Book Review: Wishing On Willows

If you enjoy a good "chick flick" type read that is loaded with emotion, laced with conflict and topped off with drama, this Wishing on Willows is for you.

Robin Price is clinging to her past in the form of a struggling cafe when Ian McKay shows up in Peaks, representing change.  Both Robin and Ian, as well as the supporting characters, are pulled into a heated journey as they take their stands and make their decision.  Robin's cafe was built on memories of her late husband and Ian needs the business deal to keep his family's company in the black.  As their paths continue to cross, shadows of similarity of their situations begin to overshadow their differences.  There's no easy solution with the town picking sides in the development battle, and deadlines looming.

Katie Ganshert does a great job of putting you in the middle of the characters emotions to the point where you feel their discomfort, frustration,  or joy.  Wishing on Willows was a fun read - if you need a chick flick to take on vacation with you (or to use as an accomplice to avoid cleaning, children, or work) this book would be a good pick.

Disclaimers: I received a complementary advanced reading copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review as part of the Blogging for Books program. The opinions and thoughts of this are my own and are not influenced in any way. This post contains affiliate links. 

Girlie Giggles

A few days ago while on an outting with HandyMan, GGirl was given a book titled "We Are In A Book".  She excitedly showed it to me, HandyMan commented that it was good and it got lost in the chaos of that day.
Fast forward to last night's bedtime.  HandyMan had gone in for work, MMan was already in bed and I told GGirl to go pick out three books and come snuggle for stories.
"We Are In A Book" was one of her choices.  I read with amusement and then bananas brought out the girlie giggles in both if us.  (You will have to read the book- no spoilers here!)
I realized in that moment that I need to seek out levity in the chore filled, discipline laced, sleep deprived days.  I need to giggle more with my GGirl.

Book Review: "Not This Time"

 Not This Time by Vicki Hinze is the third in the Crossroads Crisis Center series.  I have to admit, I read it on it's own and requested the review copy not realizing it was one in a series.

A story of terrorist plots, small town intrigue, traitors among the tight knit community as well as a small dash of romance all flavor this romantic suspense novel.  The beginning was a little cumbersome as it was obvious the author was trying to fill in the plot-line gaps that were covered in previous books, and had I read the other books, I think it would have been even more sluggish.  Once past all the introductory pieces, the story line moved along nicely.

The characters are well defined and emotions and feelings of traumatic experiences are well written.  Although the series namesake, Crossroads Crisis Center, is mentioned often, it is left as a vague entity and the reader is left unclear of it's exact organization.  A church?  A counseling center? A group of friends who get together to do good in the community?

If you're looking for a fun, suspenseful read and can take a couple steps from reality into the shelves of fiction, Not This Time is a fun, clean, page-turner.

Disclaimers: I received a complementary copy of this ebook from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review as part of the Blogging for Books program. The opinions and thoughts of this are my own and are not influenced in any way. This post contains affiliate links.

God Gave Us Two

I have really enjoyed being part of the Blogging for Books program.  It's pretty simple, I go through the list and pick a book (or ebook), read it, review it and then pick a new one.  This last time it was time to pick a book, I was skimming the childrens' books because I really wasn't sure how much reading time I'd have between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

One of the children's books available was God Gave Us Two by Lisa Tawn Bergren and Laura J. Bryant.  Since we had just found out we were expecting our "Number Two" it was a perfect pick!  It sat on the shelf for a couple weeks as we waited to tell GTot that she was going to be a big sister.

God Gave Us Two is a beautifully illustrated story of a polar bear family expecting their "Two".  The older child wonders what life with the baby will be like and the theme that children are a blessing from God runs strong through the story.  The big sister asks the questions that I think most kids ask: What if I don't like the baby?  What if the baby doesn't like me?  What if the baby cries too much?  Each question is answered gently and kindly with reiteration of the blessing of a new child.  The illustrations are beautifully done and can tell much of the story on their own.

This is a great story to share with your young children the idea of a new member of the family on the way.  I know we're enjoying it!

Indelible - By Kirsten Heitzmann

Kirsten Heitzmann brings another great addition to her collection of novels with Indelible and certainly does not disappoint her long time fans or new readers.  While listed on her website as a stand alone novel, it carries over the same small town of Redwood, Colorado and cast of characters as Indivisible which I reviewed a few months back.

Indelible brings a gifted sculptor, Natalie, to Redwood who can capture an a  persons' flash of emotion in clay.  We are also introduced to Trevor, a gold-medal skier turned wilderness outfitter who's past drives him to rescue and protect all those around him.  Their paths cross when Trevor rescues Natalie's nephew from the jaws of a cougar on a trail outside of Redwood.  As their paths intertwine, complicated relationships with family and friends brings additional stress to their forming relationship.

The plot is deepened even further as Heitzmann weaves the works of a disturbed individual who also feels the need to rescue and protect the weak and innocent, but his actions are less than noble and puts the innocent in even more danger than they may have been and he has his sights on the children, visually impaired and the weak of Redwood.

Two plots of light and darkness are interwoven into a wonderfully suspenseful page-turning read.  Short of the "guy-gets-the-girl" ending, there is nothing predictable about this romantic mystery.



Disclaimers: I received a complementary copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review as part of the Blogging for Books program. The opinions and thoughts of this are my own and are not influenced in any way. This post contains affiliate links.

Book Review: Restless In Carolina

Restless in Carolina takes the basic long-stemmed rose of a boy-meets girl romance and adds in some crinkly-petaled carnations of family dynamics, some grenery of environmental awareness and some baby's breath of faith and grace delicately placed among the conflict and characters to create a Christian romance that is as unusual as it's characters.

Bridget Pickwick Buchanen is forced to face her long held grief over the loss of her husband when confronted with her sister's words through the mouths of her five-year-old niece and nephew. Clinging to grief, this barefoot, jeans wearing, landscaper finds herself in designer-business professional attire to come up with an environmentally friendly option for the sale of the family estate. As the faux fascade fades back to her Levis, so does the acuity of her grief as ahe finds that just maybe there could be another 'happily ever after' in her future.

Tamara Leigh does a wonderful job of incliding subtle details to fully portray her characters: each of whom holds their own conflicts and secrets. Having not read the first two books in this series (Leaving Carolina and Nowhere, Carolina), I feel Leigh has done a great job creating a stand-alone story. While reading the books in order would provide depth to the other family members, Bridget's story stands alone nicely.

Restless in Carolina was a very quick vacation-week read for me and I look forward to looking up the other books in this series.



Disclaimers: I received a complementary copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review as part of the Blogging for Books program. The opinions and thoughts of this are my own and are not influenced in any way. This post contains affiliate links.

This Little Prayer of Mine

This Little Prayer of Mine by Anthony De Stefano and illustrated by Mark Elliot is a wonderful work that takes you through a bedtime prayer, through the eyes of a child's faith.

Beginning with the question of if God will hear them, and then touching on decision making, bad behavior, loneliness, generosity, kindness and gratitude, you walk life through the eyes of children.  The text of this story takes children through many types of prayers and gives them the encouragement that they can approach God about anything.

The soft illustrations naturally depict the activities and situations of the children this story focuses on.

DeStefano and Elliot have teamed up again for a wonderful work of text and artwork that provides a path to exploring faith and prayer with your child.

I received a complementary copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review as part of the Blogging for Books program.  The opinions and thoughts of this are my own and are not influenced in any way.

Book Review: Judgment Day

I love a good suspense novel. The type with a plot that twists and turns and leaves you lost in a maze.  Characters that are believable are essential to the good suspense novel.  Judgment Day by Wanda L. Dyson is one of those novels.

I was hooked from page one with this story.  Judgment Day reads with screen-type clarity with themes common in many action television shows and movies.  It’s not hard to imagine the tough chic female lead, the less than honorable reporter or the tangled mess of politicians and wealthy power players.

I was immediately board with Alex, Marcus and Razz to find the villain while irked by Suzanne the antagonist.  As the pages flew through my fingers multiple plot-lines unfolded with clarity and a great dose of suspense.  With solid hints at faith, the mentions are unobtrusive to the storyline and plot and come in believable moments in the story.

Judgment Day is a great, quick, read if you are a fan of mysteries or suspense novels.

I received a complementary copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review as part of the Blogging for Books program.  The opinions and thoughts of this are my own and are not influenced in any way.

Book Review: Indivisible

I've enjoyed Kristen Heitzmann's books for a long time as each one of her stand-alone novels is distinctly different and Heitzmann doesn't seem to write with a predictable formula.   Indivisible was a wonderful read.

A melange of characters in a small Rocky Mountain town learn what it is to be together, and divided as they face facets of their past that make them the people they are today.  Heitzmann does a wonderful job of illuminating the pasts of her characters, pulling the threads of their pasts slowly into the light.  The revelations are similar to what you would experience in developing a new friendship.  One thread leads to and twists with another until an intricate network of emotions, experiences emerge.

All the while, gruesome happenings keep Sherriff Jonah Westfall busy with investigations. Tia Manning is working through pains from the past as well as finding her footing for the future.  Piper has arrived in the small town to escape her family and finds friendship, acceptance and camaraderie in the people of this small town.  Liz is working hard to bring peace and wholeness to her life, but it is not an easy task.

When the threads of emotions and pasts are combined with the plot of current activities, a great tapestry of fiction is woven and is an enthralling read.

I received a complementary copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.  The opinions and thoughts of this are my own and are not influenced in any way.

Book Review: Divine Appointments

Divine Appointments by Charlene Baumbich is a heart warming novel that explores the true longings that we as humans feel for interpersonal relationships.  From the work-place best friends to the tough as nails consultant who thrives on solitude, each of the main characters are brought to a point in their lives where they must examine what they truly desire.  They find that through “coincidental” meetings, or divine appointments, what they think they need and what they inexplicably desire at the core of their being are often two different things.  Divine Appointments takes you on a journey of friendships lost and found, of love discovered and of dreams revealed and fulfilled.

It took me a while to really get into this book, to understand what was going on with the plot and how the characters really fit into it.  Once it got its hooks into me I found myself wrapped into the stories of these characters, their struggles and their triumphs.  The main characters were all in a different stage of life than I am which may have contributed to the distance I felt from them.

Overall, it was nicely written with strong themes of friendship and commitment throughout.



I received a complementary copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Little Star

Little Star by Anthony DeStefano  is a charming story of Christ's Birth, as recounted by a father to son.  The age old story is told with a twist: it is from the perspective of the stars in the night sky.

There is a lot going on in this short little story.  You have a parent retelling the Christmas story in a new light, but in symbolism, one can also see story of redemption through Christs death and the true gift of life everlasting.  All these threads are woven together into a great tale of determination by a little star to shine out for what he believes in.

I was captured by the illustrations by Mark Elliot.  Mary and Joseph are portrayed as very young people, which they were.  The characterization of the faces in the celestial bodies are well done to show the emotions written into the text.

Overall, it's a wonderful book to share the true gift of Christmas with your child, young and old alike.



I received a complementary copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Audio Book Review: Missing Max

Missing Max

By Karen Young

Read by Laural Merlington

The book opens with the abduction of six month old Max Madison during a Mardi Gras parade and moves quickly into the conflicted relationships that are left in the wake of the kidnapping.  Kyle and Jane and Kyle’s sixteen year old daughter Melanie are each struggling in their own ways with feelings of responsibility for the missing child.  Family communication breakdowns add to the frustrations as each family member struggles to deal with the loss, while maintaining hope for reunification.

Ms. Merlington does a wonderful job of voice fluctuation between characters, moods and emotions that draws the listener into the drama.  There was one particular point during a heated conversation where the narration was rapid and was not clear between a character’s speaking voice and the character’s thoughts.  After a moment of listening in context, the confusion was cleared up, but it did give this reader pause.

Without giving away too many details, I will say that Missing Max follows a typical Christian fiction cookie cutter and was rather predictable.  I also found parts of the story line to be far fetched and out of character for the characters as they were written. It served well for “brain bubble gum” to occupy my mind while my hands were occupied with the tasks of the day.

Disclosure: I received this audiobook free from Oasis Audio as part of their Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Cook Book Review: Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

So, yesterday when I wrote about Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day and told you I "experimented", I have to admit, the first thing I did was add whole wheat flour to the recipes.  I like a good, white artisan bread sometimes, but for everyday consumption, I feel my family and I need something that is a bit healthier.

I guess I wasn't the only one with this thought, because after sifting through all the feedback from Artisan Bread, Hertzberg and Francois went back to the kitchen and produced Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day.  Written in the same style, and applying the same methods as Artisan Bread, Healthy Bread kicks up the ingredients to use whole wheat flours, whole grains, nuts, fruits and seeds to make truly delicious healthy bread.

I received my copy of Healthy Bread for my birthday.  I opened it, perused it and got sucked into it.  I've begun working through the recipes and have had fantastic results.  I generally opt for the white whole wheat flour and these whole grain recipes are tailored to handle traditional or white whole wheat.  They have formulated the recipes to produce light, airy whole wheat bread. After making dense, whole wheat bread for way to long, I am loving the new results!

While the ingredients used in this book are a bit more "exotic" than in Artisan Bread, most of the ingredients for the standard recipes can be found in a grocery store baking aisle.  As you move to more complicated breads (like the gluten free recipes) there are more specialized ingredients.

If you're looking for some good-for-you bread recipes to add to your collection, check out Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. I think you'll like what you find.

(Disclaimer: This is a voluntary review and I have not been compensated in any way for this review.)

Cook Book Review: Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

Back in February, a friend recommended Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois.  the recommendation came complete with at copy of the master bread recipe.  I was intrigued.  I requested my own copy from the library.  I experimented.  I renewed the book.  I requested it for my birthday.

I loved this cookbook. I had an "old standby" cookbook for my bread baking that was my general reference, but after reading ABin5 (as they abbreviate it on their web site), my inner baker was liking the new methods presented.

As I read through the introduction and then skimmed through the recipes, I kept thinking that it just seemed way too easy. It couldn't really work, could it?  I experimented, and their recipes do work.  Multiple recipes and techniques are presented for each base dough recipe.  This was one part that I really appreciated about this book.  We are a small household, and goodness knows I don't need all kinds of extra loaves of bread around the house.  But, if I know a dough base is good for about 2 weeks and can be used a few different ways,  I can look at my menu and plan accordingly.

ABin5 also provides instructions for freezing enriched (eggs and milk added) dough recipes that don't have as long of a refrigerator life.  I was skeptical, but these methods worked too.

The instructions are clear and concise.  Once your read through their method, have the correct equipment and understand your ingredients, I think that anyone can achieve great artisan bread at home under the tutelage of Hertzberg and Francois.

If you're interested, check it out at your local library or peruse their website.  Tomorrow - I'll give you my 2 cents on Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day.

(Disclaimer: This is a voluntary review and I have not been compensated in any way for this review.)