Friday, March 26, 2010

Texas Brides


Texas Brides
by: Cathy Marie Hake

My Thoughts:
This was a very good book, but I must say I was a little bothered with how it began. Be prepared for a pretty large dose of reality on an uncomfortable subject. Once you get past that, the book is excellent! The Gregor brothers are characters that you fall in love with from the start. They meet some pretty hard-headed women, but they are able to break through the shells and discover the true beauties within. Cathy has a wonderful way of writing that draws you in and keeps your attention from page one to the end.


Back of the Book:
Equipped with their father's blessing and meager gifts of inheritance, three brothers from the hills of Scotland enter the land of possibilities and settle on the plains of Texas.

Dr. Robert Gregor opens an office in town. Mere days before Mercy Stein is to be wed, her world falls apart. The doctor can tend her, but only God can heal a battered soul. Will Rob risk everything and place his mother's wedding bank on Mercy's hand?

Duncan Gregor's quiet counsel and practical views draws people to the unassuming cobbler. Carmen Rodriquez wallows in loneliness, believing no one wants a crippled wife, so she resolves to be content serving others. The two neighbors ought to get along, but Duncan nettles her. Will the Bible his father bequeathed him bring the neighbors together. . . or drive them apart?

The pocket watch his father left to him ticks off time for Christopher Gregor. Driven to capture the man who killed his friend, Chris becomes a Texas Ranger. The last thing he needs is to be sidetracked by a helpless woman. Kathryn regent finds almost everything she ever dreamed of with Christopher - but will her secret tear them apart?

Can their father's gifts help these brothers lead the three hurting women to healing with faith and love?

Thanks for stopping by!



Thursday, March 25, 2010


Songbird Under A German Moon
by: Tricia Goyer

Loved this book! Part of it may because of how much I love to sing. I was immediately drawn into the world of the USO singers. Also, WWII is one of my favorite era's to learn about and the history in the book was educational. I love how Tricia portrayed the romance between Betty and Frank and that you were able to actually see them falling in love throughout the book, not just a quick -"Oh, by the way I just realized I love you" at the end of the book. The conflict in the book is very evident and mysterious. I couldn't wait to see how she pulled it all together. I highly recommend this book!

ABOUT THE BOOK:
The year is 1945. The war is over and 21-year-old Betty Lake has been invited to Europe to sing in a USO tour for American soldiers who now occupy Hitler's Germany. The first nights performance is a hit. Betty becomes enthralled with the applause, the former Nazi-held mansion they're housed in and the attention of Frank Witt, the US Army Signal Corp Photographer. Yet the next night this songbird is ready to fly the coop when Betty's dear friend, Kat, turns up missing. Betty soon realizes Franks photographs could be the key to finding Kat. Betty and Frank team up against post-war Nazi influences and the two lovebirds' hearts may find the answers...in each other.
But will they have a chance for their romance to sing? The truth will be revealed under a German moon.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tricia Goyer is the author of twenty books including From Dust and Ashes, My Life UnScripted, and the children's book, 10 Minutes to Showtime. She won Historical Novel of the Year in 2005 and 2006 from ACFW, and was honored with the Writer of the Year award from Mt. Hermon Writer's Conference in 2003. Tricia's book Life Interrupted was a finalist for the Gold Medallion in 2005. In addition to her novels, Tricia writes non-fiction books and magazine articles for publications like Today's Christian Woman and Focus on the Family. Tricia is a regular speaker at conventions and conferences, and has been a workshop presenter at the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International Conventions. She and her family make their home in the mountains of Montana. Find out more about her and her books at www.TriciaGoyer.com


Check out the other blogs on the tour by clicking here.

CONTEST!!!

Leave a comment on Tricia’s blog or send an email through her website CONNECT page and answer this question: What era in history do you wish you'd lived in and why?

Earn extra entries by signing up for Tricia's newsletter here, becoming a Fan on Facebook or Tweeting about the contest on Twitter (use hashtag #songbird)!

You’ll be entered to win one of three signed copies of Songbird Under a German Moon.

Thanks for stopping by!!


This book was sent to me by Litfuse Publicity group in exchange for an honest review.
I was not influenced on how to write my review.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Making Work at Home Work - March

As you may remember, I recently partnered up with Making Work at Home Work as a blogger.





Find the Right Coach

By Mary M. Byers


In my last post I talked about working with a coach. This time, we'll address how to find the right coach for you. I suggest the following:


Referrals. Ask friends and colleagues if they can recommend anyone to you. Listen to conversations. If you hear someone mention that they work with a coach, ask if they'd be willing to share the name and contact information. Referrals are by far the best way to find a coach.


Identify specifically what you need help with. Do you need help increasing your income? Decreasing your expenses? Someone to brainstorm marketing ideas with? Or, do you have plenty of ideas but lack the follow through to do them? In this latter case, you'll want someone who can use a little tough love to hold you accountable for getting things done. The more specific you are regarding where you need help, the more likely you'll be to find a coach that's a good fit for you.


Search online. Do a search for coaches online. You'll find plenty! Pick a few sites to go to, read about each coach and his or her philosophy, and watch the videos. You'll get a sense of who you might feel comfortable working with. Narrow the list to these possibilities.

Request a complimentary introductory session. This is THE most important step. I "met" by phone with several coaches before finding mine. One coach spent the whole conversation talking about herself. Another spent the entire time saying, "If you decide to work with me, then..." And a third was not at all focused during our conversation, which led me to believe our coaching sessions would be the same way--frustrating for me.

Make the decision. Know that your coaching relationship won't last forever. This makes it easier to decide who you will work with. Pick the coach you are most interested in. Then, ask if you can sign up for a limited number of sessions (a minimum of three). You'll have a good sense of how the relationship is working after several sessions.

Be willing to do the work. When you enter a coaching relationship, you're making a commitment to help your coach help you. And you're making a commitment to doing homework between sessions as well as to do the heavy thinking required to help take your business to the next level. Coaches see lots of people who are willing to pay for help, but fewer who are willing to roll up their sleeves and get to work. Your work with a coach only pays off if you're invested and willing to sweat along with your coach.

Good luck!

Mary Byers is the author of Making Work at Home Work: Successfully Growing a Business and a Family Under One Roof. You can learn more about making
work at home work by subscribing to Mary’s free blog at www.makingworkathomework.com.

Interested in more articles like this? Join the blog ring here.


Monday, March 22, 2010

Making Work at Home Work

I have decided to join a blog ring called 'Making Work at Home Work'. Once a month I will be posting a shared post from Mary M. Byers. Keep an eye out. . .


Wednesday, March 10, 2010


Sons of Thunder
by: Susan May Warren


About the Book:

Sophie Frangos is torn between the love of two men and the promise that binds them all together. Markos Stavros loves Sophie from afar while battling his thirst for vengeance and his hunger for honor. Dino, his quiet and intelligent brother, simply wants to forget the horror that drove them from their Greek island home to start a new life in America. One of these sons of thunder offers a future she longs for, the other the past she lost. From the sultry Chicago jazz clubs of the roaring twenties to the World War II battlefields of Europe to a final showdown in a Greek island village, they'll discover betrayal, sacrifice and finally redemption. Most of all, when Sophie is forced to make her choice, she'll learn that God honors the promises made by the Sons of Thunder. 




About the Author:
Susan May Warren is the award-winning author of seventeen novels and novellas with Tyndale, Steeple Hill and Barbour Publishing. Her first book, Happily Ever After won the American Fiction Christian Writers Book of the Year in 2003, and was a 2003 Christy Award finalist. In Sheep's Clothing, a thriller set in Russia, was a 2006 Christy Award finalist and won the 2006 Inspirational Reader's Choice award. A former missionary to Russia, Susan May Warren now writes Suspense/Romance and Chick Lit full time from her home in northern Minnesota. Learn more about Susan here: www.susanmaywarren.com


A CONTEST!!!
Be sure to check out Susan's fun contest for the book's release: Each one of us has a wealth of stories from the past – while they might not all be as sweeping and dramatic as that of Sons of Thunder’s Sofia and the Stravos brothers (swoon), your family history is a treasure nonetheless.

Well – let’s hear them! Were your great-grandparents ‘fresh off the boat’? Was your great uncle a war hero? Did your grandmother make unbelievable sacrifices to help or protect the family? Did your father harbor a family secret until his death? Are you related to someone famous? Do you have a family treasure? Whatever it is that is unique in your family history – share your story HERE! (click on the SHARE button) One grand prize winner will receive:

• Memory Prize package containing a gift certificate to create your own hard cover photo book
• 6 month membership to Netflix (to satisfy that flick fix!)
• Signed copy of Sons of Thunder!

5 runners up will also win signed copies of Sons of Thunder!

You can also be entered to win a copy of Sons of Thunder by helping us Spread the Word during the blog tour!

TWEET THIS:(must use hashtag #SonsofThunder to be entered - no limit on entries! Tweet away!)
Please RT! @susanmaywarren launches new Romantic Suspense #SonsofThunder. Share your story 2 win a fab prize pack! http://ow.ly/1digM



My Thoughts:
Sons of Thunder is very well written and keeps you interested through the entire book. Markos and Dino's lives are full of tragedy and heartbreak as they both love the same woman. Susan keeps you guessing as to how the book will end, so much so that you just can't put it down. I love how she told different parts of the story through different characters lives, almost making it a collection of novellas.

I love historical novels because you always seem to learn something new. This story gives you a great perspective from the streets of Chicago to WWII in Greece, a place affected by the war that you don't hear about too often.

I definitely recommend reading Sons of Thunder. Pick it up for yourself and find out who Sofia ends up with.


Thanks for stopping by!!





This book was sent to me by Litfuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.
I was not influenced on how to write my review of this book.