Summer Fun Reading!

Love my reading girls!

Danica Favorite here, and my kids just got out of school for the summer! Part of me is very excited because it will be fun having them home, and part of me is saying, "YIKES!!" It's amazing how quickly the kids decide they're bored, and since I work from home, they always seem to think it's my job to keep them occupied.

Well, I DO have ways to keep them occupied, and let's just say that there's the nice mommy way, and the mean mommy way. :) Part of the nice mommy way involves taking advantage of our local library's summer reading program. I love that they offer incentives for the kids to read. Some of the incentives include passes to fun activities for the summer, so I always encourage the kids to read enough to win. Not only does it keep them busy reading, but we also end up doing a lot of fun things. If there's a library near you, take a look and see what kind of summer programs they offer. Even if you don't have kids, you might find a fun adult reading program as well!

The other fun reading activity we do is that every year, we pick out a series to listen to on audio book. I don't know why, but it seems like we spend more time in the car during summer months than we do any other time of the year. So I like to find engaging stories to listen to while we drive. I'm not sure why we don't do it the rest of the year, since we can listen to audio books year-round, but it feels like a fun treat when it comes to summer and we get to visit the library for new things to listen to.

So what happens when we have to do things the mean mommy way? Mean mommy has a list of chores, and when they complain about being bored, they get to pick one. Yup, time to insert a sad face. Usually I just say, "do you have something to read, or do I need to find something for you to do?" I'm amazed at how quickly they think of something, anything, to do other than chores.

How do you keep your kids (or grandkids, or neighbor kids, or any child) occupied when boredom sets in?

Do you have fun summer audio book (suitable for 12 year olds-adults) recommendations? 

Answer one (or both!) questions for a chance to win your choice of either The Lawman's Redemption or Shotgun Marriage.

About Danica:

A self-professed crazy chicken lady, Danica Favorite loves the adventure of living a creative life. She and her family recently moved in to their dream home in the mountains above Denver, Colorado.  Danica loves to explore the depths of human nature and follow people on the journey to happily ever after. Though the journey is often bumpy, those bumps are what refine imperfect characters as they live the life God created them for. Oops, that just spoiled the ending of all of Danica’s stories. Then again, getting there is all the fun.

You can connect with Danica at the following places:

Website: http://www.danicafavorite.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/danicafavorite
Instagram: https://instagram.com/danicafavorite/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanicaFavoriteAuthor

FRIENDSHIIP SNIPPET #5

In Friendship Snippet #4, three levels of friendship were listed--those for a season, a reason, and a lifetime. Now let's address Christian friendship. In the Bible, so much is made of the importance of the right kind of friends that we're fools to treat this part of our lives lightly--and I have certainly been a fool many times over. Proverbs 12:26 says: "A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray." Meaning, an important quality to look for in a friend is how much they love and fear God. Why? Because we are more consistent in our faith when others who walk closely with God walk with and encourage us. Here are some benefits of a Christian friend:

Accountability ~ Close relationships with other believers allow for accountability on both sides. We need people who will help us see the truth about ourselves and our lives. We need the kind of relationships that don't break down when truth is spoken in love. Key here: in love.

Advice ~ We need those who will give us sound, Biblical advice and help us grow in wisdom.

Refine ~ We need those who will refine us, which brings us to Proverbs 27:17: "As iron sharpens iron, so one man--woman!--sharpens another."

Prayer ~ We need those who will pray for us in times of need.

So what about our non-Christian friends? That's for the next time. See you then.

What's on Your Bucket List?

Hi, Patricia Bradley here, and today I want to talk about bucket lists.

I don't know that I had a bucket list when I was younger, mostly because that phrase wasn't used then. It has become popular in the last few years because of the 2008 Jack Nicholson/Morgan Freeman movie, The Bucket List, where according to the Internet movie database, two terminally ill men escape from a cancer ward and head off on a road trip with a wish list of to-dos before they die.

I thought the term had been around longer than 2008, but according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary site, it came into usage only two years earlier. From their website:

Definition of bucket list

1. :  a list of things that one has not done before but wants to do before dying

2. Origin of bucket list

   from the phrase kick the bucket (to die) -- 1785

   
   First Known Use: 2006

Anyway, my bucket list isn't much...one of the to-do things on it -- becoming an author -- I've reached. (Whoo-hoo!) I'd still like to travel to Hawaii and Israel, but that's about the extent of my list.

So, now that you know a little of the bucket list history and my bucket list, do you have one?

Leave a comment if you have a bucket list and tell me a couple of them.

Winner of the Rafflecopter is Caryl Kane for Silence in the Dark

And Kim Hansen for the $15 Amazon Gift card.

And winner of Sarah Young's Jesus Calling devotional journal is: Pam Broyles

Please contact me at pat at ptbradley dot com--I forgot to state you need to leave your email address AGAIN!

Book Recommendation: A Lady of Esteem by Kristi Ann Hunter

Hello all! Cheryl Wyatt here. I've just discovered a new-to-me author whose writing I love. Granted I've only read one book (A Lady of Esteem), but that was enough to put Kristi Ann Hunter on my auto-buy list. 

I loved very much the humor in the story as well as the romance. The characters were not just lovable, but memorable. I really liked the heroine and her antics were both hilarious and heartwarming. Secondary characters were a lovely aspect to the story as was the setting. Very rich with detail and the writing was very vivid. The faith element was outstanding and the message was clear and strong.

I highly recommend this book! 

More about it:

Miss Amelia Stalwood may live in London at her absent guardian's townhouse, but she's never actually met any nobility, and instead of aristocrats, her closest friends are servants. Quite by happenstance, she's introduced to the Hawthorne family and their close family friend, Anthony, the reformed Marquis of Raebourne . They welcome her into their world, but just as she's beginning to gain some confidence and even suspect she may have caught Anthony's eye, she's blindsided by an unexpected twist in her situation accompanied by nasty rumors. Will she lose her reputation when the world that has only just accepted her turns its back on her, or will she rest in the support of the friends who've become like family and the man who's shared his faith and captured her heart?

A Lady of Esteem is an e-only novella that gives an exciting introduction to Kristi Ann Hunter's new Regency romance series about the aristocratic Hawthorne family! Includes an extended excerpt of Kristi's debut full-length novel, A Noble Masquerade.

Best of all, it's FREE today!

https://www.amazon.com/Lady-Esteem-Hawthorne-House-Novella-ebook/dp/B00VQR2NOW

Enjoy!

Cheryl Wyatt

Bring Out the Good China

by Eizabeth Goddard

Over the last fifteen years, we’ve moved several times due to my husband’s job in ministry.  At some point I stopped unpacking the china and my collectibles because it seemed that once I finally unpacked things, then we would move again. I’d have to rewrap every individual piece in bubble wrap and newspaper. Grueling work, this.

Add to that, with four kids, two dogs, an African Gray parrot, and two gerbils, there never seemed to be enough room for me to display china. And. . .well. . . I’ve never owned a china cabinet. The dishes, if they came out of the boxes, would usually get stuffed away in the kitchen cabinets wherever there was space. The collectible stayed in the boxes.

Of course, since I haven’t displayed the good china or had it stored where it was easily accessible, then I couldn’t use it for special occasions.

Then a couple of years ago I inherited my grandmother’s china—and let me tell you, she owned every piece in the set. Her china went into the boxes and I lugged them with us on our next move along with my own set of china I received as a wedding gift.

Recently I looked at the boxes of china and the carousel horses my husband bought me years ago and wondered why I continue to haul boxes around everywhere? After all, the fine china and the collectibles are just things. Stuff. Maybe I should just let go of the stuff and be free.

Somewhere you will find a devotional or encouragement telling you to do just that. Let go of the past—don’t carry it around with you like so much baggage. Good advice.

But that’s not my story today. I’ve been hoping to have some shelves built so I could unpack the boxes. With three strapping boys to feed, there really wasn’t any chance I’d have the funds to splurge and buy a china cabinet for myself.

But God surprised me, which He often does. Someone donating a sofa to the church fellowship hall also had a china cabinet. Do we want it? My ears perked up at that news-Yes! Tell them Yes!

After the china cabinet was delivered, I unpacked those boxes and loaded everything in the display case. I never thought I'd see the day when I would display not only my wedding china, but my grandmother's, as well, along with the carousel horses and other collectibles.

So let me just say that God is good. He does care about the small things. He knows what's in our hearts--the little things, those longings that we hide inside boxed up where nobody can see. And it's the small things that He does for us, answering those cries of our hearts, that let's us know only He could have answered that cry because only He knew it was there.

  

. . .who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Palm 103: 4-5

Blessings!

Beth

--

Elizabeth Goddard is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than twenty-five romance novels and counting, including the romantic mystery, THE CAMERA NEVER LIES--a 2011 Carol Award winner. A 7th generation Texan, Elizabeth graduated from North Texas State University with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and worked in high-level software sales for several years before retiring to home school her children and fulfill her dreams of writing full-time. She currently makes her home in Minnesota with her husband and children.

To get book news sign up for her newsletter at her website: http://elizabethgoddard.com
You can connect with Elizabeth on Facebook: http://facebook.com/elizabethgoddardauthor
or Twitter: http://twitter.com/bethgoddard

From the Shelves of MaryLu Tyndall - Book Recommendation

Hi Everyone! 

Looking for a great Historical Romance that is also adventurous and suspenseful? Look no further than Shattered Memories by Debbie Lynne Costello!  Charleston, South Carolina is one of my favorite cities in the country. Five of my novels are either set there or have some scenes set there.  For my daughter's college graduation, I treated us both to a week's vacation in historic Charleston, right down by the water's edge. Fun, fun times! 

Anyway, when I saw that my friend and fabulous author, Debbie Lynne Costello had placed her recent historical romance in my favorite city, I had to read it! And I was not disappointed. Most people don't realize that Charleston suffered a massive earthquake in 1886 in which over 60 people died and property damage was in the millions.  This is the backdrop for Shattered Memories.

Olivia Macqueen wakes in a makeshift hospital, recovering from a head injury. With amnesia stealing a year of her memories, she has trouble discerning between lies and truth. When her memories start returning in bits and pieces, she must keep up the charade of amnesia until she can find out the truth behind the embezzlement of her family’s business while evading the danger lurking around her.

Doctor Drew Warwick frantically searches through the rubble left by the Charleston earthquake for the lady who owns his heart. He finds her injured and lifeless. When she regains consciousness, the doctor’s hopes are dashed as he realizes she doesn’t remember him. But things only get worse after he discovers she believes she’s still engaged to the abusive scoundrel, Lloyd Pratt. Now Drew is on a race with the wedding clock to either help her remember or win her heart again before she marries the wrong man.



 
Sound good? Yea... I thought so too. Believe me, it is quite the romantic adventure.  You won't want to miss this one.  Right now, it's only $3.99 on Amazon Kindle or $11.50 for the Paperback.

Buy from Amazon    You won't be sorry.

Have a wonderful day!

What Camy's reading: A COUSINLY CONNEXION by Sheila Simonson

Sheila Simonson didn’t write a lot of books, but the ones I’ve read from her have been absolutely wonderful. There’s something about her characters and writing style that just really appeals to me.

This Regency romance is one of my favorites from her, and it’s now available as an ebook on Kindle, iBooks, Kobo, and Nook. You can read the blurb from the ebook version online, but here’s the back cover blurb from the hardcover version that I own:

"HE IS NOT...ROMANTICAL."

Miss Jane Ash ran her fingers through her lovely brown ringlets, and pondered her situation. She had come to the country to help her recently widowed aunt, only to find the hen-wilted woman and her boisterous brood in utter turmoil over the arrival of the new Lord Meriden. Aunt Louisa was certain that her handsome stepson, now sole heir to the estate, was an ogre; Maria and Drusilla complained that he was not "romantical." No one counted on his being gallant and knowing--or that he would capture Jane's heart. Poor Jane assumed that any man who addressed her as "cousin" needed help from Cupid, but never dreamed that Cupid's mischievous helpers were all about... and drawing bows!

Camy here: I thought this book had very elegant writing and likable characters. I tend to like characters who are sensible and have a good sense of humor. I’ve read and re-read this book and always enjoy it.

Silence in the Dark Release Party Day 3

by Patricia Bradley

Hello again! Thanks for coming back for the last day of the Silence in the Dark Release party!

Bailey struggles with turning her problems over to God. Here's an excerpt with her mother:

“I was running away, Mother. The danger in Mexico was better than staying here and hurting Danny, or…”

Kate squared her shoulders and turned Bailey to face her. “I’m going to say something you won’t like.”

“What’s new?” A wry smile pulled at her lips. It didn’t matter what her mother said, it wouldn’t change anything.

“You’ve given this fear control and power over you. Shh…” she held her finger up when Bailey started to protest. “Hear me out. You’re holding on to it so tightly you can’t see anything else.”

“Mom—”

“I’m not through. God saved you that day, but all you can see is your fear. Over and over he tells us to fear not, that he is with us. The way I see it, you can keep holding on to it and nothing changes. Or you can turn it over to him, trusting he will give you peace. It’s your choice.”

“But why did he let it happen in the first place? Why didn’t he save the twins?”

“Two hard questions I don’t have answers for.” Conflicting emotions crossed her mom’s face. “I wish I did. But for those times I don’t understand, I trust who he is. I look at what he’s done in the past—the blessings he’s poured out on us, and all the troubles he’s brought us through.”

I think we all struggle with fear, at least I know I do.But one thing that has helped me has been Jesus Calling, the one-year devotion journal. So, I've decided to give away a copy of the devotion to someone who leaves a comment. This is separate from the Rafflecopter!

All you have to do is leave a comment, giving your favorite scripture verse. Then click here to enter the Rafflecopter for a copy of Silence in the Dark and a $15 Amazon gift certificate.

Places to connect with Patricia:

www.patriciabradleyauthor.com
www.facebook.com/patriciabradleyauthor
https://twitter.com/PTBradley1
Pinterest

Goodreads

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

Places to purchase Silence in the Dark

Amazon

B&N

CBD