It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #4

 Hosted By: Book Journey

Here is what I read last week:

In Too Deep was by far the best book I read this week!

I'll be posting a review soon!

What I am currently reading:

These are all pretty decent so far.

What I hope to read this week:

Most looking forward to Breaking Up Is Hard To Do!

Sweeter Than Birdsong by Rosslyn Elliott

Book Description

In Westerville, Ohio, 1855, Kate Winter is a painfully shy student at Otterbein College, one of the first colleges to accept female students. Due to a difficult mother and perpetually drunk father Kate wants nothing more than to escape her home.

Ben Hanby, Otterbein's musical genius, is intrigued by Kate and longs to uncover her hidden mysteries, but at the same time hopes no one will uncover his secret, that he is working with the Underground Railroad.

When invited to accompany Ben, his mother, and two mutual acquaintances, to Cincinnati, Kate sees this as the perfect opportunity to escape, but instead finds herself aiding in the escape of a slave family. Kate returns home, but can't seem to get the slaves, or Ben, out of her mind or her heart.

My Thoughts

This was a very good, historically sound story. I loved how both Ben and Kate refused to let others beliefs about slavery sway them from their stand against the injustice, and how they put others needs above theirs.

From the description on the back of the book I was expecting it to be focused almost completely on music, but instead slavery seemed to be the center, with music as a side. Kate and Ben's romance was cute even though it was hindered slightly by Kate's mother's disapproval. I liked how even though they both wanted to marry, they trusted that if God wanted the marriage to take place, He would make a way.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by this author.       

 I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #3

 Hosted By: Book Journey

Here is what I read last week:

Kisses From Katie was my favorite book I read this week! 

As I said last week you can check out her blog HERE

What I am currently reading:

So far so good!

What I hope to read this week:

I can not wait to read In Too Deep! I love Mary Connealy's books!

Ten Plagues by Mary Nealy

About the Book

A detective with a gift for discerning spirits...

A pastor whose sinful past is awakened by a murder...

A killer with a demonic taste for destruction...

And the plague of murders that has them on a collision course.

When a serial killer wreaks havoc on the city of Chicago with the fury of an old testament plague, detective Keren Collins is on the case. Armed with her God-given gift of discerning spirits, she sets out on a race against time to stop a madmen before he strikes again.

Pastor Paul Morris, a retired cop who once tried to ruin Keren's career, is the focus of the murder's obsession...but unaware of the link between himself and the killer that marks him as the ultimate victim.

As the two race to end the killing spree,Paul struggles to not let his old self rule him. And Keren can't decide whether she is glad to see Paul suffer of if she is falling in love with him. Will they win this battle of good over evil?

My Thought

I loved this book! Mary Nealy/Connealy writes superbly not matter what genre she takes on. When I heard about this book I was intrigued as to how the Ten Plagues from the Bible could be translated to now and carried out by a man. I wasn't disappointed! They were obviously on a smaller scale but true to the biblical ones nonetheless. I was also a little afraid that the whole “discerning spirits” might be a little hokey, but Mary handled it quite well and made it pretty realistic.

Paul's battle in himself between “Pastor Jekyll” the kind, caring pastor, and “Detective Hyde” the ruthless, unfeeling cop, was a classic picture of the war of our old sinful nature with our new God-given nature. It helps prove that no one is perfect, not even pastors!

Keren and Paul's love story was sweet as they both overcame their fears of what a relationship would bring and trusted God with their lives.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes Christian Suspense. It's worth the read.

About the Author

Mary Connealy writes romantic comedy...with cowboys.
She is a Carol Award winner, and a Rita and Christy and Inspirational Reader's Choice finalist.
She is the author of bestselling Kincaid Brides Series: Out of Control, In Too Deep, Over the Edge. Her work also includes Lassoed in Texas Trilogy, Montana Marriages Trilogy and Sophie's Daughters Trilogy.
She also wrote Ten Plagues--a romantic thriller, and The Historical Society Murders--three cozy mysteries, under the name Mary Nealy.
Mary is married to a Nebraska rancher and has four grown daughters and two spectacular grandchildren.

Ransome's Quest by Kaye Dacus

About the Book
After an eventful voyage from England to Jamaica, Commodore William Ransome hopes he can rest for a short time. But when he receives news that his only sister, Charlotte, has been captured by a pirate, he leaps into action. Then, unbelievably, word comes that his wife, Julia, has been kidnapped by yet another pirate, the black-hearted Shaw, a dangerous enemy of the Royal Navy. William's heart is torn. Which beloved woman does he go after.

Captain Ned Cochrane volunteers to sail after Charlotte, and after a perilous battle on the high seas, she is restored to the man she loves. She also has revelations about her captor's true identity and his willingness to join Ned and William in the search for Julia. It's news that sends shock waves through the family. Can William trust a pirate to help rescue his wife? What other secrets lie buried like long lost treasure in these turquoise-blue waters?

Romance, intrigue, and swashbuckling leaps of faith create a wonderfully satisfying close to this heroic series

My Thoughts

This final book in the Ransome Trilogy was as good if not better than the previous two. I love how Kaye Dacus intertwined her stories. Ransome's Honor was about William and Julia with a side story of Ned and Charlotte. While Ransome's Crossing was about Ned and Charlotte with the side story about William and Julia. And then in Ransome's Quest they equally shared the spotlight for a glorious finale.

The new characters introduced in this story did well in their roles. From the evil heartless Shaw and his vicious crew to the almost lovable rogue, El Salvador with his interesting and sometimes even funny band of pirates. There was also another character you meet in this book who I thought was cool, but I'm not going to spoil the surprise.

I loved how we did get to see some of how life was in Jamaica, but were quickly able to get back to the fun life aboard the ships. Though for some the ship life they now experienced wasn't exactly enjoyable. It was also fun to watch the as romances of both William and Julia and Ned and Charlotte continued to grow despite the trying circumstances. All in all I would highly recommend getting your hands on this series of romance and adventure in the early 19^th century. You won't be sorry!

About the Author

Kaye Dacus is the author of humorous, hope-filled contemporary and historical romances with Barbour Publishing, Harvest House Publishers, and B&H Publishing. She holds a Master of Arts in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, is a former Vice President of American Christian Fiction Writers, and currently serves as President of Middle Tennessee Christian Writers. Kaye lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where she is a full-time academic advisor and part-time college composition instructor for a local university. To find out more about Kaye and her books, please visit her online at kayedacus.com. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #2

Hosted By: Book Journey

Here is what I read last week:

Ten Plagues was really really good and The Measure of A Lady was also extremely enjoyable!

What I am currently reading:

Kisses From Katie is my favorite out of these so far. 

Katie's story is really amazing and you can check out here blog HERE

What I hope to read this week:

 I think I am most looking forward to reading Running Blind.

Ransome's Crossing by Kaye Dacus

About the Book
To get to her secret fiancé in Jamaica, Charlotte Ransome disguises herself as a midshipman and joins the crew of one of the ships in the convoy led by her brother William. First Lieutenant Ned Cochrane has only known his captain’s younger sister for a brief time, but is sure she’s the wife he’s been praying for—except he’s about to leave for the Caribbean for at least one year.
An attack on the convoy gains Ned the promotion to commander he has long dreaded—especially once he discovers one of his midshipmen is actually Charlotte Ransome in disguise. After seeking Julia’s advice, Ned decides to keep Charlotte’s secret… and hopes to win her love. Charlotte will soon discover that losing her heart to Ned is not the greatest danger she’ll face on this Atlantic crossing.

My Thoughts

This book was so good I was hardly able to put it down. It was amazing to me how well Charlotte was able to keep up with and even surpass the other midshipmen on her crew, and all with out being discovered. One of the really cool things about this story was the look you got into the workings of the ships. Through all the different points of view you got to see just about every nook and cranny from the lower jobs of the midshipmen to the overseeing of the Captain.

I would thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good adventure and romance. As I read the last page I immediately grabbed the third and final book in the Ransome Trilogy, Ransome's Quest

About the Author
Kaye Dacus is the author of humorous, hope-filled contemporary and historical romances with Barbour Publishing, Harvest House Publishers, and B&H Publishing. She holds a Master of Arts in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, is a former Vice President of American Christian Fiction Writers, and currently serves as President of Middle Tennessee Christian Writers. Kaye lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where she is a full-time academic advisor and part-time college composition instructor for a local university. To find out more about Kaye and her books, please visit her online at kayedacus.com. 

Ransome's Honor by Kaye Dacus

About the Book
When young Julia Witherington doesn’t receive the proposal for marriage she expects from William Ransome, she determines to never forgive him. They go their separate ways—she returns to her family’s Caribbean plantation, and he returns to the Royal Navy.

Now, twelve years later, Julia is about to receive a substantial inheritance, including her beloved plantation. When unscrupulous relatives try to gain the inheritance by forcing her into a marriage, she turns to the only eligible man to whom her father, Admiral Sir Edward Witherington, will not object—his most trusted captain and the man who broke Julia’s heart, William Ransome. Julia offers William her thirty-thousand-pound dowry to feign marriage for one year, but then something she never imagined happens: She starts to fall in love with him again.
Can two people overcome their hurt, reconcile their conflicting desires, and find a way to be happy together? Duty and honor, faith and love are intertwined in this intriguing tale from the Regency era.

My Thoughts

This book was amazing, and I enjoyed it from start to finish. Kaye Dacus is a truly amazing author. I loved how the story unfolded, with twists that you didn't see coming. William and Julia were such amazing characters that you couldn't help but love, and Julia's greedy relatives had you longing to reach through the pages and give them a good beating. As soon as I read the last page I could not wait to pick up book two, Ransome's Crossing

About the Author
Kaye Dacus is the author of humorous, hope-filled contemporary and historical romances with Barbour Publishing, Harvest House Publishers, and B&H Publishing. She holds a Master of Arts in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, is a former Vice President of American Christian Fiction Writers, and currently serves as President of Middle Tennessee Christian Writers. Kaye lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where she is a full-time academic advisor and part-time college composition instructor for a local university. To find out more about Kaye and her books, please visit her online at kayedacus.com. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Hosted By: Book Journey

Here is what I read last week:

These books were all really good! I think Heiress was my favorite and the Ransome ones were close 2nds

What I am currently reading:

This book is amazing so far and I am extremely anxious to finish it!

What I hope to read this week:

First Date by Krista McGee

About the Book
The last thing Addy Davidson wants is to be on a reality TV show where the prize is a prom date with the President’s son.
She’s focused on her schoolwork so she can get a scholarship to an Ivy League college, uncomfortable in the spotlight, never been on a date, and didn’t even audition for it.
But she got selected anyway.
So she does her best to get eliminated on the very first show. Right before she realizes that the President’s son is possibly the most attractive guy she has ever seen in person, surprisingly nice, and seemingly unimpressed by the 99 other girls who are throwing themselves at him.
Addy’s totally out of her comfort zone but that may be right where God can show her all that she was meant to be.

My Thoughts

At first I didn't realize the fact that this story was based on Esther from the Bible, but as time wore on it became really evident. I could really relate to the main character, (with her dislike for attention, love of solitude and reading, and fear of sharing her faith,) which is always a cool thing to find. 

Overall the book was pretty good with likable and believable characters and I pretty cool plot, though the fact that the author was trying to make it like Esther made a couple scenes seem a little fake and forced. But in the end I did really enjoy the book and it was a really fun easy read.
I received this book free from the publisher through BookSneeze®.com

About the Author
When Krista McGee isn't living in fictional worlds of her own creation, she lives in Tampa and spends her
days as a wife, mom, teacher, and coffee snob. She is also the author of Anomaly, First Date, Starring Me, and Right Where I Belong.

Heiress by Susan May Warren

You can't look at my bookshelves with out discovering that Susan May Warren is my favorite author. I have a shelf that only holds her books and I think I have all but three. Needless to say I was ecstatic to discover her newest book Heiress. Normally I wait to purchase a book till it goes on sale but I bit the bullet for this one, paying a slightly discounted price but still more than I usually shell out for a book. It was definitely worth it! I finished the book in less than 24 hours and LOVED it.

The story was set over a period of twenty-one years but flowed beautifully. The book was about the two Price sisters, Esme and Jinx, (very creative names by the way) and their journeys of finding love. Esme the eldest, resents society and longs to be a reporter for her father's newspaper. Jinx, on the other hand adores society and wishes she was the firstborn so she could enjoy all the things her sister either despises or takes for granted.

Both sisters, through misunderstandings and bad choices, are thrust into lives quite different than they imagined. Jinx secures herself a desirable marriage and a comfortable, glamorous life but it doesn't turn out as she planned, and leaves her hungering for love and affection. Meanwhile Esme rejects society, choosing instead to live a independent life on the untamed frontier.

The book is truly rewarding as you follow the roads both girls take to find the true love their hearts were searching for. I highly encourage picking up a copy and being whisked away into the lives of Esme and Jinx Price.

To read more about Susan May Warren and to see all of her other books check out her website HERE

2012 Reading Challenges

I recently discovered an amazing world that I new little to nothing about, reading challenges. I was blog snooping and saw a post listing challenges the the blogger planned to enter. Intrigued, I clicked on the links and saw some that interested me so here are the challenges I plan to enter for 2012: -Click on the titles for my reviews (if applicable)

Goodreads Historical Fiction Challenge 2012

Queen 12+ Books

1.The Maid of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen
2.Heiress by Susan May Warren
3.Ransome's Crossing by Kaye Dacus
4.Ransome's Quest by Kaye Dacus
5.The Measure of A Lady by Deeanne Gist
6.Courting Trouble by Deeanne Gist
7.Sweeter Than Birdsong by Rosslyn Ellliott
8.In Too Deep by Mary Connealy
9.Beauty For Ashes by Dorothy Love
10.Prairie Hills by Susan May Warren and 2 others
11.The Bride Bargain by Kelly Eileen Hake
12.A Woman's Place by Lynn Austin

13.To Catch A Thief by Carol Cox and 3 others

14.The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck by Kathleen Y'Barbo
15. Washington's Lady by Nancy Moser
16. The Messenger by Siri Mitchell
17. Dawn Comes Early by Margaret  Brownley
18. Deeply Devoted by Maggie Brendan

2012 Ebook Challenge

CD - 10 ebooks

1. First Date by Krista McGee
2. Beauty For Ashes by Dorothy Love

3. The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck by Kathleen Y'Barbo 
4. Jennifer O'Malley by Dee Henderson
5.Dawn Comes Early by Margaret  Brownley
6. The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck

Mount TBR Reading Challenge-

Mt. Kilimanjaro: 50 books from your TBR pile

1.The Maid of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen
2.Heiress by Susan May Warren
3.Ransome's Crossing by Kaye Dacus
4.Ransome's Quest by Kaye Dacus
5.Ten Plagues by Mary Nealy
6.The Measure of A Lady by Deeanne Gist
7. Hometown Princess by Lenora Worth
8. Novel Crimes by Susan May Warren and 3 others
9. Point Blank Protector by Stephanie Newton
10. Courting Trouble by Deeanne Gist
11. Nobody by Creston Mapes
12. Running Blind by Shirlee McCoy
13. The Cowboy Next Door by Brenda Minton 
14. Baby Makes A Match by Arlene James 
15.United We Stand by Joan Croston and 3 others
16.Second Guessing God by Brian Jones
17.The Baby Promise by Carolyne Aarsen
18.Where Love Abides by Irene Hannon
19.Soul Sister by Beth Redman
20.Dakota by Lauraine Snelling
21.Vanishing Act by Liz Johnson
22.Finding God in the Land of Narnia by Kurt Bruner and Jim Ware
23.Why I Believe by D. James Kennedy
24. Breaking Up Is Hard To Do by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt

25. A Little Help From My Friends by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt 

26. Firestorm by Kelly Ann Riley

27. Deeply Devoted by Maggie Brendan

28.Prairie Hills by Susan May Warren and 2 others

29.Another Stab At Life by Anita Higman
30.The Bride Bargain by Kelly Eileen Hake
31.A Woman's Place by Lynn Austin
32.The Signature of Jesus by Brennan Manning
33.To Catch A Thief by Carol Cox and 3 others
34.Her Only Protector by Lisa Mondello
35.Washington's Lady by Nancy Moser
36.Finding Her Way Home by Linda Goodnight
37.Wife Wanted in Dry Creek by Janet Tronstad
38.Bayou Brides-Janet Lee Barton and three others

2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge

The Mini YA Reading Challenge – Read 12 Young Adult novels. 

1.First Date by Krista McGee
2.Breaking Up Is Hard To Do by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt
3.Asking For Trouble by Sandra Byrd
4.A Little Help From My Friends by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt

5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

New Author Challenge 2012

Read 25 books by authors you've never tried before

I finished my goal of 15 books and it's only Feb, so I upped my goal.

1. First Date by Krista McGee
2. Hometown Princess by Lenora Worth
3. Point Blank Protector by Stephanie Newton
4.The Maid of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen
5.Nobody by Creston Mapes
6.Running Blind by Shirlee McCoy
7.Sweeter Than Birdsong by Rosslyn Ellliott
8.Second Guessing God by Brian Jones
9.The Baby Promise by Carolyne Aarsen
10.Soul Sister by Beth Redman
11.Asking For Trouble by Sandra Byrd
12. Beauty For Ashes by Dorothy Love

13. Firestorm by Kelly Ann Riley 
14. Pure Love Pure Life by Elsa Kok Colopy 
15. Another Stab At Life by Anita Higman
16.The Signature of Jesus by Brennan Manning
17.Her Only Protector by Lisa Mondello
18.Washington's Lady by Nancy Moser
19.Wife Wanted in Dry Creek by Janet Tronstad
20. Vanishing Act by Liz Johnson
21.The Messenger by Siri Mitchell
22.Dawn Comes Early by Margaret  Brownley
23.The Cowboy Next Door by Brenda Minton
24.Baby Makes A Match by Arlene James

50 States Challenge

Read books that are set in each of the fifty states.

Alabama: The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck 
Alaska:
Arizona: Dawn Comes Early by Margaret  Brownley 
Arkansas
California: The Measure of A Lady by Deeanne Gist
Colorado: In Too Deep by Mary Connealy
Connecticut:
Delaware
Florida: Point Blank Protector by Stephanie Newton
Georgia: Hometown Princess by Lenora Worth
Hawaii:
Idaho:
Illinois: Ten Plagues by Mary Nealy
Indiana:
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky:
Louisiana
Maine:
Maryland
Massachusetts:
Michigan:A Woman's Place by Lynn Austin

Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri: Where Love Abides by Irene Hannon
Montana: Wife Wanted in Dry Creek by Janet Tronstad 
Nebraska
Nevada: Nobody by Creston Mapes
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York: Heiress by Susan May Warren
North Carolina:
North Dakota: Dakota by Lauraine Snelling
Ohio: Sweeter Than Birdsong by Rosslyn Ellliott
Oklahoma: Finding Her Way Home by Linda Goodnight 
Oregon
Pennsylvania: The Messenger by Siri Mitchell 
Rhode Island
South Carolina:
South Dakota: Prairie Hills by Susan May Warren and 2 others

Tennessee: First Date by Krista McGee
Texas: Running Blind by Shirlee McCoy
Utah
Vermont
Virginia: Washington's Lady by Nancy Moser 
Washington:
West Virginia
Wisconsin:
Wyoming:The Bride Bargain by Kelly Eileen Hake

Read your name in book title first letters

A Little Help From My Friends by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt 

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt
In Too Deep by Mary Connealy
G
Another Stab At Life by Anita Higman
In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day by Mark Batterson
L

What's In A Name

Reading Challenge

1) A book with a food in the title -
2) A book with a body of water in title - Wife Wanted in Dry Creek by Janet Tronstad 
3) A book with a "title" in the title - Heiress by Susan May Warren
4) A book with a plant/tree in the title -
5) A book with a place in the title - 
6) A book with a music term in the title - Sweeter Than Birdsong by Rosslyn Elliott

A-Z Reading Challenge

Read through the alphabet by author and by title

Title

A- A Little Help From My Friends by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt 

B- Breaking Up Is Hard To Do by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt

C- Courting Trouble by Deeanne Gist

D-Dawn Comes Early by Margaret  Brownley

E-

F- First Date by Krista McGee

G-

H- Heiress by Susan May Warren 

I- In Too Deep by Mary Connealy 

J- Jennifer O'Malley by Dee Henderson

K-

L-

M- The Maid of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen

N- Nobody by Creston Mapes

O-

P- Point Blank Protector by Stephanie Newton 

Q-

R- Ransome's Crossing by Kaye Dacus

S- Sweeter Than Birdsong by Rosslyn Ellliott 

T-

U-

V- Vanishing Act by Liz Johnson

W- Washington's Lady by Nancy Moser

X- X(Ten) Plagues by Mary Nealy

Y-

Z-

Author

A- Lynn Austin
B- Sandra Byrd
C- Mary Connealy 
D- Kaye Dacus
E- Rosslyn Ellliott 
F-
G- Deeanne Gist
H- Irene Hannon
I-
J- Liz Johnson
K- Julie Klassen
L- Dorothy Love
M- Krista McGee
N- Stephanie Newton 
O-
P-
Q-
R- Kelly Ann Riley
S- 
T- Janet Tronstad
U-
V- May Vanderbilt
W- Susan May Warren 
X-
Y- Kathleen Y'Barbo
Z-

The Maid of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The Maid of Fairbourne Hall Bethany House (January 1, 2012) by Julie Klassen

I thoroughly enjoyed this book which was evidenced by the fact that I read it's entire 410 pages in practically two sittings. It was really cool to get a glimpse into the lives of servants during the 19^th century, and to see all of the things that went on behind the scenes. Most books set during this time focus on society and it's elite members, so it was refreshing to hear the other side of the story. One thing I found especially interesting was the discovery that my name "Abigail" is also a noun that means a lady's personal maid. All in all Julie Klassen has crafted an amazing novel that I highly encourage you to read!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Julie worked in publishing for sixteen years (first in advertising, then as a fiction editor) and now writes full time. Two of her books, The Girl in the Gatehouse and The Silent Governess won the Christy Award for Historical Romance. The Girl in the Gatehouse also won a Midwest Book Award and The Silent Governess was a finalist in Romance Writers of America's RITA awards.



She graduated from the University of Illinois and enjoys travel, research, BBC period dramas, long hikes, short naps, and coffee with friends. Julie and her husband have two sons and live near St. Paul, Minnesota.







ABOUT THE BOOK

Pampered Margaret Macy flees London in disguise to escape pressure to marry a dishonorable man. With no money and nowhere else to go, she takes a position as a housemaid in the home of Nathaniel Upchurch, a suitor she once rejected in hopes of winning his dashing brother. Praying no one will recognize her, Margaret fumbles through the first real work of her life. If she can last until her next birthday, she will gain an inheritance from a spinster aunt--and sweet independence. But can she remain hidden as a servant even when prying eyes visit Fairbourne Hall?



Observing both brothers as an "invisible" servant, Margaret learns she may have misjudged Nathaniel. Is it too late to rekindle his admiration? And when one of the family is nearly killed, Margaret alone discovers who was responsible. Should she come forward, even at the risk of her reputation and perhaps her life? And can she avoid an obvious trap meant to force her from hiding?



On her journey from wellborn lady to servant to uncertain future, Margaret must learn to look past appearances and find the true meaning of "serve one another in love."



If you would like to read the first chapter of The Maid of Fairbourne Hall, go HERE