A Touch of Fall

I love this time of year, and thanks to a shopping excursion with my mom this past weekend - along with a couple of decoration items I brought up with me when I first moved in - I was able to add a few touches of fall to my dorm room. I thought I'd share the fall cheer with you!

The cat is a year-long, school-career-long attraction in our dorm room. ;) (It may look real, but it's not!) The little scarecrow mouse is from my decorations box, and the little pumpkin is one my mom grew in her garden!

I just love this "God's Creation" calendar! The pictures are beautiful, and the October photo is no exception! The "Bless Our Family" pumpkin is from my decorations box, and the "Cozy Autumn Vanilla" fragrance mist is from Bath & Body works.

I just love this! The pumpkin is another one from my mom's garden, the "Spider Cider" lotion is from Bath & Body works (50% off Halloween items!), and the bejeweled purple spider is one my grandparents gave me once as a teasing gift due to my strong dislike of spiders. ;) But don't they just look too cute together?? Oh, and the book-like box is an item my mom got me this summer from Michael's, and it's a constant fixture there on top of my mini fridge.

And what says fall more than some colorful stacks of books? ;) Yay for reading!

Hope you all are enjoying the season! Have any of you decorated your homes for the occasion?

Revell Blog Tour: The Measure of Katie Calloway

Here's a description of the book from Revell:

"Her heart seeks sanctuary in the deep woods. But will trouble find her even here?

The Civil War has ended, but in Katie Calloway's Georgia home, conflict still rages. To protect herself and her young brother from her violent and unstable husband, she flees north, finding anonymity and sanctuary as the cook in a north woods lumber camp. The camp owner, Robert Foster, wonders if the lovely woman he's hired has the grit to survive the never-ending work and harsh conditions of a remote pine forest in winter. Katie wonders if she can keep her past a secret from a man she is slowly growing to love.

With grace and skill, Serena Miller brings to life a bygone era. From the ethereal, snowy forest and the rowdy shanty boys to the warm cookstove and mouth-watering apple pie, every detail is perfectly rendered, transporting you to a time of danger and romance."

My Rating: Spring/Summer

My Review:

Serena Miller caught my attention with her first book, Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio. She created a unique story full of wonderful and interesting characters. It is my great pleasure to pass on the word that her new historical romance, The Measure of Katie Calloway, is another winner!

I am in complete and utter agreement with the last couple of lines of the back cover description. Miller writes with such delightful detail, which is one of the best parts of this book. The post-Civil War Michigan lumber camp comes to life in a very vivid sort of way - both calming in its seclusion and natural beauty, as well as intense in its difficulties and pain.

And Miller showcases another intriguing cast of characters! While Katie Calloway takes the spotlight with all that she learns and in all the ways that she grows, there are also some lovable, frustrating, and deep secondary characters. Like in her first novel, the hero is a mysterious, brooding sort who turns out to be quite a loveable guy!

The Measure of Katie Calloway is a well-rounded and well-worded historical romance - just the ticket for these longer fall nights!

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

“Available October 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

Want to read my review of Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio? Click HERE!

Women of Faith Conference: Here I Come!

Tomorrow my mom and I will be heading up to Portland bright and early for the Women of Faith Conference! It was an honor to receive two free tickets in exchange for blogging about my experiences - and I'm sure I'll have plenty of those to share with you next week!

I just love that I can attend a Women of Faith Conference with some absolutely dear women of faith - my mom, our own blogging buddy Casey, and Casey's mom. I know we'll have a blast!! I've never been to one of these conferences before, but I've heard some good things about them. In the coming days be looking for my first-timer thoughts, as well as what I've learned and what's blessed me. =)

Hope you all have an amazing, faith-filled weekend!

My Review of Kiss of Night

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

"Centuries ago, Raphael was a blasphemous knight who fought in the Crusades purely for his own mercenary benefit, and to satisfy his taste for killing. Now, condemned for his evil passions and hypocrisy, he wanders the earth a vampire, cursed with first-hand knowledge of the supernatural world he once denied existed. The powerful relic he still possesses from his days as a Crusader has been stolen by a rival vampire who has recruited an army of soulless underlings to aid him in spreading evil. At the time he learns this, Raphael has been hunting this vampire for nearly a century, and it seems the final battle is destined to take place in Prague.

For help in this quest, Raphael must enlist the aid of two humans, David and Susan, who suddenly find themselves immersed in a world they never imagined, entangled with supernatural forces they can’t control. Susan, in particular, finds herself conflicted as she struggles with her inexplicable attraction to Raphael. In the end, both Susan and Raphael will be called upon to exercise courage and faith, and in the process, the question What would happen if a vampire truly accepted God? is answered."

My Rating: Spring

My Review:

Doesn't it feel as if vampires have taken over the media? From books to movies, vampires seem to be wildly popular. And the views on their legend appear to be as varied as these new stories about them.

I freely admit that I'm no connoisseur of vampires. My recent reading involving them is mostly limited to three books: Dracula by Bram Stoker, Plain Fear: Forsaken by Leanna Ellis, and this one (Kiss of Night). I must say that I find it quite interesting that both of the latter books mentioned the former. I really enjoyed Dracula myself, and apparently it is the book that people generally think of when it comes to vampires. In the cases of Forsaken and Kiss of Night, characters talk about Stoker as having lied or not told the whole truth about vampires for some reason or another. I find that intriguing, if nothing else!

Anyway, Kiss of Night offers a unique perspective on vampires. In Forsaken, Ellis depicts vampires as completely evil, using a Phantom of the Opera theme to create sympathy for the characters, but also to show the madness of the vampires and the importance of the choice everyone must make between Light and darkness. But in Kiss of Night, vampires aren't shown as totally depraved. They are shown as redeemable people who are "cursed" so that they might have time to see the error of their ways and repent, if they so choose.

Viguie addresses some tough issues in her book - such as postmodernism and its ramifications on society's views of morality (more gray than black and white) - and I admire her courage in writing such a story. I can't say as I prefer her approach to the legend of vampires, and I really don't agree with her use of certain verses of Scripture out of context, but I like her overall theme of good vs. evil.

Viguie is a good story-teller. The setting descriptions are engaging and the romance is very enjoyable. There are some super-cute scenes between the heroine's cousin and one of the heroes, and there are some touching and thrilling scenes between the heroine and the vampire hero. There's also plenty of action, and even some humor thrown in (for example, "We say that kryptonite is Superman's garlic").

The story ends on a great (albeit frustrating) cliffhanger, and the prologue is just as mysterious as the epilogue when all is said and done, marking this book the beginning of an exciting trilogy. Even though I wouldn't say I've caught "vampire fever" (I haven't watched or read Twilight or anything like that!), I can understand a bit more why their legend is so powerful. The symbolism of blood and the horror of the "undead" can make for some fascinating and meaningful stories!

*With thanks to FaithWords and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.*

Revell Blog Tour: Hello, Hollywood!

Here's a description of the book from Revell:

"When it comes to love, one thing's for sure--it doesn't follow a script!

Athena Pappas is the head writer on Stars Collide, one of the most popular sitcoms in television history. But when Vegas comedian Stephen Cosse is brought in to beef up the show's suddenly sagging ratings, she starts to worry about her job. Sparks fly as the competition--and attraction--between the two writers heats up. Athena has never had a problem writing the romances of her characters. So why is her own love life so hard to script?

With humor and a Hollywood-insider viewpoint, Hello, Hollywood! delivers lots of laughs as Athena and Stephen discover that not being in control of the plot of their lives might just be the best thing that ever happened to them."

My Rating: Spring

My Review:

A wonderful and quirky Greek family, a trouble-maker dog, a home-hungry preteen, and two struggling hearts make up the well-rounded and just plain fun cast of Hello, Hollywood! Not to mention the return of some of the sweet and unique characters that readers were introduced to in Stars Collide, the first book in this "Backstage Pass" series. Janice Thompson has a flair for creating interesting characters.

The plot is as sweet as baklava with a great message about trusting God with control of our lives and being grateful for the blessings we have been given. Of course, there is such a thing as too much baklava (just trust me - I know!), and such is the case with this book. Very, very sweet - but the sweetness gets extended a bit too long in the end to suit my tastes. Of course, it's nice to see a happy ending come to fruition, but it felt like the story was being stretched a bit more than necessary (in explanations, etc.).

The book did come off as a bit "preachy." In such a case, I think this book is a great one for believers who are in need of encouragement and some smiles. While there is some conflict (and as Athena notes often, "conflict is key!"), Hello, Hollywood! is just plain happy. If you're looking for some cheer with some extra fun (like T.V. series chapter titles and a darling "special feature" at the end), say hello to Hello, Hollywood!

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

“Available September 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

Love's Everlasting Courage

About the Movie (from the Hallmark Channel website):

"Clark Davis (Wes Brown) struggles to maintain his land and support his family during a long drought. With a bank loan to repay, his wife, Ellen (Julie Mond), takes a job in town as a seamstress, but soon becomes ill with scarlet fever. Devastated to lose his beloved wife, Clark and his young daughter Missie (Morgan Lily) turn to his parents Irene (Cheryl Ladd) and Lloyd (Bruce Boxleitner) for support. Clark must find a way to save his farm and survive Ellen's death without losing the person he loves most: his daughter."

My Review:

After seeing the first prequel Love Begins when it aired on September 17th, and after re-watching the original Love Comes Softly the following weekend, Love's Everlasting Courage was not much of a surprise and served as a predictable transition piece.

Like Love Begins, these characters left me wanting more. Clark's lack of depth is a bit disheartening, as are his see-sawing emotions. The conversations and scenes feel a bit stilted, and also share a lack of historically satisfying quality with its predecessor. Not to mention the fact that the sister who played such a dominant role in the first prequel is suspiciously absent in the second one.

That being said, this movie is more meaningful than Love Begins, and the inclusion of Ben and Sarah's characters (from the original Love Comes Softly) is a sweet surprise for long-time fans. How fun to see them meet - although Ben is more adorable rather than stern and handsome! ;)

The title of the movie - Love's Everlasting Courage - is fitting, and one that serves as a good concluding note for those who have been following this "Love Saga," as Hallmark terms it. In this movie we only see Clark's transition stage, following the death of his first wife and preceding his marriage with Marty. Yet even amid all the tragedy and uncertainty, the love of God and family sustains Clark and reminds him of the courage needed to trust God and face the coming days.



Commentary:

My friend and I had a running commentary going throughout the movie, as we are apt to do while watching movies together! ;) Here are some of our observations/comments that you might enjoy:

• The rattlesnake finally shows up! We were certain that the younger sister was going to be bit by a rattlesnake in Love Begins after Clark warns her to beware of rattlesnakes in the high grass. And yet she goes to the meadow about 5 times or so (possible exaggeration...) and never gets bit! Talk about unfulfilled foreshadowing. So what do they do? They stick a rattlesnake in the very beginning of this movie. ;)

• My friend kept trying to diagnose Ellen as she showed signs of getting sick. The fatigue, the paleness, the fever, and the red rashes all make sense for scarlet fever from what I can tell after Googling the disease - but the cough??? Not sure about that one...

• This one's my favorite! During the commercial break, there was a Hallmark advertisement for the "Love Saga" (this series), and they talked about how "love heals" and "love triumphs." Well, my friend wasn't sure if Love Triumphs was a reference to the name of another movie they were making! We groaned (and laughed, of course), then discussed what they could possibly do to extend this series. We decided that Love Triumphs would be the prequel to the prequels - a story about Clark's parents and how they met during the Civil War while he was fighting for the Union and she was a Confederate spy. ;)
  

Anybody else see the movie this weekend?

INSPYs: Romance Shortlist Announced

I am honored to have been selected as one of the Inspy Romance judges this year. The shortlist - just announced today! - is quite fabulous! I think it's going to be a tough pick for us this year, but that's all I can say on the matter. ;) Until December, my lips are sealed! (The winner for each category will be announced mid-December.)

Here are the five shortlist nominees for the "Romance" category:

A Heart Most Worthy

A Hope Undaunted

The Preacher's Bride

Within My Heart

Yesterday's Tomorrow

The other five categories this year for the INSPYs are: Creative Nonfiction, General, Mystery/Thriller, Speculative Fiction, and Young Adult. Click HERE to see the shortlists for those categories.

Don't know what the INSPYs are? Here's a description of the awards from the INSPY website:

We feel nothing compares to excellent faith driven fiction, but it can be difficult to weed through the multitude of books published each year in both the Christian marketplace and the general market to find the very best of them. We found ourselves longing for a way to really bring attention to the books that inspire and move us.

What makes the INSPYs unique among award programs is that we invite nominations from both the Christian booksellers’ domain and the general marketplace. The INSPYs are not about conforming to expectations, they are about faith. Additionally, this program is organized and judged by book bloggers who have considerable experience and knowledge of books published for both the CBA markets and the general market. It is our sincere hope that the INSPYs will serve readers in their search for the very best of faith inspired literature being published today.

It is my great pleasure to be a part of the INSPY award program this year!