tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17159484269848298362020-07-27T04:15:58.630-04:00Back PorchervationsLife happens on the back porch.LuAnn @ BackPorchervationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775630749079885915noreply@blogger.comBlogger1311125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715948426984829836.post-20220954280380413512019-04-01T13:04:00.000-04:002019-04-01T13:04:05.284-04:002019 #AtoZChallenge - "A" Blogs and Bloggers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nlMsFzIHoGI/XKIUPFydadI/AAAAAAAAJ8c/GmIzzRQPo4kkvvqyYCUeQaBKvaQX5XEsQCLcBGAs/s1600/AtoZ2019A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nlMsFzIHoGI/XKIUPFydadI/AAAAAAAAJ8c/GmIzzRQPo4kkvvqyYCUeQaBKvaQX5XEsQCLcBGAs/s1600/AtoZ2019A.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~~~oOo~~~</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>AMBER LAMBDA - WRITTEN SOUP</b></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amberlambda.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="1088" height="140" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3Sg093FMHBE/XKIVlpztTQI/AAAAAAAAJ8o/xq72VjYYdJglqvusNO7loiGKxLlWEOgvQCLcBGAs/s320/Amber%2BLambda.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Amber Lambda is a writer/poet.&nbsp; I did not see a post on her site for today (yet), but the link in the database is a little messed up.&nbsp; I think her header image above should go to her blog "Word Soup".</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~O~</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>AMITA'S&nbsp;PEN</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://mydatewithbooks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="380" height="158" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gvi1_wbrsjg/XKIW3bqdPtI/AAAAAAAAJ80/FIba88bZ6ToMF1I3dxoD-m4U9G9QJnP1ACLcBGAs/s320/Amita-MyDate%2BWith%2BBooks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">When I visited Amita's blog, I was reminded that I totally forgot the theme reveal this year!&nbsp; How embarrassing! *LOL*)&nbsp; Her theme for 2019 is books from her children's bookshelves.&nbsp; I'm excited to see what young/new readers are reading these days!&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~O~</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>AMMA TODAY</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.ammatoday.com/airports-and-aeroplanes-lessons-in-order-and-science/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_k7yMWFUuYo/XKIZrAIrUPI/AAAAAAAAJ9A/BSnpK_6F-N0H0rAjZzUpokrQuEX0SrWAgCLcBGAs/s320/Amma%2BToday.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Amma is writing about child-led learning, and today's topic is Air Travel With Children.&nbsp; It shows how much children can absorb from simple Q&amp;A.&nbsp; I, too, was worried the first time I traveled by air with my kids, but my Dora-fan daughter just hollered, "Faster, faster," as we took off!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~O~</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>AMORE NATURA</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://sri-lovenature.blogspot.com/2019/03/aparajita.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" Amore Natura" border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Lo_vBG_fXjY/XKIel8K3RJI/AAAAAAAAJ9Q/FtAnz4qhw3w0M96obuxoeRMnq0mfjMt8ACLcBGAs/s1600/Amore%2BNatura%2B-%2BAparajita.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sri has written a poem titled, Aparajita, today, and intends to write a poem to go along with a word, following the alphabet.&nbsp; The picture above is the Aparajita flower, and the word also means undefeatable.&nbsp; I thoroughly enjoyed the poem and highly recommend giving it a read!&nbsp; Her blog is called <a href="https://sri-lovenature.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Amore Natura</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~O~</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>AN EXERCISE ON EXISTING</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://anexerciseonexisting.blogspot.com/2019/04/all-of-sudden.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" An Exercise on Existing- Kenia Santos" border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="640" height="269" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MqM3HZU-vko/XKIjfVl8_vI/AAAAAAAAJ9c/_MDwZsioEOUByKYxRGAfd3Ozu-0j3smiACLcBGAs/s320/An%2BExercise%2Bon%2BExisting%2B-%2BKenia%2BSantos.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Kenia shared her poem, "All of a Sudden" for the A day of the challenge.&nbsp; I got a great sense of peace and contentment from reading it.&nbsp; Her blog is called "<a href="http://anexerciseonexisting.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">An Exercise on Existing</a>".</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~O~</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>ANECDOTES OF A MOM'S LIFE</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://anecdotesofmomlife.home.blog/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="663" data-original-width="768" height="276" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ojjKD9Ott2g/XKIpcjRZVGI/AAAAAAAAJ9o/mKgKbuk7OUMYWa28LLjrl9oBpuEjyCvfQCLcBGAs/s320/Anecdotes%2Bof%2Ba%2BMom%2527s%2BLife.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This mom is a brand new blogger (or at least has a brand new blog)!&nbsp; The Theme Reveal was her 2nd post.&nbsp; So let's show her some A to Z love!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~O~</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">ANGLER'S REST</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://anglersrest.net/" target="_blank"><img alt=" Angler's Rest - Julie Goucher" border="0" data-original-height="197" data-original-width="937" height="67" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KcRkZ1GZT0g/XKIvVXAKJLI/AAAAAAAAJ90/1UPjmMFijOMEA9EmSwSf4biRPsmuT6QJgCLcBGAs/s320/Angler%2527s%2BREst.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Julie blogs at Angler's Rest about genealogy.&nbsp; This is a really hot topic right now.&nbsp; I had never heard of a one-name study before, but am very interested because my married name (Braley) is a lot rarer than my maiden name (Smith)!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~O~</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ANN-A FRIEND OF JESUS 0213</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://afriendofjesus2013.com/2019/04/01/atozchallenge-adaptable/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iS6iIa-9egQ/XKI5a_5cZFI/AAAAAAAAJ-A/GMA61cL63A8BZ2W2O1m0BxLIE7P7HW4XwCLcBGAs/s320/Ann-A%2BFriend%2Bof%2BJesus.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ann is sharing positive posts throughout the month of April at her blog, <a href="https://afriendofjesus2013.com/" target="_blank">A Friend of Jesus 2013</a>.&nbsp; One look at a newspaper shows me how wonderful it will be to see something ELSE!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~O~</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>ANNE'S FAMILY HISTORY</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://ayfamilyhistory.com/2019/04/01/a-is-for-arms-in-singapore/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="259" data-original-width="960" height="86" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NgKnRbNofjI/XKI_eDS4BdI/AAAAAAAAJ-M/Z92quxz2frgA3ulITbFZ3D0BmKaI1KG3gCLcBGAs/s320/Anne%2527s%2BFamily%2BHistory.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Anne writes about her family's history at "<a href="https://ayfamilyhistory.com/" target="_blank">Anne's Family History</a>" blog.&nbsp; I am amazed at Anne's research - incredibly thorough!&nbsp; History comes alive so much more when it is about people you know or have some connection to.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~O~</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Apparently, other people in this house would like some time on the computer .... go figure.&nbsp; And I found out I did not start at the beginning of the "A" blogs/bloggers, so here are nine blogs from the middle of the "A" list, and I will do more later as updates to this post.&nbsp; If you/your blog is supposed to be in this part of the list, leave me a way to contact you, so I can let you know when the link to your blog will be posted.&nbsp; I hope that makes sense.</div><br /></div>LuAnn @ BackPorchervationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775630749079885915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715948426984829836.post-82421523643624027592019-03-20T00:00:00.000-04:002019-03-20T04:45:04.285-04:00Fear by John W. Mefford - #review #giveaway<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/FEAR-Ball-Chain-Thrillers-Book-ebook/dp/B07M94SM88" rel="nofollow" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img height="400" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4897/46016173725_73565e7ef6.jpg" width="266" /></a><b><span style="font-size: large;">NEW RELEASE....</span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Her death has haunted him for over thirty years.&nbsp;</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b> <b><span style="font-size: large;">And he's hell-bent on making someone pay.&nbsp;</span></b><br /><br />A father goes missing. Not just any father. But a person once worshipped for his world-class talent.<br /><br />Enter the most unconventional team around: Willow Ball and Cooper Chain.<br /><br />As a nurse at the community clinic, Willow has seen the painful effects of heroin addiction. But now she's compelled to help a grieving wife and mother.<br /><br />Dodging the mob at every turn, Cooper has a plan to bring them down while getting traction on his upstart career. Is he marching into a trap?<br /><br />With their relationship bordering the "friends with benefits" stage, Willow and Cooper team up to find the missing person. But it's not that simple. Nothing with them is ever simple.<br /><br />The hunt corkscrews into an impossible maze of events -- their lives threatened by a swarm of twisted deviants and social misfits.<br /><br />Emotions run rampant, stoking one savage response after another. A spark ignites the hate, but what is the real fuel for this wave of brutal crimes?<br /><br />Ultimately, can Willow and Cooper save a family from the torment before it's too late?<br /><br />Only if they can overcome their own…fear.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Get <i>FEAR</i> now!&nbsp;</span></b><br /><br />If you're a fan of Michael Connelly's <b>Ballard and Bosch</b>, David Baldacci's <b>King and Maxwell</b>, Tess Gerritsen's <b>Rizzoli and Isles</b>, and the TV show "<b>Castle</b>," you'll be enthralled by this gut-busting Ball &amp; Chain thriller.<br /><br />*Warning: The Ball &amp; Chain Thrillers are full of white-knuckle suspense and sarcastic sass. Proceed with caution.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><b>Available to buy from....</b></b><br /><b><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/FEAR-Ball-Chain-Thrillers-Book-ebook/dp/B07M94SM88" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Amazon.com</span></a> &nbsp; <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/FEAR-Ball-Chain-Thrillers-Book-ebook/dp/B07M94SM88" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Amazon.co.uk</span></a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://smarturl.it/F-Pb" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">&nbsp;<span style="color: black;">Paperback</span></a></b> </b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-size: x-large;">Don't miss MERCY (The Ball &amp; Chain Thrillers Book 1)</b></div></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JNJ4VGC" rel="nofollow" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img height="400" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4817/46211765892_c4948a239f.jpg" width="266" /></a> <b><span style="font-size: large;">The torment builds and builds and builds….&nbsp;</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b> <b><span style="font-size: large;">He can't deny it.&nbsp;</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b> <b><span style="font-size: large;">But in what form will the pressure erupt?&nbsp;</span></b><br /><br />Cooper Chain isn't just down on his luck -- he's almost down for the count. The mob wants a piece of him, and he sees no way out.<br /><br />It's a special week for Willow Ball, a woman who's survived her own tribulations to reach this milestone in her life.<br /><br />Through fate -- or a temporary misalignment of the stars -- Willow and Cooper cross paths for the first time since college. Will an unexpected spark re-ignite the flame?<br /><br />A shattering discovery changes everything for Willow and Cooper. The murder is unlike any other. But what will the cops do about it?<br /><br />Attacks ensure, chaos ruptures a family . . . Through it all, how can Willow and Cooper find the killer?<br /><br />But it's not over. As the bodies pile up, a pattern develops and it rocks Willow and Cooper to the core.<br /><br />And then someone emerges after a three-decade disappearance. Could he be connected to this string of murders?<br /><br />The past might provide the breadcrumbs to end this nightmare. But Willow and Cooper may not live long enough to see it through.<br /><br />Will mercy save a life or end many?<br /><br /><b>Get <i>MERCY</i> now!&nbsp;</b><br /><br />If you're a fan of Michael Connelly's <b>Ballard and Bosch</b>, David Baldacci's <b>King and Maxwell</b>, Tess Gerritsen's <b>Rizzoli and Isles</b>, and the TV show "<b>Castle</b>," then you'll be sucked into this first, page-turning Ball &amp; Chain thriller.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><b>Available to buy from....</b></b><br /><b><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JNJ4VGC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Amazon.com</span></a> &nbsp; <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07JNJ4VGC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Amazon.co.uk</span></a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://smarturl.it/MercyA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">&nbsp;<span style="color: black;">Paperback</span></a></b> </b><br /><b><br /></b><div style="text-align: left;"><b>You can find my review of Mercy <a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2019/01/mercy-by-john-w-mefford-review-giveaway.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">~~~oOo~~~</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>MY REVIEW OF FEAR</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">After such a stunningly good introduction to Willow Ball and Cooper chain (hence Ball &amp; Chain&nbsp; Mysteries),&nbsp; in <i>Mercy</i>, Mr. Mefford was going to have to work overtime to have the sequel, <i>Fear</i>, measure up.&nbsp; I am so glad to report that the hard work paid off!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Of course, Coop still hasn't resolved his 'debt' with the mob.&nbsp; Nor have Willow and Cooper figured out exactly what kind of relationship they have (be in all business or very personal).&nbsp; But I like that.&nbsp; - and the fact they don't immediately fall into bed gives us the great '<i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moonlighting_(TV_series)" target="_blank">Moonlighting</a></i>' type of energy.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Fear</i> reads well enough as a standalone, but I always advocate for reading an entire series&nbsp; (in order if possible) because there is some inevitable carry-over that will give readers 'the big picture'.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">What starts as a 'simple' missing person case quickly stirs up to a spicy gumbo of crime that could burn anyone who gets involved.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If you enjoyed <i>Mercy</i>, you'll like <i>Fear</i> as well.&nbsp; If you like a little thriller in your mystery, or a little mystery in your thriller, the twists, turns, and switchbacks of <i>Fear</i> will keep you reading for hours!</div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><b>About the Author</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.johnwmefford.com/" rel="nofollow" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5569/15042654632_b503e14d47_o.jpg" width="178" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Amazon #1 Bestselling Author, #2 bestselling author on Barnes and Noble, and a Readers' Favorite Gold Medal winner.<br /><br />John W. Mefford has been writing his debut novel since he first entered the work force almost thirty years ago, although he never put words on paper until 2009. Once he started writing, however, he couldn't stop. Many readers ask John from where he gets his ideas. Well, he's a veteran of the corporate rat-race, a former journalist, and he's always been an astute observer of human and social behavior. On top of that, he's really good at embellishing.<br /><br />A member of International Thriller Writers, John writes novels full of electrifying suspense -- the same types of books he has loved to read since before he could shave.<br /><br />When he’s not writing, he chases his youth on bike or a basketball court, all while making mental<br />notes of people and societies across the land.</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Find the author on the following sites...</b><br /><b>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.johnwmefford.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Website</span></a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/JohnWMeffordAuthor" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Facebook</span></a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/jwmefford" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Twitter</span></a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/105968182028765217293/posts" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Google+</span></a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5308409.John_W_Mefford" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Goodreads</span></a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/john-w-mefford" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Bookbub</span></a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://www.amazon.com/John-W.-Mefford/e/B0062PGVP0/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Amazon Author Page</span></a></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://beckvalleybooks.blogspot.com/2019/01/fear-ball-chain-thrillers-book-2-by.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img height="225" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4877/46211949484_64f4019725.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Follow the tour</div><div style="text-align: left;"><!-- start InLinkz script --> <script src="https://www.inlinkz.com/cs.php?id=815068" type="text/javascript"></script> <!-- end InLinkz script --> <a href="http://www.inlinkz.com/new/linkuptool.php?refId=11630&amp;utm_source=user_ref&amp;utm_medium=banner_img&amp;utm_campaign=referral" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="InLinkz"><img border="0" src="https://www.inlinkz.com/new/images/logo.png" style="vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://beckvalleybooks.blogspot.co.uk/p/book-reviews-and-tours.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img alt="018836-glossy-silver-icon-symbols-shapes-square-2" border="0" height="150" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2911/33529926010_2b427cd144_o.png" width="150" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">I have volunteered to share my review and all the opinions are 100% my own.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY</b></span></div><div style="color: #666666; text-align: center;"><a href="http://giveaways.johnwmefford.com/giveaways/fear-giveaway/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img height="314" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4850/39972201463_07059defea.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Win FEAR by John W Mefford&nbsp;ebook</b><br /><b>3 Winners!!</b><br />Ending on Sunday 7th April at 11.59pm CST</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Open Worldwide</b><br /><b><br /></b> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Enter<a href="http://giveaways.johnwmefford.com/giveaways/fear-giveaway/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;"> HERE</span></a></b></span><br /><br /><b>Good Luck !!</b></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="color: #666666;">Are you a book reviewer or book blogger? Join our book tours reviewers team -&nbsp;</span><a href="http://eepurl.com/due-KD" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">Apply Here</span></a><span style="color: #666666;">&nbsp;x</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="color: #666666;">Current book tours open for sign ups&nbsp;</span><a href="http://bit.ly/1sBu6HN" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">HERE</span></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://beckvalleybooks.blogspot.co.uk/p/book-reviews-and-tours.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KmDqK6W7tL4/V-5XKKoTXwI/AAAAAAAAsAE/6PPoPJR15xQYf-WjFdNLkam4M7q6EPZ0QCLcB/s400/beck%2Bvalley%2Bbooks%2Bbadge%2Bfull%2Bsize.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div>LuAnn @ BackPorchervationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775630749079885915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715948426984829836.post-55418351691498277492019-03-18T05:30:00.000-04:002019-03-18T05:30:11.299-04:00Murder Once Removed by S. C. Perkins - #review #giveaway<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ORk23hguIrk/XI877n5fbkI/AAAAAAAAJ64/OYnFYF1FHE046nF8_NNIUeJhZLGN4rRpwCLcBGAs/s1600/MURDER-ONCE-REMOVED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="324" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ORk23hguIrk/XI877n5fbkI/AAAAAAAAJ64/OYnFYF1FHE046nF8_NNIUeJhZLGN4rRpwCLcBGAs/s320/MURDER-ONCE-REMOVED.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">S.C. Perkins’ Murder Once Removed is the captivating first mystery in the Ancestry Detective series, in which Texas genealogist Lucy Lancaster uses her skills to solve murders in both the past and present.</strong></em><br /><em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></strong></em></div><div>Except for a good taco, genealogist Lucy Lancaster loves nothing more than tracking down her clients’ long-dead ancestors, and her job has never been so exciting as when she discovers a daguerreotype photograph and a journal proving Austin, Texas, billionaire Gus Halloran’s great-great-grandfather was murdered back in 1849. What’s more, Lucy is able to tell Gus who was responsible for his ancestor’s death.<br /><br /></div><div>Partly, at least. Using clues from the journal, Lucy narrows the suspects down to two nineteenth-century Texans, one of whom is the ancestor of present-day U.S. senator Daniel Applewhite. But when Gus publicly outs the senator as the descendant of a murderer—with the accidental help of Lucy herself—and her former co-worker is murdered protecting the daguerreotype, Lucy will find that shaking the branches of some family trees proves them to be more twisted and dangerous than she ever thought possible.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41212769-murder-once-removed" target="_blank">GoodReads</a>&nbsp;* <a href="https://bit.ly/2uUTmRe" target="_blank">IndieBound</a>&nbsp;* <a href="https://bit.ly/2LAYgNK" target="_blank">Amazon</a>&nbsp;* <a href="https://bit.ly/2LAYgNK" target="_blank">Barnes &amp; Noble</a>&nbsp;* <a href="https://bit.ly/2JL1bhD" target="_blank">Books-a-Million</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">~~~oOo~~~</div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>MY REVIEW</b></span><br /><br />I was bitten by the genealogy bug a long, long time ago.&nbsp; My father took his brother-in-law to one of the world's largest repository of records, that was at the time in the basement of an office tower.&nbsp; They had a life-size (well, about the size as a large poster board), copy of my mother's family 'Stammbaum", the original being in the museum in her home town of&nbsp; Davos.<br /><br />When I saw <i>Murder Once Removed,&nbsp;</i>come up for review, I jumped at the chance to dive into this book.&nbsp; And let me tell you, the water is f.i.n.e.&nbsp; The dialog is witty, the characters are solid and the genealogy tips are on the money.<br /><br />I guess I have one little bone to pick with Lucy...that of telling Gus the two folks who might have killed his great-grandfather back in the day.&nbsp; Because Texas billionaires (Gus) and Texas politicians (Daniel) are a breed apart.&nbsp; Maybe Lucy was trying to give Gus some closure, after having revealed the murder of one of his ancestors.&nbsp; But Gus chose to out the Senator publicly as the 'son of a murderer'.&nbsp; Even if Daniel's ancestor turns out to be the one who committed the murder of Gus's ancestor ... who is going to hold someone who hadn't been born yet responsible?&nbsp; Well ... Gus, that's who.<br /><br />The book was so enjoyable I had to cook supper one night with one hand, because I wanted to keep reading!<br /><br />Last but not least, I may have to rename one of our cats.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">~~~oOo~~~</div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>MEET THE AUTHOR</b></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J-1yQmUp-Sk/XI878R25TSI/AAAAAAAAJ68/HvD8b0lTioMXrpFX7-l8xfGb-iQzhnmVgCLcBGAs/s1600/SC-PERKINS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="214" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J-1yQmUp-Sk/XI878R25TSI/AAAAAAAAJ68/HvD8b0lTioMXrpFX7-l8xfGb-iQzhnmVgCLcBGAs/s1600/SC-PERKINS.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.scperkins.com/" target="_blank">Website</a>&nbsp;* <a href="http://www.twitter.com/scperkinswriter" target="_blank">Twitter</a>&nbsp;* <a href="http://www.instagram.com/scperkinswriter" target="_blank">Instagram</a>&nbsp;* <a href="http://www.facebook.com/scperkinswriter" target="_blank">Facebook</a>&nbsp;* <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/scperkinswriter" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>&nbsp;* <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/scperkinswriter" target="_blank">GoodReads</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>S.C. Perkins</strong>&nbsp;is a fifth-generation Texan who grew up hearing fascinating stories of her ancestry and eating lots of great Tex-Mex, both of which inspired the plot of her debut mystery novel.&nbsp;<em>Murder Once Removed</em>&nbsp;was the&nbsp;winner of the 2017 Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery competition. She resides in Houston and, when she’s not writing or working at her day job, she’s likely outside in the sun, on the beach, or riding horses.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~~~oOo~~~</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>GIVEAWAY</i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a class="rcptr" data-raflid="02887792853" data-template="56d5f80dbc544fb30fda66f0" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/02887792853/" id="rcwidget_w4d5mit8" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a> <script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~~~oOo~~~</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.escapewithdollycas.com/great-escapes-virtual-book-tours/upcoming-great-escapes-book-tours/murder-once-removed-an-ancestor-detective-mystery-by-s-c-perkins/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="296" data-original-width="640" height="148" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IJKcQ_YJ1j0/XI879Ijhe-I/AAAAAAAAJ7A/f7MOvdOM9cYtDZZr2weDUIf23VRqrO0AwCLcBGAs/s320/MURDER-ONCE-REMOVED-BANNER-640.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Click on the above banner to go to the tour site, where you will find other reviews of Murder Once Removed, as well as guest posts and author interviews!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>(Disclosure:&nbsp; I received a copy of this book from the author and publishers&nbsp;via Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, in exchange for my honest review.)</i></div><br /></div>LuAnn @ BackPorchervationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775630749079885915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715948426984829836.post-46033891837042518192019-02-27T01:30:00.000-05:002019-02-27T01:30:01.710-05:00Low Country Hero by Lee Tobin McClain - #review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9tL-0hHWhjA/XAFoFhUqv0I/AAAAAAAAJvs/Bod2Pk330_sWR0bliU-w0jWxUlpI_tPIgCLcBGAs/s1600/Low-Country-Hero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="316" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9tL-0hHWhjA/XAFoFhUqv0I/AAAAAAAAJvs/Bod2Pk330_sWR0bliU-w0jWxUlpI_tPIgCLcBGAs/s320/Low-Country-Hero.jpg" width="202" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b>Mass Market Paperback:&nbsp;</b>384 Pages<br /><br /><b>Publisher:</b>&nbsp;HQN; Original edition (February 26, 2019)<br /><br /><b>Welcome to Safe Haven, where love—and a second chance—is just around the corner…</b><br /><br />Sunny, carefree days splashing in the ocean—it’s the life Anna George has always wanted for her five-year-old twins. And now that they’ve made it to Safe Haven, South Carolina, she won’t let anyone stand in her way. Not the abusive ex she’s just escaped and not the rugged contractor who caught her setting up house in the shuttered beachfront cabins he’s refurbishing. When he offers Anna and her daughters a place to stay in exchange for her help with renovations, she’s tempted. His gentle way with her girls makes her want to trust him, but she’s been wrong before…<br /><br />A family is the last thing contractor and former military man Sean O’Dwyer wants right now. But when he discovers Anna and her girls, he recognizes kindred spirits. They’re survivors who’ve seen the worst of people, just like he has, and he’ll do anything he can to help them. As he and Anna spend their days bringing the cottages back to life and their nights sharing kisses in the warm bayou breezes, Sean must choose between the life he always wanted and the family he can’t live without.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40142477-low-country-hero?from_search=true" target="_blank">GoodReads</a>&nbsp;* <a href="https://tlcbooktours.com/2018/11/lee-tobin-mcclain-author-of-low-country-hero-on-tour-february-march-2019/%E2%80%9Dhttps://www.amazon.com/Low-Country-Hero-Safe-Haven/dp/133501764X?keywords=low+country+hero&amp;qid=1539808254&amp;sr=8-1&amp;ref=sr_1_1%22" target="_blank">Amazon</a>&nbsp;* <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Low-Country-Hero/Lee-Tobin-McClain/9781335017642?id=6979887448832" target="_blank">Books-a-Million</a>&nbsp;* <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/low-country-hero-lee-tobin-mcclain/1128616018?ean=9781335017642" target="_blank">Barnes &amp; Noble</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">~~~oOo~~~</div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>MY REVIEW</b></span><br /><br />I've read a number of books set in South Carolina, that I almost feel at home there.&nbsp; Unfortunately, the O'Dwyer boys (Sean, Cash and Liam) had quite a different experience with the town of Safe Haven.&nbsp; When they were quite young (only Sean was over 10 at the time), they and their mother fled to Safe Haven away from a horribly abusive husband and father.&nbsp; He found them, didn't give a crap about his sons, but dragged the mother off and after assaulting her, left her for dead on the side of the road.&nbsp; So the boys grew up in foster care.<br /><br />Flash forward to the present day, and it seems like history is repeating itself.&nbsp; Anna George is hiding out with her two young daughters, holing up in a seemingly abandoned motel.&nbsp; I say seemingly because Sean happens to be fixing up the place, because the owner wants to reopen the motel for business.<br /><br />It seems like the majority of Safe Haven's citizens have a somewhat similar story to tell.&nbsp; Maybe that is why they seem more accepting of strangers (with little background info) and if something affects one resident, it affects them all.&nbsp; Of course, no small town is complete without a few 'regular commuters of the crazy train', but the other residents seem to have a way of co-ordinating counteraction on the fly, so things rarely get truly out of hand.<br /><br />The unfortunate flip side of most of the residents having had trouble in some sort in their pasts makes it hard for them to trust.&nbsp; It is gratifying to see how Safe Haven helps the mending of lives begin.<br /><br />There is a lot of tension building with various characters during the book, and the not-to-be-missed ending had my heart in my throat.&nbsp;<br /><br />One thing I truly appreciated about Low Country Hero, is Ms. McClain's ability to pair a satisfying ending to one character's part of the story while also indicating that there are still other peoples' paths to be explored.&nbsp; <br /><br />And I want an invite to one of Ma's Friday night dinners!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">~~~oOo~~~</div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>MEET THE AUTHOR</b></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ncpelyl3RQU/XAFoGVoc1II/AAAAAAAAJvw/rOXEvvMgmFoG2MDc1z04zBqFqpZ_-wCnACLcBGAs/s1600/Lee-Tobin-McClain-300x200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ncpelyl3RQU/XAFoGVoc1II/AAAAAAAAJvw/rOXEvvMgmFoG2MDc1z04zBqFqpZ_-wCnACLcBGAs/s1600/Lee-Tobin-McClain-300x200.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.leetobinmcclain.com/" target="_blank">Website</a>&nbsp;* <a href="https://www.facebook.com/leetobinmcclain/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>&nbsp;* <a href="https://twitter.com/LeeTobinMcClain" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lee Tobin McClain read&nbsp;<em>Gone With The Wind</em>&nbsp;in the third grade and has been an incurable romantic ever since. When she’s not writing emotional love stories with happy endings, she’s probably driving around a carload of snarky teen girls, playing with her rescue dog and cat, or teaching aspiring writers in Seton Hill University’s MFA program. She is probably not cleaning her house.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~~~oOo~~~</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ozupGAlkaGI/WHxQhAqK4zI/AAAAAAAAHg8/RR2C0stx144pbLLwHt4GnPnz3vrsJDfWgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/tlc-logo-resized.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="150" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ozupGAlkaGI/WHxQhAqK4zI/AAAAAAAAHg8/RR2C0stx144pbLLwHt4GnPnz3vrsJDfWgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/tlc-logo-resized.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Click on the button above to go to the tour page, where you will find links to more reviews of this title.&nbsp; You can also s<a href="https://tlcbooktours.com/be-a-tour-host/" target="_blank">ign up to become a blog host</a> for future book tours!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(Disclosure:&nbsp; I received a copy of this book from the author and publisher(s) via TLC Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.)</i></div></div>LuAnn @ BackPorchervationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775630749079885915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715948426984829836.post-950098011604866032019-02-19T00:00:00.000-05:002019-02-19T02:42:56.264-05:00Grit & Grace by Suzanne Hadley Gosselin & Gretta Kennedy - #review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7Ds0vfdGfPw/XDgVJtnnX7I/AAAAAAAAJ2A/9jRgHOeMVTYMxR18ckoLZrSoHYM0zXRAwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7Ds0vfdGfPw/XDgVJtnnX7I/AAAAAAAAJ2A/9jRgHOeMVTYMxR18ckoLZrSoHYM0zXRAwCPcBGAYYCw/s320/cover.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">Motherhood Requires Grit and Grace</span></div>New devotional book offers moms of young children encouragement and spiritual nourishment<br /><br />&nbsp;Eugene, OR — Being a mom is one of the most rewarding experiences a woman can have, but motherhood also has its share of challenges physically, mentally, emotionally and even spiritually. Even if a woman has read all the parenting books and received sage advice from other moms, until she becomes a mom she won’t truly understand the responsibility and challenges that come with the title. For the overwhelmed mamas who think they’ll never live up to the Supermoms around them, Suzanne Hadley Gosselin and Gretta Kennedy, authors of Grit &amp; Grace: Devotions for Warrior Moms (Harvest House Publishers/February 12, 2019/ISBN: 978-0736976244/ $16.99), want to offer encouragement and assurance they are not alone.<br /><br />From firsthand experience, Gosselin and Kennedy share about the rigors and joys of being a mom. Elbow deep in the grind of diapers, laundry and peanut butter sandwiches, moms may find themselves struggling in the day-to-day challenges of parenting. “Having grit is pushing through the hard stuff of motherhood with determination and laser-focus on the end goal of raising children who love and serve Jesus,” Kennedy explains. “Having grace means realizing that God offers you peace, rest and help in this season. Also, as you give yourself grace, you will find you have even more grace to give yourself and your kids from the One who is present in your life right now.”<br /><br />Grit and Grace is a refreshing collection of 90 daily devotions written by two moms who have found themselves desperately in need of encouragement. They hope to offer reassurance and hope to other moms. “When I was in the throes of raising three young children, one day it occurred to me that I was depleted in every way, but especially spiritually,” Gosselin says. “As a pastor’s wife, I had many spiritual resources easily accessible to me, and yet I was still struggling. That was a big problem, because in this season of raising young children I really needed Jesus, arguably more than ever.”<br /><br />It was around this time that Gosselin and Kennedy, former college roommates, started comparing notes over the phone. Gosselin was beginning to realize that God uses the years of early motherhood to teach moms so many wonderful truths through their children. She wanted to share these lessons with other moms. While Kennedy’s children were past the pre-school stage, she felt God was laying it on her heart to minister to younger moms as well. God gave them the same vision to provide digestible devotions to encourage moms of young children, which led to the concept of Grit &amp; Grace.<br /><br />Through humor and vulnerability, the authors deliver short messages of truth to help moms embrace God’s calling on their lives to raise children who love and serve him. The authors understand the challenges of finding quiet time to spend in the Word, and have written the devotionals with that in mind. Reading the Scripture and prayer that accompany each day’s message will help the reader discover more fully who she is in Christ and how important she is to her children and family. The authors cover topics such as perfectionism, comparison, joy, gratefulness, fear, rejection, weariness, calling, tenacity and hope.<br /><br />“We wrote Grit &amp; Grace for moms of young children,” Gosselin says. “We’re looking at the season that encompasses babies, toddlers and early elementary school. If they have multiple children, a lot of mamas are navigating all of these stages at once. While the stories focus on the young children years, the truths from God’s Word apply to mamas at all stages. We have had Grandmas comment that they feel encouraged to show greater intentionality toward their grandchildren.”<br /><br />The authors hope readers will feel encouraged and empowered that God has chosen them for their specific children because they are called to this. Fellow Grit &amp; Grace Warrior Moms can connect with the authors and fellow readers to share about all aspects of motherhood on Facebook (gritandgracemoms), Twitter (Gritandgracemom) and Instagram (@gritandgracemoms).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;~~~oOo~~~</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> What Moms Are Saying</span></div><br />“LOVING it so far! I feel like I’m linking arms with you both and you’re helping me lift my eyes beyond the trenches of motherhood and onto Jesus.”<br />~ Jennifer Hess, Mom<br /><br />“This book is awesome! I have had the privilege to read a copy ahead of its release. It speaks to my soul. It is about identity and heart, not about how to do it all right. A breath of fresh air and a lifeline.”<br />~ Kelly Larson, Mom<br /><br />“This is wonderful! So very right where young moms struggle—and rich with wisdom. I love the immediate launch into identity as well as your story of “not rockin’ this role of mom.” I pray that thousands of moms discover this treasure—and, even more—discover the riches available in Jesus.”<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>~&nbsp; Diane Comer, author of Raising Passionate Jesus Followers: The Power of Intentional Parenting<br /><br />“You know spending time in the Word will help you be a better mom, but you seriously cannot imagine adding one more task to your day. Reading Grit and Grace won’t feel like one more thing to do. Rather you’ll look forward to each encounter with Suzanne and Gretta as they help you keep your eyes on Christ amidst the highs and lows of motherhood.”<br />~ Rhonda Stoppe, Author of Moms Raising Sons to Be Men<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>My Review</i></b></span><br /><br />Somewhere during or before the first devotional, I started...well, crying.&nbsp; I could recognize elements of myself on every page and thought, "Wow.&nbsp; These ladies really get it!"<br /><br />When I started reading the devotionals, I thought to myself, "Well, I've had tons of the gritty side of motherhood, but would like to know more about this grace business!" *lol* It took a while for me to realize that the grace is always there.&nbsp; Maybe sometimes the grit gets in our eyes, and we are unable for a time to see the grace.<br /><br />It is so very inspirational and comforting to know that there is no SuperMom, not even the near-mythical "Proverbs 31 Woman".&nbsp; Everybody has good days, and every mom has days...well, that she might like to have a do-over.&nbsp; Each devotional is a cool drink of water in the middle of a desert, an idea to remind us we are not alone in this journey - there are other moms in our towns, cities and neighborhoods, and of course, God is there every single moment.<br /><br />This one is staying nearby on my desk or nightstand.&nbsp; I never know when I'll need a little nudge in the right direction, and I hope to tackle motherhood with "Grit and Grace" in the future.<br /><br /><br />About the Authors<br /><br />Suzanne Hadley Gosselin and Gretta Kennedy first met as roommates at Multnomah University. They are quick to admit they did not like each other when they first met due to opposite personalities. However, they worked out their differences and became best friends who roomed together for all four years of college. Two decades later, during a phone conversation, they realized God was laying on their hearts the desire to write a devotional for moms of young children to encourage and strengthen them in their role as mothers. It was then the idea for Grit &amp; Grace: Devotions for Warrior Moms was born.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I_gbroylFv4/XGutS6jFmoI/AAAAAAAAJ4o/KzsUVdkU7_kH1ZHhTzpCIJPd_bLjDniXQCLcBGAs/s1600/Suzanne%2BGosselin%2BPK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I_gbroylFv4/XGutS6jFmoI/AAAAAAAAJ4o/KzsUVdkU7_kH1ZHhTzpCIJPd_bLjDniXQCLcBGAs/s320/Suzanne%2BGosselin%2BPK.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Suzanne Hadley Gosselin is a regular writer and editor for Focus on the Family and David C Cook and previously served as an editor for Clubhouse and Clubhouse Jr. Gosselin has written books for Zondervan, Harvest House and Tyndale and is the author of Expectant Parents: Preparing Together for the Journey of Parenthood.<br /><br />Gosselin lives in Bakersfield, CA with her husband, Kevin, and four children. The family enjoys escaping to the ocean.<br /><br />Learn more about Gosselin at www.suzannegosselin.com. She can also be found on Facebook (suzannegosselinauthor), Twitter (@gosselinsh) and Instagram (@suzannegosselin).<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lHv0izcfKnQ/XGutAX34yLI/AAAAAAAAJ4g/hRfARm8TLj45kwzhj4TUQXoZDXiVbpUjwCLcBGAs/s1600/Gretta%2BKennedy%2BPK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lHv0izcfKnQ/XGutAX34yLI/AAAAAAAAJ4g/hRfARm8TLj45kwzhj4TUQXoZDXiVbpUjwCLcBGAs/s320/Gretta%2BKennedy%2BPK.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Gretta Kennedy is a speaker, mentor and writer with a degree in women’s ministry from Multnomah University and over 20 years of ministry experience. She passionately supports her husband, Jay, and his fulltime camp ministry. They are raising their three children on Vancouver Island and report their adventures on the travel blog Traveling Islanders.<br /><br />Grit &amp; Grace is her first book.<br /><br />Keep up with the Kennedy family’s adventures at www.travelingislanders.com and on Facebook (travelingislanders), Twitter (@traveislanders) and Instagram (@travelingislanders).<br /><br /><br />Fellow Grit &amp; Grace Warrior Moms can connect on Facebook (gritandgracemoms), Twitter (Gritandgracemom) and Instagram (@gritandgracemoms).<br /><div><br /></div></div>LuAnn @ BackPorchervationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775630749079885915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715948426984829836.post-38991888498055055442019-02-16T12:30:00.000-05:002019-02-16T12:30:09.635-05:00Parabellum by Jack Nanuq - #bookblitz<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--CFX3wVpBhM/XFhU_mstlzI/AAAAAAAATi4/f4mbcO88K_YUmNy1Tn6KAButA-PPmCKwQCLcBGAs/s1600/Blitz%2BBanner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="475" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--CFX3wVpBhM/XFhU_mstlzI/AAAAAAAATi4/f4mbcO88K_YUmNy1Tn6KAButA-PPmCKwQCLcBGAs/s1600/Blitz%2BBanner.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="color: #990000;"><a href="http://www.lovingthebook.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="173" data-original-width="640" height="107" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HC6aKKm6rBA/Wqe8_aHnLxI/AAAAAAAAR08/sFByPO5Y9WsdP0-iVzobPwochwG9RuCRwCLcBGAs/s400/Banner%2BTrial.jpg" width="400" /></a></b></div><span style="color: #990000;"><b></b></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">JACK NANUQ currently makes his living as a Private Investigator; hence the nom de guerre (and no profile photo). Prior to this occupation, he lived the nine lives of a cat. He has been a teacher, police officer, park ranger, equipment operator, freight handler and even a ranch hand.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">He has lived and worked in Egypt, Alaska, Oregon and New York (the State, not the City). He has snorkeled in the Red Sea. Slept on the Nile River and under the Northern Lights (but not at the same time). Walked among grizzlies, ridden his bike under the midnight sun, climbed Mt St Helens, and even jumped out of a perfectly good airplane.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">He and his wife currently live on a small farm near Albany, NY. They share this property with three dogs, three cats, a handful of chickens and two peacocks. He enjoys outdoor activities, writing, Tae Kwon Do and teaching self-defense.&nbsp;&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="color: #990000;"><b></b></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div b2020="" color:="" style="border: 5px ridge; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 5px; width: 620.341px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lHOYXTHsVaQ/Wqe8_WxwWLI/AAAAAAAAR1A/AakkfB9r5KcbLSsVKxf_3IcCjCRtE8ceACLcBGAs/s1600/Connect%2Bwith%2Bthe%2BAuthor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="81" data-original-width="191" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lHOYXTHsVaQ/Wqe8_WxwWLI/AAAAAAAAR1A/AakkfB9r5KcbLSsVKxf_3IcCjCRtE8ceACLcBGAs/s1600/Connect%2Bwith%2Bthe%2BAuthor.jpg" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;"><b>&nbsp;&nbsp;</b></span><br /><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;">~&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/l/B07MLMG7YV?_encoding=UTF8&amp;redirectedFromKindleDbs=true&amp;ref_=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1&amp;rfkd=1&amp;shoppingPortalEnabled=true" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Amazon</span></a></span></b><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;">&nbsp;~</span></b><br /><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></b></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.lovingthebook.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="173" data-original-width="640" height="107" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5q8joHCHmuo/Wqe8_bLG6pI/AAAAAAAAR04/Ug439BwJKu8Pi5SjQtOgVM4JeB_HDgMdQCLcBGAs/s400/About%2BThe%2BBook.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: &quot;calibri&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">How does a POW become a spy? And why? And what the hell is a GALCO? These are only a few of the questions Carson Nowak needs answers to.</span></i><span style="font-family: &quot;calibri&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: &quot;calibri&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mQ8Y8n3OEwQ/XFhU_630cGI/AAAAAAAATi8/dsLGz7IE_rwsx35GZzdeNuSj3kEf3n48QCLcBGAs/s1600/facebook%2Bcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="742" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mQ8Y8n3OEwQ/XFhU_630cGI/AAAAAAAATi8/dsLGz7IE_rwsx35GZzdeNuSj3kEf3n48QCLcBGAs/s400/facebook%2Bcover.jpg" width="308" /></a><span style="font-size: 14pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;">Carson Nowak is a CIA contractor like none you’ve ever met before.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;">&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;">Shortly after George W Bush is elected president Carson is tasked with retrieving a trunk load of documents.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;">&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;">The order comes not from the Agency or even the President; but a higher authority, his Nana.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;">&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;">In addition to the documents, the trunk contains a war relic that is tied to a mysterious death just before D-Day.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;">&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;">Tracing the provenance behind this relic triggers a chain of events that not only unlocks Carson’s family history but garners the interest of a South American hit squad. Carson must navigate the challenges of protecting his family, maintaining his business, ensuring the safety of a refugee developing a revolutionary weapons system, and deal with an infuriating curmudgeon.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;">&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;">Along the way, he falls in love.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;">&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;">To navigate these challenges he must enlist the help of a pencil-thin code breaker, a claustrophobic corpsman and a Haitian nurse.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;">&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div b2020="" color:="" style="border: 5px ridge; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 5px; width: 620.341px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-upWvXxvH6yE/Wqe9AmN4fKI/AAAAAAAAR1k/Q38lNBo9Ok8HVzCzMnBEvj1iGYjCSZk7gCEwYBhgL/s1600/but%2Bnow%2Btrial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="81" data-original-width="191" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-upWvXxvH6yE/Wqe9AmN4fKI/AAAAAAAAR1k/Q38lNBo9Ok8HVzCzMnBEvj1iGYjCSZk7gCEwYBhgL/s1600/but%2Bnow%2Btrial.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #b2020;"><span style="color: #b2020;"><b><span style="color: #b2020;"><b><span style="color: #990000;"><b><span style="color: #990000;"><b></b></span></b></span></b></span></b></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">~&nbsp;</span><a href="https://geni.us/qpES" style="font-size: xx-large;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Universal Amazon Link</span></a><span style="font-size: x-large;">&nbsp;</span></span></span><b style="color: #990000; font-size: xx-large;">~</b><b style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;">&nbsp;</b><br /><b style="color: #990000;">&nbsp;</b><b style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;">&nbsp;</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SsWyyTGzOTA/WqpY7LwvxdI/AAAAAAAASAs/_GLaDXK6eNEQdvaVk3olWYrH-DScS1VuwCLcBGAs/s1600/Extras.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="173" data-original-width="640" height="107" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SsWyyTGzOTA/WqpY7LwvxdI/AAAAAAAASAs/_GLaDXK6eNEQdvaVk3olWYrH-DScS1VuwCLcBGAs/s400/Extras.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Snippet:</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Carson Nowak navigated the minefield that was his great-grandmother’s attic; careful to step where the random boards were nailed to the joists. The dry-rotted flooring had the structural integrity of toilet paper. No need to crash through the ceiling; that would really set her off. Moldy boxes, piles of clothes and garish Christmas decorations, all covered in layers of dust and pigeon shit, further complicated the task. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">He glanced at the map, drawn on the back of a piece of junk mail. The queen of recycling, Nana never threw anything away without finding at least a second use for it. He spotted the old tarp. The steamer trunk should be under that mess. Carson sighed, “Any farther away and it would have been in the neighbor’s house.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">What the hell am I doing?</span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> he thought. Carson had tried to talk her out of this fool’s errand, but she insisted it be brought downstairs. When he showed reluctance, she screamed at him in the four languages she knew best. Then in the one she knew the least; English.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div b2020="" color:="" style="border: 5px ridge; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 5px; width: 620.341px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/LovingtheBook/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="81" data-original-width="191" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cLqQGu54q1c/Wqe8_7iW3kI/AAAAAAAAR1E/c5e8vqm8z4UqxK8FLU3P3g8G9PRoIEamwCLcBGAs/s1600/Event%2BPage.jpg" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><b style="text-align: center;">To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/277728769573835/"><span style="color: #990000;">Official Event page</span></a>&nbsp;</b><br /><b style="text-align: center;"><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div></div><span style="color: #990000;"><b></b></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; transparent-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><a href="http://www.lovingthebook.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="173" data-original-width="640" height="107" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mdl-cX2Z1kQ/Wqe9ATqUcRI/AAAAAAAAR1Q/qTjk-ygVXeIo9dNVOTYJBxxaD6VMHLMcACLcBGAs/s400/Give%2BAway.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a class="rcptr" data-raflid="330006f8420" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/330006f8420/" id="rcwidget_wtamj1t6" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a> <script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.lovingthebook.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="475" height="105" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UXJEl65SWYs/WqpXb69icDI/AAAAAAAASAg/ppobw8BvaHUiBvKNulYbSBXJLUJVtiXzgCLcBGAs/s200/Bottom%2BBanner.jpg" width="200" /></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><br /></div>LuAnn @ BackPorchervationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775630749079885915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715948426984829836.post-47438063900909665902019-02-06T05:00:00.000-05:002019-03-06T05:17:57.349-05:00Secrets at Cedar Cabin by Colleen Coble - #review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vJJG4uoMLHE/XAFiI3S6WUI/AAAAAAAAJvY/d_rJ5liBKS8OdDattD-uZKKNjW0KCFFJgCLcBGAs/s1600/Secrets-at-Cedar-Cabin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="334" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vJJG4uoMLHE/XAFiI3S6WUI/AAAAAAAAJvY/d_rJ5liBKS8OdDattD-uZKKNjW0KCFFJgCLcBGAs/s320/Secrets-at-Cedar-Cabin.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b>Hardcover:</b>&nbsp;352 Pages<br /><br /><b>Publisher:</b>&nbsp;Thomas Nelson (January 22, 2019)<br /><br /><b>From&nbsp;<em>USA TODAY&nbsp;</em>bestselling author Colleen Coble comes the third book in her beloved Lavender Tides series.</b><br /><br />Her mother lied about her identity and her husband wasn’t who she thought he was—can Bailey even trust&nbsp;<em>herself</em>&nbsp;anymore?<br /><br />Running for her life in the wake of her mother’s murder, Bailey Fleming escapes to the only place she can think of—a remote, dilapidated cabin in Lavender Tides. Intending to finally get to the truth behind the lies of her past, Bailey only finds more questions when bodies are discovered near her cabin hideout along with traces of a dangerous human trafficking ring. In an unlikely partnership with FBI agent Lance Phoenix, Bailey races to understand the mystery surrounding her life and circumstances before the murderer tracks her down.<br /><br />Meanwhile, Lance is determined to rescue his sister, Ava, who was abducted after running away from home as a teenager. An unexpected lead brings him to the remote cabin, and he wonders if Bailey—with her suspicious past and strange connections to his sister’s case—is really who she claims to be and if she can somehow lead him to Ava.<br /><br />Filled with Colleen Coble’s custom blend of suspense and romance,&nbsp;<em>Secrets at Cedar Cabin&nbsp;</em>takes us back to the evocative landscape of Washington’s coast where nothing is quite as it seems.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38915866-secrets-at-cedar-cabin?ac=1&amp;from_search=true" target="_blank">GoodReads</a>&nbsp;* <a href="https://tlcbooktours.com/2018/11/colleen-coble-author-of-secrets-at-cedar-cabin-on-tour-january-february-2019/%E2%80%9Chttps://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Cedar-Cabin-Lavender-Tides/dp/0718085868/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=1540501308&amp;sr=8-1%22" target="_blank">Amazon</a>&nbsp;* <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Secrets-Cedar-Cabin/Colleen-Coble/9780718085865?id=6979887448832" target="_blank">Books-a-Million</a>&nbsp;* <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/secrets-at-cedar-cabin-colleen-coble/1128128096?ean=9780718085841#/" target="_blank">Barnes &amp; Noble</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">~~~oOo~~~</div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>MY REVIEW</b></span><br /><br />Oh my goodness, I feel for Bailey, lied to by the two most important people in her life, her husband and her mother.&nbsp; Then, a nice remote cabin can be a nice place to relax, but it's also scary as all get out at night.&nbsp; Remote though it may be, it doesn't really serve Bailey's need to hide, because there are things out in the woods in the middle of the night, including the FBI.<br /><br />One of the things I like best about the author's writing is her ability to keep the romance clean and the suspense set on high.&nbsp; It's a tough balance to strike, but Ms. Coble gets it just right.<br /><br />Lance, the 'FBI guy', have to learn to trust each other, at a time when neither are predisposed to trusting anyone but themselves.&nbsp; Bailey's troubles we already knew (mother and husband lied, mother killed, B on the run from the killer), but Lance adds his own layer to that as well.&nbsp; The reason that he's out there in the wilderness is because his sister ran away some years ago and was forced into a human trafficking system.<br /><br />Another thing the author 'gets right' (IMO) is in wrapping up the story.&nbsp; When the tale ends too abruptly, I get almost a little let-down.&nbsp; Trust me, no worries about that here.&nbsp; To use a foodie metaphor,&nbsp; the meal of "Secrets" was full and satisfying, but there's still a 'lee-tle' room for dessert.<br /><br />Be sure to catch the two prior installments to this Lavender Tides series, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34460566-the-view-from-rainshadow-bay" target="_blank">The View from Rainshadow Bay</a>, and&nbsp; <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36576046-the-house-at-saltwater-point" target="_blank">The House at Saltwater Point</a>.&nbsp; There's also a novella in the series, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38915925-leaving-lavender-tides" target="_blank">Leaving Lavender Ties</a>.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">~~~oOo~~~</div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>MEET THE AUTHOR</b></span><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="265" data-original-width="205" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i7gagLwz5X0/XAFiJybzDxI/AAAAAAAAJvc/auoGdAJHrjgiYh_B_0p8szT6wSd-tTXWACLcBGAs/s1600/colleen-coble-headshot-small.jpg" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://colleencoble.com/" target="_blank">Website</a>&nbsp;* <a href="https://www.facebook.com/colleencoblebooks" target="_blank">Facebook</a>&nbsp;* <a href="https://twitter.com/colleencoble" target="_blank">Twitter</a>&nbsp;* <a href="https://www.instagram.com/colleencoble/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Best-selling romantic suspense author Colleen Coble’s novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, the ACFW Carol Award, the Romance Writers of America RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers’ Choice, and the Booksellers Best. She has nearly 4&nbsp;million books in print and writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Colleen is CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers. She lives with her husband Dave in Indiana.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">~~~oOo~~~</div><div><center> <a href="https://tlcbooktours.com/2018/11/colleen-coble-author-of-secrets-at-cedar-cabin-on-tour-january-february-2019/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="150" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ozupGAlkaGI/WHxQhAqK4zI/AAAAAAAAHg8/RR2C0stx144pbLLwHt4GnPnz3vrsJDfWgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/tlc-logo-resized.png" /></a></center><center> </center><center> Click the button above to go to the tour page, where you will find links to more reviews of this title.&nbsp; You can also find out how to <a href="https://tlcbooktours.com/be-a-tour-host/" target="_blank">become a host for future book blog tours</a> while you are there!</center><center> </center><center> <i>(Disclosure:&nbsp; I received a copy of this book from the author and publisher(s) via TLC Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.)</i></center></div></div>LuAnn @ BackPorchervationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775630749079885915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715948426984829836.post-269940564825458132019-01-30T07:30:00.000-05:002019-02-06T03:54:49.423-05:00Mercy by John W. Mefford - #review #giveaway<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JNJ4VGC" rel="nofollow" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img height="400" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4817/46211765892_c4948a239f.jpg" width="266" /></a><b><span style="font-size: large;">NEW RELEASE....</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"> The torment builds and builds and builds….&nbsp;</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b> <b><span style="font-size: large;">He can't deny it.&nbsp;</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b> <b><span style="font-size: large;">But in what form will the pressure erupt?&nbsp;</span></b><br /><br />Cooper Chain isn't just down on his luck -- he's almost down for the count. The mob wants a piece of him, and he sees no way out.<br /><br />It's a special week for Willow Ball, a woman who's survived her own tribulations to reach this milestone in her life.<br /><br />Through fate -- or a temporary misalignment of the stars -- Willow and Cooper cross paths for the first time since college. Will an unexpected spark re-ignite the flame?<br /><br />A shattering discovery changes everything for Willow and Cooper. The murder is unlike any other. But what will the cops do about it?<br /><br />Attacks ensure, chaos ruptures a family . . . Through it all, how can Willow and Cooper find the killer?<br /><br />But it's not over. As the bodies pile up, a pattern develops and it rocks Willow and Cooper to the core.<br /><br />And then someone emerges after a three-decade disappearance. Could he be connected to this string of murders?<br /><br />The past might provide the breadcrumbs to end this nightmare. But Willow and Cooper may not live long enough to see it through.<br /><br />Will mercy save a life or end many?<br /><br /><b>Get <i>MERCY</i> now!&nbsp;</b><br /><br />If you're a fan of Michael Connelly's <b>Ballard and Bosch</b>, David Baldacci's <b>King and Maxwell</b>, Tess Gerritsen's <b>Rizzoli and Isles</b>, and the TV show "<b>Castle</b>," then you'll be sucked into this first, page-turning Ball &amp; Chain thriller.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><b>Available to buy from....</b></b><br /><b><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JNJ4VGC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Amazon.com</span></a> &nbsp; <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07JNJ4VGC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Amazon.co.uk</span></a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://smarturl.it/MercyA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">&nbsp;<span style="color: black;">Paperback</span></a></b> </b><br /><b><br /></b><b>~~~oOo~~~</b><br /><b><br /></b><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">MY REVIEW</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</b>I usually read mystery novels.&nbsp; I don't think I could pick a better book than <i class="">Mercy</i>&nbsp; by John W. Mefford by to foray once more into the thriller genre.&nbsp; This is definitely a walk on the wild side of life!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">What first drew me in, before I knew anything about the book, were the surnames of the main characters:&nbsp; Ball, and Chain.&nbsp; I love punny titles and appreciate writers who play wildly with words while writing.&nbsp; I then jumped into the deep end of the story, which opens up with a serial killer on the prowl.&nbsp; Shorly afterwards we are introduced to the main characters.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Cooper Chain is a writer whose life has gone severely downhill since his college days.&nbsp; He's currently on the run from some loan shark muscle.&nbsp; Coop also works for minimum wage in a local bookstore / bar joint.&nbsp; He's got one week to magically come up with $50,000.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Willow Ball has had her own difficulties since she and Cooper were an item in college.&nbsp; But things seem to be getting better for her.&nbsp; She's engaged to Harvey and her wedding is fast approaching.&nbsp; Harvey gave her a Mercedes as a present.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Mercy is told from several points of view: Cooper's, Willow's and one criminally insane serial killer who could give Hannibal Lecter a run for his money.&nbsp; Our heroes kind of 'run into' the killer while checking on Willow's cousin, who is also one of her bridesmaids.&nbsp; Unfortunately for the cousin, she won't be able to complete her wedding duties.&nbsp; Coop and Will don't find that out for a short while, because they are busy fighting for their lives, literally, with a killer who does not like being interrupted.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The jumps in points of view seem almost a little disjointed at first, until I recognized the pattern from the movie Pulp Fiction.&nbsp; The switching back and forth, I think, adds to the uncertainty that fuels a great thriller.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This was my first experience with a book by Mefford.&nbsp; It will not be the last.&nbsp; I just hope my bookshelves will hold up under the weight of all the new TBR-list books!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">~~~oOo~~~</div><br /><b>Readers are saying…&nbsp; </b><br /><i>"MERCY is full of suspense and sass. An exciting, mind-blowing adventure."&nbsp;</i><br /><i><br /></i> <i>&nbsp;"Willow Ball and Cooper Chain are flawed and funny, yet so very real in how they deal with the heart-pounding curve balls."&nbsp;</i><br /><i><br /></i> <i>&nbsp;"You'll be enthralled by the gripping story, and you'll laugh out loud from the snarky interactions between Willow and Cooper. I hope this is the first of many killer Ball &amp; Chain adventures."&nbsp;</i><br /><i><br /></i> <i>&nbsp;"The most original new thriller series out there!" </i><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>About the Author</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.johnwmefford.com/" rel="nofollow" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5569/15042654632_b503e14d47_o.jpg" width="178" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Amazon #1 Bestselling Author, #2 bestselling author on Barnes and Noble, and a Readers' Favorite Gold Medal winner.<br /><br />John W. Mefford has been writing his debut novel since he first entered the work force almost thirty years ago, although he never put words on paper until 2009. Once he started writing, however, he couldn't stop. Many readers ask John from where he gets his ideas. Well, he's a veteran of the corporate rat-race, a former journalist, and he's always been an astute observer of human and social behavior. On top of that, he's really good at embellishing.<br /><br />A member of International Thriller Writers, John writes novels full of electrifying suspense -- the same types of books he has loved to read since before he could shave.<br /><br />When he’s not writing, he chases his youth on bike or a basketball court, all while making mental<br />notes of people and societies across the land.</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Find the author on the following sites...</b><br /><b>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.johnwmefford.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Website</span></a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/JohnWMeffordAuthor" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Facebook</span></a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/jwmefford" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Twitter</span></a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/105968182028765217293/posts" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Google+</span></a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5308409.John_W_Mefford" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Goodreads</span></a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/john-w-mefford" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Bookbub</span></a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://www.amazon.com/John-W.-Mefford/e/B0062PGVP0/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Amazon Author Page</span></a></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><br /><a href="https://beckvalleybooks.blogspot.com/2018/12/mercy-ball-chain-thriller-book-1-ball.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img height="225" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4903/45358507895_a121b1807f.jpg" width="482" /></a><br />Follow the tour<br /><!-- start InLinkz script --> <script src="https://www.inlinkz.com/cs.php?id=809843" type="text/javascript"></script> <!-- end InLinkz script --> <a href="http://www.inlinkz.com/new/linkuptool.php?refId=11630&amp;utm_source=user_ref&amp;utm_medium=banner_img&amp;utm_campaign=referral" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="InLinkz"><img border="0" src="https://www.inlinkz.com/new/images/logo.png" style="vertical-align: middle;" /></a><br /><a href="http://beckvalleybooks.blogspot.co.uk/p/book-reviews-and-tours.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img alt="018836-glossy-silver-icon-symbols-shapes-square-2" border="0" height="150" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2911/33529926010_2b427cd144_o.png" width="150" /></a><br />I have volunteered to share my review and all the opinions are 100% my own.<br /><b><br /></b><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY</b></span></div><div style="color: #666666; text-align: center;"><a href="http://giveaways.johnwmefford.com/giveaways/mercy-giveaway/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img height="314" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1903/45538604024_c82fa5e505.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Win MERCY by John W Mefford&nbsp;ebook</b><br /><b>3 Winners!!</b><br />Ending on Sunday 10th February at 11.59pm CST</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Open Worldwide</b><br /><b><br /></b> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Enter<a href="http://giveaways.johnwmefford.com/giveaways/mercy-giveaway/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;"> HERE</span></a></b></span><br /><br /><b>Good Luck !!</b></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="color: #666666;">Are you a book reviewer or book blogger? Join our book tours reviewers team -&nbsp;</span><a href="http://eepurl.com/due-KD" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">Apply Here</span></a><span style="color: #666666;">&nbsp;x</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="color: #666666;">Current book tours open for sign ups&nbsp;</span><a href="http://bit.ly/1sBu6HN" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">HERE</span></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://beckvalleybooks.blogspot.co.uk/p/book-reviews-and-tours.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KmDqK6W7tL4/V-5XKKoTXwI/AAAAAAAAsAE/6PPoPJR15xQYf-WjFdNLkam4M7q6EPZ0QCLcB/s400/beck%2Bvalley%2Bbooks%2Bbadge%2Bfull%2Bsize.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /></div></div></div>LuAnn @ BackPorchervationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775630749079885915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715948426984829836.post-31490415492003934202019-01-25T22:30:00.000-05:002019-01-25T22:30:17.910-05:00How the Light Gets in by Jolina Petersheim - #review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IkrIB5SINZE/XAFdSc91VOI/AAAAAAAAJvE/i89961mJxQQfJDiJVP8YX7LAlF-kgN6bACLcBGAs/s1600/how-the-light-gets-in.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IkrIB5SINZE/XAFdSc91VOI/AAAAAAAAJvE/i89961mJxQQfJDiJVP8YX7LAlF-kgN6bACLcBGAs/s320/how-the-light-gets-in.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b>Hardcover:</b>&nbsp;400 Pages<br /><br /><b>Publisher:&nbsp;Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (March 5, 2019)</b><br /><br /><b>“Compellingly woven by Jolina Petersheim’s capable pen,&nbsp;<i>How the Light Gets In</i>&nbsp;follows a trail of grief toward healing, leading to an impossible choice–what is best when every path will hurt someone?” –Lisa Wingate,&nbsp;<i>New York Times</i>&nbsp;bestselling author of&nbsp;<i>Before We Were Yours</i></b><br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br />From the highly acclaimed author of&nbsp;<i>The Outcast</i>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<i>The Alliance</i>&nbsp;comes an engrossing novel about marriage and motherhood, loss and moving on.<br /><br />When Ruth Neufeld’s husband and father-in-law are killed working for a relief organization overseas, she travels to Wisconsin with her young daughters and mother-in-law Mabel to bury her husband. She hopes the Mennonite community will be a quiet place to grieve and piece together next steps.<br /><br />Ruth and her family are welcomed by Elam, her husband’s cousin, who invites them to stay at his cranberry farm through the harvest. Sifting through fields of berries and memories of a marriage that was broken long before her husband died, Ruth finds solace in the beauty of the land and healing through hard work and budding friendship. She also encounters the possibility of new love with Elam, whose gentle encouragement awakens hopes and dreams she thought she’d lost forever. But an unexpected twist threatens to unseat the happy ending Ruth is about to write for herself. On the precipice of a fresh start and a new marriage, Ruth must make an impossible decision: which path to choose if her husband isn’t dead after all.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40637471-how-the-light-gets-in?ac=1&amp;from_search=true" target="_blank">GoodReads</a>&nbsp;* <a href="https://www.amazon.com/How-Light-Gets-Jolina-Petersheim/dp/149643417X/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=1539802748&amp;sr=8-6" target="_blank">Amazon</a>&nbsp;* <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/How-Light-Gets/Jolina-Petersheim/9781496402233?id=6979887448832" target="_blank">Books-a-Million</a>&nbsp;* <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-the-light-gets-in-jolina-petersheim/1129055523?ean=9781496402233" target="_blank">Barnes &amp; Noble</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">~~~oOo~~~</div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>MY REVIEW</b></span><br /><br />I know there's a lot of Amish fiction about, but you don't see too much Mennonite fiction, and since we have a congregation just down the road, I was already interested even before I opened the book.<br /><br />I had a lot of empathy for Ruth.&nbsp; Her marriage had been on the back burner of things due to her husband's career and her involvement with the two small children at home alone most of the time, the couple kind of drifted away from each other.&nbsp; I think many of us can relate to that; marriage takes work, that's for sure.<br /><br />Then her husband is killed in a hospital bombing overseas, and Ruth is left to pick up the pieces for herself and her two young daughters.&nbsp; It would be tough to be surrounded by your deceased spouse's family and around none of your own - and I understand that as well.<br /><br />It was nice to see Ruth and Mabel, her mother-in-law, draw closer to each other after the tragedy. Often the MIL relationship is contentious, but I liked how Ms. Petersheim bucked that trend.&nbsp;<br /><br />And most people, outside of soap operas and similar shows, wouldn't get hot and heavy with their deceased spouse's cousin so quickly after the funeral.&nbsp; Well, Ruth and Elam didn't either, and I thought their awkward attempts at trying to talk themselves out of this growing attraction, being so soon after the burial was particularly well handled.<br /><br />There was a twist toward the end that endangered Ruth and Elam's HEA, and I felt the tiniest bit deflated, but quickly recovered.&nbsp; I had had no inkling whatsoever that things would turn out the way they did...and that's a good thing!<br /><br /><i>How the Light Gets In</i> is a fresh and witty clean romantic suspense that will draw you into a little town in Wisconsin.&nbsp; I remember finishing the book shortly after 6:30 am one morning, closing it, and had myself a good cry.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">~~~oOo~~~</div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>MEET THE AUTHOR</b></span><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dxy6r9QLk5Y/XAFdTIKK3XI/AAAAAAAAJvI/ONHVj7VW524JKMijVhF2Ejvb4zmyV62fgCLcBGAs/s1600/Jolina-Petersheim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="133" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dxy6r9QLk5Y/XAFdTIKK3XI/AAAAAAAAJvI/ONHVj7VW524JKMijVhF2Ejvb4zmyV62fgCLcBGAs/s1600/Jolina-Petersheim.jpg" /></a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://jolinapetersheim.com/" target="_blank">Website</a>&nbsp;* <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jolina.petersheim" target="_blank">Facebook</a>&nbsp;* <a href="https://twitter.com/Jolina_Joy" target="_blank">Twitter</a>&nbsp;* <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jolinapetersheimauthor/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Jolina Petersheim is the highly acclaimed author of The Divide, The Alliance, The Midwife, and The Outcast, which Library Journal called “outstanding . . . fresh and inspirational” in a starred review and named one of the best books of 2013. That book also became an ECPA, CBA, and Amazon bestseller and was featured in Huffington Post’s Fall Picks, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and the Tennessean. CBA Retailers + Resources called her second book, The Midwife, “an excellent read [that] will be hard to put down,” and Booklist selected The Alliance as one of their Top 10 Inspirational Fiction Titles for 2016. The Alliance was also a finalist for the 2017 Christy Award in the Visionary category. The sequel to The Alliance, The Divide, won the 2018 INSPY Award for Speculative Fiction. Jolina’s non-fiction writing has been featured in Reader’s Digest, Writer’s Digest, Today’s Christian Woman, and Proverbs 31 Ministries. She and her husband share the same unique Amish and Mennonite heritage that originated in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, but they now live in the mountains of Tennessee with their three young daughters. Jolina’s fifth novel,&nbsp;<em>How the Light Gets In</em>, a modern retelling of Ruth set in a cranberry bog in Wisconsin, releases March 2019.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">~~~oOo~~~</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://tlcbooktours.com/2018/11/jolina-petersheim-author-of-how-the-light-gets-in-on-tour-january-2019/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="150" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ozupGAlkaGI/WHxQhAqK4zI/AAAAAAAAHg8/RR2C0stx144pbLLwHt4GnPnz3vrsJDfWgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/tlc-logo-resized.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Click the button to go to the tour page, where you will find links to more reviews of this title.&nbsp; You can also <a href="https://tlcbooktours.com/be-a-tour-host/" target="_blank">sign up to host future book tours</a> while you are there!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>(Disclosure:&nbsp; I received a copy of this book from the author and publisher(s) via TLC Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.)</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><b> </b></div>LuAnn @ BackPorchervationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775630749079885915noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715948426984829836.post-46196035148647715282019-01-11T16:00:00.000-05:002019-01-11T16:00:10.128-05:00Tajael by Alisa Woods - #review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36045994-tajael" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Tajael (Fallen Angels #1)" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1502806863m/36045994.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36045994-tajael">Tajael</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3865807.Alisa_Woods">Alisa Woods</a><br />My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2628627047">3 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />Charlotte is a physicist working on a theory that objects can be moved from one dimension to another. Most people she knew did not believe such a thing could exist. But her boss did, and he and the money to fund the research, and he had faith in Charlotte.<br /><br />Charlotte's fellow scientist was less than thrilled by her presence, perhaps because a) she was a woman, b) she was a woman who wouldn't give him the time of day ... or night, and c) the boss like her ideas better than his.<br /><br />But, surprise the other dimension(s) is/are real. And not everyone on the other side is thrilled with humans (specifically Charlotte) being able to travel between dimensions, something which had hitherto been reserved for immortals and other supernatural beings. Like the Fae, who were allied with dark angels, vampires and werewolves. On the other side, where Angels and Dragons.<br /><br />Small wonder, then, that a Guardian Angel (Tajael) was sent to protect Charlotte. She was like this light that was shining like crazy with goodness, and naturally dark creatures are going to think, "Hmmm...THAT can't be good!" (No pun intended, but it is kind of funny.) There is a scene in the Winter Court of the Fae containing incestuous sex, and sexual assault Those situations are not triggers for me, but I still thought, "Ewwww!"<br /><br />Other than that, I enjoyed the first 75% of the book immensely. Kudos to Ms. Woods for having a MC as a brilliant female physicist. (Won't it be nice, though, when it's so commonplace that we don't get all excited about it anymore?)<br /><br />But, Tajael (angeling - half angel, half human), has a problem. He, like all angels, is attracted to Charlotte's light and goodness. And, having spent some time in the dark realms, he struggled increasingly with the sin of Lust.<br /><br />Just after the third successful trial of Charlotte's machine - nick-named SEXi-MRI by her boss, the dark forces popped up in great numbers. Luckily, there was a fairly equal contingent of angels and angelings trying to protect Charlotte and her experiment. But the day was not a complete success. Charlotte was kidnapped by the Fae and the machine was destroyed.<br /><br />Having realized that Tajael's boss wanted them to mate (to produce more warriors for the light), once Tajael and his 'team' rescued Charlotte and they were back in this world, said couple threw caution to the wind. Once they started having sex, I didn't think they were ever going to stop. Apparently, angels are rather quick to recover. I just prefer my romances with a little more sugar and a little less spice.<br /><br />Other than that, like I said, I enjoyed the story, and would recommend the book, with the reservations for possible triggers and graphic sexual content.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/13131441-luann">View all my reviews</a> <br /><br /><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">(Disclaimer:&nbsp; I 'purchased' this copy for free at Amazon, having received an email from deal-notification service such as&nbsp;</span><a href="http://bookbub.com/" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Bookbub</a><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://bookriot.com/" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">BookRiot</a><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://ebooksoda.com/" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">eBookSoda</a><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://freebooksy.com/" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Freebooksy</a><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://robinsreads.com/" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Robin's Reads</a><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">, etc.&nbsp; I was under no obligation to review.)</span><br style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"></span><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">~~~oOo~~~</span><br style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"></span><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">This book helps me fulfill the following 2019 reading challenges and read-a-thons:</span><br style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"></span><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-wintersrespite-read-thon-signup.html" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">#WintersRespite Read-a-thon</a><br style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2019/01/my-beatthebacklist2019-sign-up.html" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 15.4px;">#</span>BeatTheBacklist2019&nbsp;RC</a><br style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-you-read-how-many-books-rc-sign.html" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">You Read How Many? RC</a><br style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/8863?int=RC2019_sa" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">GoodReads RC</a><br style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2019/01/my-bout-of-books-24-post.html" target="_blank">Bout of Books Read-a-thon&nbsp;&nbsp;</a><br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/2019-pop-sugar-rc-sign-up.html" target="_blank">PopSugar RC</a></div>LuAnn @ BackPorchervationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775630749079885915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715948426984829836.post-23030382712302128572019-01-10T12:30:00.000-05:002019-01-10T12:30:03.761-05:00Stilettos & Scoundrels by Laina Turner - #review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18045854-stilettos-scoundrels" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Stilettos &amp; Scoundrels (A Presley Thurman Mystery, #1)" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1370629009m/18045854.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18045854-stilettos-scoundrels">Stilettos &amp; Scoundrels</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4053626.Laina_Turner">Laina Turner</a><br />My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2628572650">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />Never start reading a novel when you are feeling contrary. I did so with Stilettos &amp; Scoundrels by Laina Turner, and for that reason, had trouble getting involved in the story. For instance, I thought Presley should have had a tape recorder running in her pocket when she went in to talk to her boss, who basically told her to 'put out or get out'<br /><br />Luckily a good night's rest brightened my mood considerably and I have literally just 'turned the last page' in my Kindle reading app, and the more the story progressed, the more I was drawn in.<br /><br />I can appreciate the ambivalence Presley had about going back to her home town. On the one hand, It was a great place to go to recharge her batteries after she was fired, and she needed to find another job. On the other hand, seeing all those people whom she had known before she left for college was probably somewhat strained. Especially the townsfolk of the 'old boyfriend' variety.<br /><br />Most cozy mysteries start with a main character who is not a professional investigator. Presley was head of HR at a big corporation in Chicago before she was fired. She talked her way in to an interview with a US Senator, which led to Presley being one of the last people to see him alive. So, the Feds wanted to talk to her, the local LEO's wanted to talk to her, and Cooper, the Senator's private security wanted to talk to her.<br /><br />Well, Cooper happened to be an old boyfriend. They hadn't seen each other in years, but it was obvious there was still a lot of sizzle. The author held back just enough to have just about anyone become a suspect at one time, but in the end, all the various storylines were drawn together and things made sense.<br /><br />The revelatory scene made me think of a story where a hostage was describing the moment the soldiers burst into the building to take down the bad guys. She said, "He said, "Get down!" in a voice that said he meant business (so everyone did), and they were subsequently rescued.<br /><br />I did really enjoy the way Presley and Cooper's increasing interest in each other was written. They didn't just see each other for the first time in years and then fall into bed. They teased each other here and there and they fought 'the inevitable'. It was like they were mad at themselves that something was still there. The progression of their relationship was as fun to 'watch' as it was to read.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/13131441-luann">View all my reviews</a> <br /><br />(Disclosure:&nbsp; I received a copy of this book at no charge for signing up for the author's newsletter.&nbsp; My review was voluntary.)<br /><br />~~~oOo~~~<br /><br />This book helps me fulfill the following 2019 reading challenges and read-a-thons:<br /><br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-wintersrespite-read-thon-signup.html" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">#WintersRespite Read-a-thon</a><br style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2019/01/my-beatthebacklist2019-sign-up.html" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 15.4px;">#</span>BeatTheBacklist2019&nbsp;RC</a><br style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-you-read-how-many-books-rc-sign.html" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">You Read How Many? RC</a><br style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/8863?int=RC2019_sa" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">GoodReads RC</a><br style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/2019-pop-sugar-rc-sign-up.html" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Pop Sugar RC</a><br style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-to-z-rc-sign-up.html" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">A to Z RC</a><br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2019/01/my-bout-of-books-24-post.html" target="_blank">Bout of Books RAT</a><br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-literary-escapes-rc-sign-up.html" target="_blank">Literary Escapes RC</a> (Illinois)<br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/13131441-luann?shelf=alphabet-soup-author-2019" target="_blank">Alphabet Soup Author (T)</a></div>LuAnn @ BackPorchervationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775630749079885915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715948426984829836.post-91377522522023774622019-01-09T04:00:00.000-05:002019-01-09T04:00:04.068-05:00Haze by Rebecca Crunden - #review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41056027-haze" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Haze" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1533546448m/41056027.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41056027-haze">Haze</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16493101.Rebecca_Crunden">Rebecca Crunden</a><br />My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2664211902">3 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />In this case, the 'haze' referred to in the title could refer to either the physical haze of drugs or the emotional haze we sometimes have to endure when a loved one dies. Eliza knew that all too well, because she had to deal with both.<br /><br />Early on in Haze, Erick (Eliza's fiance), Sam (her sister) and Maya (Sam's fiancee), are on a hike in the woods. The sisters begin to squabble and Erick feels he needs to step in between the two, which he does. There has been some shoving involved back and forth. The Erick gives Sam a little shove, but she flies backward, hits her head and dies on the spot. No one who counts holds Eric responsible. Either they do not know the full story, or they believe there was no way the shove Erick gave Sam should have caused her to 'fly' as far as she did.<br /><br />Erick leaves town without saying goodbye, unable to deal with the guilt. Eliza's father crawls into a bottle and doesn't come out for years, and her mother has trouble coping after Sam's death. I read somewhere once that 'children are not supposed to die before their parents', so I have a special sympathy for Sam and Eliza's family.<br /><br />Tension ratchets up again when Erick returns to town for a family funeral, to support his mother.<br /><br />Eliza has been taking drugs for a while. She's not living at her parents' house because it's hard for her to see them in the conditions they are in. She gets drugs from a former rival of Erick's and occasionally has sex with him, it sounds like 'because it's something to do'. Most of her emotions, it seems, died along with her sister.<br /><br />The story was woven well, and I was engaged. (I read the story in one day). I just wanted to step into the story and hug most of the principals, excluding the two drug dealers, who, irrespective of their professions, were scum.<br /><br />I admit I had some trouble adjusting when the supernatural element moved from the background to center stage. There were a couple of phone calls received by Sam, and then Eliza, from a girl who had committed suicide some years before; these should have clued me in. Indeed, I probably would have had something snippy to say if nothing came of this plot seed.<br /><br />I'm not sure why this transition to the supernatural part of the story feels a little contrived to me. It seemed like walking from a darkened movie theatre with an incredible amount of noise, to a bright sunny day and relative calm. It took some time to adjust.<br /><br />But adjust I did, and I have to put that down to the author's abilities. Normally, when I have an experience like that with a book, once I'm gone, it's hard to get back. But I noticed (while reading) that shortly after, I was 'back' into the story.<br /><br />Do I recommend this book? Yes, with some details.<br />Will I read more by this author? Absolutely.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/13131441-luann">View all my reviews</a> <br /><br /><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">(Disclaimer:&nbsp; I received a free copy from the author and publishers via Read it and Reap program on Goodreads in exchange for my honest review</span><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">.)</span><br style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"></span><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">~~~oOo~~~</span><br style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"></span><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">This book helps me fulfill the following 2019 reading challenges and read-a-thons:</span><br style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"></span><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-wintersrespite-read-thon-signup.html" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">#WintersRespite Read-a-thon</a><br style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2019/01/my-beatthebacklist2019-sign-up.html" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 15.4px;">#</span>BeatTheBacklist2019&nbsp;RC</a><br style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-you-read-how-many-books-rc-sign.html" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">You Read How Many? RC</a><br style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/8863?int=RC2019_sa" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">GoodReads RC</a><br style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2019/01/my-2019-pwow-reading-challenge-sign-up.html" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">PWOW RC</a><br style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/2019-pop-sugar-rc-sign-up.html" target="_blank">Pop Sugar RC</a><br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-to-z-rc-sign-up.html" target="_blank">A to Z RC</a></div>LuAnn @ BackPorchervationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775630749079885915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715948426984829836.post-12512004250678750882019-01-08T14:00:00.000-05:002019-01-11T22:02:05.949-05:00Ruthless by Susan Kiernan-Lewis - #review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43161429-ruthless-book-6-the-mia-kazmaroff-mysteries" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Ruthless (Book 6 ) the Mia Kazmaroff Mysteries" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1544112449m/43161429.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43161429-ruthless-book-6-the-mia-kazmaroff-mysteries">Ruthless (Book 6 ) the Mia Kazmaroff Mysteries</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18669642.Susan_Kieran_lewis">Susan Kieran lewis</a><br />My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2627867193">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />This is not the first book I've read by Susan Kiernan-Lewis. That spot goes to <a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/01/murder-in-latin-quarter-by-susan.html" rel="nofollow">Murder in the Latin Quarter</a> part of the "Maggie Newberry" mysteries. I've also 'met' Mia Kazmaroff before. Ms. Kiernan-Lewis writes multiple series of mysteries, so I know I won't be out of books I know I'll enjoy for...oh, the foreseeable future.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br />In the case of <i>Ruthless</i>, our heroine's tendency to engage in parallel investigations to the police department, might just get her step-sister Mindy killed. Mindy has been kidnapped, presumably by the 'Weekend Killer', a serial offender. Kidnapping is on a Friday, a personal item from the victim is sent to the police, and a body part at sometime after that. On Sunday, if no progress has been made, the police will get an email with a location of the (now deceased) victim.<br /><br />What concerns Mindy's family is that she did not come home on Friday. On Saturday, Mindy's engagement ring is sent to the police. Then police catch a man with DNA ties to the previous two kidnapping/murders. So the tension eases somewhat. Then the police receive Mindy's finger, and it is heart-in-throat time again.<br /><br />Mindy and Mia are step-sisters, and have a tolerance-dislike-tolerance relationship. But at the beginning of the book, Mindy is making a website for Mia and Jack's private investigation firm. Mindy's interpersonal relationship skills would make a sheet of metal look like rusted lace, but she's family and Mia worries that the police will zero in on one line of investigation and ignore potentially important evidence.<br /><br />So, on more than one occasion, Mia finds evidence that the police have missed, or don't know about, and doesn't turn the items or information over right away. This runs her afoul of her mother and step-father both, as well as the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. And now that Mia believes Mindy's kidnapping is not related to the Weekend Killer crimes, this withholding of evidence (such as Mindy's cell phone) could very well lead to Mindy being found too late.<br /><br />Ms. Kiernan-Lewis has a great tension that runs through the story. And she knows how to fine-tune the strand of tension quite expertly. It's wound up at times, but never so much that it breaks. But it's tight enough that readers care.<br /><br />There was a sub-plot in Ruthless about Daisy, a dog that Jack had rescued from an abusive home and that he and Mia had subsequently adopted. Bring a hankie.<br /><br />I don't like coming into a book series mid-stream, but this (the latest Kazmaroff story) reads quite well as a standalone. And it gives me a great reason for going back to read the previous five installments!<br />~~~oOo~~~<br />I received a copy of Ruthless at no cost due to a deal notification service. My review is voluntary and contains my thoughts only.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/13131441-luann">View all my reviews</a> <br /><br /><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif; font-size: 15.4px;">&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif; font-size: 15.4px;">(Disclaimer:&nbsp; I 'purchased' this copy for free at Amazon, having received an email from deal-notification service such as&nbsp;</span><a href="http://bookbub.com/" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Bookbub</a><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif; font-size: 15.4px;">,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://bookriot.com/" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">BookRiot</a><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif; font-size: 15.4px;">,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://ebooksoda.com/" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">eBookSoda</a><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif; font-size: 15.4px;">,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://freebooksy.com/" style="background-color: #eefff0; 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, &quot;palatino&quot; , serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span> <span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif; font-size: 15.4px;">~~~oOo~~~</span><br /><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span> <span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif; font-size: 15.4px;">This book helps me fulfill the following 2019 reading challenges and read-a-thons:</span><br /><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif; font-size: 15.4px;"></span><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-wintersrespite-read-thon-signup.html" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">#WintersRespite Read-a-thon</a><br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2019/01/my-beatthebacklist2019-sign-up.html" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 15.4px;">#</span>BeatTheBacklist2019&nbsp;RC</a><br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-you-read-how-many-books-rc-sign.html" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">You Read How Many? RC</a><br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-literary-escapes-rc-sign-up.html" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Literary Escapes RC</a><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/8863?int=RC2019_sa" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">GoodReads RC</a><br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-52-books-in-52-weeks-rc-sign-up.html" target="_blank">52 Books 52 Weeks RC</a><br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-alphabet-soup-rc-author-edition.html" target="_blank">Alphabet Soup - Author</a><br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-alphabet-soup-reading-challenge.html" target="_blank">Alphabet Soup - Title</a></div>LuAnn @ BackPorchervationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775630749079885915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715948426984829836.post-18114872821772695342019-01-08T00:00:00.000-05:002019-01-08T00:00:06.020-05:00In the Midst of Winter by Danice Hope - #bookreview<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b7K7_X9cG-A/XA_H5lFGhaI/AAAAAAAATVU/tf9AZJnVL3MBJCDGIRAOKsbl_2z32iSggCLcBGAs/s1600/banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="475" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b7K7_X9cG-A/XA_H5lFGhaI/AAAAAAAATVU/tf9AZJnVL3MBJCDGIRAOKsbl_2z32iSggCLcBGAs/s1600/banner.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.lovingthebook.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="173" data-original-width="640" height="107" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5q8joHCHmuo/Wqe8_bLG6pI/AAAAAAAAR04/Ug439BwJKu8Pi5SjQtOgVM4JeB_HDgMdQCLcBGAs/s400/About%2BThe%2BBook.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: transparent; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 17.0pt;"><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mBvVn5u89lE/XA_HvjOd4xI/AAAAAAAATVQ/aU9LK_zLMWg6q1pzJwThggff3j2T5wT7gCLcBGAs/s1600/amazon%2Bcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mBvVn5u89lE/XA_HvjOd4xI/AAAAAAAATVQ/aU9LK_zLMWg6q1pzJwThggff3j2T5wT7gCLcBGAs/s400/amazon%2Bcover.jpg" width="266" /></a><span style="font-size: 14pt;">In the Midst of Winter shares ways to cope for those suffering from misunderstood chronic illnesses, and a glimpse into our daily lives for those who wish to understand. It also testifies of the Savior’s ability to reach into each heart and bring hope and renewal.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At age fourteen, Danice Hope started having troubles functioning during the winter months. Each year, the fatigue and depression grew worse. During the summers, her health would improve, and she learned to fit as much joy into life as possible before winter returned. After six years, she was finally diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder. Over time, she realized that there was also beauty in winter. She found a poster with flowers growing out of the snow that said, “In the midst of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the mid 1990’s, Danice moved south to Arizona with the hope of improving her health enough to have a better life. While the SAD improved, she found herself developing new health problems. The biggest surprise was that she could be sitting slumped over in a wheelchair in the emergency room, barely able to speak or move, and doctor after doctor told her that she wasn’t ill, or that it was “just anxiety”. After going to twenty-four different doctors in the next year, she was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. Stunned at the loss of her hopes and dreams, she gradually learned to see in new ways, to balance her health, to reshape her dreams, and to look to Christ. She learned that flowers can grow not only in the snow, but also in the desert sun.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div><span style="color: #990000;"><b> </b></span><br /><div b2020="" color:="" style="border: 5px ridge; float: center; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 5px; width: 95%;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-upWvXxvH6yE/Wqe9AmN4fKI/AAAAAAAAR1k/Q38lNBo9Ok8HVzCzMnBEvj1iGYjCSZk7gCEwYBhgL/s1600/but%2Bnow%2Btrial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="81" data-original-width="191" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-upWvXxvH6yE/Wqe9AmN4fKI/AAAAAAAAR1k/Q38lNBo9Ok8HVzCzMnBEvj1iGYjCSZk7gCEwYBhgL/s1600/but%2Bnow%2Btrial.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #b2020;"> <span style="color: #b2020;"><b><span style="color: #b2020;"><b><span style="color: #990000;"><b><span style="color: #990000;"><b>~ <a href="http://geni.us/IfM0ji"><span style="color: #990000;">Universal Amazon Link</span></a>&nbsp;</b></span></b></span></b></span></b></span></span><b style="color: #990000;">~</b></span><b style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;">&nbsp;</b><br /><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #990000;">~ </span><a href="http://books2read.com/IntheMidstofWinter"><span style="color: #990000;">Books2read</span></a><span style="color: #990000;"> ~</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: #990000;"><b> </b></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;"><b><a href="http://www.lovingthebook.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="173" data-original-width="640" height="107" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HC6aKKm6rBA/Wqe8_aHnLxI/AAAAAAAAR08/sFByPO5Y9WsdP0-iVzobPwochwG9RuCRwCLcBGAs/s400/Banner%2BTrial.jpg" width="400" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #990000;"><b> </b></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AvbLYdUZJSU/XA_HvVHhGbI/AAAAAAAATVM/Bi5iNL14aSgSEUdVifxZDvqI6EkycrNKwCLcBGAs/s1600/DH%2Blogo2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="579" data-original-width="579" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AvbLYdUZJSU/XA_HvVHhGbI/AAAAAAAATVM/Bi5iNL14aSgSEUdVifxZDvqI6EkycrNKwCLcBGAs/s200/DH%2Blogo2.jpg" width="200" /></a><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Danice Hope has been married to the same loving, supportive husband for 26 years. They live in the deserts of the American Southwest, where the winters are mild. Their two lovable cats keep them busy.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Danice</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;">&nbsp;loved to roam the mountains of Utah in her younger years</span>,<span style="font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;"> and to see the variety of wildflowers each spring. She has enjoyed writing since she was old enough to write. She takes solace in reading the scriptures and other good books. She is grateful for God’s care and guidance through the distresses of life.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div b2020="" color:="" style="border: 5px ridge; float: center; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 5px; width: 95%;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lHOYXTHsVaQ/Wqe8_WxwWLI/AAAAAAAAR1A/AakkfB9r5KcbLSsVKxf_3IcCjCRtE8ceACLcBGAs/s1600/Connect%2Bwith%2Bthe%2BAuthor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="81" data-original-width="191" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lHOYXTHsVaQ/Wqe8_WxwWLI/AAAAAAAAR1A/AakkfB9r5KcbLSsVKxf_3IcCjCRtE8ceACLcBGAs/s1600/Connect%2Bwith%2Bthe%2BAuthor.jpg" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;"> ~ <a href="http://www.danicehope.com/"><span style="color: #990000;">Website</span></a> ~</span></b><br /><b style="color: #990000;">&nbsp;<span style="font-size: x-large;">&nbsp;</span>&nbsp;</b></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.lovingthebook.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="173" data-original-width="640" height="107" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_WSEFBHHlzA/Wqe9AXE1u8I/AAAAAAAAR1M/dr7Vk_X9N_MnyGXheiIEMzgjlaG3-iIfACLcBGAs/s400/Reviews.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Doctors and therapists; I swear! *shaking my head*&nbsp; Just as wealthy individuals can think people of a lower economic class are 'beneath' them, some medical professionals seem to think that their patients can't possibly know anything about their own bodies ... especially when the patient's opinion differs from that of said learned doctors.&nbsp; The stories Danice tells about some of her own experiences and those of others with the medical establishment are downright horrifying!&nbsp; I'd really like to ask how people can do that to each other, but the wars of the last century, unfortunately, have given a near-endless list of examples.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Having left more than one doctor's office in tears, I can all to well relate to this aspect of "In the Midst of Winter".&nbsp; One example was when I was working midnight shift doing clerical work at a city PD in Texas, I began to fear that I might be having a miscarriage.&nbsp; So I drove my own self to the hospital, and was so grateful for the nurse who on her way in to work, made sure this near-hysterical woman (me) was delivered to the ER.&nbsp; I was alone because I had been unable to get ahold of my husband.&nbsp; The doctor, refused to believe that the home pregnancy test I had taken the week before, or the confirmation test at the ob, until a <b><span style="color: red;">blood</span></b> test was performed.&nbsp; I wound up being there for nearly seven hours.&nbsp; (He was wrong, and the result of that genuine pregnancy turns 16 one month from tomorrow!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Seeking redress from the medical abuse heaped upon her, especially while in a serious health situation, was just added to by the medical review board ruling in the doctors' favor - TWICE!&nbsp; Danice is very brave, and absolutely within her rights to take her mistreatment to a wider audience, hence this book.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But it goes so much farther than that.&nbsp; <i>In the Midst of Winter</i> is an acknowledgment of other ME/CFS sufferers that they are not alone.&nbsp; Sometimes, when a person has a medical issue that does not have overtly visible symptoms or signs (surgical scars or whatever), even people who know that person well will sometimes believe that the patient is lying.&nbsp; And thinking no one believes you can be a very lonely place to be.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One thing that was of great help to Danice was her faith in God.&nbsp; She is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and even went on a mission in her younger years.&nbsp; There are multiple quotes throughout the book from both the Bible and the Book of Mormon, but in case anyone is worried, this book is not a proselytising tool.&nbsp; The references are there as examples of ideas that Danice used to survive her struggles</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, whether you suffer from the same or similar physical ailment, know someone who does, or treat someone who does and you need to learn more about ME/CFS, <i>In the Midst of Winter</i>&nbsp;by Danice Hope should be in your home library.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>(Disclosure:&nbsp; I received an e-copy of this book from the author and publishers, via Loving the Book, in exchange for my honest review.)</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: #990000;"><b> </b></span><br /><div b2020="" color:="" style="border: 5px ridge; float: center; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 5px; width: 95%;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/2083613115283736/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="81" data-original-width="191" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cLqQGu54q1c/Wqe8_7iW3kI/AAAAAAAAR1E/c5e8vqm8z4UqxK8FLU3P3g8G9PRoIEamwCLcBGAs/s1600/Event%2BPage.jpg" /></a><br /><b style="text-align: center;">To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/2083613115283736/"><span style="color: #990000;">Official Event page</span></a>&nbsp;</b><br /><b style="text-align: center;"><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div></div><span style="color: #990000;"><b> </b></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.lovingthebook.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="173" data-original-width="640" height="107" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mdl-cX2Z1kQ/Wqe9ATqUcRI/AAAAAAAAR1Q/qTjk-ygVXeIo9dNVOTYJBxxaD6VMHLMcACLcBGAs/s400/Give%2BAway.jpg" width="400" /></a><br /><br /><a class="rcptr" data-raflid="330006f8417" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/330006f8417/" id="rcwidget_siuy2kkm" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a> <script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.lovingthebook.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="475" height="105" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UXJEl65SWYs/WqpXb69icDI/AAAAAAAASAg/ppobw8BvaHUiBvKNulYbSBXJLUJVtiXzgCLcBGAs/s200/Bottom%2BBanner.jpg" width="200" /></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /></div></div>~~~oOo~~~<br /><br />This book helps me fulfill the following 2019 Reading Challenges/Readathons:<br /><br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-52-books-in-52-weeks-rc-sign-up.html" target="_blank">52 Books in 52 Weeks</a><br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2019/01/my-2019-pwow-reading-challenge-sign-up.html" target="_blank">PWOW</a><br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-wintersrespite-read-thon-signup.html" target="_blank">#Wintersrespite Read-a-thon</a><br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-you-read-how-many-books-rc-sign.html" target="_blank">You Read How Many Books?</a><br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-alphabet-soup-rc-author-edition.html" target="_blank">Alphabet Soup-Author Edition</a></div>LuAnn @ BackPorchervationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775630749079885915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715948426984829836.post-10121067014502122492019-01-07T19:00:00.000-05:002019-01-07T19:00:02.321-05:00The Mountain Man's Dog by Gary Corbin - #review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29953081-the-mountain-man-s-dog" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Mountain Man's Dog" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1461706692m/29953081.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29953081-the-mountain-man-s-dog">The Mountain Man's Dog</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15108590.Gary_Corbin">Gary Corbin</a><br />My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2662402938">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />The first thing I noticed about the cover of The Mountain Man's Dog by Gary Corbin is that there was a dog. The second thing is that the dog is injured. Oh! So I had to give Lehigh credit for being a 'dog man', extra credit for being a man who stopped to help out an injured dog, and third degree credit because he didn't even like dogs, since being bitten as a child.<br /><br />His old flame works at the rescue center and they wind up rekindling that old flame Stacy. Problem is, Stacy's father is running for governor He's not above getting a little 'creative' with campaign financing. His campaign treasurer Paul is *ahem* shall we say, skilled, at finding thousands of dollars of campaign contributions, and in keeping the candidate's name away from the more questionable money. All in exchange for a cabinet post, and marrying Stacy.<br /><br />When Paul finds out that Lehigh has 'taken' Stacy away from him, he threatens to kill our mountain man. And, Lehigh does suffer a most incredible string of 'bad luck'.<br /><br />Mr. Corbin's book reminds me of a lot of what's wrong with American politics today - bribes, illegalities around campaigns, mudslinging, influence peddling. I could go on, but it's too depressing. I'd rather think that Mountain Man's Dog also reminds me that there are people in the world who will go out of their way to make society better, and that dogs are fantastic companions, and not bad at rescuing either!<br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/13131441-luann">View all my reviews</a> <br /><br /><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">(Disclaimer:&nbsp; I 'purchased' this copy for free at Amazon, having received an email from deal-notification service such as&nbsp;</span><a href="http://bookbub.com/" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Bookbub</a><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://bookriot.com/" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">BookRiot</a><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://ebooksoda.com/" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">eBookSoda</a><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://freebooksy.com/" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Freebooksy</a><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://robinsreads.com/" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Robin's Reads</a><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">, etc.&nbsp; I was under no obligation to review.)</span><br /><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">~~~oOo~~~</span><br /><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">This book helps me fulfill the following 2019 readathons and reading challenges:</span><br /><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">#WintersRespite read-a-thon</span><br /><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-you-read-how-many-books-rc-sign.html" target="_blank">YouRead How Many Books RC</a></span><br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-literary-escapes-rc-sign-up.html" target="_blank">Literary Escapes RC</a><br /><br /></div>LuAnn @ BackPorchervationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775630749079885915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715948426984829836.post-3012342686535272392019-01-07T15:00:00.000-05:002019-01-07T15:00:07.180-05:00Brownie Points for Murder by Nicole Ellis - #review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38345092-brownie-points-for-murder" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Brownie Points for Murder (Jill Andrews Cozy Mystery #1)" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1517747614m/38345092.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38345092-brownie-points-for-murder">Brownie Points for Murder</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4104426.Nicole_Ellis">Nicole Ellis</a><br />My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2611528090">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />I chose to read Brownie Points at this time for a couple of reasons. The start of 2019 brings about the start of yearly reading challenges, and as you see from my tags, I tend to enter a number of challenges. Also, the last book I read had a series of entirely too creative murders, so I was looking for something a little less intense.<br /><br />The cozy mystery genre is one of my favorite and 'Brownie Points for Murder' is a great example of a cozy mystery. You've got your small town setting in Washington State. The main character is in love with a lawman, although this time two couple are actually married at the beginning. Jill's tight circle of friends is most in-laws, but they're nice folks<br /><br />Her very pregnant sister-in-law, Desi, has trouble with her blood pressure (and don't I know <b>THAT</b> feeling.). Desi had suffered a miscarriage some time before, so everyone was naturally very concerned about her condition. The local LEOs come calling at a family supper one night, wanting to question Desi (downtown!) because some of her brownies are suspected of being poisoned and used in the murder of the town Scrooge. That went about as well as can be expected, so Desi went to the hospital and was put on hospital bed rest until delivery.<br /><br />There were several sub-plots that made the story very interesting. Unusual and unknown family connections weaved in and out with sometimes sec et business deals. Jill goes over several job opportunities and wonders about going back to work.<br /><br />Jill was (and is) a great cozy heroine. I especially liked that she wasn't a 'Stepford' wife, all perfect and hello 1950's. It's kind of inspiring like those of us who have bad hair days, and whose last night of decent sleep was before our children were born, can have exciting lives too!<br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/13131441-luann">View all my reviews</a> <br /><br /><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">(Disclaimer:&nbsp; I 'purchased' this copy for free at Amazon, having received an email from deal-notification service such as&nbsp;</span><a href="http://bookbub.com/" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Bookbub</a><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://bookriot.com/" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">BookRiot</a><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://ebooksoda.com/" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">eBookSoda</a><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://freebooksy.com/" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Freebooksy</a><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://robinsreads.com/" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Robin's Reads</a><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">, etc.&nbsp; I was under no obligation to review.)</span><br /><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">~~~oOo~~~</span><br /><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">This book helps me fulfill the following 2019 reading challenges and read-a-thons:</span><br /><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-wintersrespite-read-thon-signup.html" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">#WintersRespite Read-a-thon</a><br style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2019/01/my-beatthebacklist2019-sign-up.html" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 15.4px;">#</span>BeatTheBacklist2019&nbsp;RC</a><br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-you-read-how-many-books-rc-sign.html" target="_blank">You Read How Many? RC</a><br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-literary-escapes-rc-sign-up.html" target="_blank">Literary Escapes RC</a><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/8863?int=RC2019_sa" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">GoodReads RC</a><br style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-to-z-rc-sign-up.html" target="_blank">A to Z RC</a><br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-to-z-rc-sign-up.html" target="_blank">Color Coded RC</a></div>LuAnn @ BackPorchervationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775630749079885915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715948426984829836.post-46748858588370825872019-01-05T00:00:00.000-05:002019-01-05T00:00:10.323-05:00The Little Leprechaun Who Loved Yellow by Sally Huss - #review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19295579-the-little-leprechaun-who-loved-yellow" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Little Leprechaun Who Loved Yellow! (Happy Children's Series, #2)" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1386533472m/19295579.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19295579-the-little-leprechaun-who-loved-yellow">The Little Leprechaun Who Loved Yellow!</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/293472.Sally_Huss">Sally Huss</a><br />My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2658259652">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />Patrick loved all colors, especially the color yellow. Even the color green, which was good, because Patrick was a leprechaun. Because, you see, leprechauns always wore green.<br /><br />Along with the age-appropriate drawings, is an enchanting tale of a little boy who loves, but is not allowed to wear the color yellow. He follows a rainbow to the end, for at the end of every rainbow, is the pot of gold, and gold was...yellow! Patrick didn't stop to think that he might be missed.<br /><br />Luckily, Patrick's mother is an observant type, and has a hunch that Patrick has followed the rainbow because of his love of yellow. And, indeed, Patrick is found at the end of the rainbow with his new friend, a golden retriever!<br /><br />I liked several of the themes that ran through this book. Children can learn that being different, or liking different things is ok. Expressing those ideas is also a good thing. Patrick learned to tell someone where he is going next time.<br /><br />There is a 'lesson' for children in each book, and Ms. Huss has been a prolific writer, to say the least. Now I'm hoping that I get some grandchildren soon so I won't feel funny buying multiple children's books at one time!<br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/13131441-luann">View all my reviews</a> <br /><br /><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">(Disclaimer:&nbsp; I 'purchased' this copy for free at Amazon, having received an email from deal-notification service such as&nbsp;</span><a href="http://bookbub.com/" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Bookbub</a><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://bookriot.com/" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">BookRiot</a><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://ebooksoda.com/" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">eBookSoda</a><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://freebooksy.com/" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Freebooksy</a><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://robinsreads.com/" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Robin's Reads</a><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">, etc.&nbsp; I was under no obligation to review.)</span><br /><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">~~~oOo~~~</span><br /><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">This book helped me to fulfill the following 2019 readathons and/or reading challenges:</span><br /><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-wintersrespite-read-thon-signup.html" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">#WintersRespite Read-a-thon</a><br style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2019/01/my-beatthebacklist2019-sign-up.html" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 15.4px;">#</span>BeatTheBacklist2019&nbsp;RC</a>-<br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/8863?int=RC2019_sa" target="_blank">GoodReads RC</a></div>LuAnn @ BackPorchervationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775630749079885915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715948426984829836.post-27346152130278611282019-01-04T22:00:00.000-05:002019-01-11T21:27:19.502-05:00First Frost by Liz DeJesus - #review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18108978-first-frost" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="First Frost (Frost, #1)" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1371872721m/18108978.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18108978-first-frost">First Frost</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/338350.Liz_DeJesus">Liz DeJesus</a><br />My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2628171010">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />Bianca Frost is a quiet 17-year old young woman.<br /><br />Little does she know that soon she will be hip-deep in real magic.<br /><br />The Frost family (women) have run the Museum of Magical and Rare Artifacts for generations. Bianca thinks it is all related to the stories her mother Rose tells to the local children, which are mostly fairy tales. She thinks the only magic is how her Mom can turn energetic kids into a rapt audience. But it's more than that. Much more.<br /><br />Towards the beginning of the book, events force Rose to sit Bianca down and have 'the talk'. No, not <i>that</i> one. The one where Bianca learns that the woman outside who threw a brick through their window is a real witch, who is calling Rose out. Lenore (the witch) is the daughter of the witch from the Snow White and the Seven Dwarves fairy tale. And Snow (aka the First Frost) just happens to be Bianca's great-great-grandmother. Upshot of the evening. Lenore wins. She takes Rose to another dimension, telling Bianca if she ever wants to see her mother again, she (B) will find a magickal book and return it to her.<br /><br />Bianca and Ming (her best friend) find the book and sally forth to the faeries' green to rescue her mother and find her father David, who had disappeared 10 years ago when Lenore made him a bear. They meet several helpers in the green, not the least of which are the latest incarnation of Prince Charming and his friend and adviser, Terrance, who we find out later is the grandson of the Big Bad Wolf.<br /><br />With all those faerie tales mashing together, you would think it would leave one dazed and confused to keep track of everyone. But Ms. DeJesus does a wonderful job of keeping all the characters distinct, allowing her readers to follow the story with ease.<br /><br />The beginning of the book seemed to go a little slow for me, but by the time they went to the faeries' green, and one obstacle after another was placed in their way, I was on board with the rest of the group. It was like an interactive Disneyland (without the long lines and waiting)! If you like faerie-tale retellings or 'what happens after HEA', put <i>First Frost</i> on your TBR.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/13131441-luann">View all my reviews</a> <br /><br />~~~oOo~~~<br /><br />&nbsp;<span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif; font-size: 15.4px;">(Disclaimer:&nbsp; I 'purchased' this copy for free at Amazon, having received an email from deal-notification service such as&nbsp;</span><a href="http://bookbub.com/" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Bookbub</a><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif; font-size: 15.4px;">,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://bookriot.com/" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">BookRiot</a><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif; font-size: 15.4px;">,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://ebooksoda.com/" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">eBookSoda</a><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif; font-size: 15.4px;">,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://freebooksy.com/" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Freebooksy</a><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif; font-size: 15.4px;">,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://robinsreads.com/" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Robin's Reads</a><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif; font-size: 15.4px;">, etc.&nbsp; I was under no obligation to review.)</span><br /><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span> <span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif; font-size: 15.4px;">~~~oOo~~~</span><br /><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span> <span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif; font-size: 15.4px;">This book helped me fulfill the following 2019 read-a-thons and reading challenges:</span><br /><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span> <a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-wintersrespite-read-thon-signup.html" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">#WintersRespite Read-a-thon</a><br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2019/01/my-beatthebacklist2019-sign-up.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #888888; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: #eefff0; font-size: 15.4px;">#</span></span>BeatTheBacklist2019&nbsp;RC</a><br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-52-books-in-52-weeks-rc-sign-up.html" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">52 Books in 52 Weeks RC</a><span style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif; font-size: 15.4px;">&nbsp;(#15-main character a teen))</span><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/8863?int=RC2019_sa" style="background-color: #eefff0; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">GoodReads RC</a><br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-alphabet-soup-rc-author-edition.html" target="_blank">Alphabet Soup (Author Edition) RC</a>&nbsp;(<span style="color: red;">L</span>)<br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-to-z-rc-sign-up.html" target="_blank">A to Z RC</a></div>LuAnn @ BackPorchervationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775630749079885915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715948426984829836.post-22991673274984488962019-01-03T22:30:00.000-05:002019-01-11T21:48:41.911-05:00My #BeatTheBacklist2019 Sign-up<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.novelknight.com/btb2019/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="1518" height="130" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ahzgTqilTNk/XC7CSw4vHAI/AAAAAAAAJ1M/8lhjzyDe8lA4DrcGsJ2H7v0dS_1TEqdVgCLcBGAs/s320/BTBBanner_WhiteBG.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The 2019 Beat The Backlist Reading Challenge is hosted by Austine at her blog, <a href="https://www.novelknight.com/" target="_blank">Novel Knight</a>.&nbsp; Click the button above to go the sign-up page for all the details and to join in the fun!&nbsp; There are a number of mini-challenge permutations, so be sure to check those out!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~~~oOo~~~</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It said to post a TBR list for the year, but I'm sure my fingers would fall off before I got all of them typed up and linked, so I'm just going to go with what I have so far for January (making sure the books were published in 2018 or earlier.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15816201-bad-karma?ac=1&amp;from_search=true" target="_blank">Bad Karma</a> by Douglas Clegg (2017)</li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22318578-the-life-changing-magic-of-tidying-up?ac=1&amp;from_search=true" target="_blank">The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up</a> by Marie Kondo (2014)</li><li><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2019/01/ruthless-by-susan-kiernan-lewis-review.html" target="_blank">Ruthless</a>&nbsp;by Susan Kiernan-Lewis (Jan 8) DONE</li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18045854-stilettos-scoundrels?ac=1&amp;from_search=true" target="_blank">Stilletos and Scoundrels</a> by Laina Turner (2010)</li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36045994-tajael?ac=1&amp;from_search=true" target="_blank">Tajael</a> by Alisa Wood (2017)</li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42902789-who-killed-uncle-ebenezer-a-bene-girls-mystery?from_search=true" target="_blank">Who Murdered Uncle Ebenezer?</a>&nbsp;by Susan Faith Nightingale (2018)</li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1113797.The_Story_of_Mankind?from_search=true" target="_blank">The Story of Mankind</a> by Hendrik Willem van Loon (1921)</li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18054222-art-of-a-jewish-woman?from_search=true" target="_blank">Art of a Jewish Woman</a> by Henry N. Massie (2013)</li><li><b><i><span style="color: red;"><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2019/01/brownie-points-for-murder-by-nicole.html" target="_blank">Brownie&nbsp;Points for Murder</a> by Nicole Ellis (2018) Jan 7 DONE</span></i></b></li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38345092-brownie-points-for-murder?ac=1&amp;from_search=true#" target="_blank">Cowboy Heat</a> by Sable Hunter (2010)</li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12605502-dead-is-the-new-black?ac=1&amp;from_search=true" target="_blank">Dead is the New Black</a> by Christina DeMaio-Rice (2011)</li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/589387.Legends_of_the_Egyptian_Gods?ac=1&amp;from_search=true" target="_blank">Legends of the Egyptian Gods</a> by E.A. Wallis Budge (1912)</li><li><b><i><span style="color: red;"><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2019/01/first-frost-by-liz-dejesus-review.html" target="_blank">First Frost</a> by Liz DeJesus (2012) Jan 4 (DONE)</span></i></b></li><li><b><i><span style="color: red;"><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-little-leprechaun-who-loved-yellow.html" target="_blank">The Little Leprechaun Who Loved Yellow!</a> by Sally Huss (2013) Jan 4 DONE</span></i></b></li></ol><br />When I get towards the end of this portion of the list, I will add other reads.&nbsp; Links currently go to GoodReads.&nbsp; After reading, I will write a review, post it to my blog and switch the links to the respective reviews.</div>LuAnn @ BackPorchervationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775630749079885915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715948426984829836.post-66247584046014972972019-01-03T17:00:00.000-05:002019-01-03T17:00:08.551-05:00My Bout of Books 24 Post<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="bout-of-books-button"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://boutofbooks.blogspot.com/2018/12/bout-of-books-24-sign-up.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Bout of Books" height="200" src="https://i.imgur.com/QFFXP8j.jpg" width="200" /></a> <br /><br />Click the button to go to the sign-up page and join almost 100 readers so far!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #fae8b2; color: #666666; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif; font-size: 13.2px; font-style: italic;">The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 7th and runs through Sunday, January 13th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional.&nbsp;</span><b style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; font-style: italic; text-align: start;">For all Bout of Books 24 information and updates, be sure to visit the&nbsp;<a href="http://boutofbooks.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #00a9ac; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Bout of Books</a>&nbsp;blog.&nbsp;</b><span style="background-color: #fae8b2; color: #666666; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif; font-size: 13.2px; font-style: italic;">- From the Bout of Books team</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #fae8b2; color: #666666; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif; font-size: 13.2px; font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">I like the way Jessi&nbsp;from <a href="http://novelheartbeat.com/2019/01/bout-of-books-24-goals-progress/?utm_source=feedburner&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NovelHeartbeat+%28Novel+Heartbeat%29" target="_blank">Novel Heartbeat</a> has set up her post, so I'm going to do that as well!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>GOALS</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">5 books finished</span></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">5 books reviewed</span></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">~~~oOo~~~</span></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>MY "JANUARY" TBR LIST</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15816201-bad-karma?ac=1&amp;from_search=true" target="_blank">Bad Karma</a> by Douglass Clegg</span></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40637471-how-the-light-gets-in?from_search=true" target="_blank">How the Light Gets In</a> by Joanna Petersheim</span></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22318578-the-life-changing-magic-of-tidying-up?ac=1&amp;from_search=true" target="_blank">The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up</a> by Marie Kondo</span></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LZPWFNC/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0" target="_blank">Ruthless</a> by Susan Kiernan-Lewis</span></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18045854-stilettos-scoundrels?ac=1&amp;from_search=true" target="_blank">Stilettos &amp; Scoundrels</a> by Laina Turner</span></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36045994-tajael?ac=1&amp;from_search=true" target="_blank">Tajael</a> by Alice Wood</span></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42902789-who-killed-uncle-ebenezer-a-bene-girls-mystery?from_search=true" target="_blank">Who Murdered Uncle Ebeneezer?</a> by Sarah Faith Nightingale</span></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19250090-the-story-of-mankind" target="_blank">The Story of Mankind</a> by Hendrik Willem van Loon</span></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18054222-art-of-a-jewish-woman?ac=1&amp;from_search=true" target="_blank">Art of a Jewish Woman</a> by Henry Massie</span></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38345092-brownie-points-for-murder?ac=1&amp;from_search=true" target="_blank">Brownie Points for Murder</a> by Christina D. Rice</span></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18894737-legends-of-the-gods-the-egyptian-texts-edited-with-translations" target="_blank">Legends of the Egyptian Gods</a> by E.A. Wallis Budge</span></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15700479-first-frost?ac=1&amp;from_search=true" target="_blank">First Frost</a> by Liz deJesus</span></span></div><br />~~~oOo~~~<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>DAILY RECAPS</b></span><br /><br /><span style="color: blue;">MONDAY 7th</span><br /><br /><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Today’s goals:</span></div><ul style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box;"></li></ul><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Currently reading:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><del style="box-sizing: border-box;"></del><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Pages read today:</span><br /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Time spent reading today:</span><br /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Books completed today:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Today’s notes:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><b><span style="color: blue;">TUESDAY 8th</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Today’s goals:</span></div><ul style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box;"></li></ul><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Currently reading:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><del style="box-sizing: border-box;"></del><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Pages read today:</span><br /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Time spent reading today:</span><br /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Books completed today:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Today’s notes:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><b><span style="color: blue;">WEDNESDAY 9th</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Today’s goals:</span></div><ul style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box;"></li></ul><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Currently reading:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><del style="box-sizing: border-box;"></del><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Pages read today:</span><br /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Time spent reading today:</span><br /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Books completed today:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Today’s notes:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><span style="color: blue;">THURSDAY 10th</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Today’s goals:</span></div><ul style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box;"></li></ul><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Currently reading:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><del style="box-sizing: border-box;"></del><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Pages read today:</span><br /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Time spent reading today:</span><br /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Books completed today:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Today’s notes:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><span style="color: blue;">FRIDAY 11th</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Today’s goals:</span></div><ul style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box;"></li></ul><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Currently reading:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><del style="box-sizing: border-box;"></del><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Pages read today:</span><br /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Time spent reading today:</span><br /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Books completed today:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Today’s notes:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><b><span style="color: blue;">SATURDAY 12th</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="font-weight: 700;">Today’s goals:</span></div><ul style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box;"></li></ul><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Currently reading:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><del style="box-sizing: border-box;"></del><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Pages read today:</span><br /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Time spent reading today:</span><br /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Books completed today:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Today’s notes:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><b><span style="color: blue;">SUNDAY 13th</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Today’s goals:</span></div><ul style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box;"></li></ul><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Currently reading:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><del style="box-sizing: border-box;"></del><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Pages read today:</span><br /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Time spent reading today:</span><br /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Books completed today:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Today’s notes:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5e5353; font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><span style="color: blue;">GRAND TOTALS</span></span><br /><br /><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Pages read:</span><br />Time spent reading:<br />Books Completed<br /><br />*NOTE* I know the formatting is a bit wacky (different colored backgrounds, depending on from where I&nbsp; copied some information and a format for the daily records.&nbsp; So, I've got to go through each line that shows up here and remove the coding for the differences...and it's something of a PITA, so I'm going to do it a little at a time, because it makes my eyes hurt. :p</div></div>LuAnn @ BackPorchervationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775630749079885915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715948426984829836.post-59013962519442465972019-01-03T01:00:00.000-05:002019-01-03T01:00:01.723-05:00Why Romeo Hates Juliet by Anna Mara - #review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13141971-why-romeo-hates-juliet" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Why Romeo Hates Juliet" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328057553m/13141971.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13141971-why-romeo-hates-juliet">Why Romeo Hates Juliet</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1381423.Anna_Mara">Anna Mara</a><br />My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2628545831">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />Romeo &amp; Juliet by William Shakespeare is one of my favorite plays. (Actually, anything by Shakespeare is one of my favorites!) But while the Bard's version has the couple's families fighting, Anna Mara's version, entitled "Why Romeo <i>Hates</i> Juliet" (my italics), it's the couple who do all the fighting.<br /><br />And they don't play well with others. Between Juliet and Romeo, there are fights, accidents, property damage, black eyes, twin arrests (his for drugs - which did not belong to him - and hers for assault). These two are dangerous for and to each other. Juliet tries to 'teach him a lesson' and winds up super-glued to Romeo, necessitating a hospital visit. And <i>that's</i> just the first 48, y'all.<br /><br />The characters certainly change and grow during the course of the book, each of them separately as well as in relation to each other. While the individual growth takes them to a better place ... their change as a couple threatens to be the death (literally) of both of them. Petty back and forth revenge ploys turn into an immense conflagration later on.<br /><br />Sarah (Juliet's sister) needed to step up her "Cher <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093565/?ref_=nv_sr_1" rel="nofollow"> Moonstruck" </a> treatment of the two of them, slap them both upside the head and tell them to 'Snap out of it!'<br /><br />I'm not the biggest fan of 'high heat/spice' romances, but was grateful Ms. Mara kept things classy. Make no mistake, the descriptions were detailed, (I might have tugged at my collar once - or twice), she did not use crass colloquialisms for certain bits and pieces of human anatomy.<br /><br />Overall, I did enjoy the story. There were a few surprises, which is always nice. And I did catch myself carrying my e-reader into the kitchen while I fixed lunch. The name "Why Romeo Hates Juliet" was definitely an attraction to me, but the book lived up to the promise and was quite enjoyable. I would both recommend this book to others and be open to read more of the author's work.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/13131441-luann">View all my reviews</a> <br /><br />(Disclaimer:&nbsp; I 'purchased' this copy for free at Amazon, having received an email from deal-notification service such as <a href="http://bookbub.com/" target="_blank">Bookbub</a>, <a href="http://bookriot.com/" target="_blank">BookRiot</a>, <a href="http://ebooksoda.com/" target="_blank">eBookSoda</a>, <a href="http://freebooksy.com/" target="_blank">Freebooksy</a>, <a href="http://robinsreads.com/" target="_blank">Robin's Reads</a>, etc.&nbsp; I was under no obligation to review.)<br /><br />~~~oOo~~~<br /><br />This book helps me fulfill the following 2019 read-a-thons and reading challenges:<br /><br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-wintersrespite-read-thon-signup.html" target="_blank">#WintersRespite Read-a-thon</a><br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-you-read-how-many-books-rc-sign.html" target="_blank">You Read How Many Books? RC</a><br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-52-books-in-52-weeks-rc-sign-up.html" target="_blank">52 Books in 52 Weeks RC</a> (beach read)<br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/8863?int=RC2019_sa" target="_blank">GoodReads RC</a><br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2019/01/my-2019-pwow-reading-challenge-sign-up.html" target="_blank">PWOW RC</a>&nbsp;(friends section - #10 - strong family bonds);<br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2019/01/my-2019-reading-women-rc-sign-up.html" target="_blank">Reading Women RC</a> (#18 - romance or love story)<br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-literary-escapes-rc-sign-up.html" target="_blank">Literary Escapes RC</a> (PEI)</div>LuAnn @ BackPorchervationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775630749079885915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715948426984829836.post-29637954370226245612019-01-02T00:00:00.000-05:002019-01-02T00:00:02.570-05:00My 2019 Back to the Classics RC Sign-up<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://karensbooksandchocolate.blogspot.com/2018/12/back-to-classics-2019_9.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="244" data-original-width="400" height="195" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K7QtIiGh_kg/XA76v2TQBcI/AAAAAAAAJzQ/zywWPLhGhosXUNTJAkIxhbVikCNpqCNUgCLcBGAs/s320/BTCC%2BBerlin%2BBooks.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The 2019&nbsp;Back to the Classics Reading Challenge is hosted by Karen at her blog, <a href="https://karensbooksandchocolate.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Books and Chocolate</a>.&nbsp; Please click the button to go to the sign-up page at Books and Chocolate to get the full details and to sign-up!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~~~oOo~~~</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>If you're new to the challenge, here's how it works:<br /><ul><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><b>Complete six categories, and you'll get one entry in the drawing;&nbsp;</b></li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><b>Complete nine categories, and you'll get two entries in the drawing;&nbsp;</b></li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><b>Complete all twelve categories, and you'll get three entries in the drawing.</b></li></ul><div><b>CATEGORIES</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>1.&nbsp; 19th Century Classic - (written between 1800 and 1899)</div><div><br /></div><div>2.&nbsp; 20th Century Classic - (written between 1900 and 1969 - must be at least 50 yrs old) **hey, does that make me a classic? ROFL ***</div><div><br /></div><div>3.&nbsp; Classic by a Female Author</div><div><br /></div><div>4.&nbsp; Classic in Translation&nbsp; - initially written in a language other than your native tongue.</div><div><br /></div><div>5.&nbsp; Classic Comedy</div><div><br /></div><div>6.&nbsp; Classic Tragedy</div><div><br /></div><div>7.&nbsp; Very Long Classic</div><div><br /></div><div>8.&nbsp; Classic Novella</div><div><br /></div><div>9.&nbsp; Classic from the Americas (incl Caribbean)&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>10.&nbsp; Classic from Africa, Asia, or Oceania (incl Australia)</div><div><br /></div><div>11.&nbsp; Classic from Somewhere You Have Lived</div><div><br /></div><div>12.&nbsp; Classic Play.</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">~~~oOo~~~</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>I'll keep track of progress on this post.&nbsp; Once my book choices are made I will list them with links to each book's GoodReads page.&nbsp; When I have finished reading and posted a review, I'll come back and change the link from GoodReads to my review.</div>LuAnn @ BackPorchervationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775630749079885915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715948426984829836.post-24113652241456947132019-01-01T12:00:00.001-05:002019-01-01T12:00:09.284-05:00My 2019 13 Ways of Looking at the Lifetime Reading Plan RC Signup<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.gathertogetherread.com/2018/12/2019-13-ways-of-looking-at-lifetime.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="500" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hp1SVpYr_IA/XCqCtjaeLcI/AAAAAAAAJ00/4iB08550nWoXBxViQn7xdXlS0QQki0VLQCLcBGAs/s320/%252313WLRP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />The 2019 Yearly Challenge (part of the 13 Ways of Looking at the Lifetime Reading Plan Perpetual Challenge) is hosted by Michelle at the <a href="https://www.gathertogetherread.com/" target="_blank">Gather Together and Read</a> blog.&nbsp; Michelle took book lists from Jane Smiley's <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32095.13_Ways_of_Looking_at_the_Novel?ac=1&amp;from_search=true" target="_blank">13 Ways of Looking at the Novel</a></i>&nbsp;(list has 110 books) and <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/249186.The_New_Lifetime_Reading_Plan" target="_blank">The New Lifetime Reading Plan</a></i> by Clifton Fadiman and James S. Major (list has 390 books).<br /><br />If you're like me, you see 390 books?&nbsp; (Note to self:&nbsp; BUY MORE COFFEE!)&nbsp; That's why it's a perpetual challenge with no ending date.&nbsp; The yearly challenge is for committing to the books from those lists that you are going to read that year.<br /><br />Anyway, click the button up there to go to the sign-up page for full details, the two book lists, and join up while you are there!<br /><br />The yearly challenge features the following levels:<br />Novice - 1-3 books<br />Eager Reader - 4-8 books<br />Buff - 9-13 books<br />Devotee - 14-18 books<br />Diehard Reader - 19+<br /><br />Part of me wants to pick the novice level because I'm doing a number of challenges already in 2019.&nbsp; But then, I'm doing a number of reading challenges already in 2019, so I ought to be able to fill up the "Buff Level" of 9-13 books.&nbsp; (Bit o' Trivia: holding to that level, I would need 50 more years to read all of them.&nbsp; I better get going!)<br /><br />1.&nbsp;<br />2.&nbsp;<br />3.&nbsp;<br />4.&nbsp;<br />5.&nbsp;<br />6.&nbsp;<br />7.&nbsp;<br />8.&nbsp;<br />9.&nbsp;<br />10.&nbsp;<br />11.&nbsp;<br />12.&nbsp;<br />13.&nbsp;<br /><br />Book links will go to Goodreads once I figure out what classics I'll be reading this year.&nbsp; Once my review goes up, the links will go to the reviews on my blog.</div>LuAnn @ BackPorchervationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775630749079885915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715948426984829836.post-87326399079073967602019-01-01T12:00:00.000-05:002019-01-11T21:57:29.580-05:00My 2019 PWOW Reading Challenge Sign-up<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://puttingwingsonwords.wordpress.com/2018/11/17/2019-reading-challenge/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HF478rg5bPM/XAaqvIcBolI/AAAAAAAAJyI/xXBm1SULzzUCl6i2-gJAiGh1_H3Uz9pUwCLcBGAs/s320/PWOW%2BRC.png" width="256" /></a></div>Sorry about the graphic, that was the best I could get it to come out.&nbsp; *ugh*&nbsp; Anyway, click on it to go to the host blog, "Putting Wings on Words," for further details and to sign up!<br /><br />MY LIST<br /><br />The Classics<br /><br />1.&nbsp; Read an award-winning book.<br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1113797.The_Story_of_Mankind?ac=1&amp;from_search=true" target="_blank">The Story of Mankind by Hendrik Willem van Loon</a> (1922)<br /><br />2.&nbsp; Read a poetry collection from before 2000.<br /><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2002/2002-h/2002-h.htm" target="_blank">Sonnets from the Portuguese&nbsp;by Elizabeth Barrett Browning&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;(originally published 1850)<br /><br />3.&nbsp; Reread your favorite book.<br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1078.The_Good_Earth?ac=1&amp;from_search=true" target="_blank">The Good Earth</a> by Pearl S. Buck<br /><br />4.&nbsp; Read a book written before 1900.<br /><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1342/1342-h/1342-h.htm" target="_blank">Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen</a>&nbsp;(1813)<br /><br />5.&nbsp; Read a translated book.<br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18894737-legends-of-the-gods-the-egyptian-texts-edited-with-translations" target="_blank">Legends of the Egyptian Gods by E.A. Wallis Budge</a><br /><br />~~~oOo~~~<br /><br />Friends<br /><br />6.&nbsp; Buddy-read a book.<br /><br />7.&nbsp; Read a Book you got as a gift.<br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/241823.Women_Who_Run_With_the_Wolves?ac=1&amp;from_search=true" target="_blank">Women Who Run with Wolves</a> by Clarissa Pinkola Estes<br /><br />8.&nbsp; Read someone else's favorite book<br />xxx<br /><br />9.&nbsp; Read a book that people keep recommending to you.<br />xxx<br /><br />10.&nbsp; Read a book with strong family bonds.<br /><b><i><span style="color: red;"><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2019/01/why-romeo-hates-juliet-by-anna-mara.html" target="_blank">Why Romeo Hates Juliet</a> by Anna Mara (Jan 3) DONE</span></i></b><br /><br />~~~oOo~~~<br /><br />Formats<br /><br />11.&nbsp; Read a graphic novel<br />xxx<br /><br />12.&nbsp; 'Read' an audiobook<br />xxx<br /><br />13.&nbsp; Read an illustrated book.<br />xxx<br /><br />14.&nbsp; Read a book from the library.<br />xxx<br /><br />15.&nbsp; Read a poetry collection from after 2000.<br />xxx<br /><br />~~~oOo~~~<br /><br />Diversity<br /><br />16.&nbsp; Read a book by a woman of color.<br />xxx<br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: red;">17.&nbsp; Read a book with positive representation of a disabled person - DONE</span></i></b><br /><b><i><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2019/01/in-midst-of-winter-by-danice-hope.html" target="_blank">In the Midst of Winter</a> by Danice Hope <span style="color: red;">(finished Jan 1, review to post Jan 8 in a tour)</span></i></b><br /><br />18.&nbsp; Read a book by a Muslim author.<br />xxx<br /><br />19.&nbsp; Read a book with a diverse cast of characters.<br />xxx<br /><br />20.&nbsp; Read a book by a queer person of color.<br />xxx<br /><br />~~~oOo~~~<br /><br />Seasons<br /><br />21.&nbsp; Spring:&nbsp; Read a recent release.<br />xxx<br /><br />22.&nbsp; Summer: Read a book outside.<br />xxx<br /><br />23.&nbsp; Autumn:&nbsp; Read a gloomy book<br />xxx<br /><br />24.&nbsp; Winter:&nbsp; Read a cozy book.<br />xxx<br /><br />25.&nbsp; Read something seasonal.<br />xxx<br /><br />~~~oOo~~~<br /><br />Challenge Yourself<br /><br />26.&nbsp; Read a book in a different language.<br />xxx<br /><br />27.&nbsp; Read a book in a genre you don't usually read.<br />xxx<br /><br />28.&nbsp; Read an indie book.<br />xxx<br /><br />29.&nbsp; Read a book you've owned a long time.but have never read<br />xxx<br /><br />30.&nbsp; Read a book aimed at an age group you don't usually read.<br />xxx</div>LuAnn @ BackPorchervationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775630749079885915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715948426984829836.post-4140115098760291962019-01-01T09:00:00.000-05:002019-01-01T09:03:58.688-05:00Best Self: Be You, Only Better by Mike Bayer - #review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41454071-best-self" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Best Self: Be You, Only Better" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1540758478m/41454071.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41454071-best-self">Best Self: Be You, Only Better</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7489215.Mike_Bayer">Mike Bayer</a><br />My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2648819237">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />Wow!<br /><br />I thought carefully about what book would be my first read in 2019. I am SO PLEASED that I made it "Best Self: Be You, Only Better" by Mike Bayer. Definitely an auspicious way to begin the New Year! I started reading shortly after midnight, stopped for a nap at page 259, then read the rest of the book by 6:30 am!<br /><br />Now, I'm looking forward to go back and work through the exercises, because, dang, it's 2019 and it's high time! My life has expanded and contracted in waves over the years, and has been just ... stagnant ... for some time. I finally have a map to navigate my way out of the clouds towards the life I was meant to live. And that's a GREAT feeling!<br /><br />So, why am I waxing lyrical about what could be thought of as a list of directions? Because Best Self is so much more than that. Coach Mike knows and cares about his audience. You can tell it by the language he uses. It's clear, direct and finds each person where they are. He is humble, not in competition with others over who's best, just working on becoming his own Best Self, too. He knows that every person's path looks different.<br /><br />It reminds me of an old dresser I refinished years ago. It had been painted a creamy white and speckled all over with black and brown paint. Someone had covered up some gorgeous wood and a marble top! No matter where you are in the 'restoration project' of your life, if you just need some polishing here and there, or you need to undo past mistakes and 'start over', I believe Best Self: Be You, Only Better by Mike Bayer can point you in the right direction.<br /><br />Like many people, I love to travel and see new places. This trip I take at the start of 2019 may be my best trip e.v.e.r.!<br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/13131441-luann">View all my reviews</a> <br /><br />(If you like this review, or one of the others, I invite you to 'like' the review on GoodReads!)<br /><br />~~~oOo~~~<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>AUTHOR LINKS</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span> <a href="http://coachmikebayer.com/" target="_blank">Website</a>&nbsp;* <a href="https://www.facebook.com/coachmikebayer/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>&nbsp;* <a href="https://twitter.com/coachmikebayer" target="_blank">Twitter</a>&nbsp;* <a href="https://twitter.com/coachmikebayer" target="_blank">Instagram</a>&nbsp;* <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTy91ZWKcWJVHifvQC-CF9g/featured" target="_blank">YouTube</a><br /><br />~~~oOo~~~<br /><br />This book helps me fulfill the following 2019 readathons and reading challenges:<br /><br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-wintersrespite-read-thon-signup.html" target="_blank">2019 #Wintersrespite Readathon</a><br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-monthly-motif-rc-sign-up.html" target="_blank">2019 Monthly&nbsp;Motif Reading Challenge</a>&nbsp;(January)<br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/2019-pop-sugar-rc-sign-up.html" target="_blank">2019 PopSugar Reading Challenge</a>&nbsp;(#26 published in 2019)<br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/8863?int=RC2019_sa" target="_blank">2019 GoodReads Reading Challenge</a><br /><a href="https://backporchervations.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-2019-you-read-how-many-books-rc-sign.html" target="_blank">2019 You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge</a></div>LuAnn @ BackPorchervationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775630749079885915noreply@blogger.com0
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