Month: September 2014

All’s Fair in Love and Cupcakes by Betsy St. Amant

Book ReviewAll’s Fair in Love and Cupcakes by Betsy St. Amant wasn’t my favorite book to read.  I did love it when I started reading it and I got about half way through and then it was all I could do to force myself to finish the book.  I think it all has to do with the fact that I have read so many books that I knew what was going to happen and for some reason I couldn’t get interested in this book again.  I really did enjoy the characters and the authors writing but this just wasn’t the right fit for me.  Even though I had a hard time towards the end I would still recommend this book because it was a good book.

All's Fair in Love and Cupcakes

About The Book

Kat Varland has had enough of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry.

At twenty-six years old, Kat is still living in the shadows of her family in Bayou Bend, Louisiana. Still working shifts at her Aunt Maggie’s bakery. Still wondering what to do with her passion for baking and her business degree. And still single.

But when Lucas Brannen, Kat’s best friend, signs her up for a reality TV bake-off on Cupcake Combat, everything Kat ever wanted is suddenly dangled in front of her: creative license as a baker, recognition as a visionary . . . and a job at a famous bakery in New York.

As the competition heats up, Lucas realizes he might have made a huge mistake. As much as he wants the best for Kat, the only thing he wants for himself—her—is suddenly in danger of slipping away.

The bright lights of reality cooking wars and the chance at a successful career dazzle Kat’s senses and Lucas is faced with a difficult choice: help his friend achieve her dreams . . . or sabotage her chances to keep her in Louisiana.

Betsy St. Amant

About The Author

Betsy St. Amant lives in Louisiana with her young daughter and has a heart for sharing the amazing news of God’s grace through her novels. A freelance journalist, Betsy is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. When she’s not reading, writing, or singing along to a Disney soundtrack with her daughter, Betsy enjoys inspirational speaking and teaching on the craft of writing.

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A Grand Design by Amber Stockton

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Book ReviewA Grand Design by Amber Stockton was another great book in this series of books.  There has only ever been one book in this series that I didn’t like so this book had a lot to live up to.  This book takes place in one of my favorite places and that is Mackinac Island.  I went there the summer I graduated from high school and I loved everything about it.  Anyway lets get back to the review.  This was such a sweet story and I instantly fell in love with the characters and the setting.  The one thing I didn’t really like is parts of this book seemed rushed and I also wish it could have been a little bit longer because there were parts I wished she would have gone into more details about it.  Overall this was a great book and a great addition to The Quilts Of Love series.

A Grand Design

About The Book

A getaway on a charming island may be just what Alyssa needs—if only she can let go of her past.

When Alyssa Denham, a single career woman, wins a fun getaway for two on Mackinac Island where her grandmother lives, she gives her carefree best friend a call. Together, they tour the old shops and hidden treasures of the quaint island while helping Alyssa’s grandmother piece together an heirloom quilt. Their quest gains them entrance into the homes of many longtime residents of the island, parts of the city that are otherwise off limits to tourists.

As the quilt’s story takes shape, Alyssa gains amazing insight into her grandmother’s life . . . and attracts the attention of the handsome Scott Whitman, an island resident in charge of hotel transportation. Will memories of her past keep Alyssa from letting go? Or will the quest to piece together the heirloom quilt restore Alyssa’s fractured heart—and bring healing to her entire family?

Quilts Of Love

About Quilts of Love

Quilts tell stories of love and loss, hope and faith, tradition and new beginnings. TheQuilts of Love series focuses on the women who quilted all of these things into their family histories. A new book releases each month and features contemporary and historical romances as well as women’s fiction and the occasional light mystery. You will be drawn into the endearing characters of this series and be touched by their stories.

About The Author

Amber Stockton is an award-winning author, a national speaker, and a direct-sales brand partner with Nerium International. She lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, in Colorado. They have a daughter and a son, and an Aussie/retriever mix named Roxie. Three of her novels have won annual reader’s choice awards.

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Slave Again

Special Discount ~ Limited Time Only

Special Time-Sensitive Giveaway! The first 25 readers who enter the giveaway below will receive a free audiobook from award-winning author Alana Terry. She’s also giving away a $100 amazon card, a hundred free audio downloads, and a free ebook to anyone who signs up! 

About Slave Again: After escaping a North Korean prison camp, Mee-Kyong is
hustled over the border and sold into the Chinese underworld. She vows to
survive, but sheer determination and willpower won’t save her this time. Is she fated to remain a slave forever?

Slave Again is a Christian suspense novel from award-winning author Alana Terry, whose debut novel, The Beloved Daughter, won awards from Women of Faith, Grace Awards, The Book Club Network, and Readers’ Favorite.

NEW BOOK RELEASE: Slave Again by Alana Terry is hot off
the press, and both the ebook and paperback are at a steep (30-60%)
discount!! Prices will go up soon, so grab your copy today.

 Slave Again book trailer (contains one mildly violent image)

About the Author: Alana is passionate about human-rights issues in North Korea and has devoted her writing to raise both awareness and funds to help North Korean refugees find freedom and safety. You can learn more about her work with Liberty in North Korea at alanaterry.com/link.

Check out Slave Again now before the price goes up, and don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

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Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2014 Margaret Margaret

Home To Chicory Lane by Deborah Raney

 

Book Review

Home To Chicory Lane by Deborah Raney was a fun book to read.  I love this authors writing and I was so glad that I got to review this one.  I loved following along and Landyn tries to figure out what is going to do with her marriage.  It was great to read a book where the characters are able to work through their problems and in the end realize that they are still in love and in the end stay married.  I fell in love with the characters and I can’t wait for the next book so that I can check back in with them all.

Home to Chicory Lane

About The Book

Landyn longs for home, but her mother may have other plans.

Audrey Whitman’s dreams are coming true. Now that their five kids are grown, she and her husband, Grant, are turning their beloved family home into a cozy bed and breakfast just a mile outside of Langhorne, Missouri.

Opening weekend makes Audrey anxious, with family and friends coming from all over to help celebrate the occasion. But when Audrey’s daughter, Landyn, arrives, the U-Haul she’s pulling makes it clear she’s not just here for a few days. Audrey immediately has questions. What happened in New York that sent Landyn running home? Where was Landyn’s husband, Chase? And what else was her daughter not telling her? One thing was for sure, the Chicory Inn was off to a rocky start. Can Audrey still realize her dream and at the same time provide the comfort of home her daughter so desperately needs?

Deborah Raney

About The Author

Deborah Raney’s books have won numerous awards, including the RITA, National Readers Choice Award, HOLT Medallion, and the Carol Award, and have twice been Christy Award finalists. She and her husband, Ken, recently traded small-town life in Kansas—the setting of many of Deborah’s novels—for life in the (relatively) big city of Wichita, where they enjoy gardening, antiquing, movies, and traveling to visit four children and a growing brood of grandchildren who all live much too far away.

 

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Adoption Thoughts-Judging

Adoption Thoughts

This week for adoption thoughts I am going to write about something that was said to me that made me sad for many reasons but I also wanted to see how other people would feel if this was said to them.  A few weeks ago I had a friend who adopted her first child tell me that she felt like I judge her because of her parenting and that she bet I was glad that I didn’t place my daughter with her.

First off I don’t ever judge anyone and their parenting choices because they are doing what they know and just because my parenting choice was different than theirs doesn’t mean that mine was right and that their choices are wrong or vice versa.  All I know about parenting is that the choice I made was right for me and my daughter other than that as long as you aren’t abusing your kids I don’t care the choices you make for your family.

Now on to when she said that she bet I was glad I didn’t place my daughter with her.  I am glad I didn’t place my daughter with her because my daughter wasn’t meant for her or her family.  She was meant to be where she is.  If my daughter had been meant for her than that is where I would have placed her but she wasn’t.  Like I said before I don’t judge anyone on their choices and if I had to go through it all again I know I would place my child where she was meant to be and it wouldn’t matter who those people were.

One thing that has always bothered me about mothers is how they are always judging each other.  Being a mom is a hard job so instead of judging we should be helping each other.  I have always said that I wouldn’t want to raise kids in today’s world so I know I would have any children but if I do change my mind I would want help from people who have done it before me.  I always get sad when I mom’s attacking each other because of choices they make for their family.  You may not agree with someone’s choices but that doesn’t make the wrong and that is no reason to judge them or bully them.  This post went somewhere I didn’t think it would but I am going to leave it because it is true and something I think needs to be said.

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