Books, Movies, and Chinese Food

Congrats to Anjanette for winning a copy of Wedgewood Grey. Stay tuned for more book giveaways in the future! This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing A Valley Of Betrayal (Moody Publishers - February 1, 2007) by Tricia Goyer (fellow CFBA member, blogger, writer, and homeschooling mom!) ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tricia is a members of the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance. She also has a blog, It's Real Life and a parenting blog Generation NeXt . TRICIA GOYER is the author of five novels, two nonfiction books and one children's book. She also was named Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference Writer of the Year in 2003. In 2005, her novel Night Song, the second title in Tricia’s World War II series, won ACFW's Book of the Year for Best Long Historical Romance. In 2006, her novel Dawn of A Thousand Nights also won book of the Year for Long Historical Romance. Tricia and her husband, John, live with their family in northwestern Montan...

Don't forget to enter the book giveaway to win a copy of Wedgewood Grey. Click here to enter . I'll pick a name and announce the winner on Wednesday. Nacho Mama's House Hannah is doing her best to be the woman, wife and mother she was meant to be. This means taking care of the kids, being the typical soccer mom, having the team over for nachos, ordering new furniture, etc. Basically she is putting everyone ahead of her and still thinks it's not enough. She tells her adventures in emails to her sisters which end up being published as a popular newspaper column. So this means people read about Hannah's mistakes and going through life unexpectedly while she tries to make it seem like a breeze to her. But when her husband cancels out on a long planned trip on her, Hannah decides she can't take it anymore and takes the trip to Miami on her own, leaving everything behind. This is a book that soccer moms will relate to when there are times that you just want t...

Don't forget to enter the book giveaway to win a copy of Wedgewood Grey. Click here to enter . I'll pick a name and announce the winner on Wednesday. Another cozy winner A year has passed since Christy Castleman solved her first murder in her hometown. Now as she's beginning to get settled down once again when her eccentric aunt comes to town. The exact opposite from Christy's mother, Aunt Bobbie has dreams about opening up a one of a kind antique store and recruits Christy to help her fulfill her wish. But then Bobbie's ex-husband is found dead in a pickle barrel inside the storage unit that belongs to Bobbie making her the number one suspect. Amid few clues and evidence that all point to her aunt, Christy once again uses her mystery novel skills to find out out who the real killer is. Another winner from Peggy Darty! I enjoyed this book even more than the first. Bobbie is a great character because she's so spontaneous that you don't know what she...

Don't forget to enter the book giveaway to win a copy of Wedgewood Grey. Click here to enter . I'll pick a name and announce the winner on Wednesday. I normally would not write a review on a movie I've watched in the past. However I just rewatched this movie for the first time in over 15 years, so I feel it's like seeing it again for the first time. The premise of the movie is what would happen if Peter Pan grew up? Everyone is familiar with the story whether it be the Disney version, the Mary Martin play, the new version that came out 3 years ago, or Finding Neverland. Peter Pan is a story that everyone wants to be a part of, never having to grow old and facing life's problems. Thus this movie makes such an interesting idea when you think about how this icon himself chose to grow up and then forgot about his past. What's even more interesting is that maybe Hook himself just wants to give up and die but he can't. The acting in the movie is top notch. ...

I'm happy to have here today Sharon Hinck , author of The Secret Life of Becky Miller and her new book, Renovating Becky Miller as another stop on her blog tour. If you haven't read either of her books, I highly recommend both of them. I have a review of Secret Life of my blog, it's fabulous. And without further adieu, an interview with Sharon Hinck! Hi Sharon , Just finished reading Renovating Becky Miller and I absolutely adored it. Dare I say it, it was even better than Secret Life. Hi, Deborah! THANK YOU! I was very nervous with the second book releasing, because sometimes folks like a writer's first book, but the rest fall flat, and so I've been delighted that this story grabbed people in a new way. I love all the movie sequences at the beginning of the chapters. You picked all my favori tes which include a lot of the geeky/nerdy (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Narnia, LOTR!!!) movies. Which movie do you most relate to with your own life? ...

Don't forget to enter the book giveaway to win a copy of Wedgewood Grey. Click here to enter . I'll pick a name and announce the winner on Wednesday. Mom Wars Episode Two: The Attack of the Home Repairs Becky Miller is back. This time the supermom is facing a daunting new task: moving into a spacious farmhouse that needs some fixing up. All she wants is just some movie nights with her husband and family in a new quiet simpler life out in the country. Alas that is not to be as the farmhouse needs the Extreme Home Makeover of a lifetime, Kevin's mom (whom Becky can't seem to please) moves in with them, her friend Lori is battling depression, her work at church is stretching her thin, and to top it off Kevin and her aren't having the wonderful loving marriage she thought it would be. It'll take some renovating of her own to show Becky what is and should be the most important things in her life and how once again Supermom can't do it all. First off I want to...

I have an ARC (advanced readers copy) of Wedgewood Grey to give away. Leave a comment with your email address so I can contact you if you win. I'll pick a name and announce the winner on Wednesday, February 28. Good luck! This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Wedgewood Grey (Faith Words, February 2007) by John Aubrey Anderson . ABOUT THE AUTHOR: John Aubrey Anderson John was born five miles north of the setting for Abiding Darkness, a cotton country town within a rifle shot of two rivers, a bayou, a double handful of lakes, and endless acres of woods. After graduating from Mississippi State, he flew six years in the Air Force then twenty-nine years for a major airline. And now he gets to write. He and his wife have been married for forty some-odd years and live in Texas—about twenty miles south of the Red River. He spends the biggest part of his time writing; she’s imme...

Sassy with a touch of edge Amanda Bell Brown is a forensic psychologist who one night on the town with her sister meets up with Jazz Brown, a fine man, no relation to her. You know that Jazz is a guy who is perfect for Bell when he doesn't run away after she throws up on his shoes. And since Bell has just turned 40, this may be the man who she'll spend the rest of her life with. But before she can think about settling down, Jazz and Bell find themselves at a crime scene where the murderer may be someone connected to Bell's long forgotten past. I did not want to stop reading this book. From the beginning, Bell keeps you on her toes with her sassy attitude and no nonsense personality. Jazz is perfect for her, in that he wants to take care of her but since he's been hurt in the romance field, he wants to take things slow. The two of them have great chemistry together. Sometimes he would annoy me with some of his actions (like showing up in her house unexpected) but f...

There's no place like home Rose Fletcher is on her way back to South Carolina after being away for many years. She's tried to escape her southern heritage by living up in DC, hiding her accent and cutting all connections with her past. However she's discovered that her past cannot escape her especially with the trip she is now taking back to her home. The story is Rose's drive from DC to South Carolina interwoven with memories from her past. The reader is shown how scenes from her childhood have affected her life today. As Rose's trip continues, she and the reader see how no matter how you try to escape where you came from, your home will always be with you no matter what. If you liked the Savannah series, you'll like this book one too. While it doesn't have the humor or eccentric characters as the Savannah books, Flies does have that southern charm and great storyline that draws you in. Rose is a character that slowly grows on you. I didn't like ...

This has got to be one of the best shows ever produced in television history. The premise is rather odd, I mean who would want to watch an little old lady solve mysteries every week? Apparently millions of people as this show stayed on the air for over 12 years (plus TV movies). I remember watching this show when I was younger with my family. It was a show everyone could enjoy, there was nothing objectionable, the script was witty, and you didn't know who had done it until five minutes before the show ended no matter how hard you tried to look for clues. I'm so glad that our library decided to buy the first four seasons of the show. It's one of the most popular TV series at our branch, the DVDs are almost never in. Everyone loves Murder She Wrote, even the most casual fan. I mean what's not to like? Jessica Fletcher is just like the grandma you never had and always wanted. Angela Lansbury is perfect in this role. She's very spunky and spry for someone who...

The story continues... Lauraine Snelling has taken us yet again to the community of Blessing, North Dakota. This time the story focuses on Andrew, Ingeborg's younger son, and his fiance Ellie. The two have known they would get married ever since they were little. When the pair have to postpone their marriage due to circumstances beyond their control, Andrew is angry at the delay, while Ellie accepts the wait. She wants to learn what it'll be like to have a home with Andrew. However Andrew keeps growing more sullen and distant with her. Then tragedy strikes making the couple having to rethink their relationship and especially their upcoming marriage. I love the Bjorkland family and I'm glad that we are able to again join with another generation of the family. The original series, Red River of the North, was excellent as was the second series with Thorliff. I love how there is so much detail about prairie life, this time new and old worlds collide as Thorliff's w...

Katie Hart from Christian Novels says she has too many books! *gasp* is that even possible??? Well that means more for the rest of us! From Katie: How would you like to buy great Christian novels for only $5.00 each, including shipping? Send me your wish list - theloneislands at yahoo.com. I'll go through my books and zap you back a list of what titles I have from your list. Chose them all or just some, and I'll confirm that I have them reserved for you (first come, first serve!) and send you your total. Pay me via PayPal, and I'll mail them out! Buy ten books and get your 11th one free! The $5.00 offer is only for US addresses. If you live in Canada, email me and I'll figure out your rates. For other countries, it likely won't be as great of a deal, but if you really want to order I'll send you the total once the titles are confirmed. I try to keep my books nice but a few are more worn. I'll only charge $3.00 for those (less than Amazon shipping!). Also ...

Innocence lost Rachel Flynn is a lawyer who is getting over her last case which nearly killer her. She thinks things will start to return to normal when she receives an anonymous note saying a body will be found in a construction site. When the body is revealed to have been killed 20 years ago, Rachel starts to investigate who sent the note and why only now. As Rachel is drawn more into the mystery, she discovers the horrors that a bully can cause and the pain, suffering and emotional damage that stem from it. This was an excellent book. I haven't read the first book in the series, Widows and Orphans, but I never felt lost in this book (although I definitely want to pick up a copy of it now). I felt like I was watching a mix of Cold Case and Medium. I could actually see this book being made into a TV episode. This is one of the few books that I felt creeped out while reading, I kept looking over my shoulder to make sure no one was standing behind me especially whenever Rachel...

Not such an easy target Jana has returned to her hometown with her two young children after trying to find a new start in life. She has dreams about opening an animal conservatory on the land her grandfather owns. Meanwhile Grant is also eying that same piece of land to use as a hunting reserve. The two clash over the way the land should be used, but added tension is thrown in because Grant was Jana's high school crush! Add some kittens, fawns, runaway fishing boats and flash floods and you got yourself a story about trying to figure out how to find common ground with someone you care about. This was a really great book. It was fun to read about how opposite viewpoints clash. I love how the opening of the book is Jana hitting a cow. It's a funny, grab your attention opening and, for me at least, familiar since I went to a college where cow tipping was the norm. I'm not a vegan or even a vegetarian, but I tended to share Jana's viewpoints on animal treatment in this...

I wanna be a cowboy baby Nick Noble is a modern day prodigal son. He's finally returned to the family ranch after leaving ten years ago. His father has died and Nick has found out that the ranch has been split between him and his siblings and his former best friend Cole. He wants to know why Cole should get what is rightfully his. Piper is pretending to be a ranch cook so she can investigate Nick who she believes is the cause of why her brother went to jail. The two develop a relationship against Piper's wishes. Meanwhile many secrets float around the ranch, and it also looks like there is someone who doesn't want anyone to own a part of it. First off, look at the book cover! Woooo! Love those dimples, he looks just like Colby from season 2 of Survivor. So it was really easy to picture Nick, which is good because he was a really interesting, well developed character. Him, Maggie, and Cole all have a history with everyone not knowing the full truth about each other. It...

Short but sweet The Christmas season may be over but its story is always timely. I enjoyed reading this book. Its short and you can probably finish it in one sitting, but the story will last with you for a long time. I love biblical fiction that gives familiar characters from the Bible a storyline and a personality. Anam is a young man trying to find out his true identity. All he has from his birth parents is a blanket proclaiming the birth of a child in Bethlehem. Using this clue he goes to seek out who he really is. As he discovers the truth, he meets up with a group of shepherds, who are considered to be outcasts from the rest of the town. After hearing their story, he learns just how special that child was and how he is connected to that miraculous birth. This is one of the first times I've read about the perspective of the people who had to deal with the slaughter of the male infants. I never thought about how painful and resentful they would be about Jesus, because h...

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The Longing Season (Bethany House July, 2006) by Christine Schaub . ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Christine Schaub is the author of the MUSIC OF THE HEART series, including Finding Anna , the “rest of the story” behind the writing of the hymn “It Is Well With My Soul” (October 2005) and The Longing Season , the story behind “Amazing Grace” (July 2006) with Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Books. In 2003, Christine won the “On the Page” screenwriting contest at Screenwriting Expo 2 in Los Angeles. Her one-page story, written on-site in 24 hours for Jacqueline Bisset, was selected by the actress as the best Oscar Wilde-type comedy for her persona. While working in freelance corporate communications, Christine completed three feature-length screenplays, including a drama/comedy, romantic comedy, and sci-fi action/drama; developed four biopic teleplays for the stories behind the hymns; and published an online column for the ...

A message from Jim Hart over at Bethany House: "Right now, we’re running a survey to help us make a decision about a cover for an upcoming novel by Ann Tatlock (many of you read and enjoyed her last, Things We Once Held Dear ). While we get some response through our newsletter audience, I would like to invite the Christian Fiction Blog community to participate in this survey as well. If you’re willing to, please visit http://faithinfiction.com/phpsurveyor/index.php?sid=8 and take the short survey (all the data is private). " Here's your chance to have a say in the book publishing world!

End of an era The House of Winslow series finally comes to an end with the story of Luke Winslow in "The White Knight". He's a pilot fighting in the Spanish Civil War when his girlfriend's family is killed by German bombers. Feeling depressed he returns home to his family only to become a drunk who mopes around all the time. When one of his war buddies offers him a job, Luke attempts to sober up for it but finds he can't. This mistake costs the life of his friend, which Luke feels responsible for. Ironically Luke finds himself later employed by his friend's sister, who he has kept his identity a secret from. The two fall in love but under false pretenses. When Joelle finds out Luke is in danger of losing her forever. Then Pearl Harbor happens and when Luke feels the call to go into war, he must decide how to prove that he has to be true to himself. I felt this book was an improvement over the last few that have come out in the series. Luke and Joelle ...

Grab your coziest chair for this cozy mystery Christy Castleman is a novelist who's first book was a hit and is now trying to finish up her second novel. One day she finds a bottle buried in the sand with a message asking for help because they are going to be killed. The Sassy Snowbirds, a group of women in the Red Hat society, think it's the missing realtor who wrote the note and are eager to assist Christy in what feels like her mystery novel come to life. While investigating, she also peaks the interest of the new guy in town, military veteran Dan Brockman. In between juggling this new relationship, Christy uses her detective skills to find that the murder may be connected to a jewelry heist in New York from back in the 1980s. Suddenly the little town is involved in a series of events that will shake up the community, with Christy at the center of it all. I love a good mystery and this book definitely makes my top ten list of mystery novels. I've enjoyed Peggy Darty...

Helen Mirren has been getting lots of attention lately for playing the longest monarch in history. She is currently nominated (and will most likely win) for portraying Queen Elizabeth II in "The Queen". I have yet to see it but if she is anything like how she portrayed Queen Elizabeth I, she will blow the competition away. "Elizabeth I" has won almost every award it has been nominated. It is one of the best miniseries I have ever seen. I would recommend seeing "Elizabeth" starring Cate Blanchett before seeing this miniseries. That movie shows show she became queen and her first months reigning. (There's a sequel coming out soon too). This miniseries picks up when Elizabeth is in her 40s and still has not married, thus there is no heir to the throne. Helen Mirren is just simply excellent in this role. She takes one of the most famous icons in history and brings her to life in the most astounding way. There were many things I didn't know ab...

Congrats to Michelle on winning the "Enter Camy's Contest and Be Entered for an Extra Book from Me" book giveaway! And congrats also to the winners of Camy's contest. Stay tuned for more future book giveaways! It is February 1st , time for the FIRST Day Blog Tour! (Join our alliance! Click the button!) The FIRST day of every month we will feature an author and their latest book's FIRST chapter! This month's feature author is: John Aubrey Anderson and his book: Abiding Darkness ABOUT THE AUTHOR: John was born five miles north of the setting for Abiding Darkness, a cotton country town within a rifle shot of two rivers, a bayou, a double handful of lakes, and endless acres of woods. After graduating from Mississippi State, he flew six years in the Air Force then twenty-nine years for a major airline. And now he gets to write. He and his wife have been married for forty some-odd years and live in Texas—about twenty miles south of the Red River. He spends the...