Where Wildflowers Bloom Reveiw

I just finished reading another great book published by Revell. Its  Where Wildflowers Bloom by Ann Shorey.

Faith Lindberg has lost her father and brother during the Civil War.  All she has left 

is her grandfather.   Faith wants to leave her home town of Noble Springs, Missouri. But 

she has one small obstacle: Her grandfather does not 

want to leave!   He owns a mercantile  and does not want to sale.

Curt Saxon and his sister Rosemary have moved to Noble Springs for a fresh start.

Curt is a Civil War veteran with memories he would soon  like to forget.

Rosemary worked as a nurse during the war and now no one wants to befriend her.

Faith and Rosemary form a friendship... but what of Faith's dream of moving?

This is a great story.  I was reminded that we don't always know 

the plans that God has for us.  His plans are so much more greater than

we could ever dream.  Our dreams, are our dreams!

This is one book that you should read!  Revell even has put together  a reading group guide for you.

I enjoyed reading it , I know you will also.

Until next time, 

Happy Reading everyone!

This book was given to be by Revell to read and review.

Casing Mona Lisa Contest!

Win an iTouch SPY Pack in the Chasing Mona Lisa Giveaway from @triciagoyer @mikeyorkey!

Chasing Mona Lisa is the continuing tale of Gabi Mueller and Eric Hofstadler (first introduced in The Swiss Courier). This time the due are on a relentless quest to save the most famous painting in the world  - the Mona Lisa. You can help Gabi and Eric with your very own spy pack when you enter The Chasing Mona Lisa Giveaway!

One passionate protector will receive:

• iTouch (The must-have device for any spy. Camera, Maps & Music.)
• Starbucks Gift Card (For all those late nights.)
• Moleskin Notebook (For those important notes.)
• Invisible Ink Pen (Don’t want anyone reading those important notes.)
• Chasing Mona Lisa by Tricia Goyer & Mike Yorkey (Great handbook and intriguing tale for any spy-in-training!)

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on January 31st. The winner will be announced at the Chasing Mona Lisa Facebook Party on 1/31. Tricia and Mike will be hosting an author chat (on Facebook and Live from Tricia's website) and giving away their books and a Book Club prize pack! (Ten copies of the book for your small group or book club AND a LIVE Author Chat for your group with Tricia and Mike.)

So grab your copy of Chasing Mona Lisa and join Tricia and Mike on the evening of the 31st for an author chat, spy training (do you know how to pick a lock?) and lots of giveaways. 

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 31st!

Chasing Mona Lisa... review

August 1944. Paris is on the cusp of liberation. As the soldiers of the Third Reich flee the Allied advance, they ravage the country and steal countless pieces of irreplaceable art. In fact, Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring will stop at nothing to claim the most valuable one of all—the Mona Lisa—as a postwar bargaining chip.

But the woman with the mysterious smile has some very determined protectors. Can Swiss OSS agents Gabi Mueller and Eric Hofstadler rescue Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece before it falls into German hands?

With nonstop action and intrigue, Chasing Mona Lisa is sure to get your adrenaline pumping as you join the chase to save the most famous painting in the world. From war-ravaged Paris to a posh Swiss chateau, the race is on--and the runners are playing for keeps.












Chasing Mona Lisa is a fast pace, action packed book, set in Paris, France during World War II.   This book is a page turner!  It is a Historical fiction novel.  So if you like mystery, thriller, fast paced books of fiction... you will like this one.    It will keep your interest with all the twist and turns!  It was another enjoyable books from Revell.

Check it out here:  Chasing Mona Lisa

Chasing Mona Lisa was given to me to read and review by Baker Publishing Group.

Thursday's Book Review: Small Space Organizing

If you are living in a small home, or have organizing  issues, this book is for you.

Kathryn gives a room by room organization tips and hints.  At the end of each chapter, you are given lots of 

resources for products to help with all of that organization.  Its an easy to read, easy to understand book. 

This is one book that I am going to have to keep and refer to every time I have an organization 

issue.

With a few tricks up your sleeve, small can be the new big!

While we may admire the spacious rooms in large homes we see in magazines or on TV, let's face it: most of us don't live in rambling estates. Instead, we live in homes, apartments, or condos with small rooms and even smaller closets. But you can enjoy an organized, beauty-filled life no matter what the size of your space. In this practical book, you'll learn how to

• perform a room-by-room audit of your space to see if it's functioning at its best
• make the most of existing storage space and find clever ways to add more
• find creative ways to arrange furnishings and accessories that maximize space and bring harmony and style to the home
• live graciously in a small space with others (especially those who aren't organized!)

Whether you're an empty nester who's downsizing, a newlywed setting up your first nest, or someone who just needs some creative new ideas, you'll love these strategies, tips, and solutions to maximize space and enhance your quality of life.

Wanna Check it out. click here!

Organizing those small spaces

Need help organizing those small spaces...

Check out this interview with Kathryn Benchen at

The Ramblings of a preacher's wife

Come back tomorrow for Thursday's Review on :

Small Space Organizing: A Room by Room Guide to Maximizing your Space.

Thursday's Review: The Keeper

Life on Windmill Farm hasn't been the same since Julia Lapp's father has had trouble with his heart. But that doesn't stop Julia from hoping for a bright future. She has planned on marrying Paul Fisher since she was a girl. Now twenty-one, she looks forward to their wedding with giddy anticipation. But when Paul tells her he wants to postpone the wedding--again--she is determined to change his mind. She knows who is to blame for Paul's sudden reluctance to wed: the Bee Man.

Roman Troyer, the Bee Man, travels through the Amish communities of Ohio and Pennsylvania with his hives full of bees, renting them out to farmers in need of pollinators. A mysterious man who relishes his nomadic life, Roman especially enjoys bringing his bees to Stoney Ridge each year. But with Julia seriously at odds with him, Windmill Farm is looking decidedly less appealing.

Can Julia secure the future she's always dreamed of? Or does God have something else in mind?

This is another great novel by Susanne Woods Fisher.

I began reading this novel thinking it would be along about 

the same as other novels.

  

Boy, was I wrong.  From the beginning I was either laughing 

or crying!

There is a major twist in the story, that I did not see 

coming.

In my opinion, it just make the book.

I can't help but wonder what sister the next book will be 

about.

This is by far one of Susanne's best novels yet.

This book was given to me by Baker Publishing Group to 

read and review. 

Mercantile Memories Giveaway!

To Celebrate Ann Shorey's new book, she is having a great contest and giveaway.  My review of this book will be posted in a few weeks.

You can get all the details here: http://www.annshorey.com/contest.html

ABOUT THE GIVEAWAY:

In Where Wildflowers Bloom, Book 1 in author Ann Shorey’s brand new Sisters at Heart series, Faith Lindberg wants nothing more than to escape her small Missouri town, and the graveyard of painful memories left by the Civil War. She plans to sell her grandfather’s mercantile, and join a wagon train bound for Oregon. But her grandfather, and a handsome stable man have other plans!

To celebrate the story, author Ann Shorey and Revell Books are proud to announce the MERCANTILE MEMORIES giveaway, featuring three incredible prizes.

GRAND PRIZE:

Our Grand Prize winner will receive an heirloom chess set, handmade from 1830s chestnut & cherry wood, just like the one Judge Lindberg and Curt use in their chess battles.

SECOND PRIZE:

Our Second Prize winner will receive a deluxe, Missouri-shaped box of mercantile goods from the Missouri Mercantile company. The box features an assortment of items just like those stocked by Faith in Lindberg’s Mercantile.

THIRD PRIZE:

Our Third Prize winner will receive a Memoirs Gift Set. Write your memoirs just like Judge Lindberg does in the story! The set includes the bestselling Writing the Memoir book, and a $30 gift card to Blurb, to create and print your story.

Grab this button for your blog! Just copy the code in the box below.

<a href="http://www.annshorey.com/contest.html/" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Enter the MERCANTILE MEMORIES Giveaway!" src="http://www.annshorey.com/promotion/blogbanner3.gif"/></a>

Counting my blessing week 1

Welcome!

To my new weekly themed blog post.

I have much to be thankful for.

I have been blessed with so much.

Some times life has a way of making you forget

all those little blessings in your life.

This year I have determined to count my blessings!

This week I have been blessed to spend 

a few days with my parents.

I don't get much time with them, living a few hours 

away.

The girls and I are enjoying staying with them while my

husband is out of town working.

I know this may be a little thing, but I am 

blessed to have my parents

who are willing to house

myself, the girls, and our 2 furry friends 

for the week.

What are you blessed with this week?

Wordless Wednesday Post

"Be Strong"

Welcome to the first of Tuesday's Word of Encouragement. 

We all can use some encouragement from time to time.  You may be finding it had to get all those school 

activities done, or you may be just feeling down or stressed over some situation 

you are going through.

As I was reading my daily devotions yesterday, I came across this scripture:

Deuteronomy 31:6

 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. 

 Moses was addressing the Israelites.   He knew that he would no longer be able to continue the journey to 

the promise land.   He left them some lasting words

of encouragement.  

BE STRONG, FEAR NOT, FOR THE LORD THY GOD GOES WITH THEE!

In verse 8 he says:  

And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee, he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.

These words were not just for Israel, but for us as well!

We can be assured that if we love the Lord God above all else and depend on Him;

He will never leave or forsake us! He will be our Helper!

Because of this promise, we can  "be strong and of good courage".

We can  preserve  in trials. 

We can resist those temptations, and 

We can fully place our trust in the Lord.

Oh Boy!

What can I say?  I really need to be lesson planning for the next few weeks, but instead I'm surfing the web, wasting time, washing clothes, supervising kitchen clean up, and getting ready to process 2 deer my wonderful husband shot last week.

Ok, Tomorrow I promise I will hit those books and plan!   Oh, and maybe get that tree and all the Christmas Decorations boxed up.

Who am I kidding?  I just need to relax for a few more minutes get off this computer and get to work !

What ever your plans for today are, Have a great day!