Undaunted Hope

I had the privilege of reviewing Undaunted Hope, Jody Hedlund's third book in her Beacons of Hope Series. This is a series of three very well written books about lighthouses and the keepers who provide the light that leads the way on the often perilous Great Lakes in Michigan.

Tessa Taylor arrived in town for her position as the new school teacher only to be told by Mr. Updegraff that the job was for men only.  Not easily dismissed, she retrieved her trunks from the pier and narrowly escaped the advances of rowdy crew members, only to nearly drown when her would be rescuer tries to maneuver the voluminous skirts and petticoats!  It is after Alex Bjorkland's gallant rescue that the two come face to face with one Percival Updegraff.  Percival is the other Mr. Updegraff, the Cole Mine Clerk and her new boss. He hasn't a bit of trouble with her being a woman teacher and goes so far as to offer her room and board at his home. Alex quickly provides another option for Tessa with the Rawlings family. An option that offers protection from the single men who greatly outnumber the women of Eagle Harbor.

Tessa quickly became a much beloved teacher. She was born to teach and was determined to make a difference to the miners and their families.  She offered evening classes for the adults who lacked basic education.  It became evident though, that Mr. Updegraff ruled the town with the same iron fist as he ruled the mine. He set no store on miners bettering themselves with an education, just as he brooked no refusal by Tessa from his advances. He chipped away at everything that mattered to her.  It took her strong will to withstand his cruel punishments not only to her but everyone that has become dear to her.

The story tells of our immigrant forefathers who worked in industries with company houses and the company stores. It must have sounded so appealing to be provided for by the company.  The reality was that many of those homes were substandard and the stores offered company credit for over-priced goods. It was hard for the employees to get ahead and if they lost their job they also lost their home. While that is not the case with all of these situations, our story is indeed about just such a place.  Intertwined with the story of the people who mined in Eagle Harbor is the story of two brothers who keep the light on for the ships on Lake Superior.  It is well worth your time and entertainment to read this book. 

Reviewing: Every Girl Gets Confused

For a lighthearted comedy spiced up with a little romance pick up a copy of Every Girl Gets Confused by Janice Thompson.  Katie Fisher is back in book two of the Brides With Style Series. This time she is all settled into her job at Cosmopolitan Bridal and her relationship with handsome Brady James.

Wedding bells would be ringing soon enough for Katie but not before her grandmother Queenie marries Reverend Bradford.  Back and forth trips to Fairfield to plan the bridal shower and a Thanksgiving visit puts Katie back in front of her ex-boyfriend and near fiance Casey.  With Katie in Dallas and Casey back home in Fairfield he seems to have had a change of heart.  Wouldn't Katie just like to go back to the way things were before?

Events don't always just fall into place. Katie grows a lot in this installment of the series and as she grows she learns a lot about love and what true love means.  This book is targeted to the young adult audience and my copy will be passed along to a lovely young lady I know will enjoy it.  I enjoyed reading it myself so I am sure we will have a lot of fun talking about the story!

Sunday Review: Keeping Christmas by Dan Walsh

My Christmas reading list has really grown this year and that bodes well for my season of inspiration. I love the Christmas season. I like the baking, the music, the movies and the books.  Sometimes, though it can be a bit much. Keeping Christmas by Dan Walsh is the story of what happens when the kids leave the nest and find they just can't make it home for the holidays. Thanksgiving came and went for Judith and Stan. A quiet, long day full of gaps that were usually filled with tradition.  Stan missed the kids and grand-kids but Judith felt it more, especially the next day when Stan brought down the Christmas decorations.  That was just before he went fishing with his good buddy Barney.

When he came home later with his catch of three bass, Judith was just as he left her. There were no ornaments on the tree and no decorations set around the house.  Judith always went all out with Christmas decorating the day after Thanksgiving.  Then again, she usually enjoyed doing this with the kids.  The box he had once labeled Ugly Ornaments was filled with all the ornaments Judith and the kids made together. Thinking to cheer her up, he went through them with her but she still didn't move to place them on the tree he had set up for her.  Nor did she get to it the next day.

Stan tried several things to help his wife cope with the loneliness she experienced without the kids bustling around the house that weekend. Without any promise of them coming home for Christmas either, he finally discovers the gift that could snap her out of her depression.  In the meantime, Judith finds strategies to help her make changes to her life with the help of Betty, Barney's wife.  For so many years, Judith put her life into the lives of her children.  Since they were all living at least two states away, she was feeling pretty lost.  The love and friendship she is surrounded with in the story is inspiring.

Dan Walsh nails this story! I recommend Keeping Christmas be added to your Christmas reading pile. By far it is better than a sugar coated television movie riddled with commercials. It is a meaningful story that could be told by many a couple whose kids have left to start their own family traditions. I found myself reaching for the tissues at the end because the story really touched my heart.  I could see this book written into a movie but I am afraid that like so many others before, why not skip the movie and just pick up the book. In fact, pick up two copies. One to read and one to give as a gift!

The Christmas Joy Ride Is A Ride Into The Spirit Of Christmas!

I was anticipating a good book when I received my copy of The Christmas Joy Ride by Melody Carlson  from Revell. I have had the pleasure of reviewing other books by Melody, including The Christmas Cat last Christmas season. I had a hard time putting this book down. It hooked me right at the start. My husband was traveling last week so it was the perfect time to get into a good book.  I had nobody to cook for or entertain except our two cats and myself

Joy is a resilient 85-year old widow who takes her RV out of storage and loads it up for a trip on Rout66. Her spunk is inspiring and contagious enough to inspire her unemployed neighbor Miranda to join her on the trip. After selling her home she is moving from Chicago to Arizona into an assisted living facility near her sons could be devastating to some, but not for Joy.  After the RV is loaded, Joy and Miranda boldly paint and decorate the RV for Christmas.   A satisfied Joy is ready to hit the road. A puzzled Miranda cannot imagine little Joy driving the big bus but soon sits back for the Joy Ride when she realizes this is not the first time Joy has driven that larger than life RV.

This journey has a few stops along the way that will warm your heart for Christmas. Joy is such an inspiration it would be wonderful to be just like her.  Selling a home and moving from Chicago to Arizona and an assisted living facility near her sons could be devastating but Joy is not going quietly. I do not want to spoil any surprises for the readers, just recommend that you go get a copy of The Christmas Joy Ride and read it or give it as a gift.  

Reviewing Christmas in Vermont!

Christmas in Vermont is a heartwarming tale of love, laughter and discovery. Jack Reynolds is an ex-Marine visiting his home town of Woodstock Vermont at Christmas time.  His visit will be a mere two weeks as his girlfriend Melissa expects him to come to Miami to spend Christmas with her family, announce their engagement and accept a high paying job at her father's firm.  A tall order for someone who loves Christmas in Vermont.

 Hope Caldwell is new to Woodstock, having accepted a temporary job as a substitute third grade teacher at the local school.  She heard first hand about this beautiful hamlet from a Marine who saved her life when they were both injured during a school bombing in the middle east.  He kept her conscious by telling her all about his home in winter, summer, spring and fall.

It was everything he said it was and more, especially once they found each other again by chance at a simple party at his family home.  This is a poignant story of coming home and finding a reason to stay.  In making a difference to lives of friends and neighbors who needed him most, Jack Reynolds created a web of good works by doing small, thoughtful acts of kindness that had a huge impact on his community. Come to Vermont with me by reading Christmas in Vermont. If you are like me, you will want to catch the next plane out to visit with the wonderful people in Woodstock.  I checked out their website and the December calendar sounds like a  bit of Christmas heaven!  I am looking forward to my next book by Bryan Mooney and I expect it too will be a good read!

Vendetta....A Harrowing Story That Will Keep You Turning Pages!

  

I stayed up again the other night to finish a  page turner called Vendetta by Lisa Harris.  I purposely waited a day or two to begin the book because I knew once I started a new book by Lisa I was bound to get hooked right away and find every excuse to get back to it every chance I could.  The book didn't disappoint and when I had 35 or so pages left past midnight I pressed on to find how the story would end.

Nikki Boyd is  on the Tennessee Missing Persons Task Force and has a particular reason for her commitment to her new job.  Her own sister disappeared in front of her school while waiting for Nikki to pick her up.  Now a case that is all to similar captures the attention of Nikki and her team of experts, taking them on the hunt through the Smoky Mountains National Park. 

This case, though, begins with social media and the profile of an unsuspecting teen. A young girl who is lonely and seeking friendship and understanding meets a young man who is perfect, just the right age and as an added bonus, his pictures prove he is good looking and a model brother.  What more could a girl ask for and why not agree to meet him for a hike while visiting at a remote cabin?

 

Vendetta is the first book in the new Nikki Boyd Files series.  The story is a good lesson on privacy, trusting social media and how important your teen knows how to safeguard themselves. The world we live in can be sinister and while I am an optimist, we can learn a thing or two to stay safe.  Lisa Harris tells the story like it is and I admire that about her writing.  She develops her characters well and her plots are thoroughly researched and carried out so that the reader is transported into the midst of the case. My heart sped up at times, tears fell at times and if the author's goal is to get the reader to become thus engaged in her book, Lisa Harris has accomplished just that!

Happy Veteran's Day

The Eleventh Hour on the Eleventh Day in the Eleventh Month we celebrate the Armistice signed by the allies Germany signifying the end of battle on the western front of World War One.  Here in the United States we celebrate it as Veterans Day while in England and Canada they call it Remembrance Day.  It is our day to honor those who served our country. 

In my family, four of my brothers served in the United States Army and three of them were paratroopers! Our oldest brother Donald was not a paratrooper but chose the Army as his career.  After thirty years he stayed connected to his many friends as a very active member of the V.F.W. He had three tours of duty in Vietnam. Our second paratrooper, James served in Vietnam and was awarded the Purple Heart for injuries.  I am happy to say that all returned home safely to live full lives.

My sister decided to join as well since she wanted to see the world and the Army allowed her to do just that with time in Germany, where she met her future husband.  She made the most of her free time by traveling as much as she could in Europe and to this day still has the travel bug. 

My late Father-in-law served in the United States Marine Corp for six years in the Pacific during World War II and was awarded the Purple Heart. He was part of the Elite Radar Battalion.  My husband followed his father many years later into the corp.  He credits the discipline for making him the man he is today.

I am so proud of my family members who served our country and want to take a moment to just say Thank you.

Reviewing....Murder At the Courthouse!

If you are looking for that story of a crime most inconvenient look no further than between the covers of  Murder At The Courthouse.  A.H. Gabhart's latest novel set in the heart of the south begins as slowly as the old lady who mistakes a body for a drunkard asleep on the courthouse steps. What follows picks up to be a page turner that kept me up past my bed time on Wednesday night!

You'll get no spoilers from me but this first in the new Hidden Springs Mystery series kept me guessing close to the end. It wraps up to a neat ending of a web of deceit nobody in Hidden Springs could have imagined.

Former Columbus police officer Michael Keane has returned home to Hidden Springs for a quieter lifestyle. That all changed when a deputy finds the identity of the corpse who died on the courthouse steps. that identity leads Michael on search fare greater than he bargained for.

A good plot with good characters in a sleepy little town make for one good book. Add this one to your list, I think it will be a hit.

Reviewing: Streams of Mercy

Streams of Mercy is book three in the Song Of  Blessing Series by Lauraine Snelling.   Blessing North Dakota in 1905 is a small town of families who emigrated to America during the great migration period. It is reminiscent of my own ancestors who settled in nearby Minnesota, but I digress. Blessing is a hub of many nationalities that continued to make our country great.  The Bjorklund family, central to the story came from Norway in 1880.

Our story centers on the Anji Bjorklund Moen and Thomas Devlin. Anji, originally from Blessing, moved to Norway to live with her husband until his untimely death. Longing to come home to her very large family in Blessing, she makes a life for  her children living with her sister Rebecca and her family. Thomas is an Anglican priest without a parish who meets Anji while both teach at the school.  They are beginning to realize what they feel for each other as a devastating tragedy hits the town.  The town pulls together  in small town style to overcome a threat to all the families in Blessing. Putting their feelings aside until the crisis is over, they must choose to be with each other or go their separate ways.

As with any good Christian Fiction, Streams of Mercy is filled with wisdom found in scripture and a heart full of prayer.  I wish I had read the first two volumes of this series as I felt as though I missed something.  The book is full of a lot of characters who seemed to me had their story told in previous volumes.  It is helpful that there is a Bjorklund family tree at the beginning of the book to help me keep track.  The story is wonderful and the people are so resilient, a testament to the courage it took to come across the ocean and settle into this wonderful country.

Tame That To Do List!

Fall seems like the best time of year to think of making changes. Resolutions on January just don't cut it for me. Fall is when I start planning the holiday season. I do a little bit of Halloween, a lot of Thanksgiving and then Christmas comes full steam ahead.  That brings on more projects than I can possibly complete. I have big ideas all around and not enough time to finish them all.

I have a real issue with procrastination. Bingo, I admitted it and I am so glad that I am not alone. I love reading Glynnis Whitwer's books because I can truly identify with her style. I found Taming the To-Do List to be so helpful because it breaks things down to manageable steps. Small steps that I can keep in the forefront of my busy head. At the beginning of the book you will find a question asking you what you want to accomplish. At the beginning of each chapter she checks in with you about that goal again, and that kept it on my mind. It gave me resolve to really stay focused on the moment. It also helped me get something done other than catch up with my Facebook friends first thing in the morning.

I have a long ways to go yet but having some strategies I can use in the real world is a plus for me.  Realizing I don't have to do it all in one setting is the bonus I recommend this for anyone who would like to give themselves the gift of doing your best everyday on your own terms.

My Brother's Crown

My Brother's Crown by Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould is a trip back to 1685 France.  Young Catherine Gillet is determined to stand up for her Huguenot faith in a time of persecution. I found this story compelling in that I did not know much about the Huguenots or their fight for religious freedom. This is a theme we read about down through the ages. This era in particular seems to have been a time when there is so much documentation of families fleeing their homes for the right to practice their faith.

Our country was founded on those who made dangerous pilgrimages across the ocean to create new lives. In Catherine's case, the story of her family's flight to freedom was shrouded in secrecy that caused her to doubt her brother Jules. She learns that she cannot be sure who to trust but knows that she will not renounce her faith for safety. She keeps one eye over her shoulder for safety and her feet on the ground to keep herself grounded. The story is an inspiring tale of love and adventure, trust and above all, a faith that can conquer even the most insurmountable odds.