wordless wednesday

Bonus features for A Beauty So Rare by Tamera Alexander!

I'm so excited to be on the blogging team sharing bonus features for a novel I'll be reading and reviewing soon... A Beauty So Rare by Tamera Alexander.

Here is the book trailer which I think is just lovely:


And an excerpt from the book!

A Beauty So Rare by Bethany House Publishers

$1.99 e-book sale this weekend only: Swept Away by Mary Connealy

I love Mary Connealy's books! Adventure, romance, and humor in the wild west. I gave this one four stars- I really enjoyed it. The sale is through this weekend only, so get it at Amazon here!

Synopsis from goodreads.com

Swept away when her wagon train attempts a difficult river crossing, Ruthy MacNeil isn't all that upset at being separated from the family who raised her. All they've ever done is work her to the bone. She prayed for a chance to get away, and then came the raging flood. Alive but disoriented, she's rescued by Luke Stone... so unfortunately, there are more chances to die in her immediate future.

Luke is heading home to reclaim the ranch stolen from his family. But the men who killed his father are working hard to ensure Luke doesn't make it alive. He has no choice but to keep moving. Still, he can't just abandon Ruthy, so she'll have to come along.

His friends—a ragtag group of former Civil War soldiers—take a fast interest in the pretty gal. Luke thinks that's rather rude—he's the one who found her. And the more time he spends around the hard-working young woman who is a mighty good cook, the more he finds himself thinking beyond revenge and toward a different future. For the first time in a long time, Luke is tempted to turn from his destructive path and be swept away by love.

$1.99 e-book sale: The Heiress of Winterwood by Sarah Ladd

$1.99 e-book sale! Get it at Amazon here.

This one is on my to-read list, but I've read great reviews of it!

Synopsis from goodreads.com

Amelia Barrett, heiress to an ancestral estate nestled in the English moors, defies family expectations and promises to raise her dying friend’s infant baby. She'll risk everything to keep her word—even to the point of proposing to the child’s father, Graham, a sea captain she’s never met.

Tragedy strikes when the child vanishes with little more than a sketchy ransom note hinting to her whereabouts. Fear for the child’s safety drives Amelia and Graham to test the boundaries of their love for this infant.

Amelia’s detailed plans would normally see her through any trial, but now, desperate and shaken, she examines her soul and must face her one weakness: pride.

Graham’s strength and self-control have served him well and earned him much respect, but chasing perfection has kept him a prisoner of his own discipline.

Both must learn to accept God’s sovereignty and relinquish control so they can grasp the future He has for planned for them.

Balanced Challenge Day Eleven: Refresh

"Balance isn't the ultimate goal- knowing God is."

I so appreciate the spiritual focus in this book and how it encourages us to trust God and lean on Him. I find that my life is most balanced when my spiritual needs are met first, then everything else falls into place (whether it gets done that day or not).

In the last chapter of Balanced, Tricia gives several ideas for scheduling your work in order to be able to give a full effort at what you are focused on in the moment, instead of giving half-efforts at your different roles. The second list of ideas she shares is ways to clear out your inner clutter- the worries and concerns. the last list is 24 final tips, which are so helpful to me.

This post is part of the Balanced challenge with Tricia Goyer—and you can join, too!

Get Balanced!
 

$1.99 e-book sale! Submerged by Dani Pettrey

E-book sale! Only $1.99 for romantic suspense novel Submerged by Dani Pettrey- get it at Amazon here. I gave it 5 stars, and there are two more books in the series, with a new one being published later this year.

Synopsis from goodreads.com

Bailey Craig vowed never to set foot in Yancey again. She has a past, and a reputation--and Yancey's a small town. She's returned to bury a loved one killed in the plane crash and is determined not to stay even an hour more than necessary. But then dark evidence emerges and Bailey's own expertise becomes invaluable for the case.
Cole McKenna can handle the deep-sea dives and helping the police recover evidence. He can even handle the fact that a murderer has settled in his town and doesn't appear to be moving on. But dealing with the reality of Bailey's reappearance is a tougher challenge. She broke his heart, but she is not the same girl who left Yancey. He let her down, but he's not the same guy she left behind. Can they move beyond the hurts of their pasts and find a future together?

Free e-book! Trinity: Military War Dog by Ronie Kendig

Free e-book! Trinity: Military War Dog by Ronie Kendig

Download it here at Amazon

Synopsis from Goodreads.com

A year ago in Afghanistan, Green Beret Heath Daniel’s career was destroyed. Along with his faith. Now he and his military war dog, Trinity, train other dogs and their handlers. Though his passion is to be back in action, the medical discharge has forced Heath—and Trinity—to the sidelines. Military intelligence officer Darci Kintz is captured while secretly tracking the Taliban. Only one dog can handle the extreme conditions to save her. Trinity. Only one man can handle Trinity. Time is running out on the greatest—and most dangerous—mission of their lives.

Balanced Challenge Day Ten: Eight Life Themes

This is one of my favorite chapters in the book. Tricia encourages us to list the eight themes that take top priority during this season in life (they are subject to change), and choose to say yes to those things while choosing to say no to the things not on that list. (Saying no can be challenging!)

"In Balanced I encourage readers to narrow down their “life themes” to eight. Why eight? None of us are just about one thing . . . and eight is enough to manage, believe me!"

"Eight life themes are the things that come from the core of us. Yet during different seasons of life they may look different."

Here are my Eight!

1. Relationship with God
2. Wife
3. Mother
4. Healthy home

5. Daycare Provider
6. Serving in Church
7. Photographer
8. Reading/Blogging


This post is part of the Balanced challenge with Tricia Goyer—and you can join, too!

Get Balanced!
 

wordless wednesday

Balanced Challenge Day Nine: Inspiration and Relaxation

Give your mind a rest and a dose of good, old-fashioned inspiration. Carve out some time today to implement one of my tips about finding inspiration and enjoy the feeling of creativity. 

1. Spend time with God, praying for God’s inspiration.
2. Do something to feed your creative soul.
3. Let the creativity spill out through words, through music, through art.
4. Share your message (God’s message through you) with others.

Something that I have let go of over the years of becoming a busy mom is recording our family history through scrapbooking our photographs. One of my new year's resolutions is to begin scrapbooking on a weekly basis with my older daughter. So I pulled out some envelopes of school and soccer pictures, hauled out the stacks of decorative paper, and we matched up what papers would look best with the pictures. that's as far as we got, so next time we'll plan the layout and embellishments and get it all glued down. I expect (and hope!) that as we get into the groove my creative juices will flow faster...

This post is part of the Balanced challenge with Tricia Goyer—and you can join, too!

Get Balanced!