Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Book Giveaway Opportunity for Reading Friends!

Hey Y'all!

Just a quick pop-in to let you know there is a great book being given away this week. Hurry on over and enter the contest, k? 

All you have to do is click on the image and it will take you to the blog that is having the giveaway.




In case y'all didn't know, Fiction Addiction Fix has TONS (okay, maybe not tons but there are a lot!) of book giveaways listed and there's a link under each book cover to click on that takes you to the giveaway! Easy peasy and only takes a few minutes to enter to win. 

It's time to get those books piled high for some winter time reading pleasure. :-)

create your own banner at mybannermaker.com!



~Happy Reading~

Sunday, October 25, 2015

{Sunday} Morning Worship & Praise


And beware not to lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, and be drawn away and worship them and serve them, those which the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven. 
 
I can see why some people want to worship creation instead of the Creator.  It's a magnificent sight to behold. And for those who do not have a relationship with the Lord, they seek to worship something
 
But for me, when I see the sun rise each morning it just reiterates to me the awesomeness of God, his power and majesty, his ability to speak into existence this beautiful world we live in, his gift of the sun and moon and stars and heavens above. I don't have the slightest desire to worship what He has created, but to lift my hands and heart in praise to his glorious name. Many mornings my tears flow in continuing realization of his mercy toward me, his saving grace through Christ Jesus, and his continuing presence through his Holy Spirit.  
 
I am compelled to worship and praise HIM who sits on the throne!

Blessed be the Name of the Lord!


Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Sail Away


There was a sailing regatta on Sunday that we came upon by happenstance. My husband is used to me saying "Stop the car!" as I grab my camera, throw off my seat belt and open the car door to get out and snap a photo. Thankfully we were in an isolated parking lot this time so there was no chance of injury to a car or me. :) 

Of all the sailboats getting ready to set sail, this was the most colorful one out there. Of course it captured my full attention as it was rounding the jetty to head toward the open waters of the Chesapeake Bay. I could have taken a little time to get a better image but it was actually moving pretty fast--as you can see by the full sail the wind was really blowing.

After this delightful discovery, we stopped by Fort Monroe but having no idea how big it actually is, we were not prepared to tour the whole thing so we will go back another day. Okay, I wasn't prepared. I had on semi-high heels for the first time in almost two years. Now I know to wear my sneakers when we go anywhere because there's so much history to see in this area! I'm sure I will have plenty of miles on my Vivofit--and lots of photos to share-- in the coming weeks and months.

~Happily Snapping~
 Psalm 139:17-18
How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them! 
 If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.
When I awake, I am still with You.

Friday, October 16, 2015

WINNER!!!


Congratulations, Tonja!!!

You won the giveaway for a copy of Lilacs for Juliana by Carrie Fancett Pagels!

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Sign up to follow Stuff & Nonsense so you don't miss out on any future giveaways. There's several ways to follow. Just check 'em out in the sidebar. :-)

~Happy Reading~




Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Sweet Cheeks


Psalm 56:8

You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
You have recorded each one in your book.



32 years. 

It's hard to believe I'm the mother of a child who would have been 32 years old today. It seems like only yesterday that the weak sound of Amy's cry was heard when her tiny and trembling body was ushered into this world by cesarean section, and her vernix covered cheek was caressed softly against my wet one.

Once again my cheeks are glistening with tears as I sit here and remember the day her life began and how she felt--the first touch of her face on mine, the sweetness of a moment like no other.

I cherish the time the Lord allowed me to feel Amy's face against mine. I'm even thankful for the moments our tears mingled together during hard times and good times--trials and triumphs--for without one we would never know the other.

While I will always grieve the physical withdrawal of Amy, I hold her in my heart and imagine the whisper soft touch of her cheek against mine when a gentle breeze brushes across my face.

Friday, October 9, 2015

Beyond the Fence


Our neighbors have a collection of brightly colored Adirondack chairs on the other side of this fence.
Sharing @


~Happy Snapping~

Review ~ The Lost Heiress by Roseanna M. White (Ladies of the Manor, Book 1)





About the Book
 
Brook Eden has never known where she truly belongs. Though raised in the palace of Monaco, she’s British by birth and was brought to the Grimaldis under suspicious circumstances as a babe. When Brook’s friend Justin uncovers the fact that Brook is likely a missing heiress from Yorkshire, Brook leaves the sun of the Mediterranean to travel to the moors of the North Sea to the estate of her supposed family.
 
The mystery of her mother’s death haunts her, and though her father is quick to accept her, the rest of the family and the servants of Whitby Park are not. Only when Brook’s life is threatened do they draw close—but their loyalty may come too late to save Brook from the same threat that led to tragedy for her mother.
 
As heir to a dukedom, Justin is no stranger to balancing responsibilities. When the matters of his estate force him far from Brook, the distance between them reveals that what began as friendship has grown into something much more. But how can their very different loyalties and responsibilities ever come together?
 
And then, for a second time, the heiress of Whitby Park is stolen away because of the very rare treasure in her possession—and this time only the servants of Whitby can save her.
  
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My Review 
 

The Lost Heiress is a masterpiece of charm, wit, intrigue, secrets, romance and love. Being the first book in the series, I wasn’t sure if it was going to be wrapped up all proper like or leave me hanging by my fingernails on the edge of a cliff. I’m happy to say that Ms White satisfied my desire for a happy ending and left me eagerly awaiting the next book in the series. 

Not only is this a fantastic story of two friends who care deeply for one another, okay they love each other but don’t realize the depth of that love until it’s almost too late—for both of them—it’s also about the house staff and their lives. Think Downton Abbey with a little Brontë thrown in. 

If I hadn’t been in the middle of moving, I would have dedicated myself to non-stop reading until I was finished. It’s that good! As it is, I had time to savor in bits and pieces, the story, the locations, the dialogue, the intrigue. Oh boy, is it full of intrigue?! And the crazy thing is, near the end I was actually thinking that a particular character was going to end up being a traitor. I’m still not 100% positive the person won’t turn out to be wily later on in the series but I hope not.

With her usual graceful pen, Ms White brings the Christian faith alive in her characters. I could step into their shoes and understand the struggles, fears, hopes and dreams of each one. But I have to say, there is one character in particular that is over-the-top swoon worthy!  I’m sure he’s getting his own story but I don’t know if it is next or not. Here’s hoping sooner rather than later.

Snag a copy of The Lost Heiress then grab a cup of hot tea, snuggle down in a soft blanket and enjoy an evening immersed in the glittering and not always glamorous world of the Edwardian Era. 

I would like to thank the author and Bethany House Publishers for providing me a copy of the book for *review purposes. No compensation has been received.

*My personal apology to the author for taking so long to read and review the book. It really had nothing to do with the book and everything to do with moving. 

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~Happy Reading~ 



 

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Blog Hop & Guest Post from Carrie Fancett Pagels, author of Lilacs for Juliana + GIVEAWAY!!! Open Internationally for an eBook

~UPDATE: GIVEAWAY FOR THE PAPERBACK OR EBOOK COPY HERE ON STUFF & NONSENSE HAS ENDED~





Secondary Characters – Rheumatoid Arthritis

When I recently wrote the third book in The Christy Lumber Camp Series, Lilacs for Juliana, I knew I wanted the heroine’s mother to suffer from a chronic illness. Mrs. Nora Beauchamps had her last child in her forties, like me, and I decided to “give” her Rheumatoid Arthritis, like I have. 

Portraying Mrs. Beauchamps was a little tricky. She was almost 70, an age I haven’t yet approached. But I tried to imagine how her condition may have progressed to the point that she wasn’t active during the time my heroine, her daughter Juliana, was home. So I had Mrs. Beauchamps sleeping in during the morning and I had her fairly stiff at night and usually unable to cook. But—there is great variability on any given day for most people with an autoimmune disorder.  So I have Nora enter a time when her symptoms improve.  Early on  in the book, I imply that Juliana may not understand just what all her mother still is able to do. In Juliana’s mind, her mother is a complete invalid—but she is not. Both Mrs. Beauchamps and Juliana’s sister, Claudette, who suffers from Lupus, regularly harvest fruit and make jams and jellies that sell well at the mercantile in town. One reason I wanted to show my twenty-something year old Juliana as not understanding her mother’s capabilities is because this often happens in families.

Although Rheumatoid Arthritis is quite different from Osteoarthritis, I chose to show Mrs. Beauchamps as having a mild to moderate form of the illness that has not affected her organs. The disease can be life threatening if it attacks organs such as the heart. However, I chose not to complicate the plot of the book by showing anything other than that which would move the plot forward for my hero and heroine.

By the way—my heroine’s mother LOVES my hero, Richard Christy—and I hope you will, too! 

Carrie is offering ONE copy of a paperback or eBook to a USA winner, or an eBook to an INTERNATIONAL winner!!!

To be entered, leave a comment below answering Carrie's question: 

Do you have a family member with arthritis? Have you read any books where you felt this disorder was particularly well shown in the novel? 

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Bio: Former “Yooper” Carrie Fancett Pagels writes Christian historical romances about overcoming. She grew up in Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where many of her stories are set. Possessed with an overactive imagination, that wasn't "cured" by twenty-five years as a psychologist, she loves bringing characters to life. Carrie and her family reside in Virginia’s Historic Triangle, which is perfect for her fascination with history. Carrie enjoys reading, traveling, baking, and beading—but not all at the same time!  

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Links to the other blogs in the blog hop are below!  Be in to win!!! Stop by each link (at least 7 of them to qualify for the GRAND PRIZE!!!) and leave a comment and your email address in a safe format!  You might be the winner of a KINDLE! And a paperback copy will be given to a winner at each blog stop!

September 7th    Heroes,Heroines and History
September 12th  Overcomingwith God 
September 14th   BookBabble
September 16th   Cheryl B Book Blog
September 18th   D’sQuilts & Books
September 23rd  SunnieReviews
September 24th  BuzzingAbout Books
September 30th  Captive Dreams Windows
October 1st            Singing Librarian Books
October 5th           Perspectives by Nancee  
October 7th           Stuff and Nonsense
October 14th         Debbie’sDusty Deliberations
October 21st        Lane Hill House


 ~Happy Blog Hopping~
                                                       
 

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Falling Down Fence


 These photos were taken with my phone camera while I took a long leisurely walk on the last pretty day this week, Tuesday. Now our weather is all stormy with winds, rain and billowing surf. Not good conditions to go out in, in my book.


This fence is supposed to keep non-paying people out of the fishing pier area at our local beach.


Hmmm....If it's like this now, what will it look like after Hurricane Joaquin arrives this weekend?!

If you think of it, please say a pray for those of us in the path of this CAT 3 storm. I know I'm praying it shifts eastward a little more so we don't get the brunt of it. 

Sharing @


~Have a blessed day~ 

Philippians 4:23 
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.