Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten 2014 Releases I Wanted to Read but Didn't Get to

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke & The Bookish. Feel free to join in.

When I saw the topic for today's list, I knew that it would be a simple one for me to create my list. Today's topic is the top ten 2014 releases I meant to read, but didn't get to.  And for me the list was easy. Because all I had to do was go through my publisher emails of review titles to compile this list. The only problem I had? Well narrowing it down from publisher!

So I ended up with the Bethany House Publishers (a Christian Publishing House for those who wondered) titles that I didn't select to review for one reason or another (too many choices that month and I wanted a specific title, etc).

Here is my list in order they were released

1. Wildwood Creek by Lisa Wingate - Came out in February 2014. I'd never read anything by this author at this point (I have now, so it's on my list.)

2. Death by the Book by Julianna Deering - Came out in March 2014. I've read books 1 & 3, but need to read 2. Maybe I can find it at the library.

3. Love Comes Calling by Siri Mitchell - Came out in March 2014. The email for the March releases had several titles I wanted to read, but I could only pick one!

4. Until I Found You by Victoria Bylin - Came out in May 2014. I've read a lot of her Love Inspired Historicals and have enjoyed them, so I was excited to add her full length contemporary novel to my list.

5. Truth Be Told by Carol Cox - Came out in June 2014. I've enjoyed her others and will get to this one someday.

6. Miracle in a Dry Season by Sarah Loudin Thomas - Came out in August 2014. This one didn't even hit my radar until recently when I've heard chatter about how wonderful it is. I'll need to see if I can rent it.

7. Playing By Heart by Anne Mateer - Came out in September 2014. Another one that looks really good.

8. The Brickmaker's Bride by Judith Miller - Came out in October 2014. This one hit my radar recently by having the cover capture my attention. So now I want to read it.

9. The Patmos Deception by Davis Bunn - Came out in December 2014. I've actually got this one at home because I received it as a winner in a giveaway. I'm sorta reading it. So far it's good. So maybe I'll finish it soon.

10. A Most Inconvenient Marriage by Regina Jennings - Came out in December 2014. I've found Regina's books to be delightful in the past and I'm looking forward to getting to read this one. Someday.

I did discover that I've got 4 of these on my Kindle! So yay for me!

Saturday Scribbles Vol 2

Happy Saturday morning my friends. Is it snowing where you are? For me, it's cold. Well cold in Houston means temperatures 60 or lower. But perhaps you can enjoy a nice hot cup of tea, coffee, or hot chocolate while you read my rambling thoughts this morning.

By nature, I'm not an organized person. At all. Just ask my mother. Or roommates I've had in the past. I see all of the various organized tricks and tips on Pinterest, and I think "Oooh! I like that!" Or "I could do that!" But I don't. Some of the ones I've seen are things like using tension rods in a cabinet to contain all of the lids. Or using hooks/command strips to conceal electronic cords. Here is one such pin I've pinned on Pinterest.

Even my bookshelves and movie collection are unorganized. Or at least would appear so to others. Take my movies for example. I've got one entire small shelf of nothing but Disney Animated. Then I've got a shelf with Stargate, Stargate SG 1 (all 10 Seasons), Stargate Atlantis (all 5 seasons), NCIS (all 10 or 11 seasons that I own), and then next to the series are things like Ever After, Sweet Home Alabama, Les Miserables. My books are just about like that too. I'll have all 7 hardcover copies of Harry Potter sitting next to Robin Jones Gunn's Glenbrooke series. Or something like that. I don't group by genre or author. But I do make sure that all of the series stays together. Of course, that's when the books/dvds actually find their way onto the shelf. Most times they don't.

Even my business has hurt because of my lack of organization. But I'm learning there. So many sales directors and sister consultants say try this. Or do this. But I've actually managed to figure out something that works for me. My skin care class supplies remain in the bag I use to take them to classes. I've got everything I need there - profile cards, cotton balls, applicators, sales tickets, foundations, and paperwork. Then in a roll up bag, I keep the full-sized product demos I use in the class. My actual physical inventory lives on three bookshelves in my room. And then when it comes to all the paperwork (sales receipts, order lists, etc), I've finally gotten a notebook. A simple three ring binder with 12 dividers. Each divider is a different month. A new order comes in, the packing slip gets pulled out and placed into the notebook. I buy office supplies or mail something. Those receipts go into the notebook. It works for me. But my problem with that is that come tax time, I'm a HORRIBLE procrastinator and wait til the deadlines to send things in.

But I've learned through all of my unorganization-ness that I can improve. I may not be organized by nature, but I can work hard and make a conscious effort to be so. Take AWANA at my church for instance. I am the secretary, the one who checks in each child, the one who handles the money, as well as being a listener. Our wonderful Commander is a dear friend of mine. But neither of us are great at record keeping. But this year, I've made the effort. I've created an Excel spreadsheet that has all the contact info for each child, the amount due on the accounts, etc. I've had to work hard to keep up with it and I don't get to be a listener as often as I'd like to, but it has totally helped this year. I know exactly which parents still owe and where to find their information.

But not just that. Obviously organization is not a strength of mine. I have other strengths/gifts - hospitality, making gifts for people (blankets, scrapbooks, toys, baby shower things, etc), etc. And that's the way God made me. My weaknesses compliment someone else's strengths. And my strengths help with someone else's weaknesses. I find that so cool. That even though I am not strong in one area, someone else is. And together we can work in God's Kingdom.

So where do you find yourself weak in? How do you overcome it? I'd love to hear your thoughts and encourage you in your struggles.

Always on My Mind - A Reivew

Published - January 2015, Tyndale House Publishers
Series - Christiansen Family Book 4
Author - Susan May Warren
Title - Always on My Mind
Format - ebook, paper
Find on Amazon

Casper Christiansen went 2,000 miles to get Raina Beaumont off of his mind. But when he can't stop thinking about her, he returns home to a big surprise - the woman he loves is pregnant with another man's baby. And when he discovers the identity of the baby's father, Casper wishes he'd stayed in Honduras. With the family's resort facing financial difficulties, Casper decides it's time to grow up and help his older brother around the resort. Raina Beaumont never expected that Casper would show back up in her life. Yet when the job she is working constantly brings her in contact with Casper, she hopes that she can become his friend. Yet as they work closer and closer together, both she and Casper have to come to grips with their feelings for each other. Will they figure out a way to navigate through the past and into a future?

I love the Christiansen family. When I got this one in the mail, I told myself that I'd wait til January to read it. That so didn't happen. I ended up picking it up one day and finishing it the next. Because it was that good.

What I love the most about this family is their faith and they way they do support one another. I loved how John approached both Casper and Darek to let them know that it was ok to follow their own dream. I also loved how Casper learned what it was to really love someone like Jesus.

I've read just about everything that this author has written, and I really think the Christiansen Series is my favorite. I am looking forward to the next book, Amelia's story, and not wanting to say goodbye to this family in the final book, Owen's story.

I received this book for free from Tyndale for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of contemporary fiction, Susan May Warren, Becky Wade, Katie Ganshert, romance

Rating - 5 stars

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Debut Books I'm looking forward to in 2015

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke & the Bookish. Feel free to join in.

Welcome to the first 2015 edition of Top Ten Tuesday! This week's topic is the top ten debuting authors I'm looking forward to reading in 2015. I'll admit that this one was pretty hard for me to come up with. Most of the books I'm looking forward to reading are by authors already established. Maybe I had a hard time finding some because I no longer have the bookstore resources at my fingertips like I did when I worked for Family Christian Stores or Mardel. I did do a quick google search for 2015 debuting authors and most of what I found don't interest me. So I decided to go with a combination of debuts - debuting authors and authors debuting in a new genre. Even then, I still managed to only come up with 5 titles.

So here are my 5.

1. Jody Hedlund - An Uncertain Choice - She's debuting in a new genre with this one. It's a young adult. I CANNOT wait to read it. 

2. Dina Sleiman - Dauntless - I'm 99% sure that this is a debut author, but if not, then she is debuting in a new genre. The cover captured my attention when I first saw it. It looks to be very good. I'm excited about this one.

3. Susan Anne Mason - Irish Meadows - I love all things Irish. So I'm hoping this one lives up to my expectations.

4. Jessica Burkhart - Wild Hearts - I'm pretty sure she's debuting in a new genre. I've never read anything by her, but I did read another in this "If Only" Series by Bloomsbury, which I loved. So I'm willing to give this one a shot.

5. Julie Lessman - Unfailing Love - I'm really hoping that this one is published in 2015. This is Julie's first book in a new series and in contemporary romance. I CANNOT wait for this one.

So I know it's not ten books, but I had a hard time finding 10 debuting authors. Even after searching publishers' catalogs.

What about you? What debuts are you looking forward to in 2015?

Accept this Dandelion Cover Reveal

Accept this Dandelion Cover Reveal

Accept This Dandelion

By Brooke Williams

Release Date: February 4, 2015 from Prism Book Group

Release Date: February 4, 2015

Pre-Order HERE

Join the Feb. 4th Release Day Party on Facebook HERE

Enjoy giveaways with a dozen different authors!

Renee Lockhart has her eye on a lofty goal…to fill the open position of morning radio show host at the radio station where she works.  When her co-workers sign her up for a local TV version of “the Bachelor,” Renee goes along with it in order to raise her public profile.  Ben McConnell, the most eligible bachelor in town, insists that Renee be placed on the show, despite her bumbling audition.  Ben gets much more than he expected in Renee.  He gets a girl who doesn’t bow to his every whim…and a girl who opens his eyes to true, unexpected love. When nothing goes right on the local program called "Accept this Dandelion"...hilarity ensues. Imagine your worst possible dates happening...on TV!


Add “Accept this Dandelion” to your Goodreads list HERE


About the Author



Brooke Williams writes in a sleep-deprived state while her daughters nap. Her romantic comedy is best read in the same state. Brooke has twelve years of radio in her background, both behind the scenes and on the air. She was also a television traffic reporter for a short time despite the fact that she could care less about hair and make-up. Today, Brooke stays at home with her daughters and works as a freelance writer for a variety of companies. When she isn’t working for paying clients, she makes things up, which results in books like “Accept this Dandelion.”  Brooke is also the author of “Wrong Place, Right Time,” “Someone Always Loved You,” and “Beyond the Bars.” And she looks forward to the upcoming released of “Mamarazzi” and “Baby Sheep Gets a Haircut.” Brooke and her husband Sean have been married since 2002 and have two beautiful daughters, Kaelyn (5) and Sadie (nearly 2).

Connect with Brooke:
Facebook
Website
Blog

Saturday Scribbles Vol 1

It's not Kiki, but pretty close to my girl.
Picture changed due to my not wanting to use a Google Image. Photo from morguefile.

Hello friends. Welcome to the first ever edition of Saturday Scribbles! This is something new I'm doing here on the blog this year. It'll be posts on Saturdays - may not be EVERY week, but just on Saturdays. These posts will be totally random. They may be a recipe I've discovered, pictures of my life, my thoughts on something I'm learning, something I've written (poetry, etc), Mary Kay things, a crochet project I'm working on, etc. Or just whatever I'm feeling that day. They WILL NOT be book reviews, book giveaways, or generally anything involving books. My book related posts are reserved for M-F. Feel free to comment on them as usual and let's discuss.

So let's begin.

I was trying to come up with something for this first post. And I really didn't have anything to discuss or that was on my heart. So I decided that I'd just allow you, my reader friends, a chance to get to know me better. I'll start with how I came up with my picture and title.

Those of you who know me, even just a little, know I LOVE cats. I have one black fur-baby named Kiki. Here's my darling girl.

Yes she's sticking her tongue out at me.

This one shows off her beautiful eyes.

But I didn't have a picture of Kiki that conveyed the idea I had in my mind. I wanted to get/find a picture of a cat "writing" on a computer. Because I'd had in mind the title for this feature being "Saturday Scribbles." I kept thinking to myself that it would be fun to utilize Saturday in the title as these are posts that will be on Saturdays. And then I went a step further and thought that by calling it "Scribbles" it would convey the idea that these posts are random, about nothing in particular, and really just scribbles on a page (or keys). So I found that picture of a black & white kitty sitting at a computer. Not laying on top of it, but actually looking like he is working on something. It was perfect. Using Picassa, I added my font and played the the effects. And VIOLA! This was the answer.

I played around with shades of purple and green to get the effect I wanted so that it would fit with my blog's background. 

Maybe someday this feature will be made available to other bloggers. I'd have to figure out the logistics of getting the picture to be in html code and all that fun stuff. But right now, it's mine and is unique to me.

So that's how I came up with the name and the picture.

As I've already mentioned, I love cats. My sweet girl is truly a blessing to me. She keeps me company and loves to cuddle. At least with me. It's always an adventure when I need to go out of town for a few days and I take her over to my Mom's. She doesn't like her kitty carrier very much and HATES the car ride. But I've gotten smart. I'll put some special treats into her carrier, coax her in, and then in the car, she sits up front where she can see me. And she tolerates my mom. It's not so bad when I'm there with her, but when I'm not, Mom's told me that Kiki rarely lets Mom pet her. And Kiki LOVES the hiding places in my Mom's house. One of her favorite spots is upstairs in what used to be my brother's room, hiding under the Christmas tree.

But it's funny how animals are. I've got her trained well. On a workday, I have to leave my apartment a little after 6 to get to work on time. I've got to be at work at 7am and if I have to take the main lanes of traffic, it can take me 45 minutes or more. But there's a secret. I pay a toll to drive the HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) lane as long as I am on it by a certain time. It cuts my commute down to 20 minutes. But anyway, back to Kiki. My alarm clock is purposely set 30 minutes faster than my cell phone. So when it shows 5:00 AM, it is really 4:30. So the alarm goes off at 5, I reset it for 5:30. When it goes off at 5:30, I reset it for 6. When it goes off at 6 (5:30 to the rest of the Houston area), I have to get up. Kiki knows that when the alarm goes off for the 3rd time, she can start crying for her breakfast. And I tell her days in advance on days I'll be off I say, "Kiki Mommy is off on Friday. So Mommy will be sleeping in." That works somewhat. Instead of her waking me up at 6 demanding breakfast, she wakes me up at 8. So she lets me sleep in. But there's been time when I've been sick. She knows it. And just cuddles. Or when I'm crocheting. She sees the yarn in my lap and knows she has to settle for my feet. But I wouldn't trade her. She's a good cat. She is about 15 years old, but still acts like a kitten. She'll chase shadows and play on the steps of my apartment. She'll pounce on any bag I have out. And she LOVES sitting on my Mary Kay product shelf right there with all of the handcream. 

So tell me about your pets. Or your well loved fur-babies. 

Worth the Time - A Review

Published - January 6, 2015, Hope Springs Books
Series - Waltham Academy Book 2
Author - Laura Jackson
Format - ebook, paper
Find on Amazon

Lindsey Hamilton is pretty and spoiled. She's a cheerleader who is ruthless. She is also known around school as having a certain reputation. Yet when she discovers that she must complete volunteer hours in order to graduate, she has no choice but to go to the place her counselor picked out and try to get her hours in. While at Covington House, she meets another student who has something she doesn't - a genuine faith. Lindsey's world is shaken even more when the father she thought abandoned her as a baby suddenly appears in her life. Lindsey's life isn't what she thought it was. The walls she's built around her heart begin to crumble as she searches for answers about who she really is.

When I first met Lindsey in Worth the Wait, I couldn't stand her. At all. Even when this book began, I still didn't like her. Yet as the book progressed and I got to see what caused Lindsey to be the way she was, I started to feel my heart going out to her. By the end of the book, she'd moved from couldn't stand her, to wanting to discover more about her. I've got to hand it to Laura. She was able to take a character that was not likeable at all and turn the character into someone who is worthy.

I think one of the things I loved the most about this book was that Lindsey's struggle to discover who she really was was so real. I mean here was a girl who had built her total identity on one supposed truth - her father abandoned her - only to have her world shaken to its core when she discovered that was not the case. Lindsey's search to find out her place in the world is probably the biggest thing that made me like her. And along the way, she discovered that she mattered to God.

Sutton is one character that I enjoyed. I think he was sweet and charming. I'd love to see him in future books. But he's truly a minor character while being the guy that Lindsey could fall for.

Overall, this was a very great read. I was thrilled to see that the author's second book follows the same tone as was set in the first.

I received the Kindle version of this book for free from the publisher for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of young adult, the Christy Miller & Sierra Jensen books, Melody Carson,

Rating - 5 stars

Review to be posted on Amazon on 1-6-15.