I know I haven't been blogging much lately, I have been busy helping with a walk-through Nativity. It has taken a lot of time and energy, but it was worth it. Not only was it fun, but it was a powerful reminder of the reason for the season.
The Angels, two of which are my sisters and me (I am in the green dress and brown head-covering)
My sister Rose is the cute girl in Pink. I am sitting down talking to my sister Mikayla
Two of my sisters
To see more photos on the events Facebook Page
Age
Appropriate For: 13 and up for mild romance and
some mildly scary scenes.
Best
for Ages: 15 and up
Description:
The last place
twenty-four year old Keri McMillan wants to be is back home in Waterford Bay,
Oregon. But after two years at prestigious New York University pursuing a
degree in journalism, her bank account is drained. Keri is determined to move
home for one year - and one year only--- to make some serious money working for
her dad's log cabin company, but her goals all go up in smoke when the
company's new showcase home burns to the ground. Six months ago, Grant Dawson
bought the Waterford Weekly, a small newspaper in his father's hometown. Burned
out as a reporter for the L.A. Times and tired of all the inherent politics, he
welcomed the slower pace of this Oregon coastal town and the more relaxed
lifestyle producing a weekly paper. He enjoys being close to his dad again, a
quiet man who captains a whale-sightseeing boat. Grant is surprised at his unexpected interest
in Keri, the niece of columnist Luby Sanders. He thinks Luby is a hoot and
can't help but adore her. But she's also playing matchmaker, trying to interest
him in her niece. When Keri shows up at a log cabin fire in the middle of the
night, she's not the geeky college kid he expected. But he's not about to fall
victim to Luby's orchestrations.
Diane Moody is fast becoming one of my
favorite authors to relax with. Her characters are so endearing, her plots don’t
repeat, and faith always plays a key role in her stories. After the last tea
cup novella, I couldn’t wait to read the next one. So, I didn’t waste any time
starting.
Keri and Grant were both great
characters. Keri had some serious attitude issues at the beginning of the book,
which is understandable as she is going through a very emotional time. Grant
helps her to change her attitude, get on her feet and solve the case.
This book was fun. It wasn’t as humorous as the last book, but I really enjoyed it. There was a bit of mystery, and
two sweet romances.
If you enjoy nice, sweet romances, and
novellas with touches of mystery, check out this second book in the Teacup
Novella series.
Age
Appropriate For: 15 and up for mild romance and
some situations
Best
for Ages: 15 and up
Description:
It seems
everyone needs a second chance. Tracey Collins just left Washington D.C. after
her dream job became a personal nightmare. Back home in Jacobs Mill, Tennessee,
she quickly realizes she's not the only one needing a fresh start. Her sister
Alex is in the midst of a career change, finding new inspiration restoring
furniture. Their father, a former pastor who's had his own share of
disillusionment, now mentors a strange bunch of misfit bikers who do odd jobs
around town as ministry. Among them, an intriguing former attorney named Noah,
still running from a painful past, catches Tracey's eye. Secrets are uncovered
and hearts are restored in Jacobs Mill as they all work together to renovate an
old smokehouse into a new shop called Second Chances.
I have to admit that this was my least
favorite of my of the Teacup books so far. I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t my
favorite. Let me start with what kept me from loving the book before I go on to
what I liked.
I have to admit one of my pet peeves is
when people call things their babies
or children or talk about inanimate objects like they are people. In this book
Alex calls her projects her children and names them. And many of the motor
cycles have names and personalities to their owners. I know it is silly that it
bothered me, but it did.
The romance wasn’t as good in my mind. Not
as much based on character as much as the last two stories. However, I did love
how both of them help each other with their problems in the end. Tracy helps
Noah with his past, and Noah helps Tracy with a persistent and unwanted suitor.
I loved the historical mystery aspect
of this story. The story of the teacup in this novella was by far my favorite.
Maybe because I am a history buff. I can’t say anything more without giving too
much away.
If you need a quick light read, the
teacup books are for you.
Buy
it Here
Age
Appropriate For: 13 and up for mild romance
Best
for Ages: 13 and up
Description:
When her best
friend prayed for God to "blow your socks off," Olivia Thomas had no
idea that prayer would be answered only a few hours later. Stunned by such an
unexpected gift from someone she'd helped years ago, Olivia suddenly finds
herself with unlimited possibilities. She packs her bags and heads to Caden
Cove, a tiny coastal town in Maine, where she hopes to figure out what to do
with the rest of her life. Little does she know her reservation at the Captain
MacVicar Inn has put her in the path of a historic legend. Trevor Bass owns
Caden Cove's only bookstore and dabbles in real estate. All the locals know the
grouchy bookseller is an avowed bachelor, which explains their utter shock when
he invites a "tourist" to visit their book club. The mere hint of
romance sends the town into a frenzy wondering if the object of Trevor's
affections could be the next victim of the legend's curse. Will history repeat
itself once more in Caden Cove?
This was such a sweet novella. I am
very sad that there is only one novella left in the series. Diane Moody is so
talented. Each of her books are unique and different.
I loved Olivia. I loved this story
about an older woman finding love. I think the subtle message of it being
better to wait on the right person even if that means waiting far longer than
we would like. This is a message that I think is very important for young
people today.
The only thing I didn’t like about the
book was the first kiss. I thought it came far too early in the relationship.
Except for that I loved everything about it. Olivia and Trevor have their
issues and work through them because they believe that their relationship is worth
fighting for.
The legend of Caden Cove, Maine was
delightful addition to the story. It kept the story moving and gave some
suspense to the story.
I highly recommend this whole novella
series.

I haven't done any movie reviews in a very long time. Today, I thought I would change that by reviewing the new Sound of Music.
When my mom told me about this, I rolled my eyes and said: "Right, like anyone could replace Julie Andrews." I wasn't even going to watch it. However, when I heard the first strains of music, I decided to watch for a few minutes. After the first few minutes I was hooked.
Yes, there were some sound issues, but that didn't keep me from loving it. Carrie Underwood brought a sweetness and a gentleness to the role that I loved. I have to admit that she seemed more like the type that would try to be a nun than Julie Andrews. I agree with some people that she wasn't the most amazing actress, but neither did I think she flopped. Her voice! She sang the songs so well!
As for Captain Von Trapp... Wow! They did a much better job with his character. You see him being pressured to change his loyalties, and he never wevers. He will not bow to the Germans, even to make his life better. I feel like I finally understand his character.
Some people thought the acting wasn't very good. I, however, saw it for what it was: This was not acted like a blockbuster film, it was acted like a stage production. The Sound of Music was originally a play that they made into a movie. This felt like a Broadway play which I enjoyed. If you are looking for film acting, don't try this. If, however, you love Broadway plays, you will love this.
The sets were so amazing! I love all of them. And set changes? How cool was it to be on one set and for a wall to rise and find yourself in another one. Very creative way to change sets, as well as impressive.
My real worry when I started watching was the romance. Every time I knew there was a romantic scene coming up, I held the control waiting to turn it off. I was pretty sure there wouldn't be anything too awful, but I thought they would up the romance. Although maybe there were a few extra "looks" and the kiss was a bit more passionate, I was pleasantly surprised. They really did keep the sweetness of the romance and didn't ruin it. They didn't have more scenes and excuses for Maria and Captain Von Trapp to kiss. I was so pleased and so impressed.
I may be among the first people to own this on DVD, I liked it so much, and I encourage you to give it a try.
Yes, there were some sound issues, but that didn't keep me from loving it. Carrie Underwood brought a sweetness and a gentleness to the role that I loved. I have to admit that she seemed more like the type that would try to be a nun than Julie Andrews. I agree with some people that she wasn't the most amazing actress, but neither did I think she flopped. Her voice! She sang the songs so well!
As for Captain Von Trapp... Wow! They did a much better job with his character. You see him being pressured to change his loyalties, and he never wevers. He will not bow to the Germans, even to make his life better. I feel like I finally understand his character.
Some people thought the acting wasn't very good. I, however, saw it for what it was: This was not acted like a blockbuster film, it was acted like a stage production. The Sound of Music was originally a play that they made into a movie. This felt like a Broadway play which I enjoyed. If you are looking for film acting, don't try this. If, however, you love Broadway plays, you will love this.
The sets were so amazing! I love all of them. And set changes? How cool was it to be on one set and for a wall to rise and find yourself in another one. Very creative way to change sets, as well as impressive.
My real worry when I started watching was the romance. Every time I knew there was a romantic scene coming up, I held the control waiting to turn it off. I was pretty sure there wouldn't be anything too awful, but I thought they would up the romance. Although maybe there were a few extra "looks" and the kiss was a bit more passionate, I was pleasantly surprised. They really did keep the sweetness of the romance and didn't ruin it. They didn't have more scenes and excuses for Maria and Captain Von Trapp to kiss. I was so pleased and so impressed.
I may be among the first people to own this on DVD, I liked it so much, and I encourage you to give it a try.
I spent my morning designing this...
I am currently reading...
I am currently Writing...
Last few chapters of A Different Kind of Courage
Age
Appropriate For: 13 and up (for mild romance and
reading level)
Best
for Ages: 13 and up
Description:
Fresh from a
Jane Austen tour in England, Maddie Cooper returns home to Texas, determined to
bring a touch of "Austen to Austin." She dreams of opening an
authentic English tea room and, like Austen's Emma, put into practice her
self-proclaimed gift as a matchmaker. But an airport mishap with a cranky Englishman
gets her off on the wrong foot (quite literally), especially when he moves into
the university guest house across the street. Can Maddie find a love for her
unapproachable new neighbor, or has she finally met her match?
I wasn’t feeling good, so I decided to
take the day off and read some books that I had been wanting to read on my
Kindle – some short books. First I read a Christmas book, and then I decided to
read a book by an author I have come to love – Diane Moody.
Tea
with Emma was perfect. Short, sweet, tea, and
Jane Austen. It wasn’t super deep, but there was a nice faith element as well
as some awesome lines. The characters were fun, quirky and flawed, even if
there wasn’t a huge amount of character development.
For those who have read Jane Austen’s
books, none of the plot twists will come as a shock. However, I think it only
added to the charm of this book. It was one of those books that is a relaxing
break from the serious 400+ page novels I am used to reading.
Overall, this is the perfect book to
curl up with for an evening when you need a light, happy read. The kind when
you want a sweet but not overwhelming romance (two kisses toward the end of the
book). In short, a charming little novella. I can’t wait to start the next one!
(Which is probably why it is already opened on my Kindle.)
Now that NaNo is over? What I am now? Here is a little peek at my to-do list.
Get Adventures and Adversities on to Kindle
Write the last few chapters of A Different Kind of Courage
Write some posts for MOHL
Format some books for friends
Read some great books (I have already read Tea with Emma)





Buy
it Here
Age
Appropriate For: All Ages
Best
for Ages: All Ages
Description:
Journey back to
a simpler time, to a small English village where nothing out of the ordinary
ever happens. Except at Christmastime. When a mysterious angel suddenly appears
in a lowly candlemaker's shop, the holy and the human collide in a way that
only God could imagine. Glowing bright with a timeless message, The Christmas
Candle will warm your heart with a surprising reminder of God's bountiful love.
I have been hearing and seeing a lot
about the movie that just came out based off this book. I am very eager to see
it and reading this little story made me want to see it even more.
Max Lucado has been one of my favorite
authors for a long time. I have read a lot of his non-fiction and a couple of
his books for children. This was the first Christmas story by him that I have
read.
This story was short and sweet. I know
there are a lot of people that hate short books but I am not one of them. I
often need a break from the books that are 500+ pages. This was perfect. There
was plenty of time to tell the story, without getting bogged down. Yes, there
wasn’t enough time to go super deep into characters, but it didn’t matter. This
story wasn’t about amazing people, it was about the message of an amazing God.
There wasn’t really any romance in the
story, unless you count the time when one of the ladies of the town tries to
push her daughter on the preacher. Romance isn’t a factor in the book which was
a nice change.
Some may find the supernatural visit from an angel who touches a candle farfetched and irritating, but I do not. I loved
this story and highly recommend this book to anyone who likes sweet Christmas
stories, books you can read in a couple of hours, and those who are not afraid
to believe.
I received this book from Thomas Nelson through BookSneeze
in exchange for my honest review. I was under no obligation to write a
positive review. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.