PERSONAL THOUGHTS

The Courtship of Utopia Miner by Linda Gilman

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The Courtship of Utopia Miner by Linda Gilman was such a cute book to read.  The entire time I was reading this book the only thing I thought was how great this story was.  I couldn’t help but laugh and love Utopia because of what she wanted to do with her life and the fact that she had 3 dads.  I loved this author’s style of writing.  There were times when I laughed out loud because the entire situation was crazy but the author wrote about in a way that makes you laugh. If you are looking for a great historical fiction novel than I know you won’t want to miss this one.

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About The Book

Title: The Courtship of Utopia Miner

Author: Linda Gilman

Series: Gold Rush

Genre: Historical Romance

Release Date: November 9th 2015

Publisher: Indie Published

Print Length: 289 pages

Format: Paperback and Digital

Print ISBN: 9781517538941

Digital ISBN: 1517538947

 

Utopia Miner is tired of hunting gold and caring for her three adopted fathers. Living in a Rocky Mountain mining camp is holding up her dream of becoming a saloon girl. If only she could learn the essential skills of singing, dancing and kissing, she’d be on her way to a glamorous life. When Utopia discovers she’s the prize in her three fathers’ marrying scheme, she sees benefits in going along with the courting contest. She now has a kissing teacher. And wow, what a teacher. One starter kiss from Lance and her body’s sweating in places it never had before.

Lancelot Jones wants to turn in his life-risking marshal’s badge for a much safer job as a reporter, but the newspaper wants articles as proof of his qualifications. When his editor sends him to a mining camp to get the scoop on a courtship contest, Lance discovers the privilege of covering the story hinges upon chaperoning the bride-to-be. He soon finds himself ensconced in Utopia’s innocent charms and demanding saloon girl lessons. In short order, chaperoning the bride-to-be becomes risky business.

Linda Gilman bio pic

About The Author

Linda Gilman is known for writing humorous western romance novels. Her stories are centered on independent, strong-willed women, and courageous heroes who always protect the innocent without violating their personal code of conduct. It’s the cowboy west readers are so enamored with and a twist of zany plot. From first page to last, her books are loaded with pain-in-your-side laughable moments.

She has a deep love of the American gold rush era and often uses this as an excuse to do book research and travel to ghost towns in the western states.

Born into a city girl life, her parents raised her in St. Louis County. However, Linda has always felt her country girl roots calling her to move west young woman. She currently lives in rural Missouri with her hubby and the oldest of her three sons.

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Keep S’Myelin Foundation

MS

I know I am lucky that I live around so many amazing MS doctors and clinics and even if I can’t find one in Salt Lake I could always go to Provo or Ogden to find a doctor.  I know that not all people are as lucky as me to live in such a great location and to have several different doctors to chose from.

Up until recently I have never really thought about how far people have to drive in order to find any Multiple Sclerosis doctor and even with driving that far they may not like the doctor but have no other choices and are forced to see them anyway.  I was contacted by a woman named Erica who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis this past summer and she asked me to write a post about a charity that she is trying to get up and running to help people with money for traveling costs and things like that.

Here is some of the information that she sent me when she contacted me:

OUR MISSION:

To provide resources, both financial and tangible, to patients and families fighting multiple sclerosis.

WHAT WE WILL DO:

Through the efforts of extensive fundraising campaigns, private donations and grants, the organization seeks to provide financial support to multiple sclerosis families not typically covered by health insurance.  This includes travel expenses, personal comfort items, service animals, and other needs as they arise.  The needs will be met on a case by case basis as the need arises.  In addition, the organization seeks to provide work from home training, employment assistance, and scholarships for those affected by multiple sclerosis.  This differs from current organizations because many organizations focus efforts on the research and pharmaceutical side of multiple sclerosis and lack interest or focus on the patient quality of life.

WHY THIS, WHY NOW?

As a current MS fighter, the founder, Erica Durham, seeks to empower others like herself with the disease rather than be a victim of the disease.  These resources are near and dear to her heart and she understands the need for them.

My website is http://www.keepsmyelin.org , my twitter is @erica_gayle79 , and I have two t-shirt fundraising boosters going on now, https://www.booster.com/ms-gets-on-my-nerves and https://www.booster.com/keepsmyelinfoundation as well as a general give forward fund at https://www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/npfb/raising-money-for-non-profit-foundation-helping-patients-with-ms

I am hoping that I will reach an audience that is willing to help others as I am, any amount of giving helps.

Over the past few years I have stopped giving money to charities because I don’t like what they do with the money and things like that so when I was contacted by Erica I thought would write about it in case you are looking for a charity to donate to this time of year.  Since this is a new startup charity I don’t know what will happen in the end but I would be more likely to donate to Keep S’Myelin before I send any money to the National MS society.

I will have an MS update coming the middle of December after I meet with my doctor.  Not much has really changed though so it will be a super short update but an updated none the less.

Keep SMyelin

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Butterfly Dreams by A. Meredith Walters

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Butterfly Dreams by A. Meredith Walters was a fun book to read.  Corin made me smile throughout most of the book because I know people like her in real life and I can’t help but smile.  I also loved Beckett from the start as well because lets be honest he seemed like someone that I would love to meet and date in real life.  I really enjoyed how light hearted this book was and how easy it was read.  I am usually not a huge fan of books like this but it was a great book to throw in middle of some of the books that I have been reading lately that have been more intense lately.  I you easy to read chick lit books than I know you will love this book.

Butterfly Dreams by A. Meredith Walters

About The Book

In a powerful romance hailed as “heartbreaking, real, and breathtakingly beautiful” by Stacey Lynn, New York Timesbestselling author A. Meredith Walters tells the story of a troubled young woman and the unforgettable guy who teaches her to live—and love—to the fullest.

She’s waiting to die. . . . Corin Thompson is paralyzed by her obsession with mortality. Having lost both of her parents, she is terrified by the idea that she too will die young, and she loses control at any sign of illness. But when Corin connects with someone who has survived a very real brush with death, she begins to see the world in a whole new way.

He’s learning to live. . . . As Corin struggles under the weight of her neuroses, Beckett Kingsley is attempting to rebuild a life that feels all too temporary. With the ever-present threat of heart failure never far from his mind, he just wants to make the most of whatever time he has left. And that means pursuing the girl he never expected to find.

Together, Corin and Beckett finally learn to let go of their fears and take solace in everyday pleasures. Who knows what the future holds? After all, nothing lasts forever—the only promise they have is right now.

A. Meredith Walters

About The Author

The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Contemporary and New Adult romances including the Bad Rep, Find You in the Dark, Reclaiming the Sand, and Twisted Love series.

 

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An Endless Christmas by Cynthia Ruchti

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An Endless Christmas by Cynthia Ruchti was a sweet Christmas story.  I loved everything about this book because it was on the shorter side but it didn’t seem short in the least.  It seemed like it was a full length book and I loved that about this book.  I loved Micah and his family from the very first page of the book right up until the end.  I saw a lot of myself in Katie and I hoped that in the end that Micah’s family would show her what a loving family is like.  This is a book that I would recommend to everyone because it is a great Christmas book but it is also a book that you can read at anytime of year and still learn from.  This is a perfect book for everyone!

An Endless Christmas by Cynthia Ruchti

About The Book

(Worthy Inspired, October 2015)

Too many people, too much snow, and too little room should be a recipe for disaster.

Christmas takes a very different turn when the guests of honor break up instead of announcing their engagement. Trapped with his family, they learn that love looks different than either imagined. Both in their eighties, Dodie and Wilson Binder celebrate every Christmas as if it were their last. This year, their grandson Micah is planning to ask his girlfriend, Katie, to marry him so they can celebrate with the whole family. But things go very wrong when she says, “no.” Now they are stuck. Too many people, too much snow, and too little room should be a recipe for disaster. But sometimes too much is just enough. Especially when it’s Christmas.

Cynthia Ruchti

About The Author

Drawing from 33 years of on-air radio ministry, Cynthia Ruchti tells stories of hope-that-glows-in-the-dark through her novels and novellas, nonfiction books and devotionals, and speaking for women’s and writers’ events. Her books have been recognized by Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Awards, Selah Awards, the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, Christian Retailing’s BEST Awards, and Carol Award nominations, among other honors, including a Family Fiction Readers’ Choice Award. She and her plot-tweaking husband live in Pittsville, Wisconsin, not far from their three children and five grandchildren.

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Brainstorm by Robert Wintner

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Brainstorm by Robert Wintner was such an interesting book to read.  I love the author’s sense of humor and his writing style.  I really enjoyed this book as well because it has medical things in it and that is always a great thing because that is the one field that I truly love.  I loved that this book wasn’t super long and yet it was long enough so you understand and that it didn’t feel rushed.  I loved learning what they went through and how they got through it all.  If you love reading true stories than I would recommend this book to you.  It is also good for people who are looking into more natural ways of healing your body and what not.  It was interesting learning what they did to beat cancer and what not so it would be good for people who are into the more natural ideas as well.

Brainstorm by Robert Wintner

About The Book

Brainstorm is a first-person narrative of incidents leading up to, through and after a cerebral aneurysm and hemorrhage in the immediate family. The action includes the dramatic process ongoing in trauma centers designed to process sudden occurrence of aneurysm, cerebral hemorrhage and morbidity. The American Medical Association estimates that 3% of all populations have aneurysm that may or may not leak—about 3½ million people in the U.S.

While the procedures and protocol for sudden onslaught are rote and fundamentally unchanged over the ages, hygienic and technological advances have reduced hazards. Death and debilitation statistics are still daunting, and Brainstorm factors a new component into the procedural mix, whereby a conscientious and healthy husband and wife seek participation in the process, to no avail.

Robert Wintner

About The Author

Robert Wintner lives and works on Maui with his wife Anita, seven cats and Cookie the dog, who came in emaciated at 14 pounds, unable to stand. Cookie at 60 pounds raises a ruckus on the beach or in the living room in her continuing drive to make the world a happier place. The entire family eats well, stays fit and enjoys good health under blue skies.

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The Five Times I Met Myself by James L. Rubart

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The Five Times I Met Myself by  James L. Rubart was a good book just not the right book for me.  This book is well written but I just couldn’t get into the story no matter how many times I tried.  This was one of those books that  is perfect for some people but for me I was just bored with it.  I did love the author’s writing and I did like Brock but that is about all that I liked.  Because of the fact that this book is super well written I still feel like I can give 3 stars out of 5.  I know that there are people out there who will love to this book but it just wasn’t the right fit for me.

The Five Times I Met Myself by James L. Rubart

About The Book

What if you met your twenty-three year old self in a dream? What would you say?

Brock Matthews’ once promising life is unraveling. His coffee company. His marriage.

So when he discovers his vivid dreams—where he encounters his younger self—might let him change his past mistakes, he jumps at the chance. The results are astonishing, but also disturbing.

Because getting what Brock wants most in the world will force him to give up the one thing he doesn’t know how to let go of . . . and his greatest fear is it’s already too late.

James L Rubart

About The Author

James L. Rubart is a 28 year old trapped in an older man’s body, who loves to water ski and dirt bike with his two grown sons. He’s the bestselling, award winning author of seven novels, including his latest, The Five Times I Met Myself. He lives with his amazing wife on a small lake in eastern Washington.

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