Books and Life!

February 1st, WOW pick!

2012-01-31T20:50:00.001-08:00

Joining Jill at Breaking the Spine for her weekly Wednesday Meme..
Waiting on Wednesday were we post the books that we are patiently or not
so patiently looking for at the library or at the store.
It has been a busy week here with Monday being my birthday. My daughter gave me a pretty purple cover and skin for my nook and I also got a Barnes and Noble gift card. So I was on their web page and saw that Ann Brashares has the latest installment of the Sisterhood books coming out in March. I started reading these after I saw the movie with my daughter.

So what is your WOW pick??

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Four friends
One sisterhood
Ten years later, the story continues

On the cusp of turning thirty, Tibby, Lena, Carmen, and Bridget are now living separate lives, out on their own. Yet despite having jobs and men that they love, each knows that something is missing: the closeness that once sustained them. Carmen is a successful actress in New York, engaged to be married, but misses her friends. Lena finds solace in her art, teaching in Rhode Island, but still thinks of Kostos and the road she didn’t take. Bridget lives with her longtime boyfriend, Eric, in San Francisco, and though a part of her wants to settle down, a bigger part can’t seem to shed her old restlessness. Then Tibby reaches out to bridge the distance, sending the others plane tickets for a reunion that they all breathlessly await. And indeed, it will change their lives forever—but in ways that none of them could ever have expected.

January 25th WOW Pick!

2012-01-24T20:16:00.001-08:00

Joining Jill at Breaking the Spine for her weekly Wednesday Meme..
Waiting on Wednesday were we post the books that we are patiently or not
so patiently looking for at the library or at the store.
I have read a lot of Lisa's historical and contemporary romance and this
one looks great as well. It is coming out at the end of February.

Overview
Lucy Marinn is a glass artist living in mystical, beautiful, Friday Harbor, Washington. She is stunned and blindsided by the most bitter kind of betrayal: her fiancé Kevin has left her. His new lover is Lucy’s own sister. Lucy's bitterness over being dumped is multiplied by the fact that she has constantly made the wrong choices in her romantic life. Facing the severe disapproval of Lucy's parents, Kevin asks his friend Sam Nolan, a local vineyard owner on San Juan Island, to "romance" Lucy and hopefully loosen her up and get her over her anger. Complications ensue when Sam and Lucy begin to fall in love, Kevin has second thoughts, and Lucy discovers that the new relationship in her life began under false pretenses. Questions about love, loyalty, old patterns, mistakes, and new beginnings are explored as Lucy learns that some things in life—even after being broken—can be made into something new and beautiful.

January 23rd Blue Monday!

2012-01-23T11:36:00.000-08:00

Well this week I am feeling under the weather and using a lot of kleenex...I found
this pretty kleenex cover up box online and thought it was perfect for Blue Monday.
Just a sinus infection and now that I have meds I should be feeling better soon I hope. The weather has been crazy here in St. Louis but what else is new?
To see what others have posted for Blue Monday go to Smiling Sallys blog and check out the links there.

January 18th, WOW pick

2012-01-18T06:49:00.000-08:00

Joining Jill at Breaking the Spine for her weekly Wednesday Meme..
Waiting on Wednesday were we post the books that we are patiently or not
so patiently looking for at the library or at the store.

I haven't read Joshilyn Jackson before but I saw this book in the new Family Circle magazine and thought it looked good.

A GROWN-UP KIND OF PRETTY is a powerful saga of three generations of women, plagued by hardships and torn by a devastating secret, yet inextricably joined by the bonds of family. Fifteen-year-old Mosey Slocumb-spirited, sassy, and on the cusp of womanhood-is shaken when a small grave is unearthed in the backyard, and determined to figure out why it's there. Liza, her stroke-ravaged mother, is haunted by choices she made as a teenager. But it is Jenny, Mosey's strong and big-hearted grandmother, whose maternal love braids together the strands of the women's shared past--and who will stop at nothing to defend their future.

January 16th, Blue Monday

2012-01-16T11:29:00.000-08:00

This time of year we love to feed the birds and I saw these pretty feeders online.
I love the pretty blue colors. My hubby loves to build and paint some of his own to
which I have shared on my blog before. The other day we saw a hawk out by the feeder
that was quite a surprise.
To see what others have posted for Blue Monday go to Smiling Sallys blog and check out the links there.

January 11th Wow Pick

2012-01-10T20:19:00.000-08:00

Joining Jill at Breaking the Spine for her weekly Wednesday Meme..
Waiting on Wednesday were we post the books that we are patiently or not
so patiently looking for at the library or at the store.

I love Robyn Carr's Virgin River series and can't wait for the next installment
coming out in late February.

Series: A Virgin River Novel | Publication Date: February 28, 2012
Katie Malone and her twin boys' trip along the beautiful mountain roads to Virgin River is stopped short by a tire as flat as her failed romance. To make matters worse, the rain has set in, the boys are hungry and Katie is having trouble putting on a spare. As she stands at the side of the road pondering her next move, she hears a distinct rumble. The sight of the sexy, leather-clad bikers who pull up beside her puts her imagination into overdrive.
Dylan Childress and his buddies are on the motorcycle trip of a lifetime. But the sight of a woman in distress stops them in their tracks. And while the guys are checking out her car, she and Dylan are checking out one another.
In one brief moment, the world tilts on its axis and any previous plans Katie and Dylan might have had for their futures are left at the side of the road.

Currently reading Vision in White by Nora Roberts and
listening to Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

January 9th, Blue Monday post

2012-01-09T09:56:00.000-08:00

This week I saw these cute french vitage tags at an etsy shop called
No9DowningStreet and thought they were perfect to share for Blue Monday.
To see what others have posted for Blue Monday go to Smiling Sallys blog and
check out the links there.

Christmas Spirit reading challenge update

2012-01-05T17:49:00.000-08:00

This was fun, I actually reached my goal with this but just barely.
I signed up for a Christmas reading challenge at the Christmas Spirit Blog.
I finished
The Christmas Wedding by James Patterson - 3.5 out of 5 stars

Christmas Letters by Debbie Macomber - 3.5 out of 4 stars

Plain and Simple Christmas by Amy Clipston 4 out of 5 stars

Christmas Moon by Elizabeth Moon - 4 out of 5 stars

So I signed up for the --Mistletoe level: read 2-4 books

I think my favorite was the book by Amy Clipston but I happen to be into
Amish fiction lately too.

January 4th 2012, WOW post

2012-01-04T06:50:00.000-08:00

Joining Jill at Breaking the Spine for her weekly Wednesday Meme.
This weeks's pick --

Bloom by Kelle Hampton

Bloom is an inspiring and heartfelt memoir that celebrates the beauty found in the unexpected, the strength of a mother’s love, and, ultimately, the amazing power of perspective. The author of the popular blog Enjoying the Small Things—named The Bump’s Best Special Needs Blog and The Blog You’ve Learned the Most From in the 2010 BlogLuxe Awards—Kelle Hampton interweaves lyrical prose and stunning four-color photography as she recounts the unforgettable story of the first year in the life of her daughter Nella, who has Down syndrome. Poignant, eye-opening, and heart-soaring, Hampton’s Bloom is ultimately about embracing life and really living it.

2011-12-31T08:52:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year To You

Happy New Year to you!
May every great new day
Bring you sweet surprises--
A happiness buffet.

Happy New Year to you,
And when the new year’s done,
May the next year be even better,
Full of pleasure, joy and fun.

By Joanna Fuchs

Hope you all have a very Happy New Years Eve and Day!
I am back to work now and working till five. But after work I will go home to a meal cooked by dear hubby and we will ring in the New Year on our own! Tomorrow my son will turn 23! I just can't believe it! How the times flies! The kids both have parties to go to but it will be nice to have some peace and quiet. Hope you have a fun whatever you do and thanks for being my blog buddies!

New Challenges for 2012

2011-12-30T07:50:00.000-08:00

Here is a new audiobook challenge I found thanks to Sheila at Book Journey.
Now that I have had my surgery and Lily my granddaughter is getting a little older
I hope to have more time for reading. And I will be working again so I have the time alone in the car for listening.
Here are the levels and thanks to Teresa at Teresa's Reading Challenge for hosting
this challenge. I believe I will shoot for the "Lover Level"
Once again, there are four levels to the challenge

■Flirting-Listen to 6 Audio Books
■Going Steady- Listen to 12 Audio Books
■Lover- Listen to 25 Audio Books
■Married-Listen to +++ Audio Books

December 28th, WOW pick!

2011-12-28T11:42:00.000-08:00

Joining Jill at Breaking the Spine for her weekly Wednesday Meme.
This weeks's pick --

Jodi Picoult - Lone Wolf
coming February 28th 2012
Overview

A life hanging in the balance…a family torn apart. The #1 internationally bestselling author Jodi Picoult tells an unforgettable story about family, love, and letting go.Edward Warren, twenty-four, has been living in Thailand for five years, a prodigal son who left his family after an irreparable fight with his father, Luke. But he gets a frantic phone call: His dad lies comatose, gravely injured in the same accident that has also injured his younger sister Cara.
With her father’s chances for recovery dwindling, Cara wants to wait for a miracle. But Edward wants to terminate life support and donate his father’s organs. Is he motivated by altruism, or revenge? And to what lengths will his sister go to stop him from making an irrevocable decision?

Lone Wolf explores the notion of family, and the love, protection and strength it’s meant to offer. But what if the hope that should sustain it, is the very thing that pulls it apart? Another tour de force from Jodi Picoult, Lone Wolf examines the wild and lonely terrain upon which love battles reason.

Secret Santa Treasures

2011-12-15T09:29:00.000-08:00

My secret Santa present came from an Elf in Texas..I was very surprised!
It was a huge box and decorated so cute inside and out. I will share some pictures of
all the treasures she sent me. A tin with Joy on it and some M&M's inside, a "joy" ornament,a Victorian angel doll, some lighthouse candle sticks, a very pretty
"Let it snow" banner, a silver Christmas tree dish and some light bulb dip spreaders,
a adorable Joy snow globe, Joy mug and some candy cane tea..yum.. I sure hope I am not forgetting anything. Now I will have to try to find out who this little secret santa is who made my Christmas so much brighter. Thanks so much J and F from Texas..I will find out who you are :)

December 12th

2011-12-12T14:08:00.001-08:00

This is a plate I got at a Springfield Flea Market and the Angels were purchased
at a resale store. I am sharing these for Blue Monday at Smiling Sallys Blog.
Hope you are all getting ready for the hustle and bustle of the holidays and
taking care of yourselves!

Lily's first visit with Santa

2011-12-11T17:17:00.000-08:00

No crying just a blank confused look....

Clipping Up a Good Book! - The Organized Classroom Blog

2011-12-06T12:43:00.000-08:00

Found these cute bookmarks on a blog and then found tons more examples on Pinterest. Using either scrapbook materials and ribbons and jumbo paperclips. Check out the Organized Classroom Blog's how to video by clicking on the link below..very good!

Clipping Up a Good Book! - The Organized Classroom Blog

December 5th Blue Monday

2011-12-05T04:29:00.000-08:00

Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes! My back surgery seems to have went well. Home from work for the next couple weeks to recover.
Hope to get a lot of reading and cyber shopping done. I am way behind on my holiday shopping from where I usually am this time
of year. Just finished up some shopping for my son on amazon this morning.
This week for my Blue Monday post at Smiling Sallys blog I am
asking a question. What kind of Christmas tree topper is your favorite, if any of these? Do you use the same topper every year,
is it an heirloom or a handmade treasure?

November 28th, Blue Monday!

2011-11-28T11:31:00.000-08:00

This week for Smiling Sallys Blue Monday, I am feeling a bit Blue actually. I am
going in for spinal surgery tomorrow. I have two ruptured disc's and it is causing
severe hip and leg pain in my left leg. This has gone on since about March and
I have tried physical therapy, epidural shots and nothing seems to help. So
I am going through a lumbar discectomy tomorrow morning. It is supposed to be a pretty easy surgery but when messing with the spine there is always cause for worry.
Before going in I have gotten most of the christmas shopping and decor put up.
Have you found any good cyber deals this Monday or do you prefer getting out there in the crowds. I know my hubby and my daughter and almost daughter in law braved
the stores on black friday. Not me I sat and home with baby Lily.
I did get this cute puppy today for Lily..and of course it has a touch of blue in it.

November 23rd Wow post

2011-11-22T20:28:00.000-08:00

Joining Jill at Breaking the Spine for her weekly Wednesday Meme.
I was reading upcoming releases on amazon and saw that Lisa Scottoline
has a new title coming out in April of 2012. That seems so far away but
it looks great.
Publication Date: April 10, 2012
From the New York Times bestselling author of Save Me, Think Twice and Look Again comes an explosive new novel about a woman faced with the ultimate choice: should she help someone from her past at the expense of her future?

Jill Ruspoli is moving forward with her life after a devastating divorce. Her work as a pediatrician is hectic but fulfilling, she’s newly engaged to a kind and loving medical researcher, and her daughter is finally happy again and doing well in middle school, in the aftermath of losing her stepfather in the divorce. But when Jill’s distraught ex-stepdaughter Abby shows up on her doorstep with the news of her ex-husband’s death from an apparent overdose, her life is thrust into turmoil once again. Abby believes her father was murdered and pleads with Jill to help her explore the circumstances of her father’s death. Jill can’t turn her back on Abby, even though helping her threatens to rip apart the fabric of her new family, destroy her hard-earned stability, and sacrifice her future for her past. Along the way Jill learns that motherhood transcends mere biological and legal ties and requires only the power of the human heart.Show More
Show Less

Winner and Blue Monday, November 21st

2011-11-21T11:35:00.001-08:00

Looking for Christmas display idea and found these pretty images on BHG.com
Of course they just seem to have that hint of blue in them for Smiling Sallys
Monday blog Meme..
Hope you all have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Also the winner of the Thanksgiving giveaway is Stephanie at The Grant's Giveaways and Sweeps . She was lucky number 12 using the random number generator.

The Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2011

2011-11-18T15:33:00.000-08:00

Challenge level I am picking
-Mistletoe: read 2-4 books
with my upcoming surgery in a few weeks and having my grand daughter
living with me it has gotten harder to find reading time but this sounds like fun!
Check out the Christmas Spirit Blog for all the details!

Rules:
challenge will run from Monday, November 21, 2011 through Friday, January 6, 2011 (Twelfth Night or Epiphany).
cross over with other challenges is totally permitted AND encouraged!
These must be Christmas novels, books about Christmas lore, a book of Christmas short stories or poems, books about Christmas crafts, and for the first time...a childrens Christmas books level!
visit this POST for a list of new Christmas books for 2011
Levels:
Candy Cane: read 1 book
Mistletoe: read 2-4 books
Christmas Tree: read 5 or 6 books (this is the fanatic level...LOL!)
Additional levels:
Fa La La La Films: watch a bunch or a few Christmas movies...it's up to you!
Visions of Sugar Plums: read books with your children this season and share what you read
*the additional levels are optional, you still must complete one of the main reading levels above

2011-11-16T07:25:00.000-08:00

Joining Jill at Breaking the Spine for her weekly Wednesday Meme. This week one of my favorite authors
has a new one coming out from a series I love to listen to on audio...
Coming out in February!

Book Description
Publication Date: February 7, 2012
In New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner's latest D.D. Warren thriller, the relentless Boston investigator must solve a coldly calculated murder--before it happens.

In four days, someone is going to kill me . . .

Detective D. D. Warren is hard to surprise. But a lone woman outside D.D.'s latest crime scene shocks her with a remarkable proposition: Charlene Rosalind Carter Grant believes she will be murdered in four days. And she wants Boston's top detective to handle the death investigation.

While your here checkout my Thanksgiving Giveaway here..

November 14th Blue Monday!

2011-11-14T11:46:00.001-08:00

Sharing blues this week with Smiling Sallys Monday Meme..

This weekend we went to see my son in Springfield Missouri, he
goes to Missouri State University and after that we left and
went to Branson Area Festival of Lights.. it was very pretty and
worth the money. Here are just a few of the pictures. Of course
there was a hint of blue in some of the photos. I am only sharing
a few of the displays but that had dozens more displayed.

While your here checkout my Thanksgiving Giveaway here..

Waiting on Wednesday, November 8th

2011-11-08T19:26:00.000-08:00

Joining Jill at Breaking the Spine for her weekly Wednesday Meme.
This week I was reading upcoming releases on amazon and saw
that The Virgin River series has another new one coming out late
December..

Editorial Reviews
Review
"This book is an utter delight." -RT Book Reviews on Moonlight Road

"Strong conflict, humor and well-written characters are Carr's calling cards, and they're all present here.... You won't want to put this one down." -RT Book Reviews on Angel's Peak

"This story has everything: a courageous, outspoken heroine; a to-die-for hero; and a plot that will touch readers' hearts on several different levels. Truly excellent." -RT Book Reviews on Forbidden Falls

"An intensely satisfying read. By turns humorous and gut-wrenchingly emotional, it won't soon be forgotten."
-RT Book Reviews on Paradise Valley

"Carr has hit her stride with this captivating series."

-Library Journal on the Virgin River series

"The Virgin River books are so compelling-I connected instantly with the characters and just wanted more and more and more."

-#1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber

Checkout my giveaway for November listed in the post below!

Thanksgiving giveaway!

2011-11-07T18:18:00.000-08:00
I thought it would be fun to have a quick giveaway for the Thanksgiving Holiday.
So I am giving away a book - Stork raving mad : a Meg Langslow mystery,
some fall decor, with a pot holder and towel and a good smelling glad candle.
All you have to do is tell me your favorite thing about the Thanksgiving Holiday
for an entry.

Here is a little about the book:
Meg Langslow is pregnant with twins when Michael asks if she wouldn’t mind having a houseguest. One of his doctoral students is directing his new translation of a play by a minor Spanish playwright, who has agreed to come to town for the production. Surely they can spare some room for such an important academic cause?
Señor Mendoza turns out to be a partygoer who loves to spend raucous evenings among adoring students…at La Casa Langslow. Into this chaos arrives the dean of the English department, who insists the play be canceled. Then the unthinkable happens: The dean is found murdered, and Meg’s house has become a crime scene. Now it’s up to Meg to help Chief Burke solve the murders, rescue the student’s dissertation, make sure Michael doesn’t lose tenure, and, while she’s at it, give birth to twins. Encore! Encore!
For extra entries..
Follow me on Google friend connect
Follow me on Networked Blogs
Follow me on twitter
you can find all those links on my sidebar.
Sorry open only to US residents.
Giveaway ends, November 20th
Sorry turkey centerpiece is not included..

2011-11-07T11:35:00.000-08:00

Time to share our blues in the Blue Monday meme at Smiling Sallys blog. This
week I will share my blue pitcher dressed up a bit for the Fall Season.
Hope you are having a great week! Check back tomorrow I will be announcing another
contest. Also if you are a networked blogger please follow me and I will follow back. There is a gadget on my sidebar...thanks!

Lily's first Halloween Pictures

2011-11-03T16:36:00.001-07:00
Lily, my granddaughter dressed up as a Bunny.. she is just so lovable!

Novemeber 2nd, Wow Pick!

2011-11-02T07:32:00.000-07:00

Joining Jill at Breaking the Spine for her weekly Wednesday Meme.
This week I was reading reviews and found this new YA book series that is
coming out in February and it looks very good. Here is the info on it...
Born Wicked: The Cahill Witch Chronicles, Book One

Book Description
Series: The Cahill Witch Chronicles | Publication Date: February 7, 2012
A Great and Terrible Beauty meets Cassandra Clare in this spellbinding fantasy

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they're witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship - or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word . . . especially after she finds her mother's diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family's destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren't safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood - not even from each other.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-30T20:40:00.001-07:00

HALLOWEEN

A gentle breeze rustling the dry cornstalks.
A sound is heard, a goblin walks.
A harvest moon suffers a black cat's cry.
Oh' do the witches fly!
Bonfire catches a pumpkins gleem.
Rejoice, it's Halloween!

-Richard Anderson
© Copyright 1998

Join the other bloggers for Smiling Sally's "Blue Monday" meme here.

October 28th Book Blogger Hop

2011-10-28T10:56:00.000-07:00

Book Blogger Hop was set up by Jennifer at Crazy for Books and is a great way to meet new book bloggers and make friends. We answer a weekly questions about our reading habits or just life in general.. This weeks question is...

“What is your favorite Halloween costume?
Even if you don’t celebrate, what kinds of costumes do you like?”

Well I like the cute stuff, like the little princess or disney characters that
come to do the door. Love tinkerbell and fairy type costumes. Not too fond of the "Jason" or "Freddy Krueger" type costumes that some of the older kids wear.
What about you? Have a Happy Halloween!

WOW pick October 26th

2011-10-26T07:21:00.000-07:00

Joining Jill at Breaking the Spine for her weekly Wednesday Meme.
Karen Robards has a new one coming out in mid December..can't wait to listen to it.

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
She’s a rookie cop. He’s a professional crook. She catches him in the act of stealing big bucks from a mob boss’s safe. He manages to embroil her in a crime so explosive it could cost both of them their lives. Natural adversaries, their only common ground is mutual dislike and distrust—and the fact that the same killers are now hunting them both. Sparks fly and passion flares as they run for their lives, knowing that teaming up is the only chance they have to survive. Renowned for her well-crafted sexy and suspenseful novels, “Robards’s singular skill of combining intrigue with ecstasy...gives her romances their edge” (Lexington Herald-Leader) and in Sleepwalker, she has created another entertaining page-turner. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.
About the Author
Karen Robards is the author of thirty-four novels and one novella. A regular on the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists, among others, she is the mother of three boys, ages 12, 17, and 23, and lives in Louisville, Kentucky.

2011-10-24T10:08:00.000-07:00

It's Blue Monday again at Smiling Sallys Blog. That is when we have fun posting our blues and sharing our blogs. This week I am sharing an older picture of my dog Salsa,
she is was resting against my blue topped longaberger cake basket. Boy...that is my old console base TV in the background. That really dates the picture.

Book Blogger Hop 10/21

2011-10-21T11:35:00.000-07:00

Book Blogger Hop was set up by Jennifer at Crazy for Books and is a great way to meet new book bloggers and make friends. We answer a weekly questions about our
reading habits or just life in general.. This weeks question is...

“What is your favorite type of candy?”

Well I like a lot of different types of candy but my all time favorite I would
have to say is milk chocolate M&M's. Always have to have some of those on
hand. Now what is your favorite?

2011-10-20T12:42:00.000-07:00

I took some pictures of my Halloween decorations with the Canon Powershot A495 that I was sent for a BzzCampaign. As a BzzAgent we are sent new products to test and review. It's a lot of fun! The camera is easy to use and takes very clear shots that are easy to post on facebook, twitter and blogs. It even has a timer on it that will be fun to use with the Holidays fast approaching. It has a 3.3 zoom lense and 10 megapixels. It can even take movies ranging from 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on the size of your memory card.It didn't come with a memory card though and I need to get some lithium batteries as my battery life seems kind of low with regular energizer batteries. So what kind of camera's do you use, have you ever owned a
canon?? Are you ready for Halloween. I have nine bags of candy hiding in my frig
downstairs...

2011-10-18T10:29:00.000-07:00

Joining Jill at Breaking the Spine for her weekly Wednesday Meme. I am posting the next one in a series that I am enjoying that is due out in November.

In the newest entry in Dana Stabenow’s New York Times bestselling Kate Shugak series, Kate and the rest of the Park rats are stunned by the death of Old Sam, Kate’s eighty-seven-year-old uncle and foster father. In his will, he leaves almost everything to Kate, including a homestead deep in gold mining country that no one knew he had and a letter that reads simply, “Find my father.”

Easier said than done, since Sam’s father is something of a mystery: an outsider who disappeared shortly after learning about Sam’s existence, he took with him a priceless tribal artifact, a Russian icon. During the first three days of Kate’s search, she gets shot at, whacked in the head, and run off the road in deep snow and left for dead.

Interspersed with flashbacks from Sam’s fascinating life, including scenes from major events in Alaskan history, Kate does her best to fulfill Sam’s last wish—as various people follow her every move, in search of the icon, Old Sam’s gold, or possibly some other secret remnant of his long, mysterious life

2011-10-17T10:27:00.000-07:00

It's Blue Monday again at Smiling Sallys Blog. That when we have fun posting our blues and sharing our blogs. This week I am shopping for a new quilt for my room,which one if any do you like? It is good sleeping weather here lately and quilts are so great to snuggle up in, don't you agree?

Friday Oct 14th blog hops

2011-10-14T07:45:00.000-07:00

Jennifer at Crazy for Books hosts this friday Meme -Book Blogger Hop.
It's a great way to meet other bloggers and get new followers.
This week's question is..

“What is your favorite spooky book (i.e. mystery/suspense, thriller, ghost story, etc.)?”

It's been a long time since I read this book but it was a great horror story and
one of my favorites it's called Ghost Story by Peter Straub.

For four aging men in the terror-stricken town of Milburn, New York, an act inadvertently carried out in their youth has come back to haunt them. Now they are about to learn what happens to those who believe they can bury the past -- and get away with murder.

Peter Straub's classic bestseller is a work of "superb horror" (The Washington Post Book World) that, like any good ghost story, stands the test of time -- and conjures our darkest fears and nightmares.

Well what scary book do you have on your list??

Another fun friday meme is "Weekend Planning", hosted by My Happy House.
These are my tentative weekend plans..

Friday
Work 9-6p.m.
Watch our Netflix movie
Watch Lily while my daughter goes with friends to a haunted house.
Read

SaturdayGarage Saling-possibly.
Work 10-2
Play online
Dinner out with a friend I have not seen in about 30 yrs. (I know I am old)
Watch Lily till my daughter gets home from work.

SundayFlea Market and Walmart to get some things for Matthew who is heading
back to college.
Lunch out with my son and his girl friend.
Make spaghetti and meatballs for dinner.
Find something good on TV to watch and organize coupons.
Watch Lily while Stephanie works..

Can't wait to see what the rest of you are up to..have a great weekend!

GHOST STORY

WOW pick for 10/12

2011-10-12T10:29:00.000-07:00

Joining Jill at Breaking the Spine for her weekly Wednesday Meme. This week I saw that one of my favorite authors, Karen White has a new book coming out in her Tadd Street series -The Strangers on Montagu Street. If you have not read Karen White I would highly
recommend her books. She has a great awesome writing style.

Off Amazon..Product Description.

Psychic realtor Melanie Middleton returns-only to be greeted by a house full of lost souls.

Psychic realtor Melanie Middleton is still restoring her Charleston house and doesn't expect to have a new houseguest, a teen girl named Nola. But the girl didn't come alone, and the spirits that accompanied Nola don't seem willing to leave...

About the Author
Karen White is the award-winning author of eleven previous books. She grew up in London but now lives with her husband and two children in Alpharetta, Georgia.

October 10th, Blue Monday

2011-10-10T09:59:00.000-07:00

It's Blue Monday again at Smiling Sallys Blog. That when we have fun posting our blues and sharing our blogs. This week I got a camera in the mail to try out since
I am a BzzAgent..very fun..try new products out for free, spread the word about the new product and write reviews on them. Find out more about it here.
I love the vibrant blue color and the easy of using this new Canon Powershot A495 camera. It is has a zoom lense-3.3x and 10 mega pixels. It also has a timer and great software package included.

As soon as I get some pictures ready to post I will share them here with you.
What are your favorite things to take photos of and what kind of camera are you using right now? Hope you all have a great week.

Weekend Planning Blog Hop

2011-10-07T08:49:00.001-07:00

This sounds like a fun meme, hosted by My Happy House.
These are my tentative weekend plans..
Friday
Work 9-6p.m.
Pick up supper for the family on the way home.
Play with my grand daughter Lily
Read some more of my book discussion book "Mudbound" by Hilary Jordan.

Saturday
Garage Saling-possibly.
Babysit Lily my 7mo old grand daughter while my 20 yr old daughter
works part time.
Laundry
Watch our netflix movie.
Organize grocery list and coupons.

Sunday
Flea Market
Work 1-5
Read more of Mudbound book.
Babysit Lily
Make some Halloween cards
Work on blog, play on facebook and add things to pinterest.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Monday October 3rd, Blue Monday!

2011-10-02T20:36:00.001-07:00

It's Blue Monday again at Smiling Sallys Blog. That when we have fun posting our blues and sharing our blogs. This week I am sharing a picture of my son Matthew and his fiance Patty. They went on a cruise with some friends to Mexico last summer and this picture was taken off the ship deck.

Winner Winner!

2011-10-01T14:25:00.000-07:00

The Winner of the book, Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman and the lotion is number 10 from the random number generator, Heidi from
Pages of Gold. Congrats, I will get your price out to you as soon as possible.
Check back in a week or so I will be having a Halloween Contest.

September 30th, Book Blogger Hop!

2011-09-30T08:24:00.000-07:00

I love to follow along with this friday Meme called Book Blogger Hop that
Jennifer at Crazy for Books started. I have met tons of fun book bloggers this way and really added to my TBR list. The question this week is..

“In honor of Banned Books Week, what is your favorite “banned or frequently challenged book”?”

I would have to say that my favorite banned or challenged book for Banned Books week would be the Twilight Series. I really enjoyed most of the books in this series
and not only were they fast reads but they got tons of people hooked on reading
again much like the Harry Potter series did for kids and adults alike.

September 28th, WOW pick

2011-09-28T07:03:00.001-07:00

Joining Jill at Breaking the Spine for her weekly Wednesday Meme. This week I am looking forward to one
of my favorite authors, Richard Paul Evans, book "Lost December", due out
in November. There is already a waiting list at the library for it.

Product Description
As heir to the Crisp Copy Center fortune, Luke has it made---until he burns through his entire inheritance in just one year of partying. Ashamed to ask his famous father for help, he finds employment---and romance---as an entry-level clerk. Can his new love get him back on track? 272 pages, hardcover from Simon & Schuster.

September 26th Blue Monday..

2011-09-26T10:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Blue Monday! Smiling Sallys Monday Blog Meme. We have fun posting our blues and sharing our blogs.

Here is my grand daughter Lily, she is almost crawling...just can't seem to
put it all together yet. I will really have to rearrange some things when she
learns to crawl. Plus the poor cat and dog better watch out I think she will
very curious where they are concerned.

Remember to check out the book giveaway on my sidebar. Ends 9/30.

September 19th, Blue Monday!

2011-09-19T11:55:00.000-07:00

It's Blue Monday our Monday meme that Smiling Sally is gracious enough to host.
This is our spoiled cat, Christopher who I call Chrissy and my son calls Johnny
Tsunami. We adopted him from a shelter a couple years ago. Isn't he a big boy.
So much for him being a short haired cat...hehehe.

Make sure to enter the contest I have going on, you can read more by clicking on the graphic on my sidebar.

Gooseberry Patch Giveaway to share!

2011-09-17T11:24:00.001-07:00
I love cookbooks and found this on my facebook page today so I thought I would pass on the info to my readers.

OLD HOUSE KITCHEN: Gooseberry Patch Review and a Giveaway: Caramel...
You can enter three different ways...click the link to get all the details and a yummy recipe too!..

Hope your having a great weekend!

Book Blogger Hop: 9/16-9/19

2011-09-16T10:48:00.000-07:00

Jennifer at Crazy for Books hosts this friday Meme -Book Blogger Hop.
It's a great way to meet other bloggers and get new followers.
This week's question is..

“As a book blogger, how do you introduce yourself in your profile?”
That is a great question. I don't have it posted on my blog but my profile
is visible, here and it mostly talks about who I am and what I enjoy doing.
My whole blog needs a makeover but I just can't seem to fit enough hours
into a day to do everything. I am sure I will get tons of ideas visiting
some of your blogs.

While you are here, check out my giveaway post here!

September 14th WOW post

2011-09-14T07:14:00.000-07:00

Joining Jill at Breaking the Spine for her weekly Wednesday Meme. This week I found out one of my favorite authors has a new one coming out soon. I already have it on reserve at the library and hope to get to read it in the near future. I know they buy multiple copies of his titles. So what are you waiting for this week?

THE BEST OF ME is the heart-rending story of two small-town former high school sweethearts from opposite sides of the tracks. Now middle-aged, they've taken wildly divergent paths, but neither has lived the life they imagined . . . and neither can forget the passionate first love that forever altered their world. When they are both called back to their hometown for the funeral of the mentor who once gave them shelter, they will be forced to confront the choices each has made, and ask whether love can truly rewrite the past. .

While you are here, check out my giveaway post here!

Blue Monday, September 12th

2011-09-12T11:40:00.000-07:00

Smiling Sallys blog has this Monday Meme each week...
This Blue Monday I have a picture of my Granddaughter Lily in a cute little blue
watermelon dress. She just turned six months and I starting to chatter quite a bit.
She is also rolling over and trying to crawl.

While you are here, check out my giveaway post here!

Fall Giveaway!

2011-09-11T11:44:00.000-07:00

I have had a pretty good week, with my cortisone injection working well in my spine for my back pain and sciatic nerve pain so I thought I would celebrate with a giveaway. I have a hard copy of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman. I believe I have heard this will be made into a movie at sometime in the future. I have not read it yet but it did get excellent amazon and publisher weekly reviews. Along with that I have some wonderful smelling body lotion from Donna Karan - Cashmere Mist.

From Booklist
Momma always told CeeCee (short for Cecelia Rose) that “being in the North isn’t living—it’s absolute hell.” Of course, having to live with Momma—Camille Sugarbaker Honeycutt, that is, Vidalia Onion Queen, 1951—doesn’t make it any more heavenly, especially when Momma starts standing in the front yard blowing kisses to passersby. You know this is going to end badly, and so it does, when the erstwhile onion queen is run over by a speeding Happy Cow Ice Cream Truck. Before you can say “sweet magnolia blossoms,” 12-year-old CeeCee is sent off to Savannah to live with her elderly great aunt, Tallulah Caldwell, and her wise African American housekeeper and cook, Oletta. It being 1967, you know there will be one dark episode of racial hatred, but it’s quickly—and conveniently—resolved offstage, leaving all the characters free to continue being relentlessly eccentric, upbeat, sweet as molasses, and living, as CeeCee puts it with a straight face, “in a breezy, flower-scented fairy tale . . . a strange, perfumed world that . . . seemed to be run entirely by women.” Light as air but thoroughly pleasant reading. --Michael Cart --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Launched by the design house of Donna Karan in 1994, CASHMERE MIST is classified as a refreshing, woody, arid fragrance. This feminine scent possesses a blend of fresh floral jasmine, scents of sandalwood & vanilla.

If you would like to win leave me a comment telling me which is your favorite season of the year.

For Extra Entries.

Follow me on Twitter.

Follow me on Google Friend Connect.

Please leave your email addy each time you enter.

Sorry, Open only to U.S. Residents.

Winner will be chosen on Sept 30th by Random Number Generator.

Book Blogger Hop for 9/9/11

2011-09-09T09:13:00.000-07:00

Jennifer at Crazy for Books Blog has a friday meme Book Blogger Hop and the
question this week is...

“Many of us primarily read one genre of books, with others sprinkled in. If authors stopped writing that genre, what genre would you start reading? Or would you give up reading completely if you couldn’t read that genre anymore?”

I started out reading mostly romance a few years ago and then joined our
library book club and started reading more mainstream fiction and mystery books.
I guess if I had to go with another genre it would be paranormal YA.. I have
read a few PC Cast and Alyson Noel as was really surprised how well I liked them.
But I don't think I could ever give up reading entirely, it's just in my blood.
I have been kind of out of it this week, since I had to have a steriod shot in my
spine and it was my 25th anniversary. I have not gotten around to posting but I do
intend to post a giveaway sometime this weekend so please check back!

Book Blogger Hop for 9/2

2011-09-02T09:02:00.000-07:00

Jennifer at Crazy for Books Blog has a friday meme Book Blogger Hop and the
question this week is...

“What are you most looking forward to this fall/autumn season – A particular book release? Halloween? The leaves changing color? Cooler temperatures? A vacation? (If your next season is other than fall/autumn, tell us about it and what you are most looking forward to in your part of the world!)”

I love that the weather gets cooler in Autumn and that is when my anniversary is..this year will be our 25th anniversary! Pretty proud and happy about that.
I also love decorating my house for Halloween and the fall season. Below is a picture of my mantel decorated for Halloween. Haven't even gotten the decorations out yet this year. Plus we always plan an outing with our relatives to go apple picking in September or October. This will also be my granddaughter Lily's first Halloween. Can't wait to see what all the rest of you are looking forward to.

August 31st WOW pick!

2011-08-31T07:02:00.000-07:00

Joining Jill at Breaking the Spine for her weekly Wednesday Meme. I saw this on this book in a review publication and loved the cover and title. Plus I have read Jane
Graves before and really enjoyed her writing style. This one is coming out in late September.

Product Description
HE'S THE MAN OF HER DREAMS . . .

In a world full of frogs, Alison Carter is determined to find her prince. Maybe her dating past is more Titanic than Love Boat, but she's seen enough happy marriages to know that true love is possible. No matter what, she won't give up on happily-ever-after. If she can't find Mr. Right, she'll simply hire someone who can.

SHE JUST DOESN'T KNOW IT YET

When Brandon Scott inherits a successful matchmaking business, he thinks his prayers have been answered. Set up a few lonely ladies, collect the fee, how hard can it be? No one needs to know he's not really a professional matchmaker-especially not his first client, the beautiful, spirited Alison. Soon he's falling for her-and her dreams of kids and carpools. But Alison is getting close to figuring out his secret, and if she learns he's deceived her too, she'll walk right out the door, taking Brandon's heart with her.

2011-08-29T15:14:00.000-07:00

It's Blue Monday our Monday meme that Smiling Sally is gracious enough
to host. This week I have a few really neat photo's of waves to share that was sent to me through email. They looks so cool and relaxing. Maybe I should listen to wave
recordings when trying to sleep..hehehe.
Have a great week!

Friday, August 26th

2011-08-26T08:55:00.000-07:00

Jennifer at Crazy for Books Blog has a friday meme Book Blogger Hop and the
question is...

“Non-book-related this week!! Do you have pets?”
I have a dog, named Salsa, who was rescued and is now going 12 years old. We love
her lot's and a black cat also rescued from the Humane Society. They love to chase
each other around the house. I was never really a cat person until my daughter
begged and begged us to get a cat. He can be loving when he wants to but mostly I just like watching him play.

2011-08-24T06:50:00.000-07:00

Joining Jill at Breaking the Spine for her weekly Wednesday Meme. I saw this on Sandra Browns web page and really want to read it. It looks like it is coming out in September so not that long to wait on this title. Although if I reserve it at the library I will probably see it in November. But I can't complain they save me a lot of money.
I am currently listening to Beach Lane by Sheryl Woods and reading
Heather Graham's, Ghost Shadow.

Review
"A relentless pace and clever plot

twists keep the pages turning." (Publishers Weekly (starred review) ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Product Description
When her four year old daughter informs her a sick man is in their yard, Honor Gillette rushes out to help him. But that "sick" man turns out to be Lee Coburn, the man accused of murdering seven people the night before. Dangerous, desperate, and armed, he promises Honor that she and her daughter won't be hurt as long as she does everything he asks. She has no choice but to accept him at his word.

But Honor soon discovers that even those close to her can't be trusted. Coburn claims that her beloved late husband possessed something extremely valuable that places Honor and her daughter in grave danger. Coburn is there to retrieve it -- at any cost. From FBI offices in Washington, D.C., to a rundown shrimp boat in coastal Louisiana, Coburn and Honor run for their lives from the very people sworn to protect them, and unravel a web of corruption and depravity that threatens not only them, but the fabric of our society

We had a nice weekend, taking my oldest son for his last year (hopefully) of college
and staying at a Bed and Breakfast for an overnight.

2011-08-17T07:52:00.000-07:00

Joining Jill at Breaking the Spine for her weekly Wednesday Meme. I saw this on James Patterson's web page and really want to read it. It looks like it is coming out in October.
Currently I am reading " The Forgotten Garden" by Kate Morton. An excellent novel
that I would highly recommend..well maybe I should wait until I totally finish it
to say that, huh?

from amazon..

Review
ACCLAIM FOR SUZANNE'S DIARY FOR NICHOLAS

"It's clever, light and as welcoming as an ocean breeze." (People )

"Patterson has hit a home run." (Washington Post )

"A master of popular lit...here, he dazzles." (Publishers Weekly )
Product Description
The tree is decorated, the cookies are baked, and the packages are wrapped, but the biggest celebration this Christmas is Gaby Summerhill's wedding. Since her husband died three years ago, Gaby's four children have drifted apart, each consumed by the turbulence of their own lives. They haven't celebrated Christmas together since their father's death, but when Gaby announces that she's getting married--and that the groom will remain a secret until the wedding day--she may finally be able to bring them home for the holidays.

But the wedding isn't Gaby's only surprise--she has one more gift for her children, and it could change all their lives forever. With deeply affecting characters and the emotional twists of a James Patterson thriller, The Christmas Wedding is a fresh look at family and the magic of the season.

2011-08-15T15:41:00.000-07:00

This week for Blue Monday our Monday meme that Smiling Sally is gracious enough
to host. I have a couple of older pictures. I have been moving all my photos from
photoworks to shutterfly. Of course I have tons of Lily my granddaughter.
This is a picture of my husband and kids about 8 years ago at Worlds of Fun on one
of the Water rides, they are in the second to the last row. The other is a picture I took of our basement after my husband had just refinished it on his own. I think he did a great job!
Wishing Sally all the best and that she recovers and gets back home soon!

2011-08-10T12:42:00.000-07:00

Wednesday is the "Waiting on Wednesday" Meme at Jill's Blog - Breaking the Spine.
I was checking out one of my favorite authors Susan Anderson's web page and see she has
a new one coming out in October.
Can't wait to see what everone else is waiting on to be released.

Product Description
Sooner or later, Aunie Franklin's ex-husband, Wesley, will track her down. She's moved clear across the country to start over, but she knows it's not far enough from a madman obsessed with making her pay. James Ryder's new tenant is running from something. Her Southern sass doesn't hide the fading bruises on her face. James doesn't need more complications in his life, but he can't ignore her rising fear. Especially once the phone calls and threats begin. Every day brings Wesley one step closer. Aunie will be his again, to possess - and to punish. Because the past she tried to flee is about to become her present. And he'll make sure she never escapes again...

August 8th, Blue Monday!

2011-08-08T11:48:00.000-07:00

Today once again I am participating in Smiling Sallys, Blue Monday meme.
Here is a picture of Lily who is 5 months old and loves playing in her
little exersaucer that her Great GG gave her cousin and she gets to borrow.
Nice to have big families on both sides we get lots of nice handme downs that
way. It has plenty of blue on it along with lites and noises...oh I mean sweet
music for her to dance to.

August 5th Book Blogger Hop

2011-08-05T11:40:00.000-07:00

Checkout the Blog Hop going on at the Crazy for Books Blog!

“What is the one ARC you would love to get your hands on right now?”

Mine is actually a juvenile fiction book that I received as an ARC from my favorite
newsletter, Shelf Awareness. The first in the series is by Alyson Noel is "Radiance"
and the new one I would love to get as an ARC is "Dreamland" which is scheduled to come out in late September.
Product Description
Riley’s finding that the afterlife can be a lonely place when all you do is focus on work. So she goes to the place where dreams happen, hoping to find a way to contact her sister, Ever. She meets the director, who tells her about the two ways to send dreams. As a Dream Jumper, a person can jump into a dreamer’s dream, share a message, and participate. As a Dreamweaver, an entire dream can be created in a studio and sent to the dreamer. But Dreamweaving was outlawed decades ago, and the studio was boarded up. Thinking it’s her only way to reach out to her sister, Riley goes in search of the old studio. There she finds a ghost boy, who’s been creating and sending nightmares to people for years. In order to stop him and reach out to Ever, Riley is going to have to confront and overcome her own fears.

August 3rd, WOW pick!

2011-08-03T08:08:00.001-07:00

It's once again time to join
Jill at Breaking the Spine for her weekly Wednesday Meme. This week I have chosen a suspense title by one of my
favorite authors, Linda Howard. Check out the blurb.
I am currently reading "Breaking Silence" by Linda Castillo and listening to
"Love you more" by Lisa Gardner. Both suspense series titles.

Product Description
In this captivating novel of romantic suspense, New York Times bestselling author Linda Howard brings us deep into the wild, where a smart and sexy outdoor guide and her ruggedly handsome competitor must join forces to survive—and avoid becoming what they never expected to be:

PREY

Thirty-two-year-old Angie Powell has always spoken her mind, but in the presence of Dare Callahan she nurses a simmering rage. After all, why give Dare the satisfaction of knowing he can push her buttons and push her to the edge?

Three years ago, Dare returned home to rural western Montana and opened a hunting business to rival Angie’s. Complicating matters is the fact that Dare has asked Angie out (not once but twice) and has given her a gift of butterflies in the process. Angie has no patience for butterflies. They only lead to foolish decisions. And now the infuriatingly handsome Iraq war vet has siphoned away Angie’s livelihood, forcing her to close up shop.

Before Angie is to leave town, she organizes one last trip into the wilderness with a client and his guest, who wants to bag a black bear. But the adrenaline-fueled adventure turns deadly when Angie witnesses a cold-blooded murder and finds herself on the wrong side of a loaded gun. Before the killer can tie up this attractive loose end, a bear comes crashing through the woods—changing the dark game completely.

Luckily, Dare is camping nearby and hears the shots. Forced together for their very survival, Angie and Dare must confront hard feelings, a blinding storm, and a growing attraction—while being stalked by a desperate killer and a ferocious five-hundred-pound beast. And neither will stop until they reach their prey.
About the Author
Linda Howard is the award-winning author of many New York Times bestsellers, including Veil of Night, Ice, Burn, Death Angel, Up Close and Dangerous, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Cover of Night, Killing Time, To Die For, Kiss Me While I Sleep, Cry No More, Dying to Please, Open Season, Mr. Perfect, All the Queen’s Men, Now You See Her, Kill and Tell, and Son of the Morning, and co-author (with Linda Jones) of Blood Born. She lives in Alabama with her husband and a golden retriever.

August 1st, Blue Moday

2011-08-01T08:34:00.001-07:00

Celebrating my Mom's 80th and the Blue Monday meme that Smiling Sally has on her blog weekly. First off Happy Birthday to the Worlds Best Mom! And Happy Blue Monday with
Smiling Sally and I sure hope she likes her new place that she has transferred to for now.
We went with my Mom and Dad to a nice restuarant for Mom's 80th called, Grappa Grill. The decor is very pretty and food is excellent. I had a big fluffy omelet and of course my hubby got a his favorite a huge steak.

New Miss Lily Pictures!

2011-07-29T12:20:00.000-07:00
My Grandbaby Lilian Rae is going to be five months old on Aug 3rd. Where has the time gone? She makes me smile all the time and I just love playing with her and rocking her to sleep. The baptism dress was made my son's, fiance, Patty who is Lily's Godmother. Also I went to the neurosurgeon on Thursday and he gave me two options for my ruptured disc and sciatica. One is surgery and the other is spinal
epidurals. He said he thinks I should do the surgery and get it over with because in
his opinion the shots are just a temporary solution to the pain. So I will be trying to decide this weekend what to do. It is hard because I help with the baby so much I hate to let my daughter down.

2011-07-27T06:58:00.000-07:00

It's once again time to join Jill at Breaking the Spine for her weekly Wednesday Meme.
This week it is If I Should Die: A Novel of Suspense by Allison Brennan and is not
coming out until November. I am on a suspense kick right now. I can never can figure
out what genre I will be reading next.

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
A TRIP TO THE DARK SIDE

Aspiring FBI agent Lucy Kincaid and her P.I. boyfriend, Sean Rogan, are heading to the Adirondack Mountains for a pleasant romantic getaway when they detour to help troubled friends, owners of a new resort who are battling malicious vandals. After Lucy and Sean pursue an arsonist into an abandoned mine shaft, Lucy stumbles upon an even more heinous crime—and the perfectly preserved remains of its victim.

The only thing more disturbing than the discovery of the corpse is its sudden disappearance. While the local police remain skeptical, Lucy is dead certain that there’s a connection between the sabotage at the resort and the murder—one that the less-than-neighborly citizens of Spruce Lake seem to have a stake in keeping hidden. Then, when a cold-blooded sniper targets Sean and Lucy, FBI agent Noah Armstrong enters the fray to ensure that more bodies don’t hit the ground. Now three outsiders race to untangle a violent conspiracy before they end up like the rest of Spruce Lake’s secrets: dead and buried.
About the Author
Allison Brennan is the New York Times bestselling author of many romantic thrillers, including Kiss Me, Kill Me; Love Me to Death; Sudden Death and Killing Fear. A five-time RITA finalist and Daphne du Maurier Award winner, Brennan enjoys spending her free time reading, playing games, watching high school sports, and researching her novels. A member of Romance Writers of America, Mystery Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers, Allison Brennan lives in Northern California with her husband, Dan, and their five children.

July 25th, Blue Monday!

2011-07-25T12:44:00.000-07:00

So happy that Smiling Sally is posting again! Poor thing has been in the hospital forever and we all miss her. I am sure her family can't wait for her to come home. This week I am sharing a couple old photo's. I have moved a lot of my photos over to shutterfly. They have some great specials. First one is of my kids about ten or more years ago at the St. Louis Zoo and the other is of my dog Salsa. Hope you have a great week!

Wednesday, July 20th WOW pick

2011-07-20T07:26:00.000-07:00

It's once again time to join Jill at Breaking the Spine for her weekly Wednesday Meme.
This week it is the third in the Lucky Harbor series by Jill Shalvis - Head Over
Heels.

'4 stars! [I]ntroduces some wonderful characters with humor, heartwarming interaction and an abundance of hot sex. Readers will be eager for the next story..."
(RT Book Reviews on Simply Irresistible )

"Jill Shalvis is a total original! Humor, intrigue, and scintillating sex. It doesn't get any better." (Suzanne Forster, New York Times bestselling author )

"Ms. Shalvis characters leap off the page" (RT Book Reviews )
Product Description
Breaking rules and breaking hearts

Free-spirited Chloe lives life on the edge. Unlike her soon-to-be married sisters, she isn't ready to settle into a quiet life running their family's newly renovated inn. But soon her love of trouble--and trouble with love-draws the attention of the very stern, very sexy sheriff who'd like nothing better than to tame her wild ways.

Suddenly Chloe can't take a misstep without the sheriff hot on her heels. His rugged swagger and his enigmatic smile are enough to make a girl beg to be handcuffed. For the first time, instead of avoiding the law, Chloe dreams of surrender. Can this rebel find a way to keep the peace with the straitlaced sheriff? Or will Chloe's colorful past keep her from a love that lasts . . . and the safe haven she truly wants in a town called Lucky Harbor?

e "Waiting on Wednesday" and this week I am waiting for..

Monday, July 18th

2011-07-18T13:37:00.000-07:00

So happy that Smiling Sally is back with us again! Hope you continue to get well and are able to come home soon Sally.
Check out her web page for an update on her condition! It was a sad week for me because we lost my father in law he was 91 years old and lived a good long life though. He will be missed but never forgotten.
Here he is sitting with all his Grandkids on his 90th birthday back in March of last year.

Book Blogger Hop, July 15th!

2011-07-15T13:17:00.000-07:00

This week’s question comes from Veronica who blogs at: Read Books, Have Fun.

How/Where do you get your books? Do you buy them or go to the library? Is there a certain website you use like paperbackswap?

I work at a library so I have a really easy time getting my hands on great books to read. Although we do have to wait just like other customers with our names in a reserve que. Since I received a NOOK for Christmas last year I have been buying some books from Barnes and Noble but otherwise, I don't normally make many book purchases.
I belong to a few book groups on yahoo and sometimes we trade books but I have not gotten on any other trading sites.

Winner Winner!

2011-07-06T13:44:00.001-07:00

How is your week going? Mine not so good..just came home from a funeral. My sister in law's Dad passed away. I feel so bad for since she has lost both parents to lung
cancer, it's so sad but they both had wonderful lives and beautiful families who
loved them. Also my father in law is in the hospital. He fell and broke his hip.
After that they did surgery and he suffered his third stroke. Please keep Frank in your prayers.
For the good news, I did pick a winner. Number 4 poster, Marty has won the fourth of July package and it will be sent out very soon. Thanks to everyone who entered!

Book Blogger Hop

2011-07-01T11:12:00.000-07:00

RULES:

Your blog should have content related to books, including, but not limited to book reviews.

1. Post about the Hop on your blog (feel free to grab the logo at the top of the post!)
Spread the word about the book party! The more the merrier!
In your blog post, answer the following question (new question each week!).
This week’s question comes from Sue who blogs at Cookie’s Book Club ! Thanks for submitting a question for our Hoppers, Sue! Be sure to visit her blog and tell her thank you!

“What keeps you reading beyond the first few pages of a book, and what makes you want to stop reading a book and put it back on the shelf?“

I think what keeps me reading is if it part of a series and I really liked the first book or if the book grabs me with a good storyline or mystery plot within the first
few chapters.

Also check out my book giveaway going on here!!

Giveaway links, summer reading lists and more

2011-07-01T07:05:00.001-07:00
Check-out this great contest to win an Ipad from Sippy Cup Mom to celebrate therelease of the awesome book from a Missouri author called ..
The Light Bringer.

Plus, checkout this great link to different summer reading lists.

Summer Reading Mega List
Summer Reading Mega List

And,

4 books you need to read before the Movies come out on Oprah.com
July 15
Expectations don't get any higher. Find out if Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 —the final movie, based on the second half of the last book in the record-shattering series—delivers. (And see star Daniel Radcliffe's other favorite books here!)

July 15
The movie version of Lisa See's Snow Flower and the Secret Fan explores the intense friendship between two girls in 19th-century China and two in modern Shanghai—but adds a romantic subplot involving Hugh Jackman. Purists may squawk. But hey...it's Hugh Jackman.

August 12
That was fast: Kathryn Stockett's best-selling The Help—about racial relations among women in the 1960s South—became a blockbuster the minute it was published. Two years later, we get to see the story on film, starring Viola Davis as the formidable Aibileen.

August 19
Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess star in One Day, which comes from last year's best-seller by English novelist David Nicholls. The plot spans 20 years, as two very different students meet at the University of Edinburgh, then go on to lead separate but intersecting lives.

Hope you are having a fun 4th of July weekend.

Don't forget to checkout my book giveaway here..

June 29th - WOW pick!

2011-06-29T06:57:00.000-07:00

It's once again time to join Jill at Breaking the Spine for her weekly Wednesday Meme "Waiting on Wednesday" and this week I am waiting for..One of my favorite authors Karen Robards, has a new one coming out soon in July.
Justice (Jessica Ford) [Hardcover]

Product Description
New York Times bestselling author Karen Robards is back with an exhilarating romantic thriller that will leave readers breathless.
Feisty criminal attorney Jessica Ford has done her best to comply with the orders of the Secret Service’s unofficial witness protection program ever since she became the lone witness to the First Lady’s murder. She changed her name, dyed her dark hair blonde, and traded her sturdy black-rimmed glasses for contact lenses. Unfortunately, winning her first high-profile case for prestigious Washington, D.C., law firm Ellis Hayes, and subsequently landing her face all over the news, is not exactly “keeping a low profile.” Or so says hunky Secret Service agent Mark Ryan, whose newest assignment—despite Jess’s stubborn protests—is keeping her safe at all costs. It just so happens he’s also her ex-boyfriend.

The trial earns Jess a permanent spot on the firm’s elite legal defense team, replacing an associate who eloped suddenly and never came back. It’s the chance of a lifetime. But Jess’s mind has raced with questions from the moment the prosecution’s star witness shocked the courtroom with an electrifying revelation involving the handsome son of a powerful U.S. senator. Was the pretty, young mother intimidated into changing her story on the stand? Why will she not return Jess’s calls? Did Jess’s ambitious predecessor on the case really just abandon her successful career? Or did both women mysteriously disappear?

After Mark rescues Jess from an attacker outside her apartment, she begins to consider the possibility that she is a target. Maybe it’s not so bad to have her irresistibly charming and hard-bodied former lover around for protection. Maybe. The question is, which of the many inadvertent enemies Jess has made recently is he protecting her from? The investigation leads her to some startling coincidences—and to a teenage runaway who may just hold the missing link . . . if Jess can find her.

As Jess hurtles closer to the truth—and the sexual tension between her and Mark grows hotter than ever—she finds herself in a race against the clock to find the answers before what she doesn’t know gets them both killed.

While your here...check out the giveaway I have going on here!

July 4th giveaway!

2011-06-28T07:01:00.000-07:00

Here are a few goodies I will be giving away for the fourth of July Holiday.
Elizabeth Bergs - Home Safe
and
A Courtesan's Guide to Getting Your Man by Celeste Bradley and Susan Donovan
plus a few samples of Ed Hardys cologne, True Religion for men, True Religion for Women plus Born Wild. These are perfect to keep in your purse and smell fantastic.

To enter, leave comment with your email addy. For exta entry become a follower, two for following me on twitter..see sidebar.
Ends July 5thSorry, giveaway only open to USA residents.

Blue Monday and What R U Reading June 27th

2011-06-26T19:35:00.000-07:00

It's time for Monday's Meme with Smiling Sally ~ Blue Monday.
This week was my granddaughter Lily's baptism and my son Matthew and his fiance were her Godparents. The first picture is of my daughter Stephanie and her baby Lily.

Well I noticed after I wrote this post that Smiling Sally is in the hospital and not doing well. Please keep her in your prayers!

It's Monday and time to share what we are reading with Sheila's Monday Meme at Book Journey - It's Monday what are you reading? This is a great way to meet new book bloggers and add to your list of to be read titles. This week I am starting the audio cd of Jeannette Walls,
Half Broke Horses ..the author of "The Glass Castle."

From Publishers Weekly
For the first 10 years of her life, Lily Casey Smith, the narrator of this true-life novel by her granddaughter, Walls, lived in a dirt dugout in west Texas. Walls, whose megaselling memoir, The Glass Castle, recalled her own upbringing, writes in what she recalls as Lily's plainspoken voice, whose recital provides plenty of drama and suspense as she ricochets from one challenge to another. Having been educated in fits and starts because of her parents' penury, Lily becomes a teacher at age 15 in a remote frontier town she reaches after a solo 28-day ride. Marriage to a bigamist almost saps her spirit, but later she weds a rancher with whom she shares two children and a strain of plucky resilience. (They sell bootleg liquor during Prohibition, hiding the bottles under a baby's crib.) Lily is a spirited heroine, fiercely outspoken against hypocrisy and prejudice, a rodeo rider and fearless breaker of horses, and a ruthless poker player. Assailed by flash floods, tornados and droughts, Lily never gets far from hardscrabble drudgery in several states—New Mexico, Arizona, Illinois—but hers is one of those heartwarming stories about indomitable women that will always find an audience. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Book Blogger Hop - June 24th

2011-06-24T11:18:00.000-07:00

This week’s question comes from Elena who blogs at Books and Reviews! Thanks for submitting a question for our Hoppers, Elena! Be sure to visit her blog and tell her thank you!

“When did you realize reading was your passion and a truly important part of your life?”I think I realized I loved reading when my oldest sister started working part time
at sixteen for our public library. I used to love to ride along when my Mom dropped
her off for work and check out as many books as I could carry. I would read for hours and hours and my Mom would actually beg me to do something other than read.
I guess I was in third or fourth grade and have been reading ever since. Plus
now I work at the library myself!
Check out all the other bloggers links here at Jennifers - Crazy-for-Books blog.

Wow pick for June 22nd

2011-06-22T07:35:00.001-07:00

It's once again time to join Jill at Breaking the Spine for her weekly Wednesday Meme "Waiting on Wednesday" and this week I am waiting for..Always something there
to remind me (wasn't that an 80's song title?)
by a new to me author, Beth Harbison.

Product description from Amazon.

Can you ever really know if love is true? And if it is, should you stop at anything to get it?

Two decades ago, Erin Edwards was sure she’d already found the love of her life: Nate Lawson. Her first love. The one with whom she shared everything--dreams of the future, of children, plans for forever. The one she thought she would spend the rest of her life with. Until one terrible night when Erin made a mistake Nate could not forgive and left her to mourn the relationship she could never forget or get over.

Today, Erin is contentedly involved with a phenomenal guy, maneuvering a successful and exciting career, and raising a great daughter all on her own. So why would the name “Nate Lawson” be the first thing to enter her mind when her boyfriend asks her to marry him?

In the wake of the proposal, Erin finds herself coming unraveled over the past, and the love she never forgot. The more she tries to ignore it and move on, the more it haunts her.

Always Something There to Remind Me is a story that will resonate with any woman who has ever thought of that one first love and wondered, “Where is he?” and “What if…?” Filled with Beth Harbison’s trademark nostalgia humor and heart, it will transport you, and inspire you to believe in the power of first love.

Monday June 20th

2011-06-20T08:54:00.000-07:00

It's time for Monday's Meme with Smiling Sally ~ Blue Monday.
Here is my hubby on Father's Day with my son Matthew and daughter Stephanie and her
baby Lily..I wish it was a little lighter. Anyway the cake has blue icing and I got it from Dairy Queen. It was delicious. On a not so good note I found out after an MRI this past Saturday that I have two bulging discs in my lower back and spinal stenosis. Still have to talk to my doctor to find out what all this means to me but not feeling very great the last week or so..

It's Monday and time to share what we are reading with Sheila's Monday Meme at
Book Journey - It's Monday what are you reading? This is a great way to meet new book bloggers and add to your
list of to be read titles.
I have not been feeling great so have not been getting a lot of reading in but have
been listening to Lisa Scottolines new book, Save me.
Here is a little about it.

From Booklist
Suburban mom [Rose McKenna] is forced to make a split-second decision after an explosion goes off in the school cafeteria in which she volunteers. Should she rescue her own daughter, Melly, trapped in the bathroom, or lead the girls standing in front of her, who constantly bully her daughter, to safety? Her choice reverberates throughout the little town of Reesburgh, Pennsylvania, as she is cast as the villain by the local news anchor, parents, and the school. While her attorney and husband construct a defense plan that includes filing a lawsuit against the school, [Rose] sets out to seek the truth behind this mysterious, accidental fire. With the help of a construction worker who may know the cause of the explosion as well as an incognito visit to a local factory, [Rose] slowly unravels the truth and along with it some hidden secrets in Reesburgh's dark past, including one horrifying buried memory of her own. At the quick pace of a thriller, Scottoline masterfully fits every detail into a tight plot chock-full of real characters, real issues, and real thrills. A story anchored by the impenetrable power of a mother's love, it begs the question, just how far would you go to save your child? --Annie McCormick --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

I just finished these two,
Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner 3 Stars out of 5
Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert 3 Stars out of 5
I really didn't know what the big wow was about Eat Pray Love but then again it could have been the mood I was in at the time I was reading it.
Hope you enjoy your reads this week!

June 13th ~ Blue Monday

2011-06-12T20:28:00.000-07:00

It's time for Monday's Meme with Smiling Sally ~ Blue Monday.
This is my granddaughter Lily on her three month birthday!
Happy Blue Monday, hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

Book Blogger Hop

2011-06-10T11:43:00.001-07:00

This week Lori at Lori's Reading Corner is hosting this Book Blogger Hop Meme and here is the question..

“Who is the ONE author that you are DYING to meet?

I would have to say Suzanne Forster who writes romantic suspense. She hasn't had a book out in awhile but has something in the works. She is such a sweet lady and I joined her yahoo group years ago and have gotten to know her as one of my favorite online buddies.
She also blogs at Storybroads.

Wednesday June 8th - - WOW meme

2011-06-08T06:50:00.000-07:00

It's once again time to join Jill at Breaking the Spine for her weekly Wednesday Meme "Waiting on Wednesday" and this week I am waiting for..
A new to me author, Kaki Warner is starting a mail order bride series that looks very good this series comes out in July so we don’t have long to wait.
Heartbreak Creek

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
From Kaki Warner comes an exciting new series about four unlikely brides who make their way west-and find love where they least expect it...

Edwina Ladoux hoped becoming a mail-order bride would be her way out of the war- torn South and into a better life, but as soon as she arrives in Heartbreak Creek, Colorado, and meets her hulking, taciturn groom, she realizes she's made a terrible mistake.

Declan Brodie already had one flighty wife who ran off with a gambler before being killed by Indians. He's hoping this new one will be a practical, sturdy farm woman who can help with chores and corral his four rambunctious children. Instead, he gets a skinny Southern princess who doesn't even know how to cook.

Luckily, Edwina and Declan agreed on a three-month courtship period, which should give them time to get the proxy marriage annulled. Except that as the weeks pass, thoughts of annulment turn into hopes for a real marriage-until Declan's first wife returns after being held captive for the last four years. Now an honorable man must choose between duty and desire, and a woman who's never had to fight for anything must do battle for the family she's grown to love...
About the Author
Kaki Warner has raised horses and chased cattle. She lives in Washington with her family.

Blue Monday and What are you reading in June

2011-06-05T20:30:00.000-07:00

It's Monday and time to share what we are reading with Sheila's Monday Meme at
Book Journey - It's Monday what are you reading? This is a great way to meet new book bloggers and add to your
list of to be read titles.
I am listening to "Certain Girls" by Jennifer Weiner and reading on my Nook,
the book "The Inn at Eagle Creek" by Sherryl Woods.
Her are the covers and a blurb about each..

From Publishers Weekly
Following the story collection The Guy Not Taken, Weiner turns in a hilarious sequel to her 2001 bestselling first novel, Good in Bed, revisiting the memorable and feisty Candace Cannie Shapiro. Flashing forward 13 years, the novel follows Cannie as she navigates the adolescent rebellion of her about-to-be bat mitzvahed daughter, Joy, and juggles her writing career; her relationship with her physician husband, Peter Krushelevansky; her ongoing weight struggles; and the occasional impasse with Joy's biological father, Bruce Guberman. Joy, whose premature birth resulted in her wearing hearing aids, has her own amusing take on her mother's overinvolvement in her life as the novel, with some contrivance, alternates perspectives. As her bat mitzvah approaches, Joy tries to make contact with her long absent maternal grandfather and seeks more time with Bruce. In addition, unbeknownst to Joy, Peter has expressed a desire to have a baby with Cannie, which means looking for a surrogate mother. Throughout, Weiner offers her signature snappy observations: (good looks function as a get-out-of-everything-free card) and spot-on insights into human nature, with a few twists thrown in for good measure. She expends some energy getting readers up to speed on Good, but readers already involved with Cannie will enjoy this, despite Joy's equally strong voice. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Description
It's been years since Abby O'Brien Winters set foot in Chesapeake Shores. The Maryland town her father built has too many sad memories and Abby too few spare moments, thanks to her demanding Wall Street career, the crumbling of her marriage and energetic twin daughters. Then one panicked phone call from her youngest sister brings her racing back home to protect Jess's dream of renovating the charming Inn at Eagle Point.
But saving the inn from foreclosure means dealing not only with her own fractured family, but also with Trace Riley, the man Abby left ten years ago. Trace can be a roadblock to her plans…or proof that second chances happen in the most unexpected ways.

It's time for Monday's Meme with Smiling Sally ~ Blue Monday.
I love the shades of blue that everyone posts and really enjoy making more blogging friends with Blue Monday. This weekend I was surfing for some storage idea's and came across this neat slide show on the Better Homes and Garden web page. I like the pottery in the one picture and the shades of Blue in the second picture.

From Flea Market Finds to Savvy Storage

Kolcraft Wonderbug Baby Activity Center Review and Giveaway

2011-06-05T13:51:00.000-07:00

The Bragging Mommy Blog is having a cute giveaway that I would love to win for
little Lily and I sharing the link with you all so you can visit this blog and
enter it or any of their other contests going on.
Check it out here!
Contest ends on the 15th of June!

Hope you are having a great weekend!
Joy

Winner, Winner!

2011-06-01T20:14:00.001-07:00

Sorry I am posting this so late. I have been pretty busy at home the last few days with my daughter starting a full time summer job. Since she is working I am watching
my three month old granddaughter, Lily. She is keeping me super busy.
Congrats to Donna @ My Life in Stories, she is the winner of "The Summer Brides"
anthology.

2011-05-27T11:16:00.000-07:00

"What book-to-movie adaption have you most liked? Which have you disliked?"

I really like the adaptation of The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks! My daughter and I have watched it over and over together several times now. He is an auto read for me.

The one I didn't like was... The Lovely Bones. -- I thought it veered away from the book too much.

Also checkout the giveaway going on for the book Summer Brides, here.The contest will close June 1st.
Sorry,open to US residents only.

WOW pick for May 25th

2011-05-25T06:57:00.000-07:00

It's once again time to join Jill at Breaking the Spine for her weekly Wednesday Meme "Waiting on Wednesday" and this week I am waiting for..
Escape by Barbara Delinsky coming out in July

Review
PRAISE FOR NOT MY DAUGHTER:

“A topical tale that resonates with timeless emotion.” —People, 3½ stars

“Delinsky proves once again why she’s a perennial best-seller with this thought-provoking tale . . . Timely, fresh, and true-to-life.” —Publishers Weekly
Product Description
In her luminous new novel, Barbara Delinsky explores every woman’s desire to abandon the endless obligations of work and marriage—and the idea that the most passionate romance can be found with the person you know best.

Emily Aulenbach is thirty, a lawyer married to a lawyer, working in Manhattan. An idealist, she had once dreamed of representing victims of corporate abuse, but she spends her days in a cubicle talking on the phone with victims of tainted bottled water—and she is on the bottler’s side.

And it isn’t only work. It’s her sister, her friends, even her husband, Tim, with whom she doesn’t connect the way she used to. She doesn’t connect to much in her life, period, with the exception of three things—her computer, her BlackBerry, and her watch.

Acting on impulse, Emily leaves work early one day, goes home, packs her bag, and takes off. Groping toward the future, uncharacteristically following her gut rather than her mind, she heads north toward a New Hampshire town tucked between mountains. She knows this town. During her college years, she spent a watershed summer here. Painful as it is to return, she knows that if she is to right her life, she has to start here.

Also checkout the giveaway going on for the book Summer Brides, here.The contest will close June 1st.
Sorry,open to US residents only.

Blue Monday giveaway!

2011-05-23T14:05:00.000-07:00

It's time for Monday's Meme with Smiling Sally ~ Blue Monday. This week I have a pretty book cover with shades of blue in it.
I am going to give away this book for Memorial Day coming up..
To sign up just leave me a comment letting me know how you usually celebrate
this Holiday. Also get another entry for tweeting about it or becoming a follower.
The contest will close June 1st.
Sorry,open to US residents only.

Product Description
Three happily-ever-afters from three of your favorite authors
The Borrowed Bride by Susan Wiggs

During her own bridal shower, Isabel Wharton is whisked away by past love Dan Black Horse to his retreat in the Cascade range. But returning to her Native roots, and Dan's loving arms, is harder than she ever imagined.

A Bridge to Dreams by Sherryl Woods

With her vacation plans foiled, Karyn Chambers realizes that her long-awaited escape must give way to staying at home in San Francisco. Little does she know her Prince Charming is right in her own backyard.

Sister of the Bride by Susan Mallery

When Katie McCormick finds out that her sister is marrying her ex, she finally agrees to a setup for the big day. To her surprise, Jackson is a catch. But when wedding catastrophe ensues, will their sparks fizzle or ignite into flames?

About the Author
Susan Mallery is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 100 romance novels, including her acclaimed Marcelli series, her Buchanan family series, and most recently, her first foray into women's fiction, Sunset Bay. The winner of the National Readers Choice Award, she has a Masters degree in Writing Popular Fiction. Susan makes her home in Washington with her husband and an assortment of pets. Visit her website at www.SusanMallery.com.

2011-05-17T20:21:00.000-07:00

It's once again time to join Jill at Breaking the Spine for her weekly Wednesday Meme "Waiting on Wednesday" and this week I am waiting for..
Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews.

Coming out June 7th

I loved her books, The Fixer Upper and Blue Christmas too, I would highly
recommend this author if you like books with southern charm.

Product Description
Sometimes, when you need a change in your life, the tide just happens to pull you in the right direction….

Ellis, Julia, and Dorie. Best friends since Catholic grade school, they now find themselves, in their mid-thirties, at the crossroads of life and love. Ellis, recently fired from a job she gave everything to, is rudderless and now beginning to question the choices she's made over the past decade of her life. Julia—whose caustic wit covers up her wounds--has a man who loves her and is offering her the world, but she can't hide from how deeply insecure she feels about her looks, her brains, her life. And Dorie has just been shockingly betrayed by the man she loved and trusted the most in the world…though this is just the tip of the iceberg of her problems and secrets. A month in North Carolina's Outer Banks is just what they each of them needs.

Ty Bazemore is their landlord, though he's hanging on to the rambling old beach house by a thin thread. After an inauspicious first meeting with Ellis, the two find themselves disturbingly attracted to one another, even as Ty is about to lose everything he's ever cared about.

Maryn Shackleford is a stranger, and a woman on the run. Maryn needs just a few things in life: no questions, a good hiding place, and a new identity. Ellis, Julia, and Dorie can provide what Maryn wants; can they also provide what she needs?

Five people questioning everything they ever thought they knew about life. Five people on a journey that will uncover their secrets and point them on the path to forgiveness. Five people who each need a sea change, and one month in a summer rental that might just give it to them.

About the Author
Mary Kay Andrews is the New York Times bestselling author of The Fixer Upper, Deep Dish, Blue Christmas, Savannah Breeze, Hissy Fit, Little Bitty Lies, and Savannah Blues. A former journalist for the Atlanta Journal Constitution, she lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Visit www.marykayandrews.com

Blue Monday and a Bargain!

2011-05-16T11:38:00.000-07:00

It's time for Monday's Meme with Smiling Sally ~ Blue Monday.
Looking online today I noticed that Old Navy has their flip flops for a dollar
on Saturday May 21st.. Look at all the shades of blue they have available. My daughter practically lives in these all year long.

New Giveaway for you to enter!

2011-05-12T08:20:00.000-07:00
I thought it would be great to win this new vacuum and give the old one to my son
for his college apartment. I wonder if he knows how to operate a vacuum....lol
Anyway, check out this great giveaway Melissa has going on at her blog right now.

Fun Saving Money: Eureka AirSpeed Gold Upright Bagless Vacuum Review...: "We live in an older home and most of our floors are hardwood except for the bedrooms which are carpet. Our living room has a very open space..."

Wednesday May 11th, WOW pick!

2011-05-10T20:14:00.000-07:00

It's once again time to join Jill at Breaking the Spine for her weekly Wednesday Meme "Waiting on Wednesday" and this week I am waiting for..
One Summer: A Shelter Bay Novel by Joanne Ross ~ due out in July

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
When former U.S. Marine photojournalist Gabriel St. James arrives in Shelter Bay to help out a fellow Marine, the last thing he expects is to meet a woman like Charity. A veterinarian with a past that would have defeated a less resilient woman, Charity still possesses a heart as generous as her name. She's known men like Gabe before-but with a shared attraction impossible to deny, Charity and Gabe agree to a simple affair with no expectations. But as summer unfolds, and Gabe finds reasons to extend his stay in Shelter Bay, he and Charity realize that there's nothing simple about falling in love, and nothing easy about the choices of the heart.

2011-05-09T12:24:00.000-07:00

It' Monday What are You Reading is a Meme that I follow along with at Sheila's Blog Book Journey..great way to read great reviews and pick up on some new titles for my to be read list (every growing).
This week I finished up the second in the Immortals series, "Blue Moon" by Alyson
Noel. I didn't like it as much as I did the first in the series but I can see
why so many of the YA readers are gobbling them up.
This week I am starting on The Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie
Ford.

From School Library Journal
Adutl/High School—Henry Lee is a 12-year-old Chinese boy who falls in love with Keiko Okabe, a 12-year-old Japanese girl, while they are scholarship students at a prestigious private school in World War II Seattle. Henry hides the relationship from his parents, who would disown him if they knew he had a Japanese friend. His father insists that Henry wear an "I am Chinese" button everywhere he goes because Japanese residents of Seattle have begun to be shipped off by the thousands to relocation centers. This is an old-fashioned historical novel that alternates between the early 1940s and 1984, after Henry's wife Ethel has died of cancer. A particularly appealing aspect of the story is young Henry's fascination with jazz and his friendship with Sheldon, an older black saxophonist just making a name for himself in the many jazz venues near Henry's home. Other aspects of the story are more typical of the genre: the bullies that plague Henry, his lack of connection with his father, and later with his own son. Readers will care about Henry as he is forced to make decisions and accept circumstances that separate him from both his family and the love of his life. While the novel is less perfect as literature than John Hamamura's Color of the Sea (Thomas Dunne, 2006), the setting and quietly moving, romantic story are commendable.—Angela Carstensen, Convent of the Sacred Heart, New York City
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

The first picture is that of a rainbow that my daughter sent me from her cell phone
and the other is of my grandbaby Lily that was taken on Easter. She was two months
old on May 3rd! And of course she is not spoiled at all. Can't wait to see what you all have posted for Smiling SallysMonday Meme ~ Blue Monday!

Wednesday May 4th - WOW pick

2011-05-03T18:35:00.000-07:00

It's once again time to join Jill at Breaking the Spine for her weekly Wednesday Meme "Waiting on Wednesday" and this week I am waiting for..
The Doctor's Lady by Jody Hedlund.
Coming out in September 2011

Product Description
Priscilla White knows she'll never be a wife or mother and feels God's call to the mission field in India. Dr. Eli Ernest is back from Oregon Country only long enough to raise awareness of missions to the natives before heading out West once more. But then Priscilla and Eli both receive news from the mission board: No longer will they send unmarried men and women into the field.

Left scrambling for options, the two realize the other might be the answer to their needs. Priscilla and Eli agree to a partnership, a marriage in name only that will allow them to follow God's leading into the mission field. But as they journey west, this decision will be tested by the hardships of the trip and by the unexpected turnings of their hearts.
About the Author
Jody Hedlund, author of The Preacher's Bride, was a double finalist in the 2009 ACFW Genesis Contest in Historical Romance. She received a bachelor's degree from Taylor University and a master's from the University of Wisconsin, both in Social Work. Currently she makes her home in Midland, Michigan, with her husband and five busy children.

Off to see what the other bloggers have chosen, have a great week!

Monday May 2nd! Blue Monday

2011-05-02T07:44:00.000-07:00

Well the weather is still crazy here in Missouri but I am in the mood for summer and spring. Looking for outdoor decor and a friend told me a new store opened in our area..well new to me anyway.. Tuesday Morning. I was checkint out their web page and saw this relaxing chair set. I would love this set and doesn't the background look so peaceful? Can't wait to see what you have up for Blue Monday at Smiling Sallys Blog.

Farmhouse Country Style: GBP Cookbook Review and Giveaway

2011-04-29T09:08:00.000-07:00
Farmhouse Country Style: GBP Cookbook Review and Giveaway: ". You can just imagine how excited I am to be a part of Gooseberry Patch's Early Bird Reviews . The opportunity to review recipes from..."

April 27th Wow!

2011-04-27T06:41:00.001-07:00

It's once again time to join Jill at Breaking the Spine for her weekly Wednesday Meme "Waiting on Wednesday" and this week I am waiting for..
Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin

Product Description
Alice Grace Ripley lives in a dream world, her nose stuck in a book. But happily-ever-after life she's planned on suddenly falls apart when her boyfriend, Gordon, breaks up with her, accusing her of living in a world of fiction instead of the real world. Then to top it off, Alice loses her beloved job at the library because of cutbacks due to the Great Depression.

Fleeing small-town gossip, Alice heads to the mountains of eastern Kentucky to deliver five boxes of donated books to the library in the tiny coal-mining village of Acorn. Dropped off by her relatives, Alice volunteers to stay for two weeks to help the librarian, Leslie McDougal.

But the librarian turns out to be far different than she anticipated--not to mention the four lady librarians who travel to the remote homes to deliver the much-desired books. While Alice is trapped in Acorn against her will, she soon finds that real-life adventure and myster--and especially romance--are far better than her humble dreams could have imagined.
About the Author
Lynn Austin, a former teacher who now writes and speaks full time, has won six Christy Awards for her historical fiction. One of those novels, Hidden Places, has also been made into a Hallmark Channel movie. Lynn and her husband have raised three children and make their home near Chicago, Illinois.

April 25th, Blue Monday and What R U Reading?

2011-04-24T20:41:00.001-07:00

Sharing some blue umbrella's and decorative parasols that I found on the web
for Smiling Sallys meme, "Blue Monday". I live in Missouri and all we have been having are storms and rain. Also some horrible tornadoes touched down not to far
from our home. My nephews house was hit but luckily they were at the mall at the time. They suffered some major roof and house damage but they are all o.k. which is
a real blessing. Please keep their other neighbors in your prayers though as they
were not as fortunate. They even had to close Lambert Field Airport because of
the damage done there. The picture posted below I thought was very pretty...love
all the different soft colors the artist chose.

This meme "It's Monday what are you reading?" at Sheila's Book Journey is always fun because you get to read alot of good reviews and see what other bloggers are picking out to read. You always
get a ton of good books to add to your "to be read list".
Right now I am listening to Blue Moon (The Immortals #2 )by Alyson Noel and
reading on my Nook, Robyn Carr's ~ Promise Canyon(Virgin River Series).

Product Description
Alyson’s Noël’s bestselling Immortals series has been hailed as “addictive” “beautiful” “haunting” and “mesmerizing.” In the second installment, Ever can bring her family back from the dead—but only if she’s willing to sacrifice the guy she loves more than life itself.
Just as Ever is learning everything she can about her new abilities as an immortal, initiated into the dark, seductive world by her beloved Damen, something terrible is happening to him. As Ever’s powers are increasing, Damen’s are fading—stricken by a mysterious illness that threatens his memory, his identity, his life.
Desperate to save him, Ever travels to the mystical dimension of Summerland, uncovering not only the secrets of Damen’s past—the brutal, tortured history he hoped to keep hidden—but also an ancient text revealing the workings of time. With the approaching blue moon heralding her only window for travel, Ever is forced to decide between turning back the clock and saving her family from the accident that claimed them—or staying in the present and saving Damen, who grows weaker each day...

Product Description
After years spent on ranches around Los Angeles, Clay Tahoma is delighted to be Virgin River's new veterinary assistant. The secluded community's wild beauty tugs at his Navajo roots, and he's been welcomed with open arms by everyone in town—everyone except Lilly Yazhi.
Lilly has encountered her share of strong, silent, traditional men within her own aboriginal community, and she's not interested in coming back for more. In her eyes, Clay's earthy, sexy appeal is just an act used to charm wealthy women like his ex-wife. She can't deny his gift for gentling horses, but she's not about to let him control her. There's just one small problem—she can't control her attraction to Clay.

But in Virgin River, faith in new beginnings and the power of love has doors opening everywhere.…

Easter Giveaway Winner!

2011-04-24T20:22:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter Everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful day. It was raining here so
we had an inside Easter Egg hunt for my nieces and nephews. Great fun and so happy
to get to see everyone today.
The random number generator picked the winner as number 2 which is the Garage
Sale Gal! So congrats, Debbie and contact me soon with your snail mail addy and I will get your prize right out to you.

To Read, Perchance to Dream: EASTER GIVEAWAY!

2011-04-23T09:15:00.000-07:00
Still time to enter Maria's contest here...
To Read, Perchance to Dream: EASTER GIVEAWAY!: "My Bunquin (bunny penguin, get it?) here reminded me that it was Easter, so I decided to have a giveaway to celebrate! This is my first on..."