Monday, April 30, 2012

Y is for Yarn Bomb!




I am a defender of all things crochet.

So, when the subject of toilet paper covers came up at the knitting group (actually, today) I cringed.

Okay, I understand that some crocheters of yore have made some unfortunate choices, thereby tainting the reputation of the entire art of crocheting established by my Irish ancestors (along with some other people).    I might add that these hard working Irish women also contributed to the support of their families during some pretty trying times in Ireland...

Still, it's hard to get the craft's dignity back after some of those poodle themed items surface in movies and such, depicting individuals sorely lacking taste and style.

But, thanks to some amazing crocheting graffiti artists, also known as "Yarn Bombers", the cool is back in crochet!  Of course, yarn bombers are knitters too, but knitters on the whole have a more pristine image, and generally don't need the publicity.

Yarn bombers create fantastic urban art - like the crocheted tree cozy pictured above.  They have been known to cover city buses and even an army tank in well fitting outfits that can't help but bring a smile to your face.

Have you ever been surprised by art in the city?



Sunday, April 29, 2012

X is for eXcalibur



Once upon a time there was a little girl who dreamt of being a ballerina...

Wrong story???

Anyway... She danced and danced and danced.... you get the point...

One day while she was dancing through the forest she came upon a giant rock with a sword sticking out of it.  It was very sparkly so she grabbed hold of the handle and removed it from it's stony prison.

The sword was so happy to be free that it granted her a wish...  What did she wish for?

If I told you, I would have to... you know...

My point is, we all have dreams, but sometimes it feels like we're dancing as hard as we can and we can't see an end in sight.  We need help.

The Word of God is called The Sword of the Spirit!
Excalibur was a legendary sword in a fantastic story.  The Sword of the Spirit IS the story!!!


Saturday, April 28, 2012

W is for Worth

Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also... Matthew 6:21


While in the process of moving from our old house into our present home, decisions had to be made. What to keep and what to throw away?  Everything from clothes to toys to the food in the pantry required a verdict.

I only wanted to take what I really loved or thought was useful.  So, much was donated or tossed to the curb.

It was a great opportunity to streamline.  One of the items that didn't make the cut was a bank that my husband's aunt bought at a garage sale and gave to him for Christmas .  It was one of those heavy old metal things, a truly hideous looking politician on a box giving a speech.

Some years later I was checking out the "what it sold for" section of the newspaper and to my horror I read "Stump Speaker bank: 1,250.00..."

At least I still had that can of black eyed peas!  And the capers...


Friday, April 27, 2012

The Sound of Red Returning by Sue Duffy

I am totally tipping my ushanka (Russian ear-flaps hat) to Sue Duffy for giving me hours of page turning happiness with her new novel, The Sound of Red Returning.

Even the title has a retro spy thriller feel to it and the book delivers suspense in the classic United States versus the Evil Empire style.

Leisl Bower, a classical pianist from South Carolina, is the reluctant heroine accidentally caught in the cross-hairs of  an international tug of war.  While being hunted by the Russians, she discovers that she must also come to terms with her painful past in order to trust in the present and save the world.

Sue Duffy creates characters you want to cheer for.  I enjoyed travelling from Boston to New York to South Carolina with Leisl and meeting cool Cade O'Brien and his quirky grandfather Ian, who added warmth and romance to the fun.

For more information, please read on!!





This week, the
 
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
 
is introducing
 
The Sound of Red Returning
 
Kregel Publications (December 9, 2011)
 
by
 
Sue Duffy
 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:





Sue Duffy is an award-winning writer whose work has  appeared in Moody magazine, The Presbyterian Journal, Sunday Digest, and The Christian Reader. She is the author of Mortal Wounds (Barbour, 2001), Fatal Loyalty (Kregel, 2010), and The Sound of Red Returning (Kregel, 2011). Sue has also contributed to Stories for a Woman’s Heart (Multnomah). She and her husband, Mike, have three grown children.


ABOUT THE BOOK


After losing everyone she loves, concert pianist Liesl Bower has nowhere to go but to escape into her music. Searching for the peace she usually finds in her concertos and sonatas, Liesl can't shake the feeling that she is being haunted by her past . . . and by someone following her. When she spots a familiar and eerie face in the audience of a concert she's giving for the president in Washington, DC, the scariest day of her life comes back to her with a flash.


It has been fifteen years since Liesl watched her beloved Harvard music mentor assaulted on a dark night in Moscow and just as long since the CIA disclosed to her that he'd been spying for Russia. She had seen that man-that eerie face-the night Professor Devoe was attacked. And now he's back-and coming for her.

ENDORSEMENTS:


“Sue Duffy has mixed the mayhem of political intrigue with the melody of romance.” —Dick Bohrer, author, editor, and former journalism professor



“Intrigue and suspense come together in an incredible story of love and betrayal, commitment and courage, power and danger . . . and a God who controls it all. Sue Duffy is a wonderfully gifted writer and this book is a must-read.” —Steve Brown, founder and president of Key Life and host of Steve Brown Etc.


If you would like to read the first chapter of The Sound of Red Returning, go HERE.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

V is for Veritas




Veritas is the latin word for truth. It is the motto for Harvard University.  I like it.  It's simple.  One word says it all.

Or does it?

Francis Shaeffer, coined the phrase "true truth" meaning that what one says is true, should actually be true.  One of my favorite books by Francis Shaeffer is He is There and He is not Silent- if you enjoy an intellectual approach to understanding Christianity, check it out.

Veritas.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

U is for Understatement

So... an understatement is a figure of speech in which the writer or speaker plays down the importance or the facts of a situation.

Back in my college days I went through a bohemian phase (during the age of Lacoste polos) and arrived at my french class,  at Amherst college, wearing a beret and a mini-dress.  My friend, Holden, remarked, "I can see you're not in a preppy mood today."

Now-a-days, my understating self is more inclined to use this figure of speech when I get home from shopping, and after unloading bag after bag of groceries, say to my husband, "I needed to pick up a few things from the store."

In Laura Croft Tomb Raider, Laura's house has just been shot up by the bad guys and as they are cleaning things up she gets a delivery.  In response to the delivery man's questioning look she responds, "I woke up this morning and I just hated everything."  To him, that would have seemed like a huge understatement.

I do love understatement.  But sometimes I like over the top!

How about you?


Tuesday, April 24, 2012

T is for Testing!

I was over at blogger friend Robyn Alana Engel's place (Life by Chocolate) and I noticed she had posted pictures of children needing prayer; so I started to pray.  While I was praying, my television sounded an emergency alarm; I ran downstairs to turn it off, thinking that it was only a test.    A man's voice announced that a five year old boy named Porter Stone may have been kidnapped from a hospital in a nearby county, and that he was also number one on the list for a heart transplant.  It felt like God was adding another "angel" to the prayer list.

Would you please join me in praying for Porter and the kid's on Robyn's prayer list?

Father, we ask that you will help in the search for Porter.  We pray for healing for him and all of the kid's on Robyn's blog, too.  Let them go to sleep tonight in comfort and safety.

In Jesus' name, amen.

Sometimes God speaks in a still, small voice.  And sometimes He sounds an emergency alarm.

Monday, April 23, 2012

S is for Sons

Rachael, Samuel, Elsa, Jonathan and Joshua
My son, My son, why are you striving,
You can't add one thing to what's been done for you,
I did it all while I was dying,
Rest in your faith, my peace will come to you.

For when I hear the praises start, I want to rain upon you,
blessings that will fill your heart, I see no stain upon you,
Because you are My child and know me, to Me you're only holy,
Nothing that you've done remains, only what you do for Me.

Keith Green- When I Hear the Praises Start


What can I say about my sons?  They are kind, funny, they love Jesus.  They are not perfect.. They are my string of pearls.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

R is for Relevant

Relevant means- "direct bearing on the matter at hand".

How can I know if something is relevant to my life and not just some crazy impulse?  

I relate to the T. Rex in Meet the Robinsons (one of my favorite movies).  His job was to capture Lewis, the young inventor and devour him, but he can't because... His head is too big, and his arms are too small.  The conclusion was that the plan was just not thought through.

Do you ever wonder if what you are doing is relevant?  Have you ever struggled with wanting to live a life of relevance?  I have.

 






Saturday, April 21, 2012

Q is for Quintessential

Quintessential.
 It's a word, that, screams "this is it!!  This is the true thing."  So, I wondered, what am I "quintessentially"?  I know many negatives that I could be.  But I don't want to go there...

There are some literary characters that I could quintessentially be like- at least in my imagination.  Characters I love, such as Jo, in Little Women.  Or Elizabeth Bennet, in Pride and Prejudice.

Sometimes I worry that I spend too much time with my head in the clouds; and I fear turning into Don Quixote, the quintessential dreamer...

Have you ever wondered who you were, quintessentially?

Friday, April 20, 2012

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Prophet
Bethany House Publishers (April 1, 2012)
by
R.J. Larson




ABOUT THE AUTHOR:







R. J. Larson is the author of numerous devotionals featured in publications such as Women's Devotional Bible and Seasons of a Woman's Heart. She lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with her husband and their two sons. Prophet marks her debut in the fantasy genre.







ABOUT THE BOOK



Close your eyes, Ela of Parne. Close your eyes and you will see.



Ela Roeh of Parne doesn't understand why her beloved Creator, the Infinite, wants her to become His prophet. She's undignified, bad tempered, and only seventeen--not to mention that no prophet of Parne has ever been a girl. Worst of all, as the elders often warn, if she agrees to become the Infinite's prophet, Ela knows she will die young.



Istgard has turned their back on me. See the evil they do.



Yet after experiencing His presence, she can't imagine living without Him. Determined to follow the Infinite's voice, Ela accepts the sacred vinewood branch and is sent to bring the Infinite's word to a nation torn apart by war. Here she meets Kien, a young Traceland ambassador determined to bring his own justice for his oppressed people. As they form an unlikely partnership, Ela must surrender to her destiny . . . and determine how to balance the leading of her heart with the leading of the Infinite.



Will you accept the branch and speak my will? Will you be my prophet?



If you would like to read the first chapter of Prophet, go HERE.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

P is for Perplexed!!

I have been trying so hard how to do the simplest of tasks on the computer and after three trips to the Genius Bar, I'm (sadly) no further along.

I'm not giving up! One of these days it's got to pay off. Right?

So... Is something perplexing you? I promise, I will pray.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Moonblood by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Moonblood is book three in Anne Elisabeth Stengl's Tales of the Goldstone Wood series.

Ms.Stengl creates a world of mysterious happenings and fantastical lands and characters in classic faerie tale style.  Princes and Princesses, along with a cat, goat and unicorn are the players whose destinies cross in this epic story.   The action will keep you guessing- and wishing that you could, perhaps, don a royal robe or veil, and help Prince Lionheart on his mission to find Rose Red.  But when he does find her, will his past betrayals yield irrevocable consequences?  Can there be any hope of redemption?

I  have LOVED getting lost in the world of the Goldstone Wood and all of its colorful characters.  You will not want to miss any of the books in this series.

These books are for everyone who loves fantasy worlds and terrific story telling.

Please read on for more fabulous information.  OH!!! This just in:  Heartless- Book One is available for free on Kindle.  Don't miss out!!!



This week, the
 
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
 
is introducing
 
Moonblood
 
Bethany House Publishers (April 1, 2012)
 
by
 
Anne Elisabeth Stengl
 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Anne Elisabeth Stengl makes her home in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she enjoys her profession as an art teacher, giving private lessons from her personal studio, and teaching group classes at the Apex Learning Center. She is married to the handsome man she met at fencing class and lives with him and a gaggle of cats. She studied illustration at Grace College and English literature at Campbell University. Heartless is her debut novel.


Anne Elisabeth is also the author of the Tales of Goldstone Wood, a series of fantasy adventure novels told in the classic Fairy Tale style.



ABOUT THE BOOK


Moonblood Draws Near, and Soon the Dragons Will Wake


Desperate to regain the trust of his kingdom, Prince Lionheart reluctantly banishes his faithful servant and only friend, Rose Red. Now she is lost in the hidden realm of Arpiar, held captive by her evil goblin father, King Vahe.

Vowing to redeem himself, Lionheart plunges into the mysterious Goldstone Wood, seeking Rose Red. In strange other worlds, Lionheart must face a lyrical yet lethal tiger, a fallen unicorn, and a goblin horde on his quest to rescue the girl he betrayed.

With the Night of Moonblood fast approaching when King Vahe seeks to wake the Dragon's sleeping children, Lionheart must discover whether or not his heart contains courage before it's too late for Rose Red . . . and all those he loves.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Moonblood, go HERE.




O is for Open the Door! (Let em' in)

Someone's knockin' at the door
Someone's ringin' the bell...
Do me a favor; open the door
Let em' in  --

Paul McCartney

I had a dream that I overslept, and nobody in my family bothered to wake me up OR tell me that guests were coming over to watch something on TV AND have Breakfast!  Of course the house was a mess, and I was in my pajamas as people were knocking at the door, ringin' the bell and coming in.  I wasn't a happy camper, needless to say.  One of my friends was sporting a rather astonishing looking beard and I wondered if she would be offended if I introduced her to Reema, my threader... (you don't even want to know...)

Finally I realized that there was nothing I could do about this fiasco, so I decided that my true friends would still be my friends even after they saw the real me...  It's still not a bad idea to clean up a bit, though, just in case.

Sweet dreams...

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

N is for Never-the-Less

One of my all time favorite movie lines is from the African Queen with Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn.  Hepburn plays Rose Sayer, a straight laced Methodist missionary; and Bogart is masterful as Charlie Allnut, the lone wolf riverboat captain of the African Queen.

From the start, the two find themselves at odds with each other and though they are not aware of it yet- Life.  They are both missing something; and it appears that Providence has selected them to work together to find out what that is, or die trying.

In the midst of an argument where Charlie seems to have the upper hand, Rose stands tall, and from the very depths of her being says, simply, "Never the less." 

So, when circumstances beyond my control come my way, I want to choose to have the courage to look it in the eye, and say... "Never the less." 



    

Monday, April 16, 2012

M is for Meander

I needed some inspiration.  So I decided to do some meandering.  I went to and fro all over the blogosphere, and here's what happened.   I was encouraged, given some great writing tips, tempted by chocolate and introduced to new places (cyber and otherwise)!  It  made me very merry and filled me with a marvelous sense of community, which was quite motivating.

So I just want to thank you for being a part of my journey.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

L is for Letting Go

"forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before..."                       Philippians 3:13 KJV

I find that the things that I clutch onto the tightest often are the things that hold me back.    Like a trapeze artist who fears letting go of the bar to take the hand of her partner;  I hang onto fear and worry. I forget to trust the One who created me,  and is waiting for me to let go.  To leave the past behind, and reach out for what lies ahead.

 So, what am I waiting for?










Friday, April 13, 2012

The Fiddler By Beverly Lewis


Beverly Lewis' stories have a way of tiptoeing their way into your soul. Softly and stealthily, like a cat in an Amish barn.  Before you know it you are identifying with her characters and wondering what your own options are.  

Amelia Devries is a classical violinist with a secret life.  Her need to break out and express herself beyond the confines of her upbringing has led her into the spotlight as an award winning country fiddle player.  The glitch?  Amelia's agent, father, and boyfriend have big plans for her and are unaware that the country fiddler Amy Lee is their own classical flower.  

 Her separate lives are on a collision course; and one day her car breaks down and everything changes.   Should she trade in her dreams of love for the crown jewel of the serious classical world?

If you've never read a Beverly Lewis novel, I urge you to give this one a try.  You won't be disappointed.

Beverly Lewis proves once again that sometimes you have to get out of your comfort zone in order to realize that is where your heart had always belonged.




This week, the
 
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
 
is introducing
 
The Fiddler
 
Bethany House Publishers (April 10, 2012)
 
by
 
Beverly Lewis
 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Beverly's first venture into adult fiction is the best-selling trilogy, The Heritage of Lancaster County, including The Shunning, a suspenseful saga of Katie Lapp, a young Amish woman drawn to the modern world by secrets from her past. The book is loosely based on the author's maternal grandmother, Ada Ranck Buchwalter, who left her Old Order Mennonite upbringing to marry a Bible College student. One Amish-country newspaper claimed Beverly's work to be "a primer on Lancaster County folklore" and offers "an insider's view of Amish life."


Booksellers across the country, and around the world, have spread the word of Beverly's tender tales of Plain country life. A clerk in a Virginia bookstore wrote, "Beverly's books have a compelling freshness and spark. You just don't run across writing like that every day. I hope she'll keep writing stories about the Plain people for a long, long time."

A member of the National League of American Pen Women, as well as a Distinguished Alumnus of Evangel University, Lewis has written over 80 books for children, youth, and adults, many of them award-winning. She and her husband, David, make their home in Colorado, where they enjoy hiking, biking, and spending time with their family. They are also avid musicians and fiction "book worms."    

ABOUT THE BOOK


Come home to Hickory Hollow, Pennsylvania--the beloved setting where Beverly Lewis's celebrated Amish novels began--with new characters and new stories of drama, romance, and the ties that draw people together.


A wrong turn in a rainstorm leads Englisher Amelia Devries to Michael Hostetler--and the young Amishman's charming Old Order community of Hickory Hollow. Despite their very different backgrounds, Amelia and Michael both feel hemmed in by the expectations of others and struggle with how to find room for their own hopes. And what first seems to be a chance encounter might just change their lives forever.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Fiddler, go HERE.

Watch the book video:



K is for Krochet Kids

Krochet Kids is an organization started by a guy who crochets, who taught his friends to crochet and then they all travelled to Uganda and had a brilliant idea!!  They taught a few Ugandan women to crochet hats so that they could sell them here in the United States.  (Check out the Krochet Kids website- also Nordstrom)!

Their motto became "Buy a hat change a life".
So... a handful of Ugandan women has turned into a hundred plus women in both Uganda and Peru using a fabulous skill to support themselves... I think that's kool.

So please google Krochet Kids and watch the Bing Originals short video... I promise- you will be so encouraged.

(((hugs)))


Thursday, April 12, 2012

J is for Juicer

If my juicer were an animated character,  it would be an out of work deejay with an attitude.  I bought it in a moment of after Christmas clearance sale weakness.  And now it lives underneath the counter in a cabinet with the plastic containers without lids and visa versa- a veritable lonely hearts club of misfit kitchen clutter.

I was a push over at the thought of all the lovely live enzymes giving me a healthy youthful glow... makes me want to get it out and give it a whirl.  What I do know is that just having a juicer does me no good unless I use it.  So... will I overcome my fear of juicing and reap the happy rewards?  Or will Mr. J. make his lonely way to the Goodwill, where another unsuspecting sod will be seduced by his promises???

Is there something in your life that you are not using?

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

I is for Infuse

I collect tea.  All kinds of tea, but especially the kind that promises to benefit me in some way.  Drink green tea and you will be set for life in anti-oxidants- even more so if pomegranate is involved,  or rooiboos, kombucha, chamomile, or my new favorite- rose which promotes relaxation.  It smells good too.

Tea is just one of the constants in my life that infuse me with the feeling that every thing's going to be alright.  And if health benefits follow, well, that's a bonus.


Tuesday, April 10, 2012

H is for HELP!!!

With so many awesome H words out there (I couldn't think of an H word for awesome)- suggestions welcome- I just felt like singing the Beatles song "Help".  Be very thankful you couldn't hear me!  :)

Anyway, I'm finally getting help with my computer skills.  So that's good.  The guys at the Mac store were very nice.  I tried not to annoy them too much.  I was half expecting someone to shout out "mom-blogger" and watch them scatter when they saw me coming.  But they didn't.

It's probably going to take a while for all of my new found knowlege to show.  Just so you know.

Baby steps.



Monday, April 9, 2012

G is for Grace

Sometimes I feel like a hamster on a wheel.  With the best of intentions I make promises, only to break them.  "Sure I'll bring a casserole to the next pot-luck" or "this is the absolute last time I'll ever be this late to church!!"  And then my fear of cooking for other people sets in; and I get way behind and I'm LATE!!
And have no casserole to show for it...    I wonder how many times I can do the same goofy things over and over again before all grace is just flat out frustrated.  I googled this and there is actually a lot on this topic.

But I'm not going to go there.  I'm really tired.  So I'm going to bed.  I realize that this is not a brilliant blog post.  If you are in need of grace I will pray for you.
I mean it.


Saturday, April 7, 2012

F is for Forgiveness

Many Easters ago our church sponsored an Easter egg hunt.  The children were all so excited; they could hardly wait for the service to end so they could fill their baskets with plastic eggs filled with candy.  We even had some visitors who had two adorable little girls who were ready to join in the fun.  The mom had purchased new dresses for the occasion.

Somehow, when no one was looking, some of the older kids decided to play a prank on the unsuspecting little ones.  They exchanged the candy in the eggs for stuff they found in the refrigerator... like mayonaise.

It was pretty awful when we realized what had happened.  I don't know if the perpetrators were punished, but needless to say, the new people never came back.  Eventually the families with the wrong doers also left the church.

Fast forward to today.  One of the offenders is back from Afganistan and will be joining my family tomorrow at our Easter service.  And I am so excited to see what the Holy Spirit will do.  I'm praying for miracle.

I want to be clear.  I don't know this young man's heart.  But Jesus does.  Just as he knows mine.  Jesus didn't dole out excuses.  He became the atonement for every sin- big or small.

Forgiveness.



Friday, April 6, 2012



This week, the
 
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
 
is introducing
 
The 13th Tribe
 
Thomas Nelson (April 3, 2012)
 
by
 
Robert Liparulo
 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Best-selling novelist Robert Liparulo is a former journalist, with over a thousand articles and multiple writing awards to his name. His first three critically acclaimed thrillers—Comes a Horseman, Germ, and Deadfall—were optioned by Hollywood producers, as well as his Dreamhouse Kings series for young adults. Bestselling author Ted Dekker calls The 13th Tribe, released in April 2012, “a phenomenal story.” Liparulo is currently working with director Andrew Davis (The Fugitive, The Guardian) on the novel and screenplay of a political thriller. New York Times best-selling author Steve Berry calls Liparulo’s writing “Inventive, suspenseful, and highly entertaining . . . Robert Liparulo is a storyteller, pure and simple.” Liparulo lives in Colorado with his family.


Visit Robert Liparulo's Facebook Fan page: http://www.facebook.com/LiparuloFans, or at Twitter @robertliparulo.


ABOUT THE BOOK


Their story didn't start this year . . . or even this millennium.

It began when Moses was on Mt. Sinai. Tired of waiting on the One True God, the twelve tribes of Israel began worshipping a golden calf through pagan revelry. Many received immediate death for their idolatry, but 40 were handed a far worse punishment-endless life on earth with no chance to see the face of God.

This group of immortals became the 13th Tribe, and they've been trying to earn their way into heaven ever since-by killing sinners. Though their logic is twisted, their brilliance is undeniable. Their wrath is unstoppable. And the technology they possess is beyond anything mere humans have ever seen.

Jagger Baird knows nothing about the Tribe when he's hired as head of security for an archaeological dig on Mt. Sinai. The former Army Ranger is still reeling from an accident that claimed the life of his best friend, his arm, and his faith in God.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The 13th Tribe, go HERE.

E is for Enter

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him and bless his name.  Psalm 100:5

The God of the Universe, the creator of Heaven and Earth lives in a gated community and he is inviting us to come on in.  Through his gates and into his courts.  With praising and singing!  

Why? Because he calls us his people and the sheep of his pasture.  Because he is good.   His mercy is everlasting; and his truth endures to all generations. 

He really loves us.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

A toZ Blog Challenge:D is for Daughters

Elsa and Rachael

Fathers be good to your daughters
daughters will love like you do.
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers
so mothers be good to your daughters too.
                                       - John Mayer


I have two daughters.  Rachael and Elsa.  They are so different.  Rachael speaks Portuguese and dreams of being a lawyer and, perhaps, go into politics.  Elsa is a pilot with a heart for missions.  


 Only God knows for sure what the future holds for our daughters.  We pray, we love, we teach, and then... we watch them fly! 

Cooking the Books by Bonnie S. Calhoun

I am so proud to be part of the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance team of book lovers; and I am especially excited to share a bit about Cooking the Books by Bonnie S. Calhoun the founder and CEO of the CFBA.

Heroine, Sloane Templeton, is a savvy Cyber Crimes Unit operative turned Brooklyn bookstore owner .  Her one flaw is her lousy track record with men.   Sloane also attracts trouble like honey attracts flies ( I guess that makes two flaws).  So it stands to reason that drastic and- as it turns out- often hilarious measures must be taken.  One of my favorite scenes in the book is when a group of shop owners- Sloane included- takes the Senior Center's van to go to the shooting range for some target practice.  So funny,  I laugh just thinking about it.

Bonnie writes characters overflowing with warmth, wit, and a dash of wisdom... the good ones anyway!  The bad guys are downright nasty.
This book gave me a kind of Steel Magnolias meets Alexander Mccall Smith's No.1 Ladies Detective Agency feel.

One thing's for sure- the neighborhood will never be the same!
Please read on for more information about Cooking the Books.


This week, the
 
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
 
is introducing
 
Cooking The Books
 
Abingdon Press (April 2012)
 
by
 
Bonnie S. Calhoun
 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


As the Owner/Director of the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Bonnie has helped use the 220+ blogs of the Alliance to promote many titles on the Christian bestseller list. She also owns and publishes the Christian Fiction Online magazine which is devoted to readers and writers of Christian fiction. She is the Northeast Zone Director for American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). At ACFW she was named the ‘Mentor of the Year,’ for 2011, and she is the current President of (CAN) Christian Authors Network. Bonnie is also the Appointment Coordinator for both the Colorado Christian Writers Conference and the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference.


In her spare time she is an avid social media junkie, and teaches Facebook, Twitter, Blogging and HTML as recreational occupations. She also has a novel coming out in the Abingdon Quilts of Love series. Her novel Pieces of the Heart will publish August of 2013.

Bonnie and her husband Bob live in a log cabin on 15 acres in upstate area of Binghamton, New York with a dog and cat who consider the humans as wait-staff.


ABOUT THE BOOK


After her mother dies from a heart attack, Sloane Templeton goes from Cyber Crimes Unit to bookstore owner before she can blink. She also "inherits" a half-batty store manager; a strange bunch of little old people from the neighborhood who meet at the store once a week, but never read books, called the Granny Oakleys Book Club; and Aunt Verline, who fancies herself an Iron Chef when in reality you need a cast iron stomach to partake of her culinary disasters. And with a group like this you should never ask, “What else can go wrong?”


A lot! Sloane begins to receive cyber threats. While Sloane uses her computer forensic skills to uncover the source of the threats, it is discovered someone is out to kill her. Can her life get more crazy?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Cooking The Books, go HERE.

Watch the book video:



If you'd like to read interviews with Bonnie, try these:
Everbody Needs A Little Romance
A Christian Writers World
Novel Rocket
ACFW - Fiction Finder

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

C is for Casting Cares

Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you.  1Peter 5:7

Imagine a game of ring toss and that all your cares and woes are the rings.  Instead of tossing the rings onto a peg, imagine Jesus standing there in your back yard waiting to play with you.  He's not all stern and scary.  He's kind and loving.  He looks at your stack of rings that you've been holding onto and beckens you to give it a try.  You grab one, frisbee style, and remember that you are lousy at all competitive sports- be it badminton, croquet, or ring toss.  He reminds you that there's no one else around to laugh or mock you if you mess up.  It's just you and him.  And he never laughs or mocks.

So you let it fly.  It wobbles as it makes its way to him.  You worry that it will crash and burn before it gets there.  Just before he catches it you see a flash of something on his wrist.  A scar.  He's not ashamed of it.  It's just there.  You know its for you.  Suddenly you lose sight of the ring of care;  like it vanished into thin air.  In fact the whole pile of rings have grown strangely dim.  You're having too much fun with the Saviour.

So, do the troubles actually vanish into thin air?  Not necessarily... but the POWER the troubles have over you to enslave absolutely can.   "And the peace of God, which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ."  Philippians 4:7

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

B is for Bubble

When I was little, I was sure that I could see castles and wonderlands in soap bubbles.  I also thought they were a great value- you could by a plastic container of bubble stuff for about 10 cents- wand and all...

But, my attention span being what it is, I would get bored after about five minutes and that would be that.  They'd sit around for years (we don't throw out things that are still good in my family)...

So why am I blogging about bubbles?  Well, sometimes they burst.  Whether financial or personal, they can leave you with a film of messy stuff and leave you wondering what happened to your plans.  To keep it real, our bubble was a housing investment in Naples,  Florida.  After almost ten years and hundreds of thousands of dollars paid out... we've hit bottom.  The stress has taken a huge toll on my husbands health- he had always kept his credit rating perfect.  (Bless his heart.)

So where is God in this bubble debacle?  He said, "lo I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."  Matthew 28:20

I believe it.  It's scary at times, but I really want to see where this will end.  Of course I pray that all your bubbles are made of soap, but for the big things remember that He is there no matter where you are.

Blessings.

Monday, April 2, 2012

A is for ANYWHERE

Happy April!  I joined the A to Z Challenge for bloggers sooo...

 A.A. Milne expresses my sentiments perfectly!!

Where am I going?  I don't quite know.
Down to the stream where the king-cups grow-
Up on the hill where the pine-trees blow-
Anywhere, anywhere.  I don't know.  (from Spring Morning)

Anyway, please know that you are always welcome here at Writing Remnants.  I don't always know where I'm going (obviously)... but my prayers will be with you.

Always,

Cheryl