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Fatal Tide

Lis Wiehl’s book number three in the East Salem Trilogy, Fatal Tide, does a great job wrapping up the series. “In East Salem, the Elite St. Adrian’s Academy is at the nexus of the satanic apocalypse – and the fatal tide is rising.’ Fatal Tide continues with Tommy and Dani trying to solve the spiritual mystery that has invaded the town. Everything seems to be centered around the school. There are evil entities lurking everywhere. Can they get to the bottom of this mystery before it is too late?

This trilogy brings forward a spiritual warfare that exists around us daily and we may not even be aware of it. I highly recommend reading these books in order or you may be lost. As I posted in my first review of Lis Wiehl’s first book in this series last year, her books are written kind of like Frank Peretti or Ted Dekker. The demons take on physical forms that can be seen as do the angels. There are battles between the two all through the story. She did a good job holding my interest and at times I found it hard to put the book down. I’m not sure it is a good book to read right before bedtime if you are prone to have sleeping problems or nightmares, but I read it anyway. I love this style of writing but if you have a problem trying to visualize the spirit world in a realistic, tangible way you may not enjoy it. If you have never read one of her books I suggest you start to see if you like her writing style. Her style may not be for everyone but I personally love the difference from other authors. I read a lot of different genres of books and the predictable gets old. I thing this series isn’t completely predictable although there are some parts of it that are. There is a little romance going on mixed with mystery and spiritual warfare.

I would recommend this book to others and have done so with my husband. Sometimes (at least in my brain) I feel like men will shy away from female authors I would shout out please don’t take that attitude with Lis Wiehl. Her books are by no means “girlie” books and can be enjoyed by both genders equally.

I received this book from booksneeze.com in exchange for an honest review.

 

My Hope is Found

I really liked My Hope is Found the third book in the Cadence of Grace Series by Joanne Bischof. I’ve read all three books in this series and the third one didn’t disappoint. 

“Gideon O’Riley has been given another chance a life with Lonnie. But will the fight for her heart risk it all over again?”  In the earlier books Gideon and Lonnie faced a series of events that separated them. In book three things are changing. Lonnie is moving on with her life trying to get Gideon out of her head. Gideon is gone on with his new life. Events happen that change everything but is it too late for Lonnie and Gideon? Love is in the air but is it love for Gideon or Lonnie’s new beau Toby.

I would suggest that you start from the beginning with these books or you may not connect with the characters and it may not be as enjoyable. This book is a light, easy read. It shows that God has a plan for our lives, and that He works even when we don’t think He is. I wouldn’t say there is any great mystery with this story but I found myself wanting to see what happens next. I hope there is a continuation with some of the characters maybe in another series. I can’t say who because I don’t want to give any of the storyline away.

If you like historical, romance novels then this is a good series for you to read. I would recommend it to others.

I received this book from Waterbrook/Multenomah at no charge in exchange for an honest review.

Prairie Song

Prairie Song by Mona Hodgson is the first book in her new series Hearts Seeking Home. Although this is the first book in this series it continues the stories from her series The Quilted Heart. You could read this book without reading the other series but I feel like the other books allow you to get to know the characters of this book. I would definitely suggest reading The Quilted Heart series first if possible.

The Boone Lick Company Wagon Train is getting ready to head west. Families and friends are parting ways, some are staying in Saint Charles while others are venturing westward. Anna Goben is hoping that the trip will help heal her family after they suffered the loss of her brother in the Civil War. Caleb Reger  one of the trail hands wants to hide his secrets and his pains from the war. Anna and Caleb really don’t like each other very much and want to avoid each other as much as possible but God may have other plans.

I enjoyed reading this new book. I’m glad it picked up where The Quilted Heart series left off. The book leaves a few unanswered questions which drives me nuts as I have to wait for the next book. But overall I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves historical, romance novels. I think you will enjoy this series. If you have read The Quilted Heart series then you definitely want to start the Hearts Seeking Home series to see were the journey leads the families who left Saint Charles. Just like her other books this one is filled with adventure, love, disappointment, highs and lows.

I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book with no anticipation of review but I decided to review it anyway.  You can now purchase this book here.

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Heritage Kit by Project Life

I just received my second Project Life Core Kit from www.amazon.com . I love genealogy and have been looking for a way to do a scrapbook of all of the wonderful, old family pictures I have collected over the last few years. Once again life has gotten in the way and I haven't had the time to sit down and finish scrapbooks the way I would like to. Becky Higgins just released the Heritage Core Kit and this has become my perfect solution. When I saw that this kit was coming I waited patiently  not so patiently on this kit. I was keeping a close eye on her blog awaiting the announcement of this new kit. Well it finally hit the shelves of amazon and I purchased it quickly. My hat's off to amazon who got it to me in 2 days. Thank you amazon prime :) Now I have my solution and I have been getting my pictures together. I'm a little weird, I will scan all of my originals and keep them in a safe place. I will likely scrap the copies. I know this sounds strange but I keep my scans on dvd's in a safe and these irreplaceable originals will also go into the safe.

 

When I received my kit I immediately fell in love with the mute brown and black tones. The cards will work well with any type of picture; colored, black and white, as well as sepia. Keeping with the great quality of the designers of Project Life the cards come in a sectioned box with a magnetic closure with suggestions to help you get started on the lid. I loved this kit so much when I opened the box but then it hit me I have some photos that I would like to feature on a traditional page so I immediately went shopping again. :) I purchased the matching 12x12 papers and the page dividers. Although, the pages will not be divided on a monthly basis I will divide they my generation.

 

The 12x12 papers are of the same quality as the core kit cards, my only complaint would be they do not come packaged as well as the cards. They are packaged with a cardboard insert to keep the papers from bending and then shrink wrapped. They aren't as easy to store with the kits as I would like them to be. Once they are opened they are loose and could easily be damaged. It would be nice if the paper had better storing packaging. I used the box that my page protectors came in to store the paper so that it wouldn't get damaged or seperated from my kit.

 

 I'm hoping to finish this album and include some family history to pass on to my daughter and hopefully she will be able to pass on a little of our heritage to her children if God sees that in her future.

Project Life by Becky Higgins Review

I am usually a traditional scrapbooker but I have recently come across a product that I am absolutely in love with. Project Life by Becky Higgins is a new way to look at scrapbooking. It is designed to scrap your everyday life without taking too much time. I have to be honest I am a little intimidated by a product that is supposed to make my scrapping easier. The reason being is I don’t typically scrap everyday life, I tend to scrap trips, holidays, and events so this has been a challenge for me. I have yet to dive in full force but I am determined to do it. One of my major problems is getting caught up on printing pictures that I so long neglected but I am working on it. I have managed to stay somewhat up to date for 2013 while trying to go back and print from prior years. I had only been printing things that I was in the process of scrapping. BIG MISTAKE now I’m way behind and it is costing a fortune to print. Oh well I am going to get there.

Now for Project Life, I purchased my 1^st kit on HSN when it was a special value of the day. It included an album, 60 page protectors,12  page dividers, and 1 Core Kit  that includes 616 cards. I chose the Jade edition. The core kit has enough cards to complete album.  I think the cost was close to $50.00 but I have enough materials to complete and entire album with no additional cost.

1^st – The album is very well made. It is a three ringed binder type of album with plenty of room. There are metal corner protectors and metal plate window on the binding for labeling your project.

2^nd – The page protectors include spaces  for 4x6 cards and photos as well as 2x3 spaces. The protectors that came with the kit on HSN included 40 pages that the 4x6’s spaces are in landscape, and 20 pages the 4x6 are in portrait orientation. The protectors seem sturdy and the cards fit into the pockets nicely. You can purchase page protectors for your Project Life project that have various orientations of pockets as well as traditional 12x12 pages if you want to include a few more “traditional” pages.

3^rd – There are 12 page dividers (designed to separate your 12 months) They are printed acetate dividers and are equally beautiful. Don’t forget to remove the clear covering that protects them. It is very difficult to see and if I hadn’t read about someone trying to remove them I wouldn’t even have known they were there.

4th – The cards in the core kit are absolutely beautiful. The paper quality is wonderful with the weight equal to a light weight to medium weight card stock. Most are double-sided and match beautifully with each other. They are designed so that you can slip them into the pockets with little thought and they go great with each other. You do not need any glue or scissors for your project. Now if you are like me you are going to want to add a little bling. Wink wink. But the album will look gorgeous without any bling. The cards come in a divided box with a magnetic closure. It is very well designed and thought out. There are suggestions to help you get started on the inside cover of the storage box and a few of the cards that aren’t double-sided have suggested placement guides.

In short Project Life is a great way to document everyday life, which are the important moments that tell who we really are. It is for the busy person who doesn’t have a lot of time to sit down and spend hours on layouts. So if you feel like you want to scrapbook and don’t have the time this will be a wonderful way for you to get started. Or if you feel like you are never going to get caught up, maybe you can in a weekend.  And if you are like me and usually scrap themes you can easily adapt this system to do so with no problems. I definitely recommend Project Life to anyone who wants to document your life!!!! Thank you Becky Higgins for bringing us this wonderful, new way of scrapbooking.

 

My Blue Ribbon Scrapbook

I entered one of my scrapbooks in the fair this year. Yay it got 1st place!!!! It is an album from a trip we took in 2008. Yes, yes I am way behind but that's okay. I may or may not catch up but it's all about the fun of creating.

This is the 2nd time I have entered a scrapbook and both albums got 1st place so I'm pretty pleased.

Forgive the quality of some of the pictures. I snapped them quickly and only included a few. I'll try to add more later.

 

 

 

Harriet Beamer Strikes Gold

 

Harriet Beamer Strikes Gold by Joyce Magnin was a fun book to read. “After a whirlwind cross-country move, Harriet and her devout loving basset hound, Humphry have settled into a new life in Grass Valley, California. When Harriet learns that she’s going to be a grandma for the first time and gets a new suite for her salt and peper shaker collection, she can’t wait for her best friend, Martha to come visit so she come share her good news.”  Harriet seems a little bored with her life in California and starts on a new adventure with a Gold Mine. This little adventure quickly turns into a big adventure which may get Harriet in a mess.

This was my first Harriet Beamer book and I found it really fun to read. I couldn’t help but to think that she reminds me of the children’s book character Amellia Bedillia at a senior level. She’s so full of energy and adventure that at times I found her character to almost be exhausting but in a good way. I think the book is probably geared more to the more senior adults out there but still enjoyable to me. I’m not sure younger readers would enjoy it as much. I really liked Harriet’s adventurous spirit but at times wanted to shake her and say “That’s not a good Idea.” I could just imagine a 70+ year old woman riding around in town on a scooter. I hope when I get there I can have such a lively personality.

I would recommend this book to others to read especially if you are looking for a light-hearted, comical book with a touch of family and love for others. I received this book at no charge from booksneeze.com in exchange for an honest review.

 

Redeeming Love

I am so glad that I got to review this book. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers is “A powerful retelling of the story of Gomer and Hosea.” I could hardly put this book down once I started it. The author did a wonderful job of retelling the story of Gomer and Hosea without it being the story from the bible about Gomer and Hosea. The book is set in the 1850’s during California’s gold rush.

“Angel expects nothing from men but betrayal. Sold into prostitution as a child, she survives by keeping her hatred alive.” “Then she meets Michael Hosea, a man who seeks his Father’s heart in everything. Michael obeys God’s call to marry Angel and to lover her unconditionally.”

This page turner is an excellent example of God’s love for us if we follow His will. We can’t see what all He has in store for us neither can we understand why we must endure some of the things that we have to. Michael is an example of how we should strive to follow God’s wills even when we don’t understand. I would strongly recommend this book for anyone who thinks they can’t be forgiven for their past or who have struggled with issues that have made them bitter or angry. I would recommend this book for just about everyone would probably be a more accurate statement to make. I can’t say enough good about it.

Mrs. Rivers has written this book in a unique way that just jumps out and holds onto you. It is thought provoking and an eye opener. She has written in a way that she shows God’s forgiveness for those who feel condemned because of their lives and their sins. She also shows how we shouldn’t judge things that we may have no idea about because we can’t always see how God is working in other’s lives, and she shows us how we should be forgiving as God has been forgiving to us.

There is a six-part reading group guide included in the book and would be a wonderful book for a reading group or club.

Please read this book you will not be disappointed. I received this book from Multnomah at no charge in exchange for an honest review. You can purchase this book here.

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A Bride for All Seasons

A Bride for All Seasons: The Mail-Order Bride Collection is a collection of four short novellas by Margaret Brownley, Debra Clopton, Mary Connealy, and Robin Lee Hatcher. It is basically four books in one and each could stand alone and are around 100 pages or less each.

The first is And Then Came Spring by Margaret Brownley. The second is And Ever-After Summer by Debra Clopton next comes Autumn’s Angel by Robin Lee Hatcher and lastly is Mary Connealy’s Winter Wedding Bells. I will not go into the description of each story in this review because of the different story lines. I will say that the common thread for each story is only “The Hitching Post, Mail Order Bride Catalogue.” Each is a different tale of the experiences of four different potential brides and grooms.

I really enjoyed the mini books and read through them very quickly finishing in just a few nights. They are typical, historic, romance novels or novellas in that they are pretty predictable but still very enjoyable to read. Each leading character has their own personality and is fun to get to know. The time is set just after the Civil War when a lot of women want to get married but there aren’t enough men out there so they turn to the catalogue. At the beginning of each story there is a short prologue that helps you get to know who the people are and what they are looking for. Three of the four stories explain the mail order letters the other explains more of the predicament that the parties are in and why they are looking at mail order marriages. I find the owner of the Hitching Post, Melvin Hitchcock, a funny character kind of playing God with these people’s lives. If he doesn’t approve of the way a letter is written he tweaks them so they will be more appealing to the potential spouse on the other end.  Sometimes more than not the letters are completely different than what they started as and make for awkward meetings for the couples.

There is a spiritual side to each of the meetings usually one or the other feels that it is God’s will that things happen the way they do. I can’t imagine ever being a mail order bride but I’m assuming that it may have been pretty common place in the early history of our country. This book is fun and gives a good picture of the time. I can imagine myself being there seeing the sights and sounds of each of the small towns. If you enjoy light historical romances you will love this book. I would recommend this to others. Each author has done a great job and even though every story is completely different and set in different areas of country there is still cohesiveness between them.

I received this book at no charge from booksneeze.com in exchange for an honest review.