Musings For Today...

A word is a bud attempting to become a twig. 

How can one not dream while writing? It is the pen which dreams. 

The blank page gives the right to dream.

( Gaston Bachelard)

Needing You Now by Beth Wiseman, Book review

Synopsis:

When big-city life threatens the safety of one of their children, Brad and Darlene Henderson move with their three teenagers from Houston to the tiny town of Round Top, Texas.

Adjusting to small-town life is difficult for the kids, especially fifteen-year-old Grace who is coping in a dangerous way.

Married life hasn’t always been bliss, but their strong faith has carried Brad and Darlene through the difficult times. When Darlene takes a job outside the home for the first time in their marriage, the domestic tension rises.

While working with special needs children at her new job, the widowed father of one of the students starts paying more attention to Darlene than is appropriate. Problem is, she feels like someone is listening to her for the first time in a long time.

If Darlene ever needed God . . . it’s now.

Experience a family’s triumph over lies, betrayal, and loss while still clinging to the One who matters most.

My thoughts:

Best selling author Beth Wiseman has delighted her many fans with tales of the Amish world for years. Perhaps I was influenced by my daughter as she is a big fan but I have enjoyed her stories!

This novel is however quite different and I will admit to some disappointment. A contemporary story is rarely my first choice of reading  material. I much prefer historical fiction work which lets your imagination wonder, provides you with healthy entertainment and even gives you the incentive to delve into the subject by way of further research!

Beth Wiseman introduces us to her latest writing by depicting a Texan family whom at first glance lives a perfectly well balanced life. They recently moved from a cosmopolitan area to live in an old farmhouse in a small town to raise their children in a much healthier environment. 

Reading the resume I caught the 'Special Needs Children' part and felt drawn to it thus the reason for this choice of review.

Unfortunately whilst I allow any author's right to feel a need to branch out, this time I felt something was missing and I had a hard time to concentrate on the plot.

Perhaps it was the fact that special needs children had only a small part in  this story, or that the neighbour's character just did not seem to fit in, or I was not prepared to comprehend the extent to which some teens go to please their family or when under peer pressure! I have since looked into it and it brought many shudders!

Even the locales were not eye catching and nothing really stands out.

Despite the troubled teenager plight and a handful of supporting characters, the story mainly revolves around the attraction felt by two individuals and much like a soap opera is drawn out: lies, betrayals and sheer boredom!

Somewhat fragmented, Needing you Now is the sort of Christian novel I feel you will only briefly remember and lacking the profound inspirational theme Beth Wiseman usually provides her readers. 

Needing you Now has surprised me and less you feel this is not a good book, I will remind you of course that I offer only my opinion!

As such, I can only give it 3 stars!

About the author:

 

When asked how she arrives to certain characters, Beth Wiseman tells us: 'The characters choose me. I start hearing their little voices in my head and they tell me the story I need to write.'

For more on this best-selling author please visit her website (here)

I received this book free from BOOKSNEEZE as part of their blogger review program.

I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC 16 CFR, Part 255 'Guides concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. I was not asked to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Mystery Quilt?

I have always admire quilts and treasure them for their appearance as much as for their warmth. 

I am not a quilter and much prefer leaving this creative skill to others. 

The colours and the names of the various patterns however have caught my fancy for years! It is apparent these names have at times a biblical influence or shows a reflection of pioneer times: 

Whig's Rose, Ship Wheel, Jacob's Ladder, Ohio Star, North Star, Dusty Miller, Flying Geese, Log Cabin, Star of Betlhehem...

I also heard of quilt blocks featuring a map used by slaves to escape north...and just had to check it out as you may if you go to this site (here).

I  even once had in my hands a treasure box filled with quilting patterns, most of the 19th Century...I understand it burned in the upstairs library it was located in...How very sad!

It is amazing what quilters can produce with just a few scraps of material, often assembled as a group. It is a time to visit with others, enjoy each other' company much like pioneers did. 

A friendship quilt was in fact the first to attract my attention when our then 12 year old daughter was invited to add a few stitches in a colonial village. She now owns two quilts made out of scraps from the dresses of a neighbour's family in the late twenties, a time of much hardship for many due to the Depression. It is her treasure, one she hopes to display in their new home one day.

Only last week I spotted a different type of quilt, this one a Memory or Photo quilt. See below!

Blessings from our Nest spoke today however of a Mystery Quilt... 
A wonderful project and all for a good cause! 
Anyone who quilts might like to check this out and perhaps participate?! 

Finally if like me, you have always wanted to know what quilting involves check out this website (here).

 I think the above (hanging) quilt was made for me!

The Forgiven Duke by Jamie Carie, Book review

Synopsis:

Tethered by her impulsive promise to marry Lord John Lemon - the path of least resistance - Alexandria Featherstone sets off toward Iceland in search of her parents with a leaden heart. A glimpse of her guardian, the Duke of St. Easton - the path less traveled by - on Dublin’s shore still haunts her.

Will he come after her? Will he drag her back to London, quelling her mission to rescue her treasure-seeking parents, or might he decide to throw caution to the wind and choose Foy Pour Devoir: “Faith for Duty,” the St. Easton motto. The Featherstone motto Valens et Volens: “Willing and Able,” beats in her heart and thrums through her veins. She will find her parents and find their love, no matter the cost.

The powerful yet wing-clipped Duke of St. Easton has never known the challenge that has become his life since hearing his ward’s name. Alexandria Featherstone will be the life or the death of him. Only time and God’s plan will reveal just how much this man can endure for the prize of love.

My thoughts:

You will recall 'The Guardian Duke' by Romance Novelist Jamie Carie (see review here) and just know you are in for a treat! 

Alexandra Featherstone and her guardian Duke appeal to our romantic side and gives us a delightful opportunity to escape from the doldrums of life. By now,  you guess it, Jamie Carie has many followers!

Jamie Carie's vivid imagination had led her to create interesting plots full of lively and colourful situations which leaves you just wanting a little more! It matters little that this novel ends with (unanswered) questions to be pursued in the next installment, this time called 'A Duke's Promise'! 

All will be revealed in due course!

The Forgiven Duke is a warm lighthearted tale with many endearing characters, locals that will fire your own imagination and a plot with all the right ingredients: love, hope, faith aplenty, intrigue and the unsavoury side of the great powers who ruled the high seas and our world in the Nineteenth Century!

Finally it is a story to enjoy knowing our fair protagonists are in God's hands and His plan will allow you to discover how much a man such as Gabriel will do when in love. As for Alex, you will feel wishing to have her determination in her quest despite the many pitfalls she encounters!

'The Forgiven Duke' is Book 2 of 'A Forgotten Castles' series and the sequel to 'The Guardian Duke'. It will be published this coming July for all Jamie Carie's fans!

Four Stars!

Enjoy!

About the author:

Jamie Carie has a knack for weaving interesting plots and warm characters allowing you to escape from daily drudgery! She writes the sort of Christian fiction that allows you to believe there are still dreams to be lived! And what would be life without dreams?!

See her website (here) for her biography and more!

I received this ARC free from PROPELLER as part of their blogger review program.

I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC 16 CFR, Part 255 'Guides concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. I was not asked to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

He Cares...

Little Birdie Blessings shared this beautiful vintage vignette with all of us in Blogland. 

I think she managed to get every element I love in one picture...

Take a moment to stop by her blog and see her Scriptures Thursdays and Vintage artwork! 

Thank you for sharing Abby...Life would be so much easier if we all learned to do so...

'Enza' by Kristy K.James, Book Review And Giveaway

Synopsis:

It is a time of innocence and prosperity. The Women’s Suffrage Movement gains more attention with each passing day. All across the country housewives and young ladies harbor hope that they might finally win the right to vote. Patriotism is at its peak as the war to end all wars rages an ocean away. 

On the homefront, in a small town in Michigan, life is being lived out like the pages of a Mark Twain novel. Until an unseen enemy, deadlier than any human adversary, threatens Mankind’s very existence. 

Elliot Owens – The only thing in the world that matters to Elliot is his wife and their five children, and he will do everything in his power to protect them. Daniel Pullman – When his plans to join the Army are dashed following an injury, meeting the love of his life makes the disappointment easier to bear. Colby Thornton – A devoted minister whose congregation loves him nearly as much as he loves them, Colby struggles with bitterness toward the wife who doesn’t love him at all. Marcus McClelland – One of the local funeral directors, Marcus lives his life avoiding close relationships because if he doesn’t care about anyone, it won’t hurt when he loses them. Jonathon Owens – At ten years old all Jonathon dreams of is to be a war hero…by proving that his German neighbor is a spy. 

When all is said and done, will any of them survive?

My thoughts:

A good book will draw you in, hold your attention throughout and is hard to put down! Using a basic review system measuring plot, characterization, and overall quality allows any reader to give his/her opinion based on a star scale system. But for a handful of professionals (with actual qualifications), most bloggers uses this system to share their opinion with readers.

Mine is as follows: 

1- Dislike this book intensely

2- Did not like it

3- Liked it

4- Liked it a lot

5- Absolutely loved it!

Enza..rates easily 5 stars! And yes, it is not usual to rate a book at the beginning of a review but in this instance I felt it a must! From page 1 this newly published novel will captivate your attention and like me, you will have a hard time to put it down!

'I had a little bird

Its name was Enza

I opened the Widow

and in-flew-Enza.

Kristy K. James has written a beautiful novel about a peaceful little town in the Midwest, complete with white picket fences, shady porches to seek refuge under when the sun is hot, sun dried laundry hanging on the line and canned goods stored in the pantry. 

You feel drawn to her descriptive of a safe neighbourhood, kindly neighbours and friendly merchants. Enza's characters will pull at your heart strings as you cheer or boo some of them!

The 'War that should have ended all wars' is still being fought in the far fields of Flanders but the doughboys are doing their part despite the horrors of modern warfare.

It is also a time of wondrous changes for women who seek an opportunity to have their voices heard, a time of great progress...Families are still a unity, pleasures are simple and the future looks bright.

But when faced with a deadly intruder, one that will threaten their beliefs, shatter their hopes and destroy the very core of entire families you will find yourself praying with all your might with them.

Written with care and a great depth of empathy, Enza is the sort of story which will captivate your imagination and lead you on a journey of discovery as you turned each page! You will find yourself bonding with each character and experience their joys and despairs. 

As the plot unveils, you might think this is a very ordinary story about ordinary people yet it soon becomes apparent it is also an amazing story of human endurance in the face of adversity and ultimately of continuance. 

It is a story to experience with all your heart!  In the end, we are reminded God is always near...Never fear!

Note: This book is being released today 23 April 2012!

About the author:

Let me recommend readers to visit Kristy K.James' website and allow her to introduce herself and her (many) books (new ones to appear shortly on the market!) including her blog (here).

YES, you must enter to win! Here is your chance to win a copy of ENZA! 

Thanks to Kristy K. James and Lightning Book Promotions FOUR (4) readers will have the opportunity to win a copy of this book. 

Just place a comment on this post by Midnight on the 28th of April 2012 and let me know if you wish a print or ebook version of this novel! 

Random.org will chose the 4 winners - Winners will be announced on the 29th of April on this blog and contacted by email for confirmation! (be sure to leave a valid email for contact - No worries, it will not be published)

This contest is open to ALL!!

I received this ARC courtesy of the author and LIGHTNING BOOK PROMOTIONS as part of their blogger review program for this blog tour.

I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC 16 CFR, Part 255 'Guides concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. I was not asked to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Earth...

“Our earth is but a small star in a great universe. Yet of it we can make, if we choose, a planet unvexed by war, untroubled by hunger or fear, undivided by senseless distinctions of race, color or theory.”

(S. V.Benet)

CELEBRATE!!