Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Free e-book! Courting Cate by Leslie Gould

Courting Cate by Leslie Gould
Get this e-book free today on Amazon!

Synopsis from goodreads.com

When This Couple Gets to Courting, Sparks Will Fly!

In Paradise, Pennsylvania, Cate Miller is known more for her sharp tongue and fiery temper than her striking appearance. Her sweet and flirty sister, Betsy, on the other hand, seems to have attracted most of the bachelors in Lancaster County!

But the sisters' wealthy father has made one hard-and-fast rule: older Cate must marry first, before younger Betsy can even start courting. Unfortunately, untamable Cate has driven away every suitor--until Pete Treger comes to town, that is.

Prodded by the men of the area, Pete turns his attention to winning Cate's hand. But is his interest true or is there a scheme at play?


Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday: 'Gateway' books/authors in my reading journey

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Here are ten genres that I enjoy reading and the first book of each I can remember that led me to fall in love with reading!

Regency
I picked up Dolly Blanchard's Fortune in the high school library. It's somewhat predictable, but the hero and heroine are so likeable, and the Regency details were wonderful to dream about.

Historical
Little House in the Big Woods is one of the first chapter books I remember reading. The characters and descriptions are so vivid and endearing. I always wanted to name one of my daughters Laura...

Christian/Clean Romance
 During my teenage years my mom started buying my sisters and me novels with clean romance themes. A Bride for Donnigan is the first mail-order bride book I read, and it is a piece of history that has fascinated me.

Fairy Tale Retellings
 I just fell in love with Ella Enchanted, and for several months I devoured fairy tale adaptations!

Western
My dad had quite the collection of Louis L'Amour paperbacks, and one bored afternoon I started Where the Long Grass Blows and was introduced to the cowboy adventure! I still love historical and contemporary books with a cowboy theme.

Love Inspired line
 At our local library's used book sale I picked up Everyday Blessings since I figured it had to be a clean romance (unlike much of what was there among the paperbacks...) Little did I know it would start an addiction to these sweet quick reads. 

Young Adult
What an adorable book! Fifteen is the sweetest story of young and awkward love.

LDS Fiction
As a teenager and young adult I spent much of my reading time with novels whose main characters are members of the church I belong to. Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites is an amazing and imaginative adventure of three modern-day teenagers time-traveling to the ancient lands of The Book of Mormon during one of the most volatile times in its history.

Classics
As the second of four girls in my family, I always related to Jo in Little Women, even though I was an artist like Amy.  I read a few others by Alcott, but went on to enjoy L.M. Montgomery, Jane Austen, and Gene Stratton-Porter.

Fantasy
I don't read this genre much anymore, but there are a handful of books that I really connected with, mostly by Juliet Marillier. Wildwood Dancing was my first and still my favorite!


Free e-book! Made to Last by Melissa Tagg

Made to Last by Melissa Tagg
Free today at Amazon: Made to Last by Melissa Tagg! I gave this one 4 stars- read my review here.

Review: Balanced: Finding Center as a Work-at-Home Mom by Tricia Goyer

Balanced: Finding Center as a Work-at-Home Mom by Tricia Goyer
My rating: 5 stars

Synopsis

How can a work-at-home mom raise kids, juggle a career and take care of family responsibilities with only 24-hour days? Working at home while raising kids and juggling a career and family responsibilities is no easy feat. Author and homeschooling mom Tricia Goyer shares her tips for finding balance among all your many hats as a mom. Balancing is a process and a journey, one that Tricia herself has yet to perfect. But between writing more than forty books, raising and homeschooling six kids, being a wife, and being active in her community, she has amassed valuable tips she shares in “Balanced.”

The book includes tips on:
—how to create focus themes for your family
—how to prioritize your schedule
—how to utilize your job so it also benefits your kids
—how to keep yourself out of the comparison game
—how to make working at home work for you
—and much more!

My Review

This was a book I really needed to read! I've been feeling frustrated that even though I work at home, I never seem to be able to stay on top of things. I participated in the eleven-day Balanced Challenge the author led on her blog, and it helped me implement the advice I read in her book (instead of just reading it and thinking, "hey, that's a good idea," but then forgetting to actually try it out). The perspective, advice, and spiritual guidance she shares is invaluable, and can apply to women and mothers working in most any industry from their homes that find themselves in need of becoming a little (or a lot) more balanced.

(ARC provided via Litfuse Publicity for unbiased review)