New template!

Okay. I have been very busy working on my new template, and I still think I'm going to change it. The expert says that your blog should be simple, and this is my attempt at simple. Don't know if I'm there yet, but I'm aspiring. Let me know what you think.

To Win Her Heart by Karen Whitemyer--My Review

I received this book from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review, and I must say that this was a good read! I really enjoyed Karen's writing voice, as well as her characters'. Eden is practically an old maid librarian with a jilted past, and Levi is a blacksmith with a shady past. Even though both of these characters have been redeemed by God's grace, they can't seem to let go of their previous hurts. They strike up a friendship by discussing something dear to both of them-literature. A romance blossoms, but becomes compromised when Levi is honest about his violent past. There are secondary characters such as Verna, Chloe, Duncan, and Ornery who add a lot of spice to the story, and prove that they story could turn out much differently if not for them. I loved this book, and highly recommend Karen as an author. This is my second Karen Whitemyer book, and won't be my last. I really liked her first book a little better, but that's probably just me. The covers of all of Karen's books have all been breath-taking! I would peruse the pages just to see what the cover teases about. If you're looking for a new author's books to read, then look no further. Karen Whitemyer is one to watch!!!

I found this book available on Amazon and CBD in paperback and Kindle.

Another Dawn by Katherine Cushman Review

I received this book from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review, and I was very excited because the author is originally from where I live, and there were some local landmarks listed in the book. This story deals with a touchy subject, and a very real subject. Grace, who now lives in California, must come home to TN to take care of her father for a couple of weeks. Grace's son contracts measles some time before the trip, quite unknowingly. He passes the disease on to some babies. Everything comes unglued from there. The people in Cushman's fictional town put all the blame on Grace and her son, even calling anonymously to harass her. Honestly, I was a bit taken back at how brash the people in this story treated her. There are a number of Amish people who live here, and they do not get vaccines. If the measles did break out, we would deal with it, not condemn a person for standing up for what she thought was right. The portrayal of TN residents left me feeling as if everyone here had been judged. On the other hand, the story was very well written. I liked the story being told from the first person point-of-view. I liked seeing the names of familiar landmarks within the pages of the book. The author has a unique voice that I liked. I hope that I can read something else by her that I like better. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it.

The Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen book review

When I first read the back of this book online, I was immediately interested. I mean, a girl with secrets and a hidden past is certainly worth a read. Right? Really right! And I had never read a book penned by Julie Klassen, although I had heard great things about her writing. So naturally, this book beckoned to me.
I got a free review copy from Bethany House, and let me say that the cover is absolutely wonderful! I love the fact that the cover is not only beautiful, but it also reflects the description of the gatehouse and a dress that Mariah wears in the book. So many books that I've read have deceptive covers that have nothing to do with the contents. I also love the flourishes on the cover and every chapter opening.
When I opened the cardboard box that held my Klassen treasure, I delved into the first page with all of the anticipation of a child on Christmas morning. If the cover had not completely won me over, the first line finished the job nicely.
Julie Klassen includes an author's note that describes Jane Austen's influence on her writing. Understatement of the century. If I did not know that Julie Klassen wrote this book, I could be coerced into believing that Jane Austen herself wrote it. And I do love Jane Austen!
I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but I do want to tell a bit of it. The main character, Mariah, is sent away for some secret reason or wrong-doing. And no, you don't really find out what it is until the end, as is fitting. She has to find some way to support herself and her former nanny, now companion. Writing novels secretly seems to be the best way to stay out of the public eye, but her ever secret past is forever looming before her. I could scarcely put this book down for wanting to find out what had happened. And of course the appearance of a handsome captain appealed to the romantic in me. As I read, I became immensely jealous of the object of the captain's affections. That alone tells me that Julie did her job as a writer. I felt so much a part of the story that I found myself speaking to the characters aloud!
The story makes references to God, and His will, and there is a faith element woven into it. I just wish it had been a bit more prominent, not so subtle.
I can't say enough about how much I loved this book. I will not loan it out, for fear that I won't get it back, and I don't wish to part with it, for I'm sure I will read it again.
This was by far the best I've read in a few months. Even though there were a few characters that seemed less believable, I still found affection for them, and became interested in their welfare as well, especially Maggie and Martin.
Kudos to Julie Klassen! She is definitely on my list of favorites now. And if you love Jane Austen, or just a mysterious, historical romance, then this should be the next book on your list!
Julie is published by Bethany House Publishers, and you can find more about her on her website: www.julieklassen.com

Blessings are Meant to be Shared

I ran into an old friend a few weeks ago. When our eyes met across the top of the candy isle, we recognized each other and smiled. "Hey!, How are you?" he asked, coming around to my side and shaking my hand.
"I'm great!" I replied right back to him. "How are you?"

His smile softened and he said, "I'm blessed!"

I was on my way to get my kids, so I told him that it was good to see him, and I hurried off to the check out, thinking of how his answer had affected me. Being blessed is much better than being great. Suddenly I felt like his answer pleased God more than mine. It was as if he had taken more opportunities to thank God than I had. I resolved right then and there to share more of my blessings with others.
An opportunity came just as I was leaving the store. A lady I had not seen in at least a year approached me, asking how I was. I smiled and said, "I'm blessed." She smiled right back and said, "Aren't we all?" Oh, that felt good to hear that right back, when we could have been agonizing over how far away we had to park from the building. Feeling blessed is so much better.
So, when I finally reached my car and sat down in the driver's seat, I thought of everything that has transpired in my life, and how God's hand has been in all of it. I thought of all the times I have relied on God to meet my needs, and how every time He has come through. I thought of all of the ways that I can share my blessings with others, and I'm challenging myself to challenge others to see the blessings in their own lives each and every day, to not see things as luck. Luck has nothing to do with it. God's hand is at work in everything that transpires in our lives. We are all "blessed and highly favored!"

No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow. — Proverb from Guinea

I trimmed my roses, pricking my finger in the process. It burned a tiny hole in my finger, stinging with the wrath of a thousand miniature bees. When it bled, I winced a little, but I remembered why I was trimming the roses, and I forged ahead, trimming larger stems with larger thorns. Had I worn gloves, the task would have been less daunting, but as I was racing against an approaching torrent of rain, I knew I didn't have time to even look for the misplaced gloves. With Spring right around the corner, now is the time to prune, giving the best chance for new growth. When we prune, we are removing the old, the dead, the diseased, allowing the plant to breath, to reach up and touch the rays of the sun, to begin again. That's just what God does with us. He prunes away our old habits, our dead intentions, our diseased attitudes, leaving us clean and new, ready to grow new fruit. Fruit grown exactly the way He would grow it. He shines His rays of light and love. We only have to reach up and soak Him in. Sometimes our thorns prick Him, and He feels the pain only a father can feel from the thorns of a child. But despite the pain, He keeps trimming us, making us into the person He wants us to be. We have to yield to the Master Gardener. Spring smells much sweeter when He takes control of the garden. After all, it's not our garden, it's His......

Learning how to be a Great Writer

A friend of mine asked me a question this week. "Do you want to win a contest, or do you want to be a Great Writer?" She knew the answer to this question because her answer would be the same as mine. Both. Writing is not for the faint of heart. It's not something that flows easily from the tip of the pen, or the clicks of the keyboard. Writing requires a commitment. Dedication. It's like a lifetime love affair. When you love someone, you have to put your heart out there, exposed, hoping that they will love you back. Maybe they won't. Maybe your heart will get broken, or even crushed. But still, you had the guts to put it out there. Writing is much the same way. You love your story and your characters. You want other people to love them too, so you put your writing out there, exposed, hoping that someone will like it and fall in love with it. When your heart gets broken, does that mean you will never love again? Does it mean that no one else will ever love you? No. You will love and be loved again. It's the same with your writing. Everyone has an opinion, and not all opinions are the same. I don't like chocolate cake, but that doesn't mean that chocolate cake is bad. My husband loves chocolate cake, but that doesn't mean that he is bad. And even though I don't like chocolate cake, that doesn't mean that I don't like my husband. I don't like to read murder mysteries. I much prefer sweet romance novels with lots of conflict. That doesn't mean that murder mysteries are bad. So if one person doesn't love your writing, that doesn't mean that someone else won't. Should you just give up and stop trying? If you have to rewrite and edit, does that mean that you should retreat and stop writing? No. You keep working on your love-hate relationship with your writing and find the place where you have edited the life back into it and someone else loves it. There are always fish in the sea. There's a great big world out there. You'll find love elsewhere. Once you find the love, it will inspire you to keep giving the love by producing more of your heart's ponderings. Anything is possible if you are willing to work at it. Even marriage is something you have to work at. Everyday. Writing is taking a chance that your heart will be broken, and being tough enough to pick up the pieces and try again. In essence, if I never get my heart broken, I may never be a Great Writer.
So I will edit. I will write and rewrite. I will be Great, if only for myself...........and I will dream.......and write again.........

And my critique buddies will cheer me on!