Fool For Books Giveaway Hop ~ Ends 4/7

Up for grabs is the following book:

Susanna Truitt never dreamed of a great romance or being treated like a princess─just to marry the man she has loved for twelve years. But life isn’t going according to plan. When her high-school-sweetheart-turned-Marine-officer breaks up instead of proposing, Susanna scrambles to rebuild her life.

The last thing Prince Nathaniel expects to find on his American holiday to St. Simon’s Island is the queen of his heart. A prince has duties, and his family’s tense political situation has chosen his bride for him. When Prince Nathaniel comes to Susanna’s aid under the fabled Lover’s Oak, he is blindsided by love.

Their lives are worlds apart. He’s a royal prince. She’s a ordinary girl. But everything changes when Susanna receives an invitation to Nathaniel’s coronation.

It’s the ultimate choice. His kingdom or her heart? God’s will or their own?

To enter the giveaway:

*Mandatory-  Leave a comment telling me how to contact you if you are the winner.

*Extra-  Follow my blog and leave a second comment telling me that you do :)

The giveaway will run until 11:59pm EST, April 7, 2014.  The winner will be emailed on April 8th.

For more chances to win great bookishness,

check out these other giveaway hoppers :

It's Monday! What Am I Reading? ~ 3/31/14

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What I read this past week:

Review not up yet...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The book I am currently reading is:

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single woman teetering on the verge of thirty must be in want of a husband.

Not true for Manhattanite Elizabeth Scott. Instead of planning a walk down the aisle, she's crossing the pond with the only companion she needs; her darling dog, Bliss. Caring for a pack of show dogs in England seems the perfect distraction from the scandal that ruined her teaching career, and her reputation, in New York. What she doesn't count on is an unstoppable attraction to billionaire dog breeder Donovan Darcy. The London tycoon's a little bit arrogant, a whole lot sexy, and the chemistry between them is disarming. When passion is finally unleashed, might Elizabeth hope to take home more than a blue ribbon?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hoping to read next:

The cottage by the sea offers Amy a refuge to mourn her brother’s death and perhaps even discover a new love. But what if Ben’s death was no accident?

Rosemary Cottage on the Outer Banks of North Carolina has been in Amy Lang’s family for generations and offers her a haven within its peaceful walls. There she hopes to discover what really happened to her brother, Ben, even as she tries to come to grips with his death in the ocean months before.
She hopes the Coast Guard team will help her find closure, but they are quick to dismiss her concerns of foul play. Everyone in Hope Beach regards the suspicious e-mail she received as a vicious prank. When it seems discovering what happened to Ben will take longer than she expected, Amy moves her midwifery practice to Hope Beach.

Coast Guard officer Curtis Ireland may hold the key to many of her questions, but he also hides a secret that will change her world forever. And her own secrets could tear apart the fragile love developing between them. Will Amy have the courage to put down her mask and let Curtis love her for who she is? And can they both weather the danger that threatens to destroy the most precious thing in their lives?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What are you reading today?

Stacking the Shelves ~ 3/29/14

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This week I added the following to my shelf:

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single woman teetering on the verge of thirty must be in want of a husband.

Not true for Manhattanite Elizabeth Scott. Instead of planning a walk down the aisle, she's crossing the pond with the only companion she needs; her darling dog, Bliss. Caring for a pack of show dogs in England seems the perfect distraction from the scandal that ruined her teaching career, and her reputation, in New York. What she doesn't count on is an unstoppable attraction to billionaire dog breeder Donovan Darcy. The London tycoon's a little bit arrogant, a whole lot sexy, and the chemistry between them is disarming. When passion is finally unleashed, might Elizabeth hope to take home more than a blue ribbon?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Can Love Survive When Secrets Collide? She’d kept her secrets safely hidden—those from her past, and those in the present. 

Some things, Beth Roberts knows, a lady simply doesn’t share, even in the 1880’s West. The townspeople would never understand. No one ever has. Jeffery Tucker, a handsome young writer, has kept his own secrets. He doesn’t have a right to pry into Beth’s affairs but finds himself strangely drawn to her and intrigued by the whiff of mystery surrounding her. Beth knows that one day someone will unravel the threads of her past. 

And when two men from her past arrive, the truth might just hurt . . . Beth’s future and her heart. As shadowy memories surface, Beth sketches the scenes she sees and is shocked by what—and who—her illustrations reveal. Dare she risk her heart again?

Happy Reading!

High Five for Friday ~ 3/28/14

Five things that made me smile this week :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1.  We took the Youth Group to see "Son of God"!  Great times :)

2.  We had a Game Night with Ice Cream!  Fun, Fun, Fun :)

3.  Everyone is (pretty much) healthy again!  Thank the Lord :)

4.  Laken went to the Smithsonian Zoo!  She got to see the baby panda :)

5.  I took a Thursday afternoon nap!  Felt so good :)

What made you smile this week?

Thursday Thirteen ~ My Birthday ~ 3/27/14

A list of 13....

"People Who Remembered My Birthday"

1. My Husband

2.  My Daughter #1

3  My Daughter #2

4.  My Mom

5.  My Dad

6.  My Co-workers

7.  My BFF Erica

8.  My Church

9.  My Friend Robin

10.  My Cousin Steph

11.  My Life Insurance Agent

12.  My Brother

13.  PennDOT

Waiting on Wednesday ~ 3/26/14

 Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Breaking the Spine,

 spotlights an up-coming release that I'm eagerly anticipating.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Can a young widow find love again with her husband's reflection?

Haley's three-year marriage to Sam, an army medic, ends tragically when he's killed in Afghanistan. Her attempts to create a new life for herself are ambushed when she arrives home one evening and finds her husband waiting for her. Did the military make an unimaginable mistake when they told her Sam was killed? 

Too late to make things right with his estranged twin brother, Stephen discovers Sam never told Haley about him. As Haley and Stephen navigate their fragile relationship, they are inexorably drawn to each other. How can they honor the memory of a man whose death brought them together and whose ghost could drive them apart? 

Somebody Like You is a beautifully rendered, affecting novel, reminding us that while we can't change the past, we have the choice to change the future and start anew.

Release Date:  5/13/14

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Waiting Until Next Wednesday,

 

 

Teaser Tuesday ~ 3/25/14

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My teaser for this week is from:

~"I don't know, Gage.  I don't know."  She fortified herself with a big cleansing breath.  Exhaling all the gunk of having to live by the plan.  "But for the first tine in my life, I don't care."~

Page  62

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy Teaser Tuesday!

It's Monday! What Am I Reading? ~ 3/24/14

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What I read this past week:

Nothing the week :(

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The book I am currently reading is:

Susanna Truitt never dreamed of a great romance or being treated like a princess─just to marry the man she has loved for twelve years. But life isn’t going according to plan. When her high-school-sweetheart-turned-Marine-officer breaks up instead of proposing, Susanna scrambles to rebuild her life.

The last thing Prince Nathaniel expects to find on his American holiday to St. Simon’s Island is the queen of his heart. A prince has duties, and his family’s tense political situation has chosen his bride for him. When Prince Nathaniel comes to Susanna’s aid under the fabled Lover’s Oak, he is blindsided by love.

Their lives are worlds apart. He’s a royal prince. She’s a ordinary girl. But everything changes when Susanna receives an invitation to Nathaniel’s coronation.

It’s the ultimate choice. His kingdom or her heart? God’s will or their own?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hoping to read next:

The cottage by the sea offers Amy a refuge to mourn her brother’s death and perhaps even discover a new love. But what if Ben’s death was no accident?

Rosemary Cottage on the Outer Banks of North Carolina has been in Amy Lang’s family for generations and offers her a haven within its peaceful walls. There she hopes to discover what really happened to her brother, Ben, even as she tries to come to grips with his death in the ocean months before.
She hopes the Coast Guard team will help her find closure, but they are quick to dismiss her concerns of foul play. Everyone in Hope Beach regards the suspicious e-mail she received as a vicious prank. When it seems discovering what happened to Ben will take longer than she expected, Amy moves her midwifery practice to Hope Beach.

Coast Guard officer Curtis Ireland may hold the key to many of her questions, but he also hides a secret that will change her world forever. And her own secrets could tear apart the fragile love developing between them. Will Amy have the courage to put down her mask and let Curtis love her for who she is? And can they both weather the danger that threatens to destroy the most precious thing in their lives?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What are you reading today?

High Five For Friday ~ 3/21/14

Five things that made me smile this week :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1.  It is officially Spring!  Hurrah :)

2.  Reese Peanut Butter Eggs!  Yummy :)

3.  I've been able to get outside and walk!  Feels so good :)

4.  I'm all caught up on "When Calls the Heart"!  I can't wait for the next episode :)

5.  Lots of fun stuff planned for the weekend!  TGIF :)

What made you smile this week?

Thursday Thirteen ~ Spring ~ 3/20/14

A list of 13....

"Things I Love About Spring!"

1.  Longer days!

2.  Sunshine!

3.  Daffodils!

4.  Light-weight jackets or sweaters instead of bulky coats!

5.  Flip-flops!

6.  Baseball/Softball!

7.  My birthday!

8.  Budding trees!

9.  Letting fresh air into the house!

10.  Rolling down the windows in the car!

11.  Cleaning up the yard!

12.  Pedicures!

13.  Winter is O-V-E-R!!! (technically, anyway)

Movie Review ~ Love's Everlasting Courage

Synopsis:

Clark Davis (Wes Brown) struggles to maintain his land and support his family during a long drought. With a bank loan to repay, his wife, Ellen (Julie Mond), takes a job in town as a seamstress, but soon becomes ill with scarlet fever. Eventually, she dies, telling Clark to leave his heart open for Missie's sake and to find love again. Devastated to lose his beloved wife, Clark and his young daughter Missie (Morgan Lily) turn to his parents Irene and Lloyd for support.
 

Cast

Clark Davis - Wes Brown
Ellen Barlow - Julie Mond
Missy Barlow - Morgan Lily
Lloyd Davis - Bruce Boxleitner
Irene Davis -  Cheryl Ladd

My Overall Thoughts:

This is the second "prequel" in the Love Saga.

I found this movie to be very sad.  Clark and Ellen have fallen on hard times and then Ellen becomes sick.  It doesn't have a happy ending, but we already knew that from "Love Comes Softly."

It does have a very strong message of enduring through trials and facing one obstacle at a time.

My Favorite Scenes(s):

I couldn't find a picture of it but my favorite scene is when it finally rains.  Clark and everyone else goes out into the rain.  Clark just lifts up his arms and soaks it in!

Watch This Movie With:

Anyone.  Friends, family, adults, children...

Other Notes:

-  I didn't read the book so I can't do a comparison.

My Rating:

4/5

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have you seen this movie or read the book?  What did you think?

Waiting on Wednesday ~ 3/19/14

 Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Breaking the Spine,

 spotlights an up-coming release that I'm eagerly anticipating.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

London is said to be the glittering jewel of society, a world unto itself—but to Julia Elliston it is a city of shadows. Her life is swiftly dissolving into scandal. And in Victorian society, even a whisper of scandal—substantiated or not—can be the death of a young woman’s reputation.
When Julia discovers that Lord Roy Pierson, her guardian and one of most influential men in England, is the father she has never met, she begrudgingly accepts his protection. But Chance Macy’s power is far-reaching as well. 

Thrust into society as the Emerald Heiress, Julia is the toast of London, a celebrated curiosity. But in reality she’s trapped between the clutches of two powerful men. Aided only by a gentleman whose intentions she prays she can trust, Julia must finally take control of her own fate—but outwitting one’s foe rarely goes according to plan.

Release Date:  5/1/14

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Waiting Until Next Wednesday,

 

 

Mental Health Giveaway Hop ~ Ends 3/27

People with mental illness and their families will often come to a clergy person and Faith Community leaders first when symptoms of the illness strike. It is important for clergy

and leaders listen with compassion and to know when to refer people to mental health professionals rather than attempt to solve psychological problems themselves or dismiss 

the problem. It is also important to know where in the community one can refer people for competent professional help and services. This can be done by forming relationships 

with mental health professionals and agencies. And it is equally important to stay in touch with the person and/or their family after a referral as major mental illness can cause 

a crisis of faith. People with mental illness and their families need the ongoing support of the Faith Community as well as professional help. The Faith Community can make a real 

difference in people’s lives when it reaches out and continues to support individuals and families affected by this disease.

Source

Up for grabs is the following book:

Open the Door and Soar! 

SISTERCHICK(R) "n." a friend who shares the deepest wonders of your heart, loves you like a sister, and provides a reality check when you're being a brat. 

Ready to spread your wings and really go places? No more flitting. No more dawdling. It's time to dig deep into God's boundless grace and "take flight"! 

Maybe you're stuck in a quiet time gone dry. Or perhaps you're an early bird, eager to get the worm. For every Sisterchick seeking a fresh time with God, this devotional/ponder/prayer/excuse-to-gather-together book will send you soaring. 

Straight from Robin's nest and Cindy's perch, you'll find a collection of insightful devotions, key Scripture verses, and wit 'n whimsy wisdom for the journey, along with Sisterchickin' suggestions, space to pen a peep or two from you, and more! 


Grace...it bids me fly and gives me wings.

To enter the giveaway:

*Mandatory-  Leave a comment telling me how to contact you if you are the winner.

*Extra-  Follow my blog and leave a second comment telling me that you do :)

The giveaway will run until 11:59pm EST, March 20, 2014.  The winner will be emailed on March 28th.

For more chances to win great bookishness,

check out these other giveaway hoppers :

Teaser Tuesday ~ 3/18/14

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My teaser for this week is from:

~The poor man likely believed that he was sitting next to a crazy person, and who could blame him?  She cleared her throat and tried to think of something sane to say.~

Page  36

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy Teaser Tuesday!

It's Monday! What Am I Reading? ~ 3/17/14

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What I read this past week:


Click the image to read my review.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The book I am currently reading is:

Lady Eliza Sumner is on a mission. Her fortune was the last thing she had left after losing her father, her fiancé, and her faith. Now, masquerading as Miss Eliza Sumner, governess-at-large, she's determined to find the man who ran off with her fortune, reclaim the money, and head straight back to London. 

Mr. Hamilton Beckett, much to his chagrin, is the catch of the season, and all the eyes of New York society—all the female ones, at least—are on him. He has no plans to marry again, especially since his hands are full keeping his business afloat while raising his two children alone. 

Eliza's hapless attempts to regain her fortune unexpectedly put her right in Hamilton's path. The discovery of a common nemesis causes them to join forces and, before she knows it, Eliza has a whole retinue of people helping her. Eliza's determination not to trust anyone weakens when everyone's antics and bumbling efforts to assist her make her wonder if there might be more important things than her fortune and independence. 

When all of Hamilton's and Eliza's best-laid plans fall by the wayside, it will take a riot of complications for them to realize that God just might have had a better plan in mind all along.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Also hoping to read this week:

The cottage by the sea offers Amy a refuge to mourn her brother’s death and perhaps even discover a new love. But what if Ben’s death was no accident?

Rosemary Cottage on the Outer Banks of North Carolina has been in Amy Lang’s family for generations and offers her a haven within its peaceful walls. There she hopes to discover what really happened to her brother, Ben, even as she tries to come to grips with his death in the ocean months before.
She hopes the Coast Guard team will help her find closure, but they are quick to dismiss her concerns of foul play. Everyone in Hope Beach regards the suspicious e-mail she received as a vicious prank. When it seems discovering what happened to Ben will take longer than she expected, Amy moves her midwifery practice to Hope Beach.

Coast Guard officer Curtis Ireland may hold the key to many of her questions, but he also hides a secret that will change her world forever. And her own secrets could tear apart the fragile love developing between them. Will Amy have the courage to put down her mask and let Curtis love her for who she is? And can they both weather the danger that threatens to destroy the most precious thing in their lives?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What are you reading today?

Movie Review ~ Love Begins

Synopsis:

Clark Davis (Wes Brown) adventurous dreams of seeing the world are put into jeopardy after he and a friend start a fight which damages a local cafe. Through a plea deal with the Sheriff (Jere Burns) and café owner Millie (Nancy McKeon), Clark works off his sentence as a farmhand for the Barlow sisters, Ellen (Julie Mond) and Cassie (Abigail Mavity). Older sister Ellen doesnt understand Cassies friendly nature with Clark; she agreed to the Sheriffs offer only because the farm has become too much to maintain alone. Clark is slowing winning Ellen over, but suddenly suffers a traumatic head injury in a fall. After Ellen nurses him back to health, her former fiancé returns to win her back. Will Clark travel on or stay behind where love begins?
 

Cast

Clark Davis - Wes Brown
Ellen Barlow - Julie Mond
Cassie Barlow - Abigail Mavity
Millie - Nancy McKeon

My Overall Thoughts:

I must explain that this is actually one of the prequels to "Love Comes Softly".  This movie portrays Clark falling in love with his first wife Ellen.

I wasn't sure how I would feel watching Clark fall in love with someone other than Marty, but I found it very charming.  Clark is much younger and didn't even seem like the same person.

I can't wait to watch the second prequel "Love's Everlasting Courage".

My Favorite Scenes(s):

Of course, the Kiss.

The dance was very sweet, also.

Watch This Movie With:

Anyone.  Friends, family, adults, children...

Other Notes:

-  I didn't read the book so I can't do a comparison.

My Rating:

5/5

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have you seen this movie or read the book?  What did you think?