“The Cat That God Sent” and “The Dog That Talked To God” by Jim Kraus

May 16, 2013 By

As everyone is aware I love animals so when I saw the chance to review ”The Cat That God Sent” and “The Dog That Talked To God” by Jim Kraus I jumped.  Look below for the reviews of both of these books and I know if you are animal lovers like I am you will love these books.

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The Cat  That God Sent Review

This was one of the cutest books I think I have ever read.  I am a total cat person so from the moment I started this book I was hooked.  I can totally see the parts where the cat is “talking” happening and I often wonder if my own cats don’t think the same things when they look and interact with me.  You follow along with Jake during this book as he arrives at his new assignment and everything that goes on with him and Petey the cat.  I don’t want to say much more because I don’t want to give anything away but this is heart warming story that I know everyone will love if you are an animal lover.

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The Dog That Talked To God Review

I really enjoyed this book.  In this book you are following along with Mary Fassler as she is dealing with the loss of her family.  She adopts Rufus who is a Miniature Schnauzer.  She gets him when she needs him the most and he talks to her and God.  I really enjoyed this book but I did’t like it as much as the cat book but I know that is just because I am such a cat person and not a huge dog person.  The dog helps her heal and “move on” with her life.  I know that animals can help you heal just like Rufus helped Mary heal.  If you love sweet stories and dogs I know this book is for you.

About The Books

The Cat  That God Sent

Meet Petey, your not-so-average cat-on a mission from God

Disillusioned young pastor, Jake Wilkerson, has just arrived at his new assignment in the small rural church of Coudersport, Pennsylvania. Also new on the scene is Petey, acat of unknown origins and breed-but of great perception.

As Jake sets about doing the business of ministry, Petey’s continued interference brings chaos to thecommunity of curiously off and eccentric people-residents like the faith-avoiding veterinarian Sally Grainger and Tassy, a young runaway with a secret. An expert at hiding his fears, Jake wonders if all this-and the cat to boot-is more than he can handle. What is Petey’s real “mission”? Perhaps something larger than Jake—or even Petey—can possibly know.

The Dog That Talked To God

Recently widowed Mary Fassler buys a Miniature Schnauzer, Rufus, and her world is turned sideways inthe midst of her grief. It seems that Rufus speaks. And not just to her. He also talks to God. When Rufus begins sharing advice that could result in major changes, Mary gets the feeling the pooch might not be steering her in the right direction. Or, is she just afraid to takethe leap and discover something she desperately needs? Only Rufus…and God…knows.

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About The Author

Jim Kraus grew up in Western Pennsylvania and has spentthe last twenty years as a vice president of a major Christian publishing house. He has written more than twenty books and novels, includingthe best-selling The Dog ThatTalked to God. He and his family live outside of Chicago with a sweet miniature Schnauzer and an ill-tempered Siberian cat named (of course) Petey. www.jimkraus.com

Buy The Books

The Cat  That God Sent

 The Dog That Talked To God

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2013 Margaret Margaret

Postcards from Misty Harbor Inn Series by Evangeline Kelley

May 10, 2013 By

This review is a little different I was sent two books in the Postcards from Misty Harbor Inn Series by Evangeline Kelley to review so there will be two review in this post.  I really did enjoy both of these books and I am sure you will enjoy them as well!

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Seaside Harmony Review

I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read the third book in the series.  In this book they mainly focus on Caroline and her getting her sisters on board with buying the Misty Harbor Inn that their mother took them to when they were children.  It was also their mothers dream to one day own it and run a bed and breakfast there with her daughters.  The author does a great job of making you feel as though you are there with the characters and you also can understand where each of the sisters is coming from.  I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending of this book but there are still 2 other books so it can still get better and I am sure it does.

Sunflower Summer

Sunflower Summer Review

This book mainly follows Gracie around when she comes back in the summer in time to open up the Inn for the summer with her sisters.  I saw so much of myself in Gracie and I feel I could relate to her the most.  I feel like I am repeating myself from the review of the first book so I am just going to say that I loved this book and I really can’t wait for the 3rd book to come out in August so that I can read it as well!

About The Books

Seaside Harmony

Three sisters, a charming inn, hints of mystery and romance, and a gorgeous seaside setting. Summer reading at its finest!

When Caroline Marris joins her sisters, Gracie Gold and Sam Carter for a Nantucket Island getaway, she has no idea how it will change her life. The sisters stumble upon Misty Harbor Inn, the place their late mother loved so much, and Caroline talks her sisters into buying the beautiful but dilapidated inn. But can free-spirited Caroline stay focused enough to make opening the inn a reality? Hand-drawn old postcards draw the sisters into the mystery of Hannah Montague, the young widow of the original owner. Can the sisters uncover the fate of this woman who disappeared in 1880? As Caroline and her sisters work together to make their mom’s dream a reality, they bond in ways they never expected.

Sunflower Summer

Misty Harbor Inn officially opens, and Gracie Gold, the middle Marris sister, wrestles with an overwhelming decision. As the sisters learn the day-to-day workings of running an inn, Gracie counsels its first guests, newlyweds whose honeymoon seems to be ending before it begins. Meanwhile, Sam’s discovery of a clue in a secret room sheds unflattering light on Hannah Montague, who vanished from the house more than one hundred years ago. And as Gracie and Caroline welcome guests to the inn, they are delighted to see how God uses it — and them — to deepen relationships and transform lives.

About The Author

Evangeline Kelley is the pen name for the writing team of Patti Berg, Pam Andrews & Barbara Hanson, and Camy Tang, the four authors who collaborated to create Postcards from Misty Harbor Inn. Each of them has published novels individually, but this is their first series together.

Find out more about Evangeline at http://amzn.to/10d3FZM.

Buy The Books

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2013 Margaret Margaret

@RachelHauck’s “Royal Wedding” Giveaway and Facebook Chat Party! {5/28

May 8, 2013 By

Rachel Hauck is celebrating the release of Once Upon a Prince with a fun “Royal Wedding” Giveaway and connecting with readers at her May 28th Facebook Party.

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One “royal” winner will receive:

  • A Kindle Fire
  • Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 27th. Winner will be announced at the “Once Upon a Prince” Facebook Author Chat Party on May 28th. Connect with Rachel for an evening of book chat, wedding trivia, laughter, and more! Rachel will also be sharing a sneak peek at the next book in the series and giving away books and fun gift certificates throughout the evening.

 
So grab your copy of Once Upon a Prince and join Rachel on the evening of May 28th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven’t read the book, don’t let that stop you from coming!)


Don’t miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 28th!

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2013 Margaret Margaret

Duchess by Susan May Warren

May 3, 2013 By

Here is another book review. I am sure you guys are tired of seeing them and to be honest I am tired of writing them. This week I think I have had 5 or 6 of them alone. I promise I am getting to end of my stack of books so the reviews will be slowing down greatly in a month or so. Anyway on to the review.

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My Review

I had a really hard time getting into this book. I think that was because I haven’t read the other books that were before this one so I felt kind of lost when it came to reading this book.  I know when I go and read the other books in the series that it will make more sense.  So me having a hard time reading it has more to do with me than the authors writing. I love the authors writing and all the details she puts into her books. I really liked Rosie and I loved how it all worked out in the end.  I love to read books that work out great and this one is for sure one them. I spent the whole book hoping that things would turn out good for Rosie so when they did it was the perfect ending to the book.

About The Book

When her country needs her, will she have the courage to surrender her glittering world and her one true love?

The golden age of Hollywood is in the business of creating stars. Rosie Worth, now starlet Roxy Price, has found everything she’s wanted in the glamour of the silver screen. With adoring fans and a studio-mogul husband, she’s finally silenced the voices-and grief-of the past. Her future shines bright…until the fated Black Friday when it all comes crashing down. When Roxy loses everything, she finds herself disgraced and penniless. Her only hope is to join forces with Belgian duke Rolfe Van Horne, a longtime film investor. But Rolfe is not who he seems, and he has other plans for Roxy and her movies-plans to support a growing unrest in Europe, plans that could break her heart and endanger her life. Find out more about the series by clicking on these links. Heiress. Baroness.

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About The Author

Susan May Warren is the bestselling, RITA Award-winning author of more than forty novels whose compelling plots and unforgettable characters have won acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. She served with her husband and four children as a missionary in Russia for eight years before she and her family returned home to the States. She now writes full-time as her husband runs a lodge on Lake Superior in northern Minnesota, where many of her books are set. She and her family enjoy hiking, canoeing, and being involved in their local church. Several of her critically acclaimed novels have been ECPA and CBA bestsellers, were chosen as Top Picks by Romantic Times, and have won the RWA’s Inspirational Reader’s Choice contest and the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year award. Five of her books have been Christy Award finalists. In addition to her writing, Susan loves to teach and speak at women’s events about God’s amazing grace in our lives. She also runs a writing community for authors. Visit MyBookTherapy.com to learn more. For exciting updates on her new releases, previous books, and more, visit her website at www.susanmaywarren.com

Buy The Book

FTC:I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my review.  The opinions expressed in this book are 100% mine.
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2013 Margaret Margaret

Darkness Before Dawn by Ace Collins

May 2, 2013 By

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My Review

I enjoyed this book even though it took a minute for me to get interested in the book but once I got into the book I couldn’t put it down.  I could see a lot of myself in Meg and that did help me understand some of the choices that she made.  I don’t know how I would react if the same things happen to me.  The author did a great job of making me understand the things she did and also making me feel like I was there with her throughout the book.

About The Book

Will grief push Meg over the edge?

On the same night she discovers she is pregnant, twenty-eight-year-old nurse Meg Richards’s husband is killed in an auto accident caused by a drunken teen. James Thomas comes from one of the most influential families in the community. He’s a star athlete and glamour boy at the local high school. But the accident he caused will change his life—and Meg’s future—forever.

Angered by her senseless loss and facing life as a single mother, Meg blames God for what has happened and considers a decision that could change her life even further. Enraged by the brutal trial and the court’s decision, Meg starts down a frightening path of retribution. When the opportunity for revenge comes unexpectedly, will Meg follow through? Or will the remnants of her faith lead her in a different direction?

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About The Author

Bestselling author Ace Collins has written more than 60 books including novels “Swope’s Ridge” and “Words of the Father,” as well as the nonfiction “Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas”; and “Lassie: A Dog’s Life”. His books have become movies and network television specials. Ace Collins has sold more than 1.5 million books during his career and makes his home in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.
Learn more about Ace at: http://AceCollins.com.

Where To Buy The Book

 Amazon

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2013 Margaret Margaret

The Cuvier Widows Series by Sylvia McDaniel

April 25, 2013 By

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About The Books

Wronged (The Cuvier Widows #1)

Historical Romance Categories: Mystery/Thriller, Bigamy Publisher: Virtual Bookseller Release Date: December 30, 2012 Heat Level: Sensual Word Count: 100,000

Buy Links: Amazon | B&N | Smashwords

Marian Cuvier didn’t know how to react when she learned that the man she called husband and father to her children, Jean Cuvier, had been murdered. Yet, the biggest surprise was when the detective informed her that she’s not the only woman Jean married. There are three Cuvier Widows and one is suspected of murder.

When Marian learned of her husband’s death, humiliation, shock and anger were the only emotions she felt for Jean. For the last several years, their marriage has been in name only. Now she’s determined to safeguard her children’s future and save their only source of income, Cuvier Shipping. Jean’s handsome business partner, Louis Fournet thinks Marian’s should not be leading her husband’s business. The man has a way with women that Marian finds alluring and arouses feelings she’s never experienced.  Louis Fournet is a temptation she finds hard to resist.

Betrayed (The Cuvier Widows #2)

Historical Romance Categories: Bigamy Publisher: Virtual Bookseller Release Date: December 30, 2012 Heat Level: Sensual Word Count: 100,000

Buy Links: Amazon | B&N | Smashwords

Nicole Cuvier went to New Orleans to share the most wonderful news with her husband only to discover him in a hotel room murdered, with two other women claiming to be his wife. It seems there are three Cuvier Widows and one is suspected of murder.

For years, Nicole Cuvier had tried to erase the shame of her illegitimate birth and start the family she longed for with her husband, Jean. As the mistress of Rosewood, she owns one of the largest plantations on the River Road in Louisiana. Now, she’s pregnant, unmarried-a widow with a plantation dependent upon the sugar cane crop to survive. She needs a temporary husband. Handsome Maxim Viel, a drifter, comes to her rescue and marries her, but unbeknownst to Nicole, Maxim wants more than a temporary arrangement. He has the power to heal her shattered heart, but could his past be intertwined with Rosewood?

Beguiled (The Cuvier Widows #3)

Historical Romance Categories: Mystery/Thriller, Bigamy Publisher: Virtual Bookseller Release Date: December 30, 2012 Heat Level: Sensual Word Count: 100,000

Buy Links: Amazon | B&N | Smashwords

Jean Cuvier forced Layla’s father to sell his shipping company and marry his daughter, or so she believed. Until the morning the servants wake her with the news that Jean is dead and she quickly learns she’s not the only Mrs. Cuvier. Jean has three widows, but Layla is the only one accused of Jean’s murder.

The District Attorney has enough motive and evidence, to send Layla to the gallows. Forced to turn to the man she blames for the sale of her father’s shipping company, she must trust Drew Soulier, to save her life. Though Drew’s the best attorney in New Orleans, he doubts her innocence. As tensions mount, Drew and Layla face a passion they can’t deny. Can Drew save her from hanging?

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About The Author

Sylvia McDaniel and the love of her life, Don, live in Texas with son Shane, Putz the klutzy dachshund and Ashley our shy dachshund. During the day, she works for a small insurance agency, helping clients with their commercial insurance coverage.

The weekends are spent working out in the garden until the temperature climbs above ninety degrees. Recently, with the help of her husband, she learned to make homemade blueberry and blackberry jam. Cooking is not her favorite past-time and she prefers Don’s cooking any day of the week.

Currently, she’s written fourteen novels.  Her novel, A Hero’s Heart, was a 1996 Romance Writers of America Golden Heart finalist. Sylvia is President Elect of Dallas Area Romance Authors.

Connect with Sylvia McDaniel

Email | Website | Blog | Plotting Princess Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Excerpts Of Each Book

[Read more...]

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2013 Margaret Margaret

Stress Test by Richard Mabry

April 24, 2013 By

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My Review

I read this book in less than a day. I love medical suspense books and this one kept me on the edge of my seat through out the whole thing. I was shocked at the ending because I really didn’t see it coming. I felt like I was with Matt throughout the whole book and I understood what he felt.  I can’t wait to check out other books by this author because he did such a great job of writing this one.  I loved the fact that he is a doctor writing about a doctor because he knows what he wrote about and it made it that much more believable.

About The Book

They may not have enough evidence to convict him, but they have enough to ruin his life.

Dr. Matt Newman thought he was leaving his life in private practice for a better one in academic medicine. But the kidnappers who attacked him as he left his last shift in the ER have no such plans-they just want him dead. Bound and in the trunk of his car, Matt’s only thought is escape. He does so, but at a price: a head injury that lands him in the ICU . . . where he awakens to discover he’s being charged with murder.

Sandra Murray is a fiery, redheaded lawyer who swore she was done with doctors. But when Matt calls, she knows she can’t walk away from defending someone who is truly innocent.

Matt’s career is going down the drain. His freedom and perhaps his life may be next. But with the police convinced he’s a murderer and the kidnappers still trying to finish what they started, finding the truth-and the faith to keep going-will be the toughest stress testMatt has ever endured.

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About The Author

A retired physician, Dr. Richard Mabry is the author of four critically acclaimed novels of medical suspense. His previous works have been finalists for the Carol Award and Romantic Times Reader’s Choice Award, and have won the Selah Award. He is a past Vice-President of American Christian Fiction Writers and a member of the International Thriller Writers. He and his wife live in North Texas.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2013 Margaret Margaret

Pain and Gain by Marc Schiller

April 23, 2013 By

Pain & Gain Cover

 

My Review

From the moment I started this book I couldn’t stop reading it.  I personally have never heard of the movie or the tv show that was about this so when I had no idea what I was getting into when I started reading this book and lets just say I was shocked.  If this book had been fiction I would have stopped reading it because some parts of it are so far out there that is insane.  I am actually at a lose of words to describe this book.  I liked the book and the fact that it is a true story made me like it even more.  This is for sure a book for people who love to read true crime stories like I do.

About The Book

Memoir/True Crime  Date Published: 1/25/13

‘Pain and Gain – The Untold True Story’ is a gripping memoir that tells the true story behind the Paramount film Pain and Gain. Written by the real Sun Gym Gang victim, Marc Schiller, ‘Pain and Gain – The Untold True Story’ will take readers on an adrenaline rush with a shocking ending.

This is the untold true story of one citizen’s pointless torture and month-long captivity. The story, formerly mistold if not utterly overlooked, has been made into a feature film. Even as a dark comedy, there is little amusement to be found in human suffering. The sick and twisted minds of Mr. Schiller’s captors would be fodder for the Darwin Awards if the results were not so alarmingly inhumane. Physical, mental and emotional torture, as well as sensory deprivation and starvation, the prisoner of war like conditions differed only in the fact that Mr. Schiller was completely alone during his extended stay at the warehouse he refers to as Hotel Hell. An early victim of identity theft in the years following Hurricane Andrew in Miami, Mr. Schiller chronicles his story in tortuous detail. His humiliation, pain and suffering at the hands of these perverted social misfits is a shocking revelation.
What is it like to be imprisoned in near dungeon-like conditions? All this mayhem on American soil toward the end of the last millennium.
Greed, lust for power and the desire to inflict pain and misery were the apparent motivating forces behind this gruesome incident.

Truly a harrowing tale and one that you won’t soon forget.

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About The Author

Marc Schiller was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina immigrating to Brooklyn, NY with his parents when he was seven years old. An early entrepreneur, he started several small businesses by the age of nine. He attended high school in Brooklyn, participating in sports and was member of the school’s track team.

Marc received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a MBA from Benedictine University. Marc has had a long and diversified career both as a professional and entrepreneur. His professional career has spanned the U.S. as well as internationally. On an entrepreneurial level, Marc Schiller has launched several successful businesses including two accounting practices both in Miami and Houston, a delicatessen in Miami and an options and stock trading company.

Marc Schiller currently works as an accounting and tax resolution specialist for a national tax resolution company. He has two grown children: his son graduated from the University of Colorado-Boulder with a degree in economics and his daughter currently attends Loyola Marymount University in California.

‘Pain and Gain – The Untold True Story’ is Marc Schiller’s first literary publication.

http://www.painandgainbook.com

Twitter  @painandgainbook

Buy The Book

 

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2013 Margaret Margaret

The Heiress of Winterwood | Enter to win a “Downton Abbey Kindle Fire Prize Pack from @SarahLaddAuthor

April 22, 2013 By
Filed Under: Book Review, Books, Giveaway Tagged With: ,

Sarah Ladd is celebrating the release of The Heiress of Winterwood with a Downton Abbey Kindle Prize Pack Giveaway!
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One winner will receive:

  • A brand new Kindle Fire
  • Downton Abbey, seasons 1-3

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 30th. Winner will be announced on 5/2/13 {HERE}.

Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2013 Margaret Margaret

Hidden In The Heart by Catherine West

April 18, 2013 By

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My Review

I found that I got frustrated with Claire and how she acted.  I really enjoyed the authors writing but I really didn’t like Claire.  I can see why she acted as she did but I guess it just got tired of her and how she acted.  I found myself looking at her like she was a real person and so she got on my nerves.  Other than not really “liking” Claire I loved the other characters.  The author did a good job with this book so please don’t not read it because I personally didn’t like Claire because that is really one only negative thing I can say about the book.

About  The Book

Everything Claire wants seems to be beyond her reach…
After losing her mother to cancer and suffering a miscarriage soon after, Claire Ferguson numbs the pain with alcohol and pills, and wonders if her own life is worth living.
Adopted at birth, Claire is convinced she has some unknown genetic flaw that may have been the cause of her miscarriage. She must find a way to deal with the guilt she harbors. But exoneration will come with a price. With her marriage in trouble and her father refusing to answer any questions about her adoption, Claire begins the search for her birth mother. For the first time in her life, she really wants to know where she came from. But what if the woman who gave her life doesn’t want to be found?
Hidden in the Heart has been nominated for a 2013 Grace Award and is on the long list for an INSPY award.

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About The Author

Catherine West is an award-winning author who writes stories of hope and healing from her island home in Bermuda. Her first novel, “Yesterday’s Tomorrow”, released in 2011 and won the INSPY for Romance, a Silver Medal in the Reader’s Favorite Awards, and was a finalist in the Grace Awards. Catherine’s second novel, “Hidden in the Heart”, released in September 2012. When she’s not at the computer working on her next story, you can find her taking her Border Collie for long walks or tending to her roses and orchids. She and her husband have two college-aged children.
Learn more about Catherine by visiting her website: http://www.catherinejwest.com
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2013 Margaret Margaret
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