Most of the books I review are given to me by the author or their publishing company and sometimes the library! I’m not required to post a good review.
However, my momma raised me to to say nice things, and if I can’t then I shouldn’t say anything. I’ve adopted that policy for my reviews. If I don’t like the book doesn’t mean it isn’t someone else’s favorite.
I am required by some strange law to let you know that I didn’t buy the book.
Exposed is the perfect title for this book. Allyson Graham, a marriage counselor finds herself in a place she swore she’d never be—married to a man addicted to porn. Allyson’s story of how this discovery lessens her self-worth, brings doubts she’s never had and the journey she takes to live with this discovery is a must read for any woman experiencing this dangerous epidemic.
It’s not a one-sided book. Taylor Adams has fallen into the life of a porn star. Her journey echo’s Allyson’s in many ways as she too searches for her own identity and a way out of this lifestyle.
Exposed, leaves you with the realities of what ‘fantasy’ really is.
If I were a marriage counselor I would by cases of this book to give to clients experiencing this. Why? Because sometimes it’s helpful to know there are others in the same position.
Powerful book, leaving the reader with many thoughts about how even advertising has taken an evil turn and could be challenging our sons.
Trish Perry’s The Perfect Blend is a quick, fun and enjoyable read. Step Vandergrift is the product of helicopter parents and has no idea how to make good decisions about her life.
Risking everything to prove her independence she agrees to marry, Rick Manfred. Only Rick doesn’t show up for the wedding.
Now Steph has burned all her bridges with her family and friends back home. She’s stranded in a town where she hasn’t a job, a home or a friend.
Then Milly, the tea shop owner helps her out for a few week while she looks for other work. Of course she makes more and more mistakes with her impulsive decision making, all of which will have you laughing.
Kendall James an eligible bachelor takes notice of Steph and oh how she wants to jump into love with him. Still for once she tries to hold back on her impulsive behavior. Can she? Read the book, it’s delightful.
Is is possible for four men to make music without instruments? Yes! Breath of Soul is an a capella vocal band, using only their voices which blend and harmonize in a mesmerizing way.
If you ask the band they will tell you singing a cappella music is a dream come true.
Why a cappella? In a world where life can be so hectic and nonstop, it’s important to find something to calm the storm. We find that calm in our love for music. To have the opportunity to do what we love with such close friends is simply the icing on the cake. With a wide array of influences we are working on developing a new style of a cappella music using the exciting possibilities of the human voice. In addition to showcasing some true a cappella harmonies, we use a broad range of instrumental and percussive sounds to mirror that of a true “band.” You’re based in Nashville, TN. How were you effected by the flood? -Our vocal percussionist Jake was the only one of us directly effected by the flood. He had some damage to his apartment at the time but made it out just fine. Although the rest of us didn’t have any damage to our apartments, we all new people who were unfortunately effected on a deeper level. Luckily Nashville has so many wonderful people in it that care enough to help out and help rebuild rather quickly. On your website I noticed you all have nicknames, where did they come from? -A lot of those nicknames were given to us when we were still little kids and they just stuck. How did you meet? -Three of us, David, Tony, and Jesse met in college and have been singing together for almost 5 years now. We were lucky enough to recently meet Jake within the last couple months down here in Nashville. Although he has just recently joined the group, he fits in like he’s been with us all along. What made you decide to form an a cappella band? Was it because instruments were too costly? -We all went to school for some form of music and through our experiences there we found our real passion; singing. We immediately fell in love with the vocal arts and thought it would be a fun and exciting challenge to try and make a successful career out of a cappella music. We all dabble in instruments as well. All four of us play the piano and Jake and David also enjoy playing the guitar. Do your tour small venues like churches? -We cover all bases! We perform at churches, high schools, colleges, and wherever anyone else would welcome us with open arms! Are you able to focus only on your music or like many creative people still have to work another job? If yes, what are you all doing to make extra money? -We are all currently working other jobs to make sure we have enough money to survive during this tough economic time. Jesse, Tony, and David all work at BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.) on music row in downtown Nashville in the licensing dept. David also works at the Nashville airport. Jake is working at a Subway in the Vanderbilt Hospital. We are all very busy but nothing gets in the way of us making our music. Favorite food on the road? -Out favorite food on the road would have to be the cheapest kind!
Final words? Because of loved ones we are allowed the opportunity to pursue our passion. Without the support of our friends and families, we would not be where we are today. Their constant love and faith has shown us how to maximize life’s gifts. Additionally, nothing is possible without God. The Lord works in such great and mysterious ways and we are so grateful to be part of His plan! Thank you for answering my questions!
I so wanted to post their music for you to hear, however I couldn’t figure out how do to it on blogger. So please go to the link above and listen or watch the video about the band. The amazing thing is these young men are giving away 1 CD! You can get three chances to enterHere are the rules:Leave a comment with your email address below. If there isn’t an email address your entry doesn’t count. FollowBreath of Soul on Facebook Tweet this post.Drawing Ends at 12:00 a.m September 9, 2010And the winner is Kathryn Page Davis, number picked by random number generator. Congratulations!
Breath of Soul (formerly 5one) is an a cappella vocal band based in Nashville TN., consisting of members: David Kempton, Jesse Upah, Tony Marx & Jake Black. Before their launch from 5one, they performed throughout the United States and China. In 2008, they were named the regional champions of Harmony Sweepstakes in Chicago. Having been in all sorts of work places over the years, it’s safe to say that most people chuckle at the thought of making a living singing a cappella music – but for us,… (read more)
Always the Baker, Never the Bride by Sandra D. BrickerThere is on word for this book FUN! A baker that can’t eat the wonderful creations she makes? I feel her pain–I can bake bread, but I can’t eat it–no gluten for me. Just like Emma I must restrain myself from things that would delight the tongue.Emma just happens to be in the right place when Jackson needs a baker–only he might miss his chance at hiring her if he doesn’t listen to his sisters.
And the recipes! oh my! such yummy things to try. I may have to give a few of them a whirl with gluten free flour.
Get this one. It’s yummy.
From the back of the book:
Thirty-six-year-old Emma Rae Travis has been baking specialty cakes and melt-in-your-mouth pastries at The Backstreet Bakery in historic Roswell, just outside of Atlanta, for the last six years. But here s the rub about her job as a baker … Emma is diabetic. When she tastes her creations, it can only be in the most minute portions. Emma is considered an artisan for the stunning crème brulee wedding cake that won her the Passionate Palette Award last year, but she s never even had one full slice of it.
When Jackson Drake hears about this local baker who has won a prestigious award for her wedding cake artistry, he tells his assistant to be sure and include her in the pastry tastings scheduled at his new wedding destination hotel the following week. And for Jackson, that particular day has started out badly with two workmen trapped in a broken elevator and a delivery of several dozen 300-thread-count bed linens in the wrong size abandoned in the lobby. But when the arrogant baker he met a week prior in Roswell stumbles into the dining room with a platter of pastries and a bucketful of orders, he knows for certain: It s going to be a really rotten day. Can these two ill-suited players master the high-wire act and make a go of their new business venture? Or will they take each other crashing downward, without a net? And will the surprise wedding at The Tanglewood be theirs? Book provided for review by Abingdon Press
Set in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the United States, The Malacca Conspiracy is a bone-chilling tale of terrorism on the high seas, of political assassination and nuclear brinkmanship. And for Zack and Diane-your favorite JAG characters from Don Brown’s popular Navy Justice Series-a story of hope for a longstanding romance that is now or never.
When a dastardly plot is hatched in the Malaysian seaport of Malacca to attack civilian oil tankers at sea, to drive up the price of crude oil futures, and to assassinate the Indonesian president and use fat windfall profits to finance a nuclear attack against American cities, Navy JAG officers Zack Brewer and Diane Cocernian reunite in a sizzling race against the clock to foil the conspiracy before disaster strikes.
But as President Mack Williams sends ships of the U.S. Seventh Fleet towards the Malacca Straights to reassert control over the sea lanes, will Navy JAG officers Zack Brewer and Diane Colcernian survive this dangerous and final high-stakes drama of life and death?
You won’t be able to put this thriller down until you find out.
The Malacca Conspiracy By Don Brown Zondervan 0310272157 352 Pages PUB DATE: June 2010 copy provided for review by Zondervan
Good Girls Don’t have to Dress Bad by Shari Braendel arrived at my house a little late from the publisher Zondervan. They provided me this copy free to review. I wasn’t sure I would be able to read and post a review in time for my readers to enter a few of the fun contest that is being held. The book is an easy read, though it is full of information that makes picking out the right clothing and color easy. On her website www.sharibraendel.com she even has a fun and easy to do quiz to find the colors that will suit you best. It’s nothing like I’ve ever seen and it is free so go play after you read the review!
It is exciting to see a book on dressing well that addresses the spiritual side. So often as a Christian woman you get the feeling you aren’t supposed to be concerned about how you look. Braendel addresses this issue in a way that makes sense. God isn’t using His words in the Bible to say ignore the things you wear. Not at all. Dressing respectfully and honoring His creation is a good thing.
It’s not a book full of preaching and it’s not meant to be. Good Girls Don’t Have to Dress Bad is what it’s about. Why wear black if it makes you look ten years older? Did you know carrying the wrong color purse can throw a few years on you as well? And just how many clothes do we really need? My closet is stuffed and after reading this book I have an idea of what I need to keep to look professional as well as when I run to Target.
Now for more good stuff- Fashion Makeover Contest NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Complete and submit the entry form at Fashion Makeover Contest: Shari Braendel FaceBook page, Zondervan FaceBook page, Zondervan Twitter account between August 9, 2010 at 9:00 a.m. (EST) and August 28, 2010 at 5:00 p.m (EST). First Prize: One Winner will receive . . . One $500 Visa gift card, one web camera, one-hour fashion consultation with Shari Braendel via Skype, one set of color swatches, and one autographed copy of Good Girls Don’t Have to Dress Bad. Approximate retail value: $600. The fashion consultation will be scheduled at a mutually convenient time for the winner and Ms. Braendel on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday between September 15 and November 15, 2010. Second Prize: Three Winners will receive . . . One $100 Visa gift card, one 30-minute fashion consultation with Shari Braendel via telephone, one set of color swatches, and one autographed copy of Good Girls Don’t Have to Dress Bad. Approximate retail value: $450. The fashion consultation will be scheduled at a mutually convenient time for the winner and Ms. Braendel on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday between September 15 and November 15, 2010. Third Prize: Ten Winners will receive . . . One autographed copy of Good Girls Don’t Have to Dress Bad. Approximate retail value $150. For complete details, visit Shari’s website. Facebook Component 1) Become friends with Shari. You’ll find a link to Shari’s profile here:Shari Braendel’s Facebook Profile: If you enjoyed the book, leave Shari a note of encouragement on her wall. .
As I started reading Courting Morrow Little here was a moment of confusion as some of the characters seemed familiar! And of course they were as this is book 2. It follows The Frontiersman’s Daughter. If you’ve never read it, pick it up, it’s good. You don’t need it at all to for this book though. As Captain Click plays a very small role.
Morrow is the tragic heroine, caught between loving the civilized world and her home in Kentuckee (yep, spelled that right–read the book.) She’s come home from the East where she’s learned fine manners and the proper way to dress. Back home, she quickly falls back into her old ways eager not to appear better than her friends. Yet, she attracts the attention of two men of rank, one in the Army and the other Shawnee warrior.
I read this book while sitting on my swing and the heat and birdsong added to the setting of this book, though it wasn’t needed. Franz plays well with her words and quickly brings you into the wilderness.
The plot of Courting Morrow Little has many layers making it an excellent read.
When this arrived in the mail I wasn’t sure if the author could pull off a book with such an independent heroine during the depression. Well, Leon did it
Kate Evans calls off her marriage and heads to Alaska in her small plane to be a bush pilot. She leaves Washington State and its heartaches behind, hoping to support herself in the rough Alaskan state.
She runs into major problems, from unpredictable weather and judgment from other male pilots.
She’s not the only one hiding in Alaska, so is Paul Anderson. He has his own memories that he is trying to hide from, you’ll wonder if he’s running from the law or himself.
While Touching the Clouds has some romantic elements I didn’t feel as if the entire story was centered around romance. Reading about Alaska during the depression, ‘flying’ with Kate and enduring the challenges with her make this book special. Even better this is book one of the Alaskan series so there is more fun to come for Leon’s readers.
This book was provided to me by Revell for review. As always if I don’t like it I don’t review it.
Whisper on the Wind is so different from what has been coming out in historical books. I hope we readers see more books that take place in during the World Wars. This book takes place during WW1 and is set in Belgium. For me reading this was made more personal by the fact that my in-laws parents are from there. I came away with a better understanding of what it must have been like to live, fall in love and have children (they were growing up during WW2) so while the time is not the same the difficulties were similar.
Isa is an American who spent most of her childhood in Brussels, while she was there she fell in love with Edward. Her parents whisked her away to safety in America when the war started, but that didn’t stop Isa’s love. No, she finds a way illegally back into Belgium, which she considers her country. The only thing she finds unchanged is her love for Edward, but he doesn’t want her love and now she’s stuck in a dangerous situation.
The plot in this book involves so much more than pure romance. There is a feel of danger, hope and hopelessness throughout the pages.
Preorder this book! It’s available September 1, 2010!
Here is the blurb: Belgium, 1916–The German Imperial Army may have conquered Belgium on its march through Europe, but the small country refuses to be defeated. An underground newspaper surfaces to keep patriotism alive and bring hope and real news of the war to the occupied country. It may be a whisper amongst the shouts of the German army, but it’s a throrn in their side nonetheless–and Edward Kirkland will do anything to keep it in print…even risk his life.
Isa Lassone is a Belgium socialite whose family fled Europe at the first rumbling of war. Now two years later, she sneaks back across enemy lines, determined to rescue Edward–the man she has loved from afar since she was a child.
But will he ever see her as more than the wealthy silly girl his mother once cared for as a daughter?
When Edward refuses to leave, so does Is, and soon she is drawn into his dangerous double life. As the Germans close in on the paper, Edward realizes he’s put more at risk than he’d planned…especially the beautiful, smart, yet obstinate your woman who has inconveniently managed to work her way into his life–and into his heart.
*Book provided to me free from Tyndale House Publishers. It does not mean it gets reviewed favorably. If I don’t like it I don’t review it.
Unexpected treat! A Hopeful Heart is a fresh twist on the prairie brides theme. This time brides have to go to school and learn how to be a rancher’s wife before they can even court. This fun read has a bit of suspense and comedy mixed throughout. The characters spring off the page with life.
Here’s the blurb. Dowryless and desperate, Tressa Neill applies to the inaugural class of Wyatt Herdsman School in Barnett, Kansas. The school’s one-of-a-kind program teaches young women from the East the skills needed to become a rancher–or the wife of one. But will Tressa have what it takes to survive Hattie Wyatt’s hands-on-instruction in skills such as milking a cow, branding a calf, and cooking up a mess of grub for hungry ranch hands?
Abel Samms wants nothing to do with the passel of potential brides his neighbor brought to town. He was smitten with an eastern girl once–and he got his heart broken. But there’s something about quiet Tressa and her bumbling ways that makes him take notice. When trouble strikes, will Able risk his life–and his heart–to help this eastern girl?
This book was provided to me free for review by Bethany House… I don’t review a book unless I like it and would buy it.
