed. Other days she might as well be typing gibberish.
She skimmed the half-completed column on her screen and tried to focus her thoughts. Last week a reader had written that she was afraid to trust a brother-in-law who had stolen from her in the past. Peyton had answered that forgiveness was important, but experience could not be ignored. And when it came to matters of the heart, caution should always trump passion. Dozens of readers had e-mailed, filling her in-box with responses, most of them supportive.
Now she was working on a recap that included reader comments, but everything she’d written so far looked like extended self-congratulation. She needed a corroborating opinion . . . and any column could be improved with an appropriate quote, couldn’t it? She reached for her dictionary of popular quotations, scanned the index, and jabbed her finger at an appropriate entry. Smiling with satisfaction, she propped her reading glasses on the end of her nose and worked the quote into her piece:
And so, dear readers, when it comes to dealing with relationships, perhaps we should keep the words of Eumenides in mind. That venerable sage once wrote, “There are times when fear is good. It must keep its watchful place at the heart’s controls. There is advantage in the wisdom won from pain.”
Perhaps a happy heart is, at its core, a cautious heart.
There. She leaned back and clicked the word count tool. Seven hundred words—not bad. The dragon lady shouldn’t have to cut any of this column.
After a quick proofread, Peyton clicked Send and addressed the file to Nora Chilton, senior features editor. Another click and away it went.
She turned as something slapped the surface of her desk. Mandi Hillridge, an overenthusiastic intern from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, stood in the aisle, her arms filled with folders. Peyton picked up the envelope Mandi had tossed her way and studied the return address. “Am I supposed to know this Eve Miller?”
Mandi shifted her burden from one arm to the other. “I doubt it. I think she’s a reader.”
Peyton ran her fingertip across the ragged edge. “Why has this letter been opened?”
“Because Phil Brinker didn’t check the address before he tore into it. Our stellar mailroom staff mistakenly delivered it to him while he was in New York working on that story about the media covering the media. He just got back and told me to bring it to you.” Mandi stepped closer, her eyes gleaming. “You want me to go fuss at the guys in the mailroom? One of them’s kinda cute.”
Peyton glanced over the short walls of the reporters’ cubicles and saw Nora stepping out of the elevator. “No.” She propped both elbows up on her desk. “I want you to get me two Tylenol. Extra strength.”
“You have a headache?”
“Not yet.”
Mandi turned in time to see Nora approaching, a folded newspaper in hand. Even from her desk Peyton recognized the distinctive banner that contained her byline and staff photo. Had Nora come down to complain about a column that had already run? She wouldn’t, unless one of the higher-ups sent her to confront Peyton about some obscure point.
“About that headache—” Mandi lowered her voice—“I’ll bring the bottle.”
The young woman hurried away as Nora approached Peyton’s desk. The editor waved the paper before Peyton’s anxious gaze and nodded. “By the way, about this column last week? You were absolutely right.”
“That’s a nice change.” Peyton managed a smile. “About what?”
“Passion. It should always be tempered with caution. Especially when it comes to affairs of the heart.”
Peyton straightened in her chair, not certain why the editor had felt compelled to personally deliver this bit of elaboration. “You speaking from conviction or firsthand experience?”
Nora managed a coy smile. “None of your business. Anyway, you’ve been doing really good work lately. I had my doubts at first, but you’ve grown into the job.”
“You came all the way down here to pat me on the back?”
“Actually, I came down here to tell you that in addition to writing the Heart Healer, I’m going to need you to handle a feature or two for the Lifestyles section. We got the call last night; Marlo Evans had a baby boy, so she’ll be out on maternity leave for the next several weeks.”
Peyton dropped her head to her hand and groaned. “Why not use freelancers?”
“Because I don’t have the patience or the finances to deal with neophytes. The budget cuts have made it necessary for all of us to pick up the slack now and then. Besides—” her mouth curved in a wry smile—“you’re fast and you’re good at researching. A feature or two shouldn’t be a problem for you.”
“But I’m swamped with—” Peyton swallowed the rest of her complaint as sports editor King Danville moved into her line of vision. A warm feeling settled in the pit of her stomach and brought a smile to her lips. Would she ever stop feeling all gushy and girly whenever King approached her desk?
King glanced at the features editor before returning Peyton’s smile. “Hello, Nora.”
Nora’s chin dipped in a stiff nod. “Kingston.”
Like a flower seeking the sun, Peyton shifted to face the man who had recently brought new joy to her life. “I was just telling Nora that these days I don’t have time to keep up with my column and write a weekly feature, no matter how occasional it is.”
Nora glanced from Peyton to King and then arched a brow. “Perhaps if you temper your newfound passion, you’ll find the time.”
King grinned as the editor smiled and moved toward the elevator; then he pulled a white bottle from his jacket pocket and shook it. Peyton placed the familiar rattle within seconds: Extra Strength Tylenol, as requested.
“Ran into Mandi in the coffee room,” King explained. “She said you were going to need these.”
“She was right.” Peyton sighed. “Nora seems to think I can sit down and whip up a decent feature while I’m outlining my next column. I don’t know where she got the idea that I’m some kind of writing machine.”
“Maybe from the fact that you write so fast you make the rest of us look like we’re moving backward.”
Peyton shook her head, unwilling to accept praise she didn’t deserve. She knew the truth—she could turn an assignment around quickly because outside the newspaper office she had no life. While other writers struggled to work amid the pressures of family schedules, children’s homework, school events, sporting activities, and the needs of a spouse, Peyton only had to take care of herself and her two cats.
At least that’s the way things were before King and Christine came into her life. The situation was a little different now, and she was feeling the pressure.
“I’m not that fast,” she insisted. “And I’m not that versatile.”
“Then don’t cave so quickly, MacGruder. Just because Nora’s your boss doesn’t mean you have to let her push you around.”
“I was ready to push back until she played the guilt card. When she mentioned the budget cuts, I realized how lucky I am to even be employed. How can I not agree to write whatever she wants?”
“That’s what I like about you—you’re a solid team player.”
“I’m a pushover.”
King smiled and stepped to the side of Peyton’s desk. “In that case, I’d better prescribe two of these—” he held up the bottle of pain relievers—“or one of these.” Before Peyton could point out that they were surrounded by coworkers in cubicles, he bent and pressed a kiss to her lips. She closed her eyes, ready to forget about an audience of staff reporters, clerks, and copy editors, but the kiss didn’t last.
She looked up at him, unsatisfied.
“Do any good?” he asked.
“Not sure. Try again. Maybe increase the dosage.”
He bent, his lips warming hers with more passion this time. When he finally pulled away, Peyton exhaled a long sigh of happiness . . . and the writers around her erupted into applause.
Peyton grinned as her cheeks warmed. “They approve.”
“I don’t give a fig about them. What did you think?”
“Um . . . better.”
“Only better? Well, you know what they say about practice making perfect . . .”
As the other reporters hooted and King leaned in for yet another kiss, Peyton pressed her palm against the center of his chest. “You know, it’s this kind of temptation that led to Marlo Evans’s maternity leave. And in turn, to my impending headache. So maybe we should get back to work.”
With a roguish grin, King straightened and stepped away from her chair. “Yes, ma’am.”
“But after work—” Peyton squinted at him—“would you want to go for a jog with me and Christine? We wanted to run the paths down by the shoreline.”
King shook his head. “Enticing offer, but I’ve got to run out to the university after I finish up today. David needs to talk to me about something. He says it’s important.”
Peyton nodded, once again reminded that their relationship was not as simple as it would have been if they’d met in their twenties. She had Christine to consider, and King had David. Both children, hers and his, were nearly grown, and both had been forced to deal with the aftermath of their parents’ unwise decisions.
“MacGruder.” King’s voice, warm and insistent, drew her from her thoughts. “Maybe I’ll stop by your place later.”
“I’d like that.” Peyton offered him a forgiving smile. “I’ll be waiting.”
King took two steps toward his office, then halted. “Hey—” he turned, propping his arms on the cubicle wall—“I found an interesting e-mail in my in-box this morning. A friend in New York said my name recently came up in a board meeting at the Times.”
Peyton felt a frigid finger touch the base of her spine. “The New York Times?”
He chuckled. “Hard to imagine, huh? Moving from the Middleborough Times to the Gray Lady?”
“Your name came up in a board meeting? What does that mean, exactly?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know, but I’ll keep you posted.”
As he walked away, exchanging gibes with other writers as he passed their desks, Peyton felt fear blow down the back of her neck. Any other journalist would be salivating at the thought of writing for the Times, but King never seemed to get ahead of himself. Contentment was one of his primary virtues, and Peyton hadn’t realized how much she’d been counting on his ability to remain satisfied with the status quo.
What would she do if she lost him?
The thought struck like a blow to the chest, stealing her breath. Until recently, she had managed to keep herself detached from complicated personal relationships. But then the tragedy of a horrific plane crash taught her about the brevity of life and the importance of connection. Now she was desperate to understand two precious people, but understanding took time, and time was something she no longer possessed in abundance.
She forced herself to take a deep breath and steady her pulse. No one was abandoning her; the world had not shifted on its axis. Her imagination was simply working overtime, a tendency that nearly always resulted in needless worry and borrowed trouble.
With her gift for imagining disaster, maybe she should have been a novelist.
When she swiveled toward her computer, determined to set her fears aside and tackle her e-mail, her gaze fell again on the envelope from Eve Miller. The postmark was five days in the past, so by now the woman’s comments were old news. And in an electronic society, old news was dead news.
Peyton tossed the envelope into a bin filled with unopened letters and turned her attention to her in-box.
***
Peyton slid behind the wheel of her car, tossed her purse into the empty passenger seat, and fumbled with the buckle of her seat belt. When she was certain the car’s computer wouldn’t scold her for forgetting some vital procedure, she turned the ignition switch and waited for the automatic seat to slide forward, tilt, rise, and whatever else it did to adjust to her frame.
King had talked her into buying this vehicle last weekend, insisting that her old car was only a few miles away from imploding. “Ninety-eight thousand miles?” he exclaimed after glimpsing her odometer. “Good grief, MacGruder, are you going for some kind of endurance record?”
She had to admit the new vehicle was nice, but its myriad bells and whistles bewildered her. She hadn’t taken the time to read the manual, and she barely managed to sit through the salesman’s demonstration. “I don’t have time to fuss with fancy gadgets,” she told the desperate young man who had greeted her and King at the auto dealership. “So just point me toward something safe and inexpensive. Something I won’t have to give up chocolate to afford.”
Like a village matchmaker, the salesman grinned and fixed her up with this sleek blue machine, which he kept calling a crossover—a cross between a sedan and an SUV. She had a feeling the vehicle was too big to be economical or politically correct, but since an entire row of similar vehicles waited behind a fence at the dealership, the manager was probably eager to move his inventory. Regardless, the car earned good crash ratings, it used less gasoline than a tank, and it had the one accessory she couldn’t live without: a CD player.
Before putting the car in gear, Peyton punched the button of the stereo system and relaxed when the professional reader’s voice poured through the surround sound speakers. She’d bought this audiobook about mothers and daughters shortly after telling Christine the truth about their relationship—yes, they were reporter and reader, but they were also biological mother and daughter. Eighteen years and difficult circumstances had kept them apart, but a series of newspaper columns had brought them back together.
Now Peyton wanted nothing more than to be the mother she would have been if tragedy hadn’t intervened. A heaven-sent miracle had restored the child she’d been forced to surrender for adoption, and Peyton didn’t want to forfeit this second chance to love. And parent. And occasionally nag.
She and Christine were still in the midst of that awkward getting-to-know-you phase, but Peyton felt they’d made great strides in their relationship. They tried to talk every day, even if only briefly, and though Christine still lived in the house she’d inherited from her adoptive parents, she felt free enough to drop into Peyton’s home unannounced, as any daughter naturally would.
Still, Christine rarely called Peyton “Mom.” When necessary, she called Peyton by name . . . or she didn’t call her anything at all.
“By late adolescence,” a confident voice intoned as Peyton put the car in gear and backed out of the parking space, “most daughters can be placed in one of three categories—distant, dissatisfied, or dependent. Do any of these words remind you of the young woman in your life?”
Peyton shook her head and shifted into drive. The author needed a fourth category for Christine—maybe delightful. They were still in the honeymoon phase, each of them unbearably grateful to have found the other. They might have disagreements later—in fact, they probably would—but for now Peyton was thrilled to be able to know and love the young woman who had never been far from her thoughts and prayers.
“Outstanding mothers devote most of their time to their children, instilling healthy values into daughters who will become outstanding mothers themselves,” the reader continued, “but unsuitable mothers abandon and abuse.”
Peyton winced at the author’s use of the word abandon.
“Bottom line, if you provide your child with what she needs—clothing, shelter, food, affection—you, concerned mother, are off the hook if your daughter makes unwise decisions. After you have taught your child right from wrong, your daughter has the freedom to choose . . . right or wrong. Do not blame yourself if she chooses to learn life’s lessons through negative experiences.”
Peyton frowned as she pulled out of the parking lot and into traffic. Over the years, she’d covered dozens of stories involving teenage delinquents—wayward boys who got mixed up with guns and drugs, runaway girls who ended up on the street or in the hospital because they went looking for love in all the wrong faces. Behind every sad teenager’s story, Peyton found a distraught mother who couldn’t seem to understand how her child ended up in such a deplorable state.
She hated to admit it, but every time she interviewed one of those mothers, she’d walked away feeling resentful and slightly smug, convinced that she would have managed better if only given a chance. But now that she was being given an opportunity to mother a teen, she had no idea what she was supposed to do.
To make matters worse, her time of greatest influence would be limited. After the plane crash in which her father died, Christine had taken time off to grieve, but soon she’d go back to school and get busy with her studies. She’d probably meet a young man on campus and want to settle down. Then she’d center her world on her husband and her children, and she’d expect Peyton to focus on being a doting grandmother, not a mom. So this precious opportunity to parent her daughter would be relatively short-lived.
Peyton pulled up to the red light at an intersection and snapped off the CD player. The bookstores were loaded with books about how to parent newborns, toddlers, middle schoolers, and teens, but no one had much advice for brand-new parents of young adults.
No one even seemed to be able to answer Peyton’s most basic question: at eighteen, which did Christine need most: an authority figure or a friend?
Copyright ©2009 by Angela Hunt. Used with permission from Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Review: The Host by Stephenie Meyer (and a giveaway!)
Mankind on earth has been invaded by...souls. Souls are parasitic aliens that cannot exist outside of a host. They have populated most of earth, but there are still some rogue humans left to inhabit.
Wanderer is unique among souls. She has lived life on several different planets and experienced much of the history of her species. She requests to be placed in an adult human body and is given the body of Melanie.
Only...Melanie hasn't left like she's supposed to. She's strong and fighting Wanderer's presence in her body. When her original attempts to fight back fail, she uses the most powerful weapon in the human arsenal...love. She makes Wanderer feel all that she feels for the humans she left behind and sends her on a quest to find them.
Right about now, you might be scratching your head and thinking this book isn't for you. I have to admit I was hesitant to try it myself. I wasn't over the moon about Twilight and I had several people tell me this book was hard to get into. Sometimes it's good just to read a book for yourself, because I absolutely loved this one.
I was into it from the first page! I couldn't wait to see how Wanderer was going to resolve the issue of having Melanie still present with her, and all the many complications that ensued. Throw in a very complicated love quadrangle and you KNOW I was invested!
There are many adventures that Wanderer and Melanie face as they search for their human family and stories of their survival that kept me engaged. I simply devoured this book...I thought about it while I wasn't reading, stayed up to the wee hours of the morning to read, and I sobbed through the last fifth of the book. The Host is 620 pages long and I read it in a day and a half.
The Host is a story of what it means to be human. Of everything in balance (one of my favorite themes, admittedly) that we can't have the glories of love without the agony of hatred, pain, and violence. That peace is not really peace without choice. That free will is what makes us human. It's a beautiful and captivating story and I'm so glad that I read it.
Despite it's huge size, I do think The Host would be an interesting book club choice as there are many themes and ideas present to discuss, and I would love to discuss this book with others myself!
Rating: 4.75/5 (docked slightly for being a little long winded in places)
Things You Might Want to Know: This book is really very clean...no language, no sex, no graphic violence-- really a great read.
Giveaway: Hachette Book Group has offered up to five copies as a giveaway! To be eligible you need a United States or Canadian mailing address. I will give away a copy for every five entries received up to 25...so in other words...in order to give away all five copies we need at least 25 entries! Leave a comment and tell me your favorite alien story! (make sure you have a valid email address attached to your comment in some way) for one entry. For a second entry (leave a second comment) twitter about this giveaway. And for a third entry, blog about this giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post.
And just a little reminder...The Host was nominated by Book Bloggers during BBAW as the best book of 2008!
The Host is currently on a month long tour. You can read yesterday's post at Bermuda Onion and look for tomorrow's post at Twilight Series Theories.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Review: Nothing But Trouble by Susan May Warren + Giveaway
When I'm in the mood for a nice fun romance, maybe with just a hint of suspense, Susan May Warren can do no wrong. She has not written a book that I haven't loved. Nothing but Trouble is no exception, and because it has a little Veronica Mars going on, it's especially great!
P.J. Sugar hasn't been back home for ten years. In fact, she's spent the past ten years trying to find herself..doing different things and exploring different areas of the country. But one day her sister calls her and up and says they need her back home. Easy, right? But P.J. left for a reason and going home means facing the betrayal and the person she used to be. Not to mention Boone her ex-boyfriend. Oh and her best friend who was facing a pregnancy scare when she took off...
But the town is more welcoming than P.J. expected and soon she finds herself caring for her nephew and investigating a murder. Can P.J. stay out of trouble long enough to do some good in her hometown? Will she come to terms with who she is and what she's done?
I thought P.J. was an immensely likeable character, and I was definitely rooting for her. I also loved all the humor Susan May Warren wove throughout the book...the typical goofy stuff that makes a book like this enjoyable. I loved watching P.J. come to terms with her past, the people who hurt her, and finding new love for her family.
This is the kind of book you to lose yourself in and enjoy, P.J. becomes a bit of a PI and makes new friends. I have always loved Susan May Warren's writing style...not too flowery, but not at all choppy either, just perfect for moving the story along. Feels really effortless.
One thing I'm excited about is that this is a series...so we get to visit with P.J. again! AND Love triangle! My favorite! So much potential for drama!
I highly recommend this fun book for lovers of Christian fiction romantic suspense, though both the romance and suspense are a bit light!
Read the first chapter of Nothing But Trouble.
Rating: 4.25/5
Things You Might Want to Know: Definitely Christian fiction!
Giveaway: I have one copy to give away to anyone in the world! Leave a comment and tell me about your favorite fictional amateur sleuth. If you want me to be able to contact you, please leave an email addresss as well.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
I AM Says You are by CJ Rapp Blog Tour
I AM says, “You Are…” Understanding Your Identity in Christ is the first book by Bible teacher and speaker CJ Rapp. Not only does this book explore your rock solid identity in Christ, it also helps the reader identity patterns of thinking that threaten healthy self-esteem. For each daily devotional, questions have been included. These questions provide an opportunity for personal study or for sharing the journey with a small group. It’s perfect for women’s ministry groups to use as a six week study.
What inspired you to write I AM says, “You Are…” Understanding Your Identity in Christ?
One of the biggest challenges in my life has been overcoming insecurity and low self-esteem. In fact, my journey was long and difficult. My low self-esteem began during my teen years and remained into my thirties.
In my late twenties I began to follow Christ. I committed my life to Him and began to read the Bible. As I read, I discovered that His Word actually contradicted lies I had long believed about my worth and my value. His words were kind, compassionate, and full of love. The more I read the more I realized that God loved me and that he didn't think I was stupid, ugly, or worthless. Instead His Word says that I am priceless, a masterpiece, a treasure, and I am His child. He even loved me enough to send His Son to die for me. That was shocking! The girl who grew up believing that she had little worth or value was passionately loved and desired by the Creator of the universe! It was life changing for me. Through my study, acceptance of His truth, and application of God’s Word I was set free. I like to say that God replaced the trash, my negative thoughts, with the truth or the treasure of God’s Word.
The more I read the more I realized I held the keys to freedom and healing in my hands. Not just for me but for other people just like me. Three years ago God impressed on my heart the importance of sharing my journey with others. My heart’s desire in writing this devotional Bible study is to help other people find the same hope, freedom, and healing that I have found.
Who is the target audience for I AM says, “You Are…”?
Understanding your identity in Christ is important for women of all ages. This devotional is written so women in all stages of life can relate to the topic of discussion. For example, day one is titled, I AM says, “You Are Significant.” Women of all ages need to know that they are significant to God’s plan.
What are some of the topics covered?
Each day begins with this identity statement, I AM says, “You Are…” The thirty daily themes cover many aspects of our identity in Christ such as:
I AM says, “You Are loved.”
I AM says, “You Are beautiful.”
I AM says, “You Are unique.”
I AM says, “You Are forgiven.”
Do you have a website or blog for your audience to check out?
Yes! I have a blog site www.cjrapp.wordpress.com for women to interact and share their thoughts on the daily themes. Small groups and Women’s Ministries also have a tab on the blog where they can share their insights and idea’s.
I AM says, “You Are…” Understanding Your Identity in Christ provides women with a glimpse of God’s heart for them. Embracing the truths from Scripture found in this book can help women overcome the low self-esteem that studies say over 80% of American women suffer from. The quickest way to get your copy is to order from amazon.com. For more information about CJ Rapp visit her website at www.cjrapp.com. Don’t forget that this study can be used in small groups and as a church wide women’s ministry study.
To follow this blog tour for more opportunities to win a FREE copy of the book, please visit www.ChristianSpeakerServices. (Rules for book drawings vary. Please see individual blogs for specifics.)
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Blog Tour: Enduring Justice by Amy Wallace
About the Book
A painful past
Hanna Kessler’s childhood secret has remained buried for over two decades. But when the dark shadows of her past threaten to destroy those she loves, Hanna must face the summer that changed her life and the man who still haunts her memories.
A racially-motivated killer
As a Crimes Against Children FBI Agent, Michael Parker knows what it means to get knocked down. Difficult cases and broken relationships have plagued his entire year. But when the system fails and a white supremacist is set free, Michael’s drive for retribution eclipses all else.
A life-altering choice
A racist’s well-planned assault forces Hanna and Michael to decide between executing vengeance and pursuing justice. The dividing line between the two is the choice to heal. But when the attack turns personal, is justice enough?
About the Author
Amy Wallace is a freelance writer and self-confessed chocoholic. She is a graduate of the Gwinnett County Citizens Police Academy and serves as the liaison for the training division of the county police department. Amy is the author of Ransomed Dreams, the first book in the Defenders of Hope series, and a contributing author of several books including God Answers Moms’ Prayers, and God Allows U-Turns for Teens. She lives with her husband and three daughters in Georgia.
You can learn more about Amy Wallace's Defenders of Hope series, read an excerpt, and buy the book.
You can also enter to win a complete series of Defenders of Hope by signing up for Amy's newsletter and leaving a comment on the official blog tour post. (not this post)
Monday, April 27, 2009
Book Giveaway and Blog Tour: Follow Me by Joanna Scott
About the Book: On a summer day in 1946 Sally Werner, the precocious young daughter of hardscrabble Pennsylvania farmers, secretly accepts her cousin's invitation to ride his new motorcycle. Like so much of what follows in Sally's life, it's an impulsive decision with dramatic and far-reaching consequences. Soon she abandons her home to begin a daring journey of self-creation, the truth of which she entrusts only with her granddaughter and namesake, six decades later. But when young Sally's father--a man she has never known--enters her life and offers another story altogether, she must uncover the truth of her grandmother's secret history.
Giveaway: I'm giving way THREE sets of the book Follow Me along with Joanna Scott's story collection Everybody Loves Somebody. I'll be reviewing Everybody Loves Somebody as part of my attempt to expose myself to my short stories, and it would be fun to get the winner's perspective as well!
To be eligible, leave me a comment with a valid email address and tell me what author you would love to meet in person! You must have a Canadian or United States street address to win.
Thanks all! If you want to learn more about the book, check out Wendy's Review.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Blog Tour: The Secret Holocaust Diaries by Nonna Bannister with Denise George and Carolyn Tomlin
Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day and I'm pleased to be a part of this blog tour for The Secret Holocaust Diaries by Nonna Bannister. Please enjoy the interview below about this incredible story. And join with me in remembering the fight against injustice never ends.
The Secret Holocaust Diaries by Nonna Bannister with Denise George and Carolyn Tomlin
Introduction
Nonna Bannister appeared to be a typical American housewife. She married Henry, the love of her life, in 1951 and together they raised three children in Memphis, Tennessee. But Nonna was far from average. For half a century, she kept her story secret while living a normal life. She locked all of her photos, documents, diaries, and dark memories from World War II in a trunk in her attic.
Tyndale House Publishers announces the publication of The Secret Holocaust Diaries: The Untold Story of Nonna Bannister written by Nonna Bannister with Denise George and Carolyn Tomlin (April 2009, Tyndale House), the haunting eyewitness account of Nonna Lisowskaja Bannister, a remarkable Russian girl who saw and survived unspeakable evils during World War II.
Questions & Answers
The Secret Holocaust Diaries is written by Nonna although she passed away in 2004. Did she write the book before she died?
Yes, she slipped up into the attic each night, translated her diaries (from several different languages), and recorded them in English onto yellow legal pads. Much later, after she told her husband, Henry, about her incredible past, she showed him the stacks of yellow legal pads on which she had translated her diaries and recorded her thoughts about her past, and he typed them up into a manuscript.
Would Nonna have liked to see her book published before she died?
Nonna translated her diary into English and her husband, Henry, typed the manuscript. However, she requested the diary not be published until at least 2 or 3 years after she died. Henry honored this request. (She died in 2004.) The story was very painful and reminded her of the suffering her family endured. When she came to America in 1950 she was overwhelmed by her new life. She was determined to make a new life for herself and to give her husband and children a happy home.
Nonna came from a privileged family. Are there any interesting stories of people her ancestors knew?
Nonna's family "ran with" the upper crust in the Ukraine and Russia. Her mother and father were educated in Russia's great cultural city, St. Petersburg. Nonna's grandmother and grandfather knew the last Tsar, Nicholas II, and Nonna kept a postcard sent by him (shortly before his death) to her grandfather, Jakob, for his birthday (dated 1913?). Jakob was killed during the Revolution while trying to help Russian families escape.
Nonna writes in her diary of living on the ”Chekov Lane” in Taganrog, the street where Russian writer Anton Chekov (1860–1904) had once lived.
The family also visited often the boy Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (nicknamed "Sasha") and his mother, Taissia. She and Nonna’s mother, Anna, were good friends. They enjoyed giving concerts and playing the violin and piano. Nonna writes of eating ice cream with her mother and Taissia, and spending the night in the Solzhenitsyn home during a thunderstorm. Alexander was older that Nonna, studying at the university.
Many people assume most of the people killed by the Nazis were Jewish. Was Nonna’s family Jewish?
Although it is estimated that approximately 6 million Jews were killed by the Nazis, other nationalities experienced suffering and death, also. Nonna's family was Russian and owned seven grain mills and homes in southern Russia and the Ukraine. Her father, Yevgeny, and his family were from Warsaw, Poland, which included a large population of Jews. Due to border restrictions, Nonna never met her father's family. Yevgeny never told Nonna and her brother, Anatoly, if his family was Jewish. If the children didn't know, they could not let it slip. The admission of being Jewish could have meant deportation or certain death. There is speculation, but no one is certain.
Nonna saved many documents from her time at Nazi camps; what are these artifacts?
In a small ticking pillow she kept tied around her waist, she kept many one inch square photos of her family and friends in the Ukraine. She also kept her small childhood diary. On tiny slips of paper, she wrote her experiences (in diary form) and also kept these in the little pillow.
Later she kept all these in a small trunk, which she painted bright green.
When Nonna finally revealed her secret, was her family shocked?
Henry knew there was something about her past that she didn’t want to talk about. Being a patient man, he never pressed her to speak about this secret. As they grew older, he asked her to write down some things about her family—so their children would know their heritage. After months of secretly translating her diary (written in several different languages) she took him to the attic, open the little green trunk and showed him her family’s photos and the yellow legal pages of the translated diary. Henry was astonished at what he saw.
Why did Nonna keep her devastating secret for so many years?
Nonna kept her secret past from her family/friends because she had, at last, found such happiness with her husband, Henry, and her three children. She didn't want to express her past pain--she didn’t want it to interrupt the family's happiness and cast a shadow of despair over them.
The diaries themselves were written in several languages and some were on scraps of paper. How did she go about transcribing them?
Nonna learned English after she came to America in 1950. This became her primary language. She realized they should be transcribed in English so Henry could type the pages. He spent several years typing these notes after work and on weekends.
The miniature black/white photos, the diaries, the notes from the prison camp, her mother’s letters from the concentration camps, and other documents were organized and put into chapters for a book—one she hoped would be published after her death.
What can people of Christian faith or Jewish faith/descent take from The Secret Holocaust Diaries?
That grave injustice exists--Nonna learned that from the Red Army (who killed many of her family members) and Hitler's army (who also killed many of her family members and imprisoned her in a labor camp). But that God's love and forgiveness for those who hurt us are stronger than even Hitler's evil and injustice. Nonna came out of the whole experience with her heart still filled with love. She experienced none of the bitterness and hatred that some Jewish Holocaust survivors have held onto. She was able to marry, raise children, and bring them much joy and happiness through her own love and through introducing them to God's love.
Why did Nonna feel it was so important to share her story?
The Secret Holocaust Diaries: The Untold Story of Nonna Bannister is a true story of a young Russian girl whose family was caught up in the Russian Revolution and in World War II. In spite of the injustice inflicted on her family and millions of others, it is a story of love and forgiveness. Nonna wanted others to know the horrors that occurred during the Hitler and Stalin era so that it might never happen again.
Nonna felt compelled to tell her story because she was an eyewitness to many dramatic events, and she was the only survivor of her entire family.
Conclusion
Late in life, Nonna unlocked her trunk filled with memories from World War II first for her husband, and now for the rest of the world. Nonna’s story is one of suffering, torture, and death—but also of incredible acts of kindness that show the ultimate triumph of faith and love over despair and evil. The Secret Holocaust Diaries is in part a tragedy, yet ultimately it’s an unforgettable true story about forgiveness, courage, and hope.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
The Kitty Norville Blog Tour!! Giveaway!!!
I have loved the Kitty books! As the series has progressed we discover more about the supernatural world. But at the same time, Kitty's voice is just as enjoyable and she becomes a better woman and wolf. Today I want to share with you some of the amazing resources you can find about the Kitty series and Carrie Vaughn the author.
First of all, I think you will really enjoy this Blog Talk Radio show with Carrie. I'm listening to it right now! (she answers the vampire or werewolf question! I totally disagree!)
And be sure to watch this fun trailer which captures the heart of what Kitty always says on her radio show!
Carrie also has a blog which you can visit here.
Finally, I wanted to share Kitty's description of Las Vegas with you from Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand.
I'd never been to Las Vegas. I was interested in seeing how the reality measured up to the hype, propagated in countless TV shows, movies, and ads. Mostly what registered on the cab ride to the hotel was the heat. Baking, shimmering, blinding heat. It made the whole city seem like a mirage rising out of the desert. The air-conditioning costs alone must have been phenomenal. It only added to the amusement-park unreality of the place: towering buildings of glass, structures representing every kind of fantasy--pyramids, castles, Italian palazzos, Roman columns, pirate ships--set down in a clump on the Strip, incongruous. This place was on crack.
Ha! So true!
Giveaway: Miriam of Hachette, whom we all love to bits, has generously said that I can give away a full set of the Kitty books! Not only that three more people will win the two newest books...Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand, and Kitty Raises Hell. How awesome is that? By the way, these books are stories that can be read as stand-alones..they are self-contained stories.
Giveaway is open to residents of the United States and Canada with a street address. I'll choose winners on April 1st. No foolin! Please be sure to leave a comment and tell me about your favorite supernatural story. I need to find more to read. :) And please include a valid email address.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Blog Tour: Galway Bay by Mary Pat Kelly
Happy St. Patrick's Day to all! I am of Irish descent, (really I'm just a mutt, but I do know I have Irish blood) so I was thrilled to read Galway Bay by Mary Pat Kelly.
Here's a description of the book:
Here at last is one Irish family's epic journey, capturing the tragedy and triumph of the Irish-American experience. In a rousing tale that echoes the myths and legends of Ireland herself, young Honora Keeley and Michael Kelly wed and start a family, inhabiting a hidden Ireland where fishermen and tenant farmers find solace in their ancient faith, songs, stories, and communal celebrations. Selling both their catch--and their crops--to survive, these people subsist on the potato crop--their only staple food. But when blight destroys the potatoes three times in four years, a callous government and uncaring landlords turn a natural disaster into The Great Starvation that will kill one million. Honora and Michael vow their children will live. The family joins two million other Irish refugees in one of the greatest rescues in human history: the Irish Emigration to America. Danger and hardship await them there. Honora and her unconventional sister Maire watch their seven sons as they transform Chicago from a frontier town to the "City of the Century", fight the Civil War, and enlist in the cause of Ireland's freedom. The Kelly clan is victorious. This heroic story sheds brilliant light on the ancestors of today's 44 million Irish Americans.
Thoughts: In the interest of full confession, I have not yet finished the book. It's taking a little longer to read than I expected, because it's not the kind of book you read quickly. It's a sweeping story...one that tells many aspects of a life, and since each story unraveled is enjoyable and/or interesting, I decided to take my time with the book rather than rush through it.
Unless something drastically changes, though, this is a book I feel I can recommend. It's interesting because woven throughout the daily lives of the characters are old tales of Irish lore. The characters are mainly sympathetic and their struggles very real. I keep wanting to read and was even reluctant to put the book down to write this post!
And of course it's a sweeping saga spanning continents and time and lives which makes it all the more appealing!
If this book sounds interesting to you, you might be interested in a blogtalkradio show with the author which is happening today at 11 am Eastern. Sadly, I work at this time, but I've heard these shows are really interesting and fun. You can learn more here.
Also, you might be interested in this interesting article about the origin of the book here.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Blog Tour: Every Sunrise by Tricia Goyer
About the Book: The bleak winter days make February on Heather Creek Farm a test of endurance, and as winter wears on, Sam becomes more and more withdrawn and unhappy. Bob is busy planning a surprise for Charlotte, and Christopher is excited about a local writing competition, while a Valentine’s Day flower from a secret source lifts Emily’s spirits. But when Sam disappears from the farm one night, chasing a memory of the father who abandoned them all, Charlotte and Bob need all the help—and prayer—they can get to bring him home safely. This broken family needs God’s help like never before, but their trials remind them all that every sunrise brings a new beginning.
About the Home to Heather Creek series: Charlotte Stevenson's world is turned upside down when her daughter, Denise, dies in a tragic car accident. She ran away at eighteen and Charlotte has never forgiven herself. Now, Denise's children, abandoned by their father, are coming from California to live on Heather Creek Farm in Bedford, Nebraska.
Charlotte is uncertain about her ability to care for three grandchildren who are not thrilled to give up the beach and sunshine for snow and farm chores! But she sees a chance to make amends and will do whatever it takes to keep her fragile family together. Feel the courage, strength and commitment of this family as their lives unfold in the Home to Heather Creek series.
About Tricia: About Tricia: Tricia Goyer is the author of eighteen fiction and non-fiction books, including Blue Like Play Dough. She won Historical Novel of the Year in 2005 and 2006 from ACFW, and was honored with the Writer of the Year award from Mt. Hermon Writer's Conference in 2003. Tricia's book Life Interrupted was a finalist for the Gold Medallion in 2005. Tricia writes magazine articles for publications like Today's Christian Woman and Focus on the Family. Tricia also enjoys speaking. She and her family makes their home in Montana.
Interested in this series or this book? The books come in a series and you can order those at this link. However, if you just want to order Every Sunrise you must call the customer service number (1-800-431-2344).
Contest: Okay…this book is loaded with yummy food: strawberry cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, baked chicken with cornbread, chocolate cake, pancakes with homemade syrup, French onion soup, parmesan crusted chicken…well you get the idea! So the contest for this tour will be the EVERY FOODIE contest! Leave a comment on the blog tour post at Tricia’s site with your favorite meal and a recipe (feel free to post more than one recipe!)! She’ll choose the one that most tantalizes her taste buds to receive an entire set of the Home to Heather Creek series (books 1-7)! Five runner’s up will win a copy of Every Sunrise (or another Tricia Goyer book of their choice). Let the mouth-watering commence!
Visit the other sites on the blog tour here!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Blog Tour: Drood by Dan Simmons and a Giveaway!
About the Book: On June 9, 1865, while traveling by train to London with his secret mistress, 53-year-old Charles Dickens--at the height of his powers and popularity, the most famous and successful novelist in the world and perhaps in the history of the world--hurtled into a disaster that changed his life forever.
Did Dickens begin living a dark double life after the accident? Were his nightly forays into the worst slums of London and his deepening obsession with corpses, crypts, murder, opium dens, the use of lime pits to dissolve bodies, and a hidden subterranean London mere research . . . or something more terrifying?
Just as he did in The Terror, Dan Simmons draws impeccably from history to create a gloriously engaging and terrifying narrative. Based on the historical details of Charles Dickens's life and narrated by Wilkie Collins (Dickens's friend, frequent collaborator, and Salieri-style secret rival), DROOD explores the still-unsolved mysteries of the famous author's last years and may provide the key to Dickens's final, unfinished work: The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Chilling, haunting, and utterly original, DROOD is Dan Simmons at his powerful best.
Welcome to the blog tour for Dan Simmon's latest novel, Drood!!
This weekend I had the privilege of attending an author event with Mr. Simmons at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena. I've heard of Vroman's for a long time and always wanted to visit (it's about an hour away from where I live) and since I was on this blog tour, I knew this event would be the perfect opportunity.
I absolutely love to hear from authors. I don't need to have read any of their books to enjoy hearing them talk about the process of writing, talk about their books, and read from their books. I also love the chance to observe them, since I am very much an observer.
So I was impressed to observe Mr. Simmons, author of over 20 published novels, help set up additional chairs. He was very gracious in every way throughout the event, in fact. He started off by telling us about the book has already been optioned for film and that Guillermo del Toro attached to direct. Which is fabulous in my opinion, I think he would be perfect for this story, but I'm wondering how they will condense an 800 page book into 2 hours?
He proceeded to tell us about Charles Dickens. He said there is no way in our time that we can understand the importance of Charles Dickens to England and America during his time. He was an extremely important novelist. He influenced culture and was recognizable to all. He also explained in depth some of the background of what was going on in Charles Dickens life around the time of the Parkhurst accident, which changed his life.
He also gave us some background on his narrator Wilke Collins. Wilke Collins is an unreliable narrator. He was a famous novelist in his own right, but no Charles Dickens. It's interesting, because so many book bloggers have been reading his books lately. He also sounded totally crazy to me!
He read from the beginning of the book and about the accident and then signed books!
Now my dear readers...I had every intention of buying a copy of the book and getting it signed to give away. But then the person in line in front of me asked Mr. Simmons to draw a little illustration and he obliged and suddenly, I had to have that, too!
Isn't that awesome???? There's no way I'm parting with it, sorry! I also so impressed by how gracious Mr. Simmons was--he thanked me for asking him to draw it! I did get a copy of The Terror signed and Miriam at Hachette has generously agreed to give away a copy of Drood! So one lucky winner is going to soon have plenty of reading material!! Which as Mr. Simmons said, is important in these economically difficult times.
To enter the giveaway, please have a United States or Canadian street mailing address and leave a comment telling me if you have ever read anything by Charles Dickens, Wilke Collins, or Dan Simmons before! Make sure to leave a valid email address...a link back to your blog is not enough.
And be sure to visit the other tour stops today!
http://hiddenplace.wordpress.com
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Review: The Someday List by Stacy Hawkins Adams
My Review: Rachelle gets a letter from a dying friend and suddenly realizes she is not content with her life. In an effort to change, she leaves her husband and goes to visit some relatives...and runs into an old flame.
This is a book of healing and self-discovery. At just 240 pages, it's a pretty quick read. The prose is a bit simple and straightforward and the plot is somewhat predictable, however, I still enjoyed reading about Rachelle's journey. I also appreciated that the book did not look the quickest easiest answer and that all the characters were very flawed. It also inspired me to think about some things to put on my own Someday List!
Rating: 3/5
Elements: Very much Christian Fiction!!!
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!
You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
and the book:
Revell (January 1, 2009)
The Someday List Blog Tour GiveawayTell Us One Item on Your Someday List. Leave your answer in the comment section. Participants will be entered into a drawing for The Someday List Blog Giveaway. View the prize package below:
* $50 American Express Gift Card
*Autographed Copies of all of Stacy’s books: Speak to My Heart, Nothing But the Right Thing, and Watercolored Pearls, and the anthologies The Midnight Clear and This Far By Faith.
*20% Discount Coupon from Tywebbin Creations. (May apply to one service)
Join Us for an Hour Long Chat with Stacy on January 30, 2009. We will announce the GRAND PRIZE WINNER of the THE SOMEDAY LIST BLOG TOUR GIVEAWAY during the call.
Phone #: 1-518-825-1400 / Access Code: 15642 / Time: 8:00 pm EST
Stacy Hawkins Adams is a nationally-published, award-winning author and speaker. Her contemporary women’s fiction novels are filled with social themes and spiritual quests that take readers on journeys into their own souls.She holds a degree in journalism and served as a newspaper reporter for more than a decade before turning her full attention to penning books, speaking professionally and writing freelance articles.
She is currently writing her sixth novel and her first nonfiction book, an inspirational title that will encourage women in their faith.
Stacy lives in a suburb of Richmond, Virginia with her husband and two young children.
Visit the author's website.
Product Details:
List Price: $12.99
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Revell (January 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0800732669
ISBN-13: 978-0800732660
AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:
Rachelle fumbled with the bouquet of yellow roses and locked eyes with him. Her flowers sagged from thirst.
The simple gold band she clutched stuck to her sweaty palm.
Instead of a flowing white gown, she wore the black pencil skirt and short-sleeved white silk blouse that, until today, had served as her choral ensemble uniform.
Her groom was dressed in his standard singing attire too—white collared shirt, black tie, and black slacks. He had removed the diamond earring from his left earlobe, his goatee was freshly cut, and as far as she was concerned, he had never looked finer.
Between the two of them, the worldly goods they possessed amounted to less than what Rev. Prescott likely paid to have his preaching robe cleaned.
And yet, she knew this was right. The right time, the right place, and the right man, even if she had to marry him in secret.
One day they would look back on this elopement with tenderness and pride, telling their children about their union in an empty church sanctuary, not far from the university they would graduate from in six months.
He smiled at her and arched an eyebrow, questioning the delay in her response.
The minister repeated himself.
“Rachelle Marie Mitchell, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
She smiled. Her beloved didn’t have to worry about her having second thoughts—not when she felt this way.
“I do, Reverend Prescott,” she said. “I do.”
1
Rachelle Mitchell Covington felt both giddy and guilty.
In twenty-four hours she would be completely alone and she couldn’t wait.
No worries about temporary empty-nest syndrome—she was happy to let her parents deal with two preadolescent know-it-alls for half of the summer. And no need to feign an interest in her husband’s wants, work, or even his world.
For the first time in their eleven-year marriage, she and Gabe would be away from each other for more than a week.
When he informed her that he had agreed to speak at a medical conference the week before he left for a medical mission trip, she knew he expected her to complain. Rachelle had frowned for his benefit, but also bit her lip to keep from cheering.
Though it was already steamy outside this morning, the temperature inside Houston’s Intercontinental Airport left her longing for her cashmere coat. Rachelle shivered and smiled when Tate and Taryn, looking like they had stepped off the pages of a Children’s Wear Digest catalog, turned to wave one last time before passing through the security gate and approaching a waiting airline employee.
The young woman in the crisp navy and white uniform would escort them to their direct flight to Philadelphia.
The fifth and third graders had been trying to whine their way out of their annual summer visit with Rachelle’s parents for two days, because they would miss their friends, feared boredom, and believed Gram would have way too many rules. Rachelle had reminded them again this morning that, despite those perceived hardships, they had no problem enjoying the regular outings, video games, and other treats they enjoyed during their stay.
When Tate and Taryn disappeared around a bend that led to Terminal A, Gabe turned toward Rachelle and motioned with his head that he was ready to go. He and Rachelle walked briskly toward the parking deck without touching or talking.
Gabe walked a stride or two ahead of her, as if he were on a mission. He tempered his gait as they neared his SUV, and he unlocked the doors with his key chain device.
“I’m not going into the office this morning since I’ll be flying out early tomorrow,” he said without looking toward Rachelle.
“Let’s grab breakfast at Olivette.”
Rachelle scrambled for an excuse, but none presented itself.
She hadn’t mentioned that she soon would be leaving too, for a weekend trip to the West Coast. It didn’t matter that he didn’t know. He wasn’t going to be home anyway.
“That’s fine,” she finally said about breakfast, although he had already steered his Mercedes in the direction of the hotel restaurant.
They rode in silence during the half-hour drive and didn’t speak until the waitress asked for their order.
Rachelle sighed and responded by rote. “He’ll have smoked salmon and a bagel with a side of fresh fruit.”
Gabe nodded and looked up at the waitress. “She got it right.”
“Salmon and bagel with a side of fruit,” the waitress repeated, lodging the order in her memory.
Rachelle leveled her eyes at Gabe. “Order for me.”
He peered at her over the rim of his glasses. “How would I know what to order for you?”
Rachelle didn’t feel like playing along with his public politeness today. She sat back and folded her arms.
“Try.”
The waitress shifted from one foot to the other and turned her gaze to a nearby bank of potted plants.
Gabe’s nostrils flared and he clenched his teeth. “Just order something already.”
“If you can’t do it, I guess I’m not hungry,” Rachelle said.
Gabe opened the leather-encased menu and glared at the offerings.
Seconds later, he pushed it into the waitress’s face. Startled, she grabbed it before it landed on the Oriental rug beneath the table.
“Bring her an omelet with ham, mushrooms, and cheddar cheese.”
The waitress nodded and left quickly, her reddish-brown ponytail swaying with each step. Rachelle knew the young lady had to be wondering how a couple could fight over a breakfast order.
If she had asked, Rachelle would have assured her this skirmish was overdue.
Since she had received Jillian’s unsettling invitation three weeks ago, Rachelle’s tolerance for just about everything had plummeted.
With the kids away for the next month, she didn’t have to contain herself. Gabe should be thankful he was leaving for a business trip tomorrow.
He laid his linen napkin across his lap and stared at her.
Rachelle challenged him with her eyes. She wanted him to care enough to question her, to probe why she was being defiant.
But just as she knew what to order for his meal, she knew he wouldn’t take the bait. He was his usual, detached self—enveloped in skin that was a smooth, savory brown and as self-absorbed as a two-year-old whose favorite words were “no” and “mine.”
In that moment, something welled up inside of her. She looked past Gabe’s glasses, past the perfect white teeth, past the pool of nothingness in his eyes. She wanted to see into his soul. She wanted to know that he had an “I would die for you” kind of love inside of him. For her.
Even if they had been together for what seemed like forever. Even if she didn’t know how she really felt about him. If one of them could summon the emotion, maybe that would make all the difference.
He was leaving tomorrow for New York and would return home for one day before traveling to Uganda. In twenty-four hours, she’d have the entire house to herself. But right now, she realized, she needed to leave to save herself.
Right now, what mattered more than being a good wife was being good to herself. Hearing from Jillian for the first time in a long time was nudging her to stop procrastinating.
Rachelle took a sip of her coffee and rose from her seat. “Stay and enjoy your breakfast. Call a taxi when you’re done. I may or may not be at home by then.”
“What—”
Before he could protest, Rachelle raised her hand to stop him.
Her voice trembled when she addressed him in a whisper.
“Gabe, I’m tired of playing like the happy couple. Our life is strangling me. I want a real marriage and this isn’t it . . . And by the way, I’ve always hated cheddar cheese.”
She grabbed her purse from the back of her chair and strode toward the door, heart pounding as if it would burst through her sleeveless tangerine top.
Had she really done that? Did she just walk away from her well-to-do, handsome husband and leave him stranded in a restaurant?
What would her parents say? Their friends? For the first time that she could recall, those questions wouldn’t determine her actions.
Rachelle slowed her pace when she reached the restaurant’s entrance and nodded farewell to the hostess. She strode through the lobby of the Houstonian Hotel and thanked the bellhop who held open the door for her. While the valet retrieved Gabe’s Mercedes truck, she stood at his booth, tapping her foot and looking over her shoulder.
In the minutes since she had left the table, Gabe hadn’t pursued her. Despite the fact that she had fueled this drama, she was hurt.
She breathed in the humid summer air and exhaled slowly, trying to keep her composure.
For once, she wished she were sweaty enough to mask the moisture on her face. The last thing she wanted to admit was that once again, she had allowed him to make her cry.
©Stacy Hawkins Adams, The Someday List: A Novel, Revell Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group, © 2009. Used by permission
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Marvin D. Wilson and Louis Seiffer Stop by on the Owen Fiddler Christmas Experience Tour!
I am so excited to host Marvin D. Wilson on his final stop for the Owen Fiddler Experience Christmas Cyber Tour 2008! Today I'm bringing you a very special interview from Inside the Actor's Studio with Louis Seiffer (the puffed up Satan wanna-be from Marvin's book)! I think you're really going to get a taste of Marvin's talent through this. ;) I hope you have been following along the tour, but if not, it's not too late to catch up at all the other tour stops here. I've also posted the book trailer and giveaway information at the end of the interview. Thanks so much for stopping by today Marvin!
The Inside the Actor’s Head Studio (with Thames Lipton)
Host Thames Lipton gets up close and personal with the new smash sensation Hollywood movie star, Louis Seiffer.
Lipton: Welcome to Inside the Actor’s Studio, Louis. I know our audience is thrilled that you would honor us with your appearance today. Thank you for being here.
Seiffer: Thanks. You’re welcome. And please, call me Lou.
Lipton: Very well, Lou. (pause) Lou, if you don’t mind me stating the obvious, you are an enormous man! Even bigger than you seem in your fantastically successful movie, Fiddler’s Follies. We even had to search the studio for a chair large enough to accommodate you. Just how tall are you? What is your weight?
Seiffer: (broad proud smile, a shift of weight from side to side, producing sounds of seating boards in pain) Seven foot six, three fifty, give or take, it depends.
Lipton: Depends? Depends on what?
Seiffer: It all depends on how much attention I am getting. I swell in stature the more people believe in me.
Lipton: (Looking surprised, eyes widened) Really? Such a curious quality! I’d like to get back to that in a moment, but I know everyone is just dying to know how you came from obscurity to movie superstar stature in such a short while. How did you get your big break?
Seiffer: Well, I’ve been flying under the radar for, hell, seems like thousands of years, you know, doing bit parts in any kind of nightmarish foul scripts I can get into. I’ve actually been written up in the Bible, but nobody reads that anymore. Just as well, the reviews weren’t that great. Anyway, my break into the big time came when Marvin Wilson sold the movie rights to his best-selling book, Owen Fiddler. Owen Fiddler bought the rights, you know, and produced the movie. He and I go back, he owed me one, so I got the part.
Lipton: I see, and of course we were all astonished to learn that Owen Fiddler was a real person.
Seiffer: Oh, he’s real, all right, the (bleep)ing (bleep)hole. (Lou bares his funky yellow fang-like teeth)
Lipton: What? So you don’t much care for the man who helped launch your Hollywood career?
Seiffer: Like I said, he owed me. Now he figures he has no need of me anymore. That hurts my ego. I’m barely three foot tall around him these days. (bleep)ing little (bleep)head.
Lipton: And again with the size and stature changes thing! How odd! Can you demonstrate that for us?
Seiffer: I have little control over it. It just happens. Takes a strong personality to make me change. I brought a clip from Fiddler’s Follies with me, though. It’s the scene where Owen Fiddler, myself and Frenda Fiddler meet in the never-world. Frenda is, as we all know, an outstanding phenomenon, a powerful force onstage or off. This scene was done in one take, and it demonstrates that quality in me that you and everyone else seem so (bleep)ing interested in.
Lipton: Very well, let’s let our audience view the clip. (motions to the stage hand)
(The screen lights up with the scene a dull gray ethereal room. Louis Seiffer is lying in a bed, appearing weak. Owen Fiddler stands next to the bed. A glow in the partially opened doorway begins to intensify. It simmers, then boils and pops. It bursts like a bomb going off into the room, slamming the door off its hinges. A display of blinding white lights revolve and spin around a sparkling core that dances about. Lou Seiffer looks impressed. Owen stares in awe. The light show begins shrinking and coalescing, settling into a human-like form. Frenda Fiddler now stands in the middle of the room in an alabaster translucence of divine spirit. She takes a firm stance, assumes a countenance of authority and begins to speak.)
“I need the both of you to remain quiet and listen intently to what I have to say. I do not have time to repeat myself. My words will be chosen carefully in order to convey accuracy and truth.”
(Lou Seiffer gets incensed and bursts out of the bed. He takes form as a horned indigo pig-devil wielding a five-pronged spear and levitates into a hover above her head. His breath is a visible puke yellow wind that stinks like the decomposing dead. He roars at her)
“YOU INSIGNIFICANT LITTLE SHE-SWINE, DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?”
(Frenda looks firm into his eyes) “Sure, I know who you are. You are the representation of fear that resides in the hearts of humanity. You are really nothing at all, although you think yourself to be the greatest of the gods.”
(Lou starts to lose color, size and elevation as she continues)
“You’ve made an eternal career choice as the one who tempts mankind into mortal deception and fleshly pleasure. You lull the materially fortunate into a spiritual slumber as they recline in their luxurious castles built upon sand. You tantalize the “have-nots” with temporal elixirs of profane pleasures and deadly desire-fulfillments. You feel all puffed up with a false sense of power that is just an illusion. Humankind grants you that power through its ignorance and fear. You must just love it when someone commits a foolish deed and then says, ‘Oh, that wasn’t me, the Devil made me do it.’”
(Camera cuts to a close-up of Lou - he’s back in the bed now, appearing shaken. Frenda stands over him)
“Humanity has built you up in their minds as the most powerful of evil spirits, some terrible demonized deity with the power to kill and damn the soul. For thousands of years the churches have falsely glorified your status as the mighty punisher of sins, holding spiritual freedom and enlightenment at bay out of fear. As if your power to rule over people’s will and destiny were in fact a reality. You and I both know that’s not the truth, don’t we now?”
(Lou is the size of a toddler now and lies still as Frenda concludes)
“We each hold the power of choice. We each decide with our thoughts, deeds and actions whether to create Hell for ourselves or to move toward Heaven. I choose to not listen anymore to your insipid prattle and lame threats. Frankly, I’m getting tired of all of this and quite bored with your presence. Oh, and by the way, did I tell you your breath stinks?”
(Frenda swells her aura into a bright red sphere and shouts)
“BE GONE!”
(Louis Seiffer vanishes)
(The screen goes blank and lights come up to the sound of thunderous applause)
Lipton: Outstanding! Lou, thank you so much for … Lou? (looks around, incredulous) Where did Lou disappear to? (motions to the director to cut to a commercial)
***
Giveaway Information: There are prizes and giveaways also. Check this out. The first three people who purchase a paperback copy of Owen Fiddler during the tour and who email me (marvwilson2010@gmail.com) with a copy of their proof of purchase invoice from either www.amazon.com or www.cambridgebooks.us will receive a FREE signed copy of my first book, I Romanced the Stone (Memoirs of a Recovering Hippie).
A free copy of Owen Fiddler will also be given to someone who leaves a comment on all 14 stops on the tour. If there is a draw between two or more, a competition for the winner will be held on FREE SPIRIT BLOG (http://inspiritandtruths.blogspot.com/) with the first place prize going to the commenter who posts the best answer to the question, "Why I want to read Owen Fiddler." Any runner-ups will get an ebook copy of Owen. More fun. (smile)
Additionally, if anyone can, during the tour, purchase a copy of Owen Fiddler, pay for rush delivery, read it and p
ost a review on Amazon before the tour ends, that person will receive a $25 gift certificate to either Borders or Barnes & Nobles bookstores, his or her choice. If more than one person can accomplish this, 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive $15 gift certificates.Final Note from Marvin: Amy, thank you so much for hosting the last stop on the Owen Fiddler Experience Christmas Cyber Tour 2008. All the tour stops have been exceptional in their own way, yours being no exception. It is my prayer that everyone who has the Owen Fiddler Experience will have an earth-life experience that is fully imbued with the Love of Christ and that is in no way indebted to The Fiddler.