Information for Cindy Woodsmall readers

Since I have reviewed at least five of Cindy Woodsmall books, Blogging for Books asked me to share some information with my readers about a few updates on all things Cindy Woodsmall. 

* Special eBook promotion!

The eBook of Cindy’s first book in the Ada ’s House series, The Hope of Refuge, is specially priced at only $1.99 for a limited time! Click here to purchase before August 15.  (This is a great book!!)

 

* Book Signing Tour!

Cindy will kick off her The Harvest of Grace book signing tour with a stop at Lifeway in Memphis , TN on August 9th. She’ll also be meeting fans and signing books in Arkansas ( Conway , Little Rock , Harrison, Rogers , Jonesboro ), Oklahoma ( Tulsa , Oklahoma City) Kansas ( Topeka ), and Missouri ( Kansas City , St. Louis , Branson, Springfield ). If you live in any of these stops, Cindy would love to meet you! Details are available here. 

If any of my readers live in the Memphis area and would like to see her at the Lifeway store, let me know.  I am hoping I can go so maybe we can go together.

 

Frustrated But I Understand Why

As you know if you follow my blog on a regular basis (or even a semi-regular basis), I post book reviews for different publishers and publicity groups.  One of my companies has made a change and it works against me.  Waterbrook Multnomah (part of Random House Books) is the first company I started reviewing for two years ago.  I don't remember exactly how participants were notified, if it was by e-mail or if you had to check a website, but I do remember that it was very easy.  Towards the end of last year, they started making changes to the blogging for books program where you had to go to a website to place your order.  You also had the option of having people rank your reviews, if you chose to do so.  It still wasn't a problem.  Well, a few months ago, because of some people abusing the program, the people in charge decided to make changes again.  Now, in order to expand the number and types of books available to bloggers, you have to have your reviews ranked.  I am suppose to put a link on my blog.  If you like my review (or if you don't like it), you click on the link, enter your e-mail (for identification purposes only) and rank it from half a star to five stars.  Not a bad idea but for those of us who either choose not to have their reviews ranked, do not have enough people reading the blogs, or the readers don't want to participate, it penalizes us and limits the books available.

I understand why these new rules were put into place, but I chose not to let my readers rank my reviews.  Most people aren't interested in going to a third website and take the time to post their rank.  I'm not interested in ranking other peoples and figure no one else is either.  To give people the chance (and to see if I am granted access to more books), I guess I will follow suit and post the links.  So, for future book reviews for Waterbrook Multnomah, you will see a link to review my review.  I hope you will rank them for me.

On the upside, Waterbrook Multnomah is now setting aside free copies of various titles to be given to blog readers each month. Whenever anyone reads and ranks my review, they will automatically be entered to win a free copy of the book that I reviewed. They will notify both me and my blog reader by email if one of my blog readers is chosen as a winner. They will take care of shipping the books.  Cool!!

Lessons from the La-Z-Boy Book Review

Correction:  After this review was posted, the publisher decided to change the name.  It is now called A Pleasing Aroma.  I will post it again with the new cover and new title.  MBJ


SUMMARY:  Is your life characterized by fast food meals, an over-scheduled calendar, and the feeling that life has become nothing more than a blur?  If so, then you need to take a five-minute timeout, prop your feet up in your favorite recliner, and reconnect with the Lord as you read Lessons from the La-Z-Boy.  The easy-to-read devotionals are ideal for busy believers who need a spiritual boost and the encouragement of God's Word to meet the demands of their stressful lives.  With relevant scriptural applications for the challenges we all face, you will find yourself refreshed in the Lord and longing for a closer walk with Him.

REVIEW:  This book is perfect for busy believers.  The devotionals are short, packed full of everyday situations and easy to read.  Dee Dee gives the reader hope by giving incidences from her own life, letting them know they are not alone in this walk we call life.  I highly recommend this devotional to anyone and everyone.

This book was provided by the author for review without compensation.

Dee Dee Wike is a budding author whose life is firmly anchored in her relationship with the Lord and her passion for God's Word.  In addition to having written Good to the Last Drop:  Refreshing Inspiration for Homeschool Moms and Other Busy Women, Dee Dee works as a part-time software support specialist, is a full-time wife and mother, and is a freelance writer for her hometown newspaper and a regional Christian news magazine.  Happily married for nearly twenty-five years, she resides in Tennessee with her husband Steve and their two children, Chris and Joy, where she serves in the Music and Women's Ministries of Central Church.  For more information on her speaking and writing ministry, visit www.deedeewike.com.

Lady in Waiting Book Review

SUMMARY:  Content in her comfortable marriage of twenty-two years, Jane Lindsay had never expected to watch her husband, Brad, pack his belongings and walk out the door of their Manhattan home.  But when it happens, she feels powerless to stop him and the course of events that follow Brad's departure.
     Jane finds an old ring in a box of relics from a British jumble sale and discovers a Latin inscription in the band along with just one recognizable word:  Jane.  Feeling an instant connection to the mysterious ring bearing her name-sake, Jane begins a journey to learn more about the ring - and perhaps about herself.

     In the sixteenth-century, Lucy Day becomes the dressmaker to Lady Jane Grey, an innocent young woman whose fate seems to be controlled by a dangerous political and religious climate, one threatening to deny her true love and pursuit of her own interests.

     As the stories of both Janes dovetail through the journey of one ring, it becomes clear that each woman has far more influence over her life than she once imagined.  It all comes down to the choices each makes despite the realities they face.

REVIEW:  This was an interesting book.  The story was very well written.  I was drawn into the dual time and story lines.  The idea of a ring connecting the two lives four centuries apart was thought-provoking.  Both women came to the conclusion that they needed to take charge of their lives and stop letting others make decisions for them.  Unfortunately, in Lady Jane's case, her realization came too late.  This was a charming and delightful book and I would recommend this to anyone who loves history, a good story and/or a good book. 

This book was provided by Waterbrook Multnomah for review without compensation.

SUSAN MEISSNER has spent her lifetime as a writer, starting wth her first poem at the age of four.  She is the award-winning author of The Shape of Mercy, White Picket Fences, and many other novels.  When she's not writing, she directs the small groups and connection ministries at her San Diego church.  She and her pastor husband are the parents of four young adults.  Visit her web site at www.susanmeissner.com.

Mercy Blog Tour

 

SUMMARY:

MERCY, set in the small Mississippi town of the same name, weaves a tale of past and present and reveals what can happen to three generations of family when money and secrets collide.

Davis Sanford, contemptuously dismissed by his family almost a decade ago, is a recovering alcoholic and the grandchild of local timber baron and pillar of the community, Frank Sanford.  An early-morning phone call from his old haunt of Mercy draws Davis home one more time for the impending death of the family patriarch.  Jennifer Martin returns to the scene as Davis's girlfriend, and the two embark on a weekend journey through his past.

As the prodigal son copes with his grandfather's mortality, he must also face his disapproving father and a wealth of personal history he has tried for years to leave behind.  Together with Jennifer, Davis uncovers one family secret after another, at last discovering the sin that has shaped, conflicted, and ultimately driven them all to the tragic existences they lead.

REVIEW:
Mercy is Susan Sims Moody's second novel.  It is different from her other two novels in that it includes little vignettes of the past and that it is darker towards the end of the story.  In the vignettes, you see the secrets that affected the three generations come about.  You also see what can happen to person when keeping a secret becomes unbearable.  Davis faces his family members and his past as he works to figure out what happened to a letter his grandfather wrote to his wife, Cora.  He also shows how a tragic past does not have to be your future.

Mercy is a good story with a lot of twists and turns.  The ending is dark and caught me a little by surprise.  I kind of thought it might happened but was astonished that it actually did occur in the story.

The author provided a free copy of this book for review.  I was not compensated in any way.

Susan Sims Moody is a native Mississippian and graduate of Mississippi State University.  She is married to Tom and has two children.  They currently live in Wisconsin.

Flatlands Blog Tour

SUMMARY:
Jennifer Martin hated the idea of returning to Mississippi.  She hated the heat, the boredom, and the flat land that sprawled for miles and miles.  Jennifer never imagined that Bedford had anything exciting or worthwhle to offer her.  But within a day of returning to her hometown, she finds a job, a friend, and a mystery that could cost her life.

REVIEW:
Flatlands is the first book written by Mississippi native Susan Sims Moody.  Her story revolves around Jennifer Martin, a young college graduate who returns home reluctantly.  Longing for a job as a reporter at a big city newspaper, she instead gets a job at the three-person weekly paper in her hometown, located in the Mississippi Delta.  As she gets settled into her small rental house, Jennifer finds a small film canister in the wall while helping her friend Davis do some small maintenance work.  Little does she know, the house contains items that its former occupant wants back desperately, no matter the cost.  Susan weaves her story together in a seamless fashion, leaving her reader turning the pages wanting more.  It is a fairly quick read.  I finished all 135 pages in just a few hours.  It was a great book and very enjoyable.  I would suggest it to anyone looking for a great read.

Susan Sims Moody is a native Mississippian and graduate of Mississippi State University.  She is married to Tom and has two children.  They currently live in Wisconsin.

The author provided a free copy of this book for review.  I was not compensated in any way.

Everything Christmas Blog Tour

SUMMARY:
Everything Christmas brings all the best ideas for the holiday season together in one volume.  In this book, you'll find your favorite classic Christmas stories and a few new ones destined to join them.  You'll discover the most delectable holiday recipes, enjoy the words to treasured hymns and carols, and be encouraged by inspirational Christmas poems and the joy of the Nativity.

Organized by the days of Advent, Everything Christmas includes everything you need to make the holiday bright.  From decoration ideas to Christmas trivia and humor - it's all here!

REVIEW:
This book does have it all.  The stories included show the true meaning of Christmas.  Words to favorite Christmas carols, along with some carols I've never heard of, had me singing in my head (if not out loud).  There are crafts to do with kids and some you can do by yourself.  It even has gift ideas for grandparents, the love of your life, and the top ten favorites for him, her, boys and girls.  One of my favorite things is the different Christmas dinners and traditions observed in different countries.  I also liked the trivia about Christmas traditions: how they got started and how they may (or may have not) changed over the centuries and continents.  There are also all kinds of recipes to try.  Scripture is used all throughout, pointing our thoughts back to the real Meaning of Christmas - the birth of Jesus Christ.

Everything Christmas is divided up into twenty-four sections so you can use it as an Advent calendar or as a supplement to what you currently use to count down the days.  It has a topical index to help you find what you are looking for.  It is an awesome book!!

This book was provided by Waterbrook Multnomah for review without compensation.

David Bordon and Tom Winters are partners in Bordon-Winters, LLC, a book concept and packaging company that produces successful books and gift products.  their previous titles include the 101 Things You Should Do series, especially the popular 101 Things You Should Do Before Going to Heaven.

Code Triage Book Tour

Dr. Leigh Stathos likes her ER shifts fast, furious, and adrenaline-infused -- "Treat 'em and street 'em" -- with no emotional complications.  Life's taught her a soul-rending lesson:  nothing lasts forever, including marriage.  And the clock is ticking toward the end of hers.  Then an unwelcome confrontation with "the other woman" begins a whole new set of lessons.

San Francisco police officer Nick Stathos never gives up, whether protecting his patrol neighborhood, holding fast to faith, or trying to save his marriage.  Seven days is all he has to reach Leigh's heart.  But when a desperate act of violence slams Golden Gate Mercy Hospital into lockdown, it starts a chain of events that will change lives forever.

Code Triage is the third book in the Mercy Hospital series but it stands on its own easily.  At first, the story line was hard for me to get into.  I don't know if it was because you are introduced to a lot of key characters right off or what.  About a quarter of the way into it, everything started to fall into place and the book became a lot more interesting.  I liked the way the characters developed and how the storyline evolved.  For a while, I wondered how they story would play out in the end and was pleasantly surprised.  At the end of the book, the author ties this book in with the first two in the series.  I wished I had read them because then the end would have been more meaningful.  Without them, the story still ended in a wonderful way.  I would recommend this book to anyone.  It is a great read.

Mrs. Calvert could easily add another book in the series with how she left Riley Hale's character.  If so, I would love to read it.

This book was provided by Tyndale House for review without compensation.  

Candace Calvert is a former ER nurse who believes love, laughter, and faith are the best medicines.  She wrote several humorous mysteries before penning the Mercy Hospital series.  Wife, mother, and very proud grandmother, Candace makes her home in northern California.  Visit her website at www.candacecalvert.com.

I Love Books!

Right now, I have five different books I am reading.  Most of them, I am about half way through and, for different reasons, have stopped.  These books are:

- Tom Clancy's Shadow Warriors, which chronicles the Army's Special Forces units.  My father-in-law, Dick, served in this unit for 15 years.  It is over my head in areas but still an interesting read.

- Mom's Trapped in the Minivan by Cynthia Sumner.  Dick and Daphne gave it to me for Christmas.  I was reading it while waiting in the carline and put it down when Hannah and I started reading the "Little House" books.

- Violet's Perplexing Puzzles  Book Five which is based on characters by Martha Finley.  She was a 19th century Christian writer who had millions of followers at the time.  I was also reading this one before the "Little House" series book marathon.  This is actually one of Hannah's books and thought it looked interesting.

- Laura Ingalls Wilders' These Happy Golden Years.  Actually, I haven't started reading this one yet.  Since Hannah is still reading The Long Winter, I decided to wait until she catches up.  She still has one more book to read, Little Town on the Prairie before she is caught up with me.

- Liz Curtis Higgs' newest book, Here Burns My Candle.  I am reading this one for an upcoming blog tour for Waterbrook Multnomah.  My review is to be posted between March 22 and 26, so I am trying to get it finished.  This book is another adaptation of the story of Ruth and Naomi and is set in 1745 in Scotland.

- Book number six isn't here yet.  I will be doing a review of Why You Say It by Webb Garrison.  According to the Thomas Nelson website, "Why You Say It explores the history of these and over six hundred other common and uncommon phrases in an intriguing and entertaining way. Have you ever wondered what rhubarb and angry mobs have in common, why we call them red-letter days, or what loaded for bear actually means? With delightful insight into how our language grows and changes, Why You Say It is intellectually stimulating and easy to read."  Since I love to learn little trivia things like this, I think this sounds really interesting.  The book should be here any day now.

I know...I need to sit down and finish the books I have already started before reading anymore.  You are right. I am just enjoying reading again.  When the kids were younger, I had a hard time concentrating and would fall asleep when I tried to read.  Now that they are older, I can actually undertand what it is I am reading and stay awake.  The blog tours I am doing are supplying an addiction I have to the written word.  (The best part is...they are free!!!)  For as long as I can remember, I have enjoyed having a book in my hand and on my bookshelves. 

In the Eighth grade, I remember reading Gone With The Wind.  The book is 1,062 pages long and took me only eight days to read it.  Yes, EIGHT days.  I read it as soon as I got ready for school, any time I had a spare minute during school, at lunch, between classes, before homework was done, after homework was done, and late into the night.  I thought the book was so facinating but could have done without all the information about the Civil War battles. It was too confusing.  LOL

I am blessed to have children to love to read.  Hannah takes a book with her to school to read during free time.  She also likes to read before she goes to bed and, sometimes, in the morning after she is ready for school.  Will and Andrew both like to read, too.  Will likes to read short stories and books himself and to us.  Mike will read to Andrew before bedtime most nights.  Mike even likes to read.  Unfortunately, he has a hard time concentrating nowadays when he sits down. 

In my dream house, I would love to have a Library to put the books we all have into one place.  Right now, they are scattered all over the boys' room; Hannah's closet, shelving unit and her desk; under mine and Mike's bed, in a bookshelf by my closet, on shelves over Mike's dresser, on my nightstand, and on the chest by Mike's side of the bed; and in four bookshelves in the living room.  One day.... until then, I have to find somewhere to put them all.  Now that I think about it, there might be space in the bathrooms....

Redeeming Love Movie

Facebook has a fan page for "Redeeming Love - The Movie."  I LOVE this book!!!  Francine Rivers knocked it out of the park when she wrote this.  Every time I read it, I cry.  It is a hard book to go through because of Angel's trials and hardships but it is well worth the struggles you may have.  That said, I have my reservations about this movie.

Angel, one of the main characters, goes through Hell.  I don't want to even describe some of what she went through because it is very painful, excruciating, to read.  But, because of this pain, her "redemption" is even more remarkable and touching.  I don't know how the writers will do it.  The pain is one of the reasons that makes this book so wonderful.  I hope the producers get some strong actors for this movie and do it justice.  I would hate to see the movie be a flop or destroyed due to bad acting.

Busy and Interesting Weekend

The weather man predicted our area would get between 1-4 inches of snow along with some ice on Friday and Saturday.  Instead, we got sleet and freezing rain on Friday.  After the freezing rain, it started raining really hard and continued until late Friday night.  Thank goodness, Mike stayed home and worked from home using his laptop.  The water and sleet froze and everything was covered in ice. It was soo pretty.  Quite a few people in Tennessee and North Mississippi lost power but we were blessed not to.  Saturday we stayed home.  The kids played the Wii most of the day while I nursed a sinus headache and pressure. 

Sunday, we went to church and enjoyed the beautiful scenery as we drove.  The trees, bushes, grass and power lines were covered in ice.  The sun made everything shine, like they were covered in diamonds.  It was stunning!!  Ernie's message was wonderful as was Marty's Sunday school lesson on the first part of Revelation 7.  After church, we went to lunch at Back Yard Burger.  Towards the end of our meal, the power went out.  It looked like maybe a transformer went down because we could see nearby traffic lights were also out.  As we were leaving, the traffic lights started working again.

Once we got home, Hannah and I got to work going through some boxes we had in the attic.  Most of them were toys that had been relegated to the attic about three or four years ago.  (Hannah loss the use of her toys when she got into trouble; now, I don't remember the exact reason why.)  Mike found a box of books for Hannah to read that I had as a child.  They include Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, The Dana Girls, and Bobbsey Twins.  There were even some of my Little House books!!  I can't wait to read them again.  While Hannah and I were busy, Mike reswept the kitchen and mopped it. Busy, busy, busy!!

We Love Books!!

This year, Hannah received quite a few books for her birthday.  Dick and Daphne bought her "Liberty Letters - The Personal Correspondence of Elizabeth Walton and Abigail Matthews   The Story of Pocahontas, 1613" and "The Lost Nancy Drew Case Files."  Melanie bought her four books in the Little House series - "The Little House in the Big Woods," "Farmer Boy," "The Little House on the Prairie," and "By the Shores of Silver Lake."  Hannah had also gotten "Violet's Perplexing Puzzles -  A Life of Faith" book from Mike and me and "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" (I can't remember who got her that one) just before Christmas.  I read two of Hannah's Little House books and remembered how much I loved them.  As a young girl, I read everything I could get my hands on regarding the adventures of Laura Ingalls Wilder.  I loved all her stories and even found some she wrote of her move to Missouri and her visit to San Francisco.  Hannah is enjoying them too.  I am thankful all my kids have a love of reading.  The boys love to read too, especially at night when they are suppose to be in bed.  Andrew will climb into Will's bed and they try to read by the light of Will's night light.

I've also been busy reading.  Tommy Tenney and Mark Andrew Olsen have a book called "The Road Home - A Modern Retelling of Ruth's Ancient Story."  It is awesome!!  I highly recommend it to anyone who loves to see stories of the bible come to life.  The authors also wrote "Hadassah," of which the movie "One Night With The King" was based.  It is another great book.  I've also read "Unto Us   Son of God Series - Book 1" by Sharon Lindsay, "Mom's Trapped in the Minivan" by Cynthia Sumner, and "Shadow Warriors  - Inside the Special Forces" by Tom Clancy with General Carl Stiner (Ret.) and Tony Koltz.  I'm still working on the last two, trading off reading them in the car rider line and crocheting.  I also have three books coming to do blog tours on that should be here soon.  Can't wait!