Beaded Bracelet - Showcase Series

My closest friends call me Squirrel and with good reason. I can get sidetracked quicker than, well, a dog seeing a squirrel. 

I love to do many different things. I like to sew, I love to write, I love to bead, I love to teach, and the list goes on. With each of these hobbies I have, I've noticed that I have to be in the mood to do these things. If I'm on a beading binge, there's really no way you're going to get me to sew anything. And it's going to be like pulling teeth to get me to stop and cook dinner. It's sad, but true. It's just not going to happen.

I've started making jewelry to sell at craft fairs and art shows in an effort to help with college costs for our children. Yeah. They grow up quick, don't they? As I'm sure you're well aware, college isn't the cheapest of endeavors. Our daughter starts this fall, and this is one way I felt I could maybe help her a little. Each week on the blog I'm hoping to showcase my newest beading creation. Notice I said hoping. Remember the whole Squirrel issue? Yeah. I can see 'sidetrack' coming, can't you?

This week, I'm sharing a bracelet I made using a tutorial by Beejang. Beejang is a very talented beading artist, and you can find her tutorial on how to make this bracelet on her website. I am kind of color challenged, so if any of you have color ideas you'd like to see, shoot me a comment. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Until next time, 

happy beading!

Four Weddings and a Kiss Book Review & Tour

Spitfire Sweetheart by Mary Connealy

Maizy Place is an unruly tomboy. When she causes an accident, injuring neighbor Rylan Carstens, she becomes his unlikely caregiver. Rylan has never noticed how pretty his infuriating neighbor is, and he never expected to fall in love.

Love Letter to the Editor by Robin Lee Hatcher

Molly Everton is the outspoken daughter of the town newspaper's owner. When her father brings in an outsider to be editor, she tries to drive him out of town. But Jack Ludgrove is not intimidated. He's resolved to change Molly's mind about him---as an editor and as a man.

A Cowboy for Katie by Debra Clopton

Katie Pearl is uninterested in men and love. But she needs help on her ranch and hires Treb Rayburn, a wandering cowboy looking to make a buck. Will Treb change Katie's mind?

Courting Trouble by Margaret Brownley

Grace Davenport is either the unluckiest woman alive---or a killer. When her third husband is found dead, Grace is arrested. Attorney Brock Daniels isn't interested in the case---until he meets Grace. Only a miracle will prove her innocence, but the joining of two lonely hearts may be their saving grace.

Purchase a copy:  http://bit.ly/1qTiFK2

About the authors: 

Margaret Brownley is a NEW YORK TIMES best-selling author and has penned more than thirty novels. Her books have won numerous awards and has written for a TV soap opera. @margaretbrownley 

Robin Lee Hatcher is a Christy and RITA award-winning author. She is the author of over seventy novels and her work often appear on bestseller lists. @robinleehatcher 

Mary Connealy is an award-winning author of romantic comedy with cowboys. Mary and her Nebraska rancher husband have four grown daughters and two spectacular grandchildren. @MaryConnealy 

Debra Clopton is an award winning author of sweet, heartfelt, western romance that face life with a smile. With over 2 million books in print, Debra's first book-to-movie aired on ABC Family and starred LeAnn Rimes. @debraclopton

Follow the Tour!

My Thoughts:
This novel starts out with a young preacher determined not to marry the girl he loves. She's unconventional and he's positive she's not going to be accepted by his parishioners. She's wild and unruly, and actually plays...games! For pete's sake, who wouldn't have a problem with that?! It's up to his four older, wiser - and meddlesome -  companions to show him the errors in his thinking.



These four novellas are a delight to read. They pack a wollop of a punch from four very talented authors and ring true. A woman who doesn't dress the way others think she should? Another who's accused of murder? When God decides to put people together, watch out. He's going to get His way, come what may. Each story hits home with a different theme we can all learn from. Forgiveness of others, loving someone for who they are, seeking God's direction in situations, trusting others, etc, the lessons don't stop. This is a fun set of novellas I will read over and over again - if not for the lesson, at least for the chuckles.

How many of us started out with someone we thought might not be right for us? Maybe he didn't have the background you thought he should, either his parents or yours objected to the relationship, or maybe, as in my case, his name wasn't right and he didn't like cats. I mean, come on! How is this going to work?!  But one thing I've found, God knows what He's doing. Sometimes, we just need to let go and let God take control.

*My thanks to the publisher for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. These thoughts are my own, and I was not required they be positive.*

Edwin: High King of Britain - Book Review

About the book:
Note: This is not a specifically Christian book. In 604 AD, Edwin, the deposed king of Northumbria, seeks refuge at the court of King Raedwald of East Anglia. But Raedwald is urged to kill his guest by Aethelfrith, Edwin's usurper. As Edwin walks by the shore, alone and at bay, he is confronted by a mysterious figure--the missionary Paulinus--who prophesies that he will become High King of Britain. It is a turning point.

Through battles and astute political alliances Edwin rises to power, in the process marrying the Kentish princess Aethelburh. As part of the marriage contract the princess is allowed to retain her Christian faith. But, in these times, to be a king is not a recipe for a long life.

This turbulent and tormented period in British history sees the conversion of the Anglo-Saxon settlers who have forced their way on to British shores over previous centuries, arriving first to pillage, then to farm and trade--and to come to terms with the faith of the Celtic tribes they have driven out.

The dramatic story of Northumbria's Christian kings helped give birth to England as a nation, English as a language, and the adoption of Christianity as the faith of the English.

Purchase a Copy for ONLY $1.99 for a limited time!

My Thoughts: 
Villains, heroes, heroines, the rise and fall of kings and kingdoms make this an adventure-filled tromp through some of history's darkest and bloodiest times. I'm rather thankful that we live in the time we do - maidens were little more than chattel that were bartered and traded for political reasons, villains were brutish and vile, and kings' lives seemed to be a mere blink at times. Not having read The History of English People by Bede, I found it a compelling, interesting book that I very much enjoyed. I love books that are historical and that pull me into a time long since past. This one does just that. I especially liked the conversion of Edwin and how the queen conducted herself in some very difficult circumstances and trusted that God would take care of her.

If you like the Arthurian legends and books about medieval times, you would probably like this new series. I am looking forward to the rest of the trilogy.

Read a Sneak Peek!

Raptor 6 Book Review and Tour

About the book: 

His mission.

His team.

Captain Dean Watters keeps these parts of his life in laser-like focus. So when hackers threaten both his mission and his team, Dean's Special Forces training kicks into high gear. Ten military super-secure computers are missing-which if opened, would give America's enemies a blueprint of US military intelligence. Failing to stop the hackers isn't an option.

Zahrah Zarrick is a missionary teacher to Afghan children in Mazar-e Sharif. She's also a target. Her expertise in quantum cryptology makes her an unwitting pawn in the hackers' deadly game. They're coming for her, and Dean and his team must stop them.

Before the team can get to Zahrah, she disappears. Now Dean must race to rescue her and stop the hackers from unleashing terror on millions across the globe. But to do so, Dean will be forced to crack open the steel box around his heart-a move that might come at the highest cost.

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/xoyE1

About the author: 

Ronie Kendig is an award-winning, bestselling author who grew up an Army brat. After twenty-plus years of marriage, she and her hunky hero husband have a full life with four children and a Maltese Menace in northern Virginia. Author and speaker, Ronie loves engaging readers through her Rapid-Fire Fiction.

Ronie can be found at www.roniekendig.com and on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Follow the Tour!

My Thoughts: 
What can I say? Ronie Kendig is an extremely gifted writer that not only weaves believable plots and scenarios, but, for a time, transplants you into a different place and culture. All good books should do this, but it's my opinion Ms. Kendig does a better job than most. 

Raptor 6 is exciting, fast-paced, and riddled with so much gut-twisting and heart-stopping action that I recommend you have more than an hour to yourself. Once you start reading this novel, you won't want to put it down.

Dean Watters is the epitome of soldier-dom. Tough, handsome, rugged, and plenty of wow mixed up into one hunky alpha-male. Need I say more? And his counterpart, Zahrah Zarrick is what every woman wishes she could be; smart, classy, morally upstanding, and desirable. Mix these two together, the Taliban, guns and explosives, and you have a winning novel that you will enjoy.

Due to some of the content, I would recommend this to an older, more mature reader. War is not pretty, and sometimes what mankind does to mankind is terrible and Ms. Kendig writes a realistic portrayal of a war and struggle that is often ugly.

The Heart's Pursuit

About the book: 

A jilted bride desperate to save her family from ruin.
A bounty hunter seeking vengeance for a ravaged past.
An arduous trek toward justice---or redemption.

Silver Matlock and Jared Newman know traveling together is a bad idea. Bad for Silver's already tarnished reputation in her small Colorado town. Bad for bounty hunter Jared's secret, single-minded mission for revenge. But Silver is determined to track down the rogue who left her at the altar and stole the last remnant of her father's fortune. And Jared's in a hurry to hunt down the murderer who destroyed his family---even if Silver is too distractingly beautiful for comfort.

The pair takes off over mountain and desert, past bleak homesteads and raw mining towns, hot on the trail of the two villains who took what wasn't theirs to take. Soon supplies dwindle, secrets emerge, and suspicion leave Silver and Jared at odds when they need each other most. To confront an enemy deadlier than desert rattlesnakes and rocky cliffs, Silver and Jared must learn to forgive and trust and face the question they haven't dared voice: What happens next?

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/wSpq9

About the author: 

Best-selling novelist Robin Lee Hatcher is known for her heart-warming and emotionally charged stories of faith, courage, and love. The winner of the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction, the RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance, two RT Career Achievement Awards, and the RWA Lifetime Achievement Award, Robin is the author of over sixty novels.

Robin can be found at: website, Facebook, Twitter

Introducing Robin's new novel, The Heart's Pursuit

Follow the Tour!

My Thoughts:
The Heart's Pursuit was well written and engaging. There were times it could have been dark and gory, and I deeply appreciated the author not going into those details while still managing to convey the villain's dark side and crimes. The heroine, Silver Matlock, was a strong-willed, yet enjoyable character who had a hard time following orders. You just knew there was going to be trouble whenever Jared Newman told her to do something, and I started looking forward to it.

This was rich in detail and imagery, and there were times I could even taste the gritty sand from the desert. I could easily see this being adapted into a fantastic Western movie. There were a couple red herrings that felt a little flat in presentation, but it didn't detract from the story. It just made me wonder if the author had intended to go into a different direction and changed her mind.

Ms. Hatcher is an excellent story teller and she did keep my imagination engaged the entire book. I enjoyed her writing and will be reading more of her work.
*My thanks to the publisher for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest view. I was not requird it be positive.*