Back in Time: Knights and Vikings (with a Giveaway!)

Let's face it--romantic time travel books and movies rock! (Hence, the reason for a themed week all about time travel...) And today it is my great pleasure to feature author Michelle Griep, whose time travel book, Gallimore, won me over a couple of years ago with a crazy cool plot and a crazy but ultimately charming, swoon-worthy knight!!

I don't have an interview with Michelle to share with you today (although I'm hoping to set one up in the future!), but I simply have to talk about her books anyway! And if you stick with me for a discussion about knights and vikings, you'll have a chance to win a Kindle e-book of either Gallimore or her latest release Undercurrent!

First, here's a description of Gallimore from Michelle's website:

"Jessica Neale turns her back on everyone the day her husband dies. After conceding to a vacation in England, a bizarre storm and near-fatal accident alters her reality, and she finds herself in the past. When confronted by a knight bearing the mirror-image of her apathetic heart, it's a rude awakening to what she's allowed herself to become.

Colwyn Haukswyrth, as cold and unfeeling as the armor he wears, is a knight who has one focus in life-himself. The product of a family rooted in hatred and greed, he never understood the significance of forgiveness. Until he meets Jessica Neale. More vexing and irksome than any wench he's ever encountered, this provoking bit of a woman teaches him what genuine love is—a lesson he'll take with him to the grave."

A Knight in Shining Armor

OK, if you're not intrigued by that description, then I suggest you just give up on this post right now! (Just kidding! But I hope you are intrigued, nevertheless!)

I started Gallimore on a Saturday afternoon, and I finished it the following morning/afternoon. I simply could NOT put the book down! I was completely drawn into Jessica's story, from a topsy-turvy European vacation to a medieval land where she comes across the most arrogant, frustrating, and ultimately wonderful knight you'll ever meet! ;) *Sigh* The story is well-rounded, exciting, and just plain fun to read!

But wait, there's more!

Honestly, I wasn't paid to write this! ;) I did get my copy of Gallimore for free, but that's because I won it on author MaryLu Tyndall's blog. (Thanks so much, MaryLu, for introducing me to Michelle's work!)

Anyway, now Michelle has a new book out called Undercurrent. And this time, instead of knights, there are vikings! I haven't had the pleasure of reading this book yet, but I'm pretty sure I'll LOVE it! Here's a description of the book:

"Professor Cassie Larson leads a life her undergrad students hope to attain, until she tumbles into the North Sea and is sucked down into a swirling vortex…and a different century.

Alarik, son of a Viking chieftain, is blamed for a murder he didn't commit—or did he? He can't remember. On the run, saving a half-drowned foreign woman wasn't in his plan.

Ragnar is a converted pagan shunned by many but determined to prove his Cousin Alarik's innocence. He didn't count on falling in love with Cassie or the deadly presence of evil that threatens his village in Alarik's absence."

A Charming Viking Demeanor...

I couldn't resist the How To Train Your Dragon reference. ;) If you haven't noticed how much I mention this movie on this blog, then let me reiterate--it's fantastic and you really should see it!! Here's an instrumental song from the movie to get us in an epic viking mood:

*Blissful sigh* My copy of Undercurrent can't get here soon enough!! If you want to read my review, it will hopefully be going up on The Borrowed Book blog sometime in the not too distant future!

Giveaway

Here's your chance to win a Kindle e-book copy of Gallimore or Undercurrent by Michelle Griep! (If you don't have a Kindle, you can download Kindle for PC for free and read the book on your laptop/computer.)

• To enter, leave a comment sharing your thoughts about knights, vikings, Michelle's books, time travel, or whatever!

• Please leave your e-mail address so I can contact if you win!

• 1 Extra Entry: Be a follower of this blog (through GFC, e-mail, etc.).

• 1 Extra Entry: Be a follower of the group blog I contribute to: The Borrowed Book.

• Please note: Your comment today can also count for Sunday's Kindle book giveaway (Deep Trouble by Mary Connealy). However, the only extra entries for today's giveaways are the ones stated above, NOT leaving comments on the other posts. I hope that makes sense!
  

Yay for knights and vikings!

My Review of A Matter of Character

Here's a description of the book from the author's website:

"Who says a woman can’t keep a secret?

It's 1918, and Daphne McKinley, heiress to a small fortune, has found contentment in the town of Bethlehem Springs. But Daphne has a secret.

A series of dime novels loosely based on local lore and featuring a nefarious villain known as Rawhide Rick has enjoyed modest popularity among readers. Nobody in Bethlehem Springs knows the man behind the stories … except Daphne.

When newspaperman Joshua Crawford comes to town searching for the man who sullied the good name of his grandfather, Daphne finds herself at a crossroads, reassessing the power of her words, re-thinking how best to honor her gifts, and reconsidering what she wants out of life."

My Rating: Spring/Summer

My Review:

A Matter of Character is a sweet, fun, and meaningful conclusion to "The Sisters of Bethlehem Springs" series. As much as I loved Fit to Be Tied (the second book in the series), I think this one just might be my favorite!

With a very relatable heroine, a conflicted hero to make your tummy flutter, and some interesting plot twists, this book turned out to be a quick and satisfying read. Hatcher is very adept at her craft, as shown by the fluidity of her words and scenes. Plus, I just love how the title was explored as a theme throughout the book, looking at what character really is and what it means to live out a godly character. As the heroine is a novelist/writer, I found that some of her internal struggles were ones I could understand, especially the question as to whether one should write for pure entertainment or to convey the truth. Very enjoyable book!

*With thanks to Pepper from The Writers Alley blog for my copy of the book, which I won during a giveaway.*

Note: Most of this review first appeared on a post for The Borrowed Book blog.

Book Trailer:

Back in Time: World War II

Today I'm combining our "Time Travel" week with "Monday for the Military," as we step back into the World War II era: a time of great peril, great courage, and great miracles. If you want to learn more about the World War II era and be inspired by it, then I highly recommend Battlefields & Blessings: Stories of Faith and Courage from World War II by Larkin Spivey:

Here's a description of the book from the author's website:

"Battlefields & Blessings: Stories of Faith & Courage from World War II is meant to strengthen the faith of readers by showing the power of others’ faith under the most extreme circumstances imaginable. This is accomplished through 365 one-page stories from America’s greatest conflict presented in a daily devotional format with relevant scripture readings for each day of the year. The daily readings offer a candid look at the faith and courage of individual soldiers, sailors, civilians, and national leaders, as well as God’s providential hand during many pivotal events of the war. Additionally, the book presents a unique and concise history of World War II with summaries, maps, and photographs of the major campaigns of the war. Many will enjoy reading the book straight through to gain insights into the war and combat not found in typical historical accounts."

Partial Review:

Battlefields & Blessings...looking back on the blessings from the WWII battlefields and discovering blessings on the spiritual battlefields in the present, this book is a powerful read! So far I've read through the first month's devotionals, and I've been touched by the moving stories of a grand and yet painful era.

With historical tidbits, stories from individuals, and pictures from WWII, along with relevant Scripture and connections to our everyday lives, this book is a great devotional tool. From what I can tell, the book is best read from the very beginning in order to follow the chronology of the War, so I've read through the "January" selections and am getting ready to start "February." Each day's reading is short but effective. I've enjoyed the reading so far, and I am looking forward to reading more! Based on what I've read, I recommend this book for anyone who is willing to learn from history and wants to be inspired.

*With thanks to the author, Larkin Spivey, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I apologize for the delay in posting about this great book!*

Note: If you'd like to read an example of the devotionals in this book, click HERE. (One of the selections especially spoke to me, so I posted about it a couple of Sundays ago.)

A Song for the Road

And since we're on the subject of World War II, I just have to share a song with you!



Do you enjoy reading books or watching movies about the WWII era? Do you have any recommendations for the rest of us? Sometime soon I plan on watching the Hallmark movie The Magic of Ordinary Days, which is set during WWII. I couldn't resist buying it when I found it at a Hallmark store in Oregon! ;)

Back in Time: The Wild West (with a Giveaway!)

For those of you who are even the slightest bit familiar with me and my blog, you probably are aware of my love of the American West. So, what better way to kick off "Time Travel" week than to visit the Wild West? ;) Hop on in to the time machine and we'll be on our way! (I hope someone else knows how to drive this thing, though, because I am unlicensed and I have no idea what all of these buttons are for...)

Ahhh, the Old West. Perhaps a bit idealized in the future when it comes to gunfights and striking it rich, but still majestic nonetheless. If you're lookin' for wide open spaces, you've come to the right place!

I just love the landscape of the West, and the idea that at one time it wasn't so cluttered. What must it have been like to be with the Lewis and Clark expedition in the the early 1800s? To see nature extending on and on to the horizon without a modern city to block the view? It must have been grand (and perhaps rather daunting)! Here's a quote from The Journals of Lewis and Clark to give you a taste of what it must have been like on that journey:

"We were now about to penetrate a country at least two thousand miles in width, on which the foot of civilized man had never trod. The good or evil it had in store for us was for experiment yet to determine, and these little vessels contained every article by which we were to expect to subsist or defend ourselves. However, as the state of mind in which we are, generally gives the coloring to events, when the imagination is suffered to wander into futurity, the picture which now presented itself to me was a most pleasing one. Entertaining as I do the most confident hope of succeeding in a voyage which had formed a darling project of mine for the last ten years, I could but esteem this moment of my departure as among the most happy of my life."~Meriwether Lewis

Talk about an adventure!

OK, in all honesty, I have no time machine. (I know, I know--sad, but true!) However, for those of us who are book-lovers and movie-lovers (which I think is most of us...), we have the opportunity to visit different time periods with ease (no license required!). I love books set in the West, and I'm getting ready to start one soon by Karen Witemeyer called To Win Her Heart. And I know a lot of us are Mary Connealy fans, right? (More on that soon!)

If we're talking about the literature of the West, you know we have to mention cowboys! There's just something so appealing about them. This past semester in my Literature of the American West class we talked about the honor code of the West that is a fundamental aspect of Western literature--a certain code that is separate from the law, but one that causes men to fight fair and to not back down. You've just got to love an honorable man! ;)

The West (with its cowboys!) is a wonderful setting for stories in general, not just books. Take, for example, the movie Back to the Future Part III... Cowboys make fabulous heroes, don't ya think? I just love the fact that the third part of the Back to the Future trilogy finds Doc and Marty back in time--in the West! And I love that Marty takes the name Clint Eastwood. So fun! There's a great romance in this movie, too, because as I've already alluded to, the Wild West is a great backdrop for love. ;) Lots of chances for adventure and rescues!

Well, I hope you'll forgive the rambling! As a reward for visiting the Wild West with me today, I'd like to give one of you a chance to visit the Wild West again--through the pages of Mary Connealy's latest release, Deep Trouble! Here's how you can enter the drawing:

• Leave a comment today regarding what you love most about the American West. (I'm guessing if you want to read a Mary Connealy book, you must like something about the West, right??)

• For extra entries, leave a comment on the other posts this week (through Thursday). One extra entry per post, not per comment.

• Don't forget to leave your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win!

• Important Note: The giveaway is for a Kindle (e-book) version of the book. Even if you don't have a Kindle, you can download Kindle for PC for free and read it on your computer. =)

There's more to come, so be sure to stop by throughout the rest of this week to discuss other days gone by! Also, I hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day!!

Happy National Train Day 2011!

I was so excited to discover that today is National Train Day! In anticipation of this special event, last weekend I put together a video in honor of my love of trains. Most of the pictures and footage are from Virginia City, Nevada and the surrounding area, where a good part of my first manuscript is set. Enjoy!

Glass Road PR: My Review of Holy Guacamole

Here's a description of the book from Lamp Post Inc.:

"Nestled along San Diego’s coast, the former romantic getaway of the silver screen’s most notorious lovers is now the sizzling hacienda of Bonnie Miller’s culinary boot camp. 'If you are what you eat, make it hot, spicy and irresistible,' is her motto, and this queen of Southwestern cuisine enjoys quite a savory life; success, fame, and a reputation for the finest palate west of Barcelona. That is, until a pot-rattling bang causes Trace Domingo, a washed-up sports writer, to crash into her life. His arrival turns up the heat at the culinary boot camp as Bonnie discovers in life’s recipe book, it is not the spices which add the most flavor, but how truly hungry you are."

My Rating: Fall

My Review:

Holy guacamole is right--this book is some ride! The book is divided into three sections: "Appetizer," "Main Course," and "Dessert." And let me tell you, that "Main Course," especially, is one full plate of unusual, "novel" fare!

The "Appetizer" is like a rather bizarre (and intimidating) version of Food Network Star. The food descriptions are fabulous. However, the character descriptions are a bit wanting on the realistic side, although their quirkiness does have its own charm. It was very hard for me to connect with the characters, especially the heroine. Once I learned about her past, I could sympathize more with her, but I couldn't really relate to her.

The "Main Course" is like the movie Romancing the Stone. It's certainly jam-packed full of adventure and some humorous (and not-so-humorous) situations, but it's all so far-fetched that I found it very difficult to take anything seriously, even the moments sprinkled in towards the end that were supposed to give the story a sort of moral. The villain was quite a bit like the one in Romancing the Stone--someone who appears like a nice guy (wealthy with a huge "castle" hidden in Mexico and, in this case, some mad cooking skills) who has a big ego, lots of henchmen with guns, and an appetite for revenge. Certainly difficult to swallow, but not without suspense, nonetheless.

The "Dessert" is certainly the "icing on the cake"--very sweet, but perhaps piled on too thickly for the discerning palate. It's a fitting conclusion to the book, and there are no loose ends left lying around, but (again) it might be a little too neat and tidy (and a tad corny) for real life.

Overall, this is one of those books that offers too much imagination and not enough realism. (Perhaps like eating too much unhealthy food, so that it fills you up but doesn't leave you satisfied.) I appreciate the creativity involved, but it was a bit overdone for my taste. But if you're in the mood for a wild and different sort of story, you might enjoy a helping of Holy Guacamole.

*With thanks to the publisher and Glass Road PR for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.*

About the Authors:

"Denise, a former stenographer and devourer of books, is the couple’s editor and technician.

Dan fine tuned his creative storytelling in high school as a way of explaining why he missed class whenever the surf was up.

Their shared passion for the written word has led to a growing collection of awards. The couple enjoys living in Southern California’s “Avocado Capital of the World” where they maintain a laid-back lifestyle as they run a cabinet shop, raise four children, and tend a small ranch.

Okay, maybe it does get a little hectic."

My Review of The Charlatan's Boy

Here's a description of the book from Waterbrook Multnomah:

“I only know one man who might be able to tell me where I come from, and that man is a liar and a fraud.”

As far back as he can remember, the orphan Grady has tramped from village to village in the company of a huckster named Floyd. With his adolescent accomplice, Floyd perpetrates a variety of hoaxes and flimflams on the good citizens of the Corenwald frontier, such as the Ugliest Boy in the World act.

It’s a hard way to make a living, made harder by the memory of fatter times when audiences thronged to see young Grady perform as “The Wild Man of the Feechiefen Swamp.” But what can they do? Nobody believes in feechies anymore.

When Floyd stages an elaborate plot to revive Corenwalders’ belief in the mythical swamp-dwellers known as the feechiefolk, he overshoots the mark. Floyd’s Great Feechie Scare becomes widespread panic. Eager audiences become angry mobs, and in the ensuing chaos, the Charlatan’s Boy discovers the truth that has evaded him all his life—and will change his path forever.

My Rating: Spring/Summer

My Review:

Creative, clever, and oh-so chuckle-worthy, The Charlatan's Boy is a gift I almost didn't recognize because it came wrapped in a genre I don't usually read and one that's actually rather difficult to define. It's a-bit-of-fantasy meets Mark Twain's Huck Finn, with enough of the unexpected to turn everything on its head!

Grady and Floyd make a rather ingenious pair of hucksters, and this book is packed full of some interesting schemes for winning a crowd and making some good pocket-change in the unusual world of Corenwald. It's fun going back to the beginning to consult the map and follow their journeys across Corenwald. And those journeys are full of the wackiest and most entertaining adventures!

Many of the characters are quirky in a rather lovable way--like Short Fronie, the drovers, and Barbary. What an array of personalities! And the narrator, Grady, won me over with his big, mixed-up heart and his witty observations. Just like Huckleberry Finn, he tells it like it is from the way he sees it, and it's a pleasure to watch him discover just who in this crazy world he is.

With a great narrator, an enjoyable story, and a surprising depth, I recommend The Charlatan's Boy for all those who want an adventure with some laughs and smiles along the way!

*With thanks to Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.*

Would you consider ranking my review? Thank you!