To Whisper Her Name by Tamera Alexander* A Review

ABOUT TO WHISPER HER NAME
Olivia Aberdeen, destitute widow of a man shot as a traitor to the South, is shunned by proper society and gratefully accepts an invitation from "Aunt" Elizabeth Harding, mistress of Belle Meade Plantation. Expecting to be the Harding's head housekeeper, Olivia is disillusioned when she learns the real reason Elizabeth's husband, Confederate General William Giles Harding, agreed to her coming. Not finding the safe haven she expects, Olivia is caught off guard by her feelings for Ridley Adam Cooper, a Southern man who seems anything but a Southern gentleman.

Branded a traitor by some, Ridley Cooper, a Southern son who chose to fight for the Union, is a man desperate to end the war still raging inside him. Determined to learn "the gift" that Belle Meade's head horse trainer and former slave, Bob Green, possesses, Ridley harbors secrets that threaten both their lives.

As Ridley seeks to make peace within himself for "betraying" the South he loved, Olivia is determined to never be betrayed again.

Set at Nashville's historic Belle Meade Plantation, the most influential thoroughbred stud farm in America's history, To Whisper Her Name weaves the struggles of real people of the post-war South with the journeys of a man and a woman scarred by betrayal.

Reading level: Ages 18 and up
Paperback: 480 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (October 23, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310291062
ISBN-13: 978-0310291060
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1.2 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.1 pound

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tamera Alexander is a bestselling novelist whose deeply drawn characters, thought-provoking plots, and poignant prose have earned her devoted readers--and multiple industry awards. Among them, the Christy Award, the RITA Award, the Carol Award, the HOLT Medallion, the National Reader's Choice Award, the Bookseller's Best Award, and the acclaimed Library Journal's Top Pick for Christian Fiction. Tamera also enjoys a devoted international following with her books being translated into German, Dutch, Turkish, and Polish.

Tamera's first seven novels are set against the rugged backdrop of the Colorado Territory (1860-70s), but she's recently turned her heart--and her pen--toward "home" and is writing about her own Southern heritage. A Lasting Impression, the first of three Belmont Mansion novels, showcases the larger-than-life history of Adelicia Acklen, the richest woman in America at the time, and the Belmont Mansion in the years following the Civil War. Tamera's ninth novel, To Whisper Her Name, the first of three Belle Meade Plantation novels, releases October 23, 2012, and tells the story behind the most influential thoroughbred stud farm in our nation's history.

These two Southern series will intertwine, detailing the "real life" history of two of Nashville's most famous homes and their intriguing families. A Lasting Impression was recently named a 2012 Christy Award finalist (an award honoring excellence in Christian Fiction) for Best Historical Romance.

After seventeen years in Colorado, Tamera and her husband have returned to their native South and live in Nashville, Tennessee, where they enjoy spending time with their two grown children who live nearby, as well as a ten-pound silky terrier named Jack. When she writes, Tamera takes steps closer to Christ, and it's her earnest desire that her readers will do the same, as they read.


Connect with Tamera here:
www.tameraalexander.com
www.tameraalexander.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/tameraalexander
www.facebook.com/tamera.alexander
http://pinterest.com/tameraauthor/


MY REVIEW
  To Whisper Her Name by Tamera Alexander is an excellent book. I really, really loved reading it. It is now one of my favorites for 2013. This is the second book I’ve read of Tamera’s and she is a super story teller and full of compassion and love shown through her characters.  I will be happy to read anything written by Tamera Alexander’
  I love how she weaved the story of Olivia and Ridley and how they came to know each other and become friends. Both have horrible past that they would soon as forget, but the past always comes in to ruin a friendship or life.
 I just love how the characters were described and how easily it is to love them and feel like you belong right in the story.
 Usually I don’t care to read about stories about the after effects of wars, but this one was done in such a way that it was a pleasure to read.
  I highly recommend To Whisper Her Name by Tamera Alexander. I know you will love the story line, the characters and the beautiful settings.

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Thank you to Zondervan for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

VeggieTales The Little House That Stood * DVD Review

ABOUT THE LITTLE HOUSE THAT STOOD

When the Three Little Pigs roll into Cabbageville looking to build some new houses, they meet one builder with a plan and two without a clue? Larry builds with hay, Mr. Lunt with bricks, but only  Bob builds his houses on a firm foundation-following the wise plans from the Master Builder’s Handbook? Will the Little Piggies make the right choices when it comes to building their houses-and their lives-on solid ground?Find out in this parable that shows kids when they follow God’s blueprints, they can stand strong when the storms come!

PLUS! Ever wonder what happened before Humpty cracked?
Find out in this very Veggie retelling of the classic Humpty Dumpty story “The Good Egg of Gooseville” where we learn that a good neighbor always “lends a little hand” to those in need!

Website http://veggietales.com/littlehouse/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/veggietales
Trailer http://www.youtube.com

Actors: Bob The Tomato, Larry The Cucumber, Petunia Rhubarb
Directors: Various
Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Widescreen
Language: English
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
Number of discs: 1
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Big Idea
DVD Release Date: March 5, 2013
Run Time: 49 minutes


MY REVIEW
  Larry and Mr. Lunt didn’t see the point of building on solid
stuff. They wanted to do things the quick and easy way. This DVD shows why it’s not good to do things fast or the easy way. It explains why fighting over something only makes you sad or look silly. This DVD is really neat because it tells a story with many wonderful examples for doing something or not doing it. It shows you what’s right and what’s wrong with doing certain things.
  The only story in the DVD about Humpty Dumpty talks about being lonely and wanting to be alone, God didn’t create people to be alone,
but to love and care for each other. When we care for others, God fills us with purpose and joy! Not blaming others for things that are wrong and confessing to things that we may have done wrong ourselves.
This is just a fantastic DVD for everyone, but mainly for children 3-7 years old. Highly recommended!

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GIVEAWAY   VeggieTales The Little House That Stood  DVD
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Congo Dawn by Jeanette Windle * A Review

ABOUT CONGO DAWN
While former Marine lieutenant Robin Duncan is no stranger to corruption or conspiracy, she has always been able to tell the good guys from the bad, and the Congo jungle at first seems no different. But as her security team tries to track down an insurgent killer, Robin has to face a man who broke her trust years ago, and she discovers the gray areas extend farther in this jungle wilderness than she anticipated.

A ruthless global conspiracy begins to surface, run by powerful men who can’t afford to leave any witnesses. Her life at stake, Robin doesn’t know who to trust and wonders how she can help protect innocent people. Why is God silent amid all the pain and injustice? And how do these people of faith continue to rejoice in their suffering?

Paperback: 496 pages
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers (February 1, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1414371586
ISBN-13: 978-1414371580
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.3 inches

ABOUT JEANETTE WINDLE
As child of missionary parents, award-winning author and journalist Jeanette Windle grew up in the rural villages, jungles, and mountains of Colombia, now guerrilla hot zones. Her detailed research and writing is so realistic that it has prompted government agencies to question her to determine if she has received classified information. Currently based in Lancaster, PA, Jeanette has lived in six countries and traveled in more than thirty on five continents. Those experiences have birthed 16 international intrigue titles, including bestselling Tyndale House Publishers release Veiled Freedom, a 2010 ECPA Christian Book Award and Christy Award finalist and sequel Freedom's Stand, a 2012 ECPA Christian Book Award and Carol Award finalist and 2011 Golden Scroll Novel of the Year finalist. Check out author interviews, reviews, and more at Jeanette's website: www.jeanettewindle.com

MY REVIEW
  Congo Dawn by Jeanette Windle is a fairly good book.  The characters were well described and enjoyable, but I didn’t find the many facts and figures very interesting. I think the many facts of the country and fighting took away from the story. I like a book with more dialogue. At parts of the describing of the facts I skimmed over some of it, because it went on for quite a while.
  I found the characters Robin and Michael very good, strong characters.  I really would have enjoyed this story if it weren’t so factual. I really don’t recommend you read this book unless you like and enjoy hearing about the country and all of the facts of certain people and regions.

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Thanks to Tyndale House Publishers for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

The One Good Thing by Kevin Alan Milne * A Review

For as long as Halley Steen has known her husband Nathan, he has carried a handful of stones in his pocket. Each day he uses those stones to remind him to follow the Golden Rule, moving a stone from one pocket to the other with each act of kindness. So it's not unusual that Nathan stops to help a stranger on the side of the highway while on his way to his son's football game one Friday evening. But that one act will change all of their lives forever, when a car hydroplanes off the road, killing Nathan instantly.

As Halley and her children Ty and Alice struggle with their grief, Nathan's spiritual legacy lives on. A Facebook page appears, where countless stories about Nathan's selfless acts are shared. But among them is one that stands out, from a woman who says that Nathan saved her life. Neither Halley nor her children have ever heard of Madeline Zuckerman. But soon Halley discovers years of e-mails from this woman to her husband on his computer that refer to "our little girl." How could her husband have kept the secret of this other child for their entire marriage? Why had he lied to her? Was he not the man she thought he was?

Only thirteen-year-old Alice maintains unwavering faith in her father. She knows there's an explanation. When she sets out to find Madeline and learn the truth, she will start to unravel the complex story of The One Good Thing Nathan Steen did that had the greatest impact of all.

Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Center Street (March 12, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1455510084
ISBN-13: 978-1455510085

Kevin Milne was born in 1973 in Portland, Oregon. Although Oregon was always considered home, he also spent portions of his childhood in Virginia, Hawaii, and California. In 1991 he graduated from Sherwood High school, followed by undergraduate studies at Brigham Young University, then an MBA from Pennsylvania State University. As an adult he has lived in such varied places as Vermont, New Jersey, Nevada, Austria, and Croatia.

Since beginning his writing career in 2007, Milne's novels have been reproduced in 16 languages worldwide. His first published work, "The Paper Bag Christmas", was converted to a stage play in 2011.

Today, Kevin resides once more in his home town of Sherwood, Oregon. He and his wife, Rebecca, were married in Washington DC in 1995, and are the proud parents of five children.


MY REVIEW
  This is the second book I’ve read written by Kevin Alan Milne and it is just as good as or even better than the first. This book The One Good Thing is one of my favorites for 2013. Truly a book well written full of such love, compassion and an ending you won’t believe.
  I like how loving Nathan is and how he helps others and mostly his family. How he would do anything to help others. This book is about Nathan even though he dies before much of the book is written.
  How it is wonderful that his daughter whom is thirteen is the only one who believes in him and knows he wouldn’t lie to her and she trusts him completely.
  You will experience how each of the people in the story grow and change as the story moves along, but you will also think about how you would react if that happened to you. Would you believe and trust someone you have lived with and known for many, many years.
  You will find in The One Good Thing such love, acceptance, perseverance and full forgiveness really is.
  If you don’t read any other book this year read The One Good Thing. Kevin Alan Milne is a wonderful story teller and someone who will keep your attention from the first page to the last. I highly recommend this book for a book to keep and read often.

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I received my free copy from Sarah Reck at Center Street/HachetteBookGroup, for my review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

Goodbye to Yesterday by Wanda E. Brunstetter A Review

ABOUT GOODBYE TO YESTERDAY

Join Meredith and Luke Stoltzfus, an Amish couple who are faced with the greatest challenge of their young lives. Financial struggles. Arguments. A suspected pregnancy. A last-minute trip to Middlebury, Indiana. A deadly encounter at a Philadelphia bus station. Will their love and faith be enough to bring them back together again, against all odds?  Book 1 of the 6-part serial novel--The Discovery-A Lancaster County Saga.

Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Barbour Books (February 5, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1616260858
ISBN-13: 978-1616260859
Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 4.1 x 0.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 4 ounces

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Wanda Brunstetter is an award-winning romance novelist who has led millions of readers to lose their heart in the Amish life. She is the author of over 60 books with more than 6 million copies sold. Many of her books have landed on the top bestseller lists, including the New York Times, Publisher’s Weekly, CBA, ECPA, and CBD. Wanda is considered one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre, and her work has been covered by national publications, including Time Magazine and USA Today. Wanda’s books have been translated into four foreign languages.
http://www.wandabrunstetter.com/

MY REVIEW
   I’ve read several of Wanda E. Brunstetter’s books and have enjoyed them. Goodbye to Yesterday is an O.K. book but it is very short and doesn’t give you much to read and relate to as a story. You only learn a few things and then the book is over. I realize this is a 6 part book, but don’t feel it is worth reading the rest of the story. There isn’t enough meat {so to speak} in the story to keep my attention. They say short and sweet is best, but I don’t like a short story unless it gives you something to wait for in the next book.
  What they tell you in the synopsis Financial struggles. Arguments. A suspected pregnancy. A last-minute trip to Middlebury, Indiana. A deadly encounter at a Philadelphia bus station. Is just about the whole book.
  I like Amish books, but this one really isn’t what I expected or what I find interesting. So I really don’t recommend it.

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Thanks to Handlebar Marketing for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

Picture Perfect by Janice Thompson * A Review

ABOUT PICTURE PERFECT
 Feisty wedding photographer Hannah McDermott has dealt with her share of difficult brides. But none can compare to the ultimate Bridezilla she's dealing with now. Still, she's trying desperately to impress Bella Neeley, Galveston Island's most sought-after wedding planner, so she can take the top spot in Bella's list of recommended photographers--a spot currently occupied by her arch-rival, Drew Kincaid. What she doesn't count on, however, is falling head over heels for the competition.

With her contagious humor and cast of quirky characters, Janice Thompson gives readers more of the bridal business drama they want in a brand-new series all about those long-suffering people who make beautiful weddings happen. Readers are desperately waiting for more of Bella and this new series brings her back in a big way, while introducing new characters fans will love. Fans will laugh out loud as they experience this breezy and entertaining novel from a great storyteller.

Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Revell (February 15, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0800721527
ISBN-13: 978-0800721527

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Janice Thompson is a seasoned romance author and screenwriter. An expert at pulling the humor from the situations we get ourselves into, Thompson offers an inside look at the wedding business, drawing on her own experiences as a wedding planner. She is the author of the Weddings by Bella series and the Backstage Pass series. She lives in Texas.




MY REVIEW
  Picture Perfect by Janice Thompson is book one in the Weddings by Design series. I enjoyed reading it.
  Picture Perfect is a romantic contemporary that is also full of suspense and comedy. It’s not a book that is really suspenseful but has parts of suspense to keep you reading to find out how it ends.
  Hannah thinks she isn’t good enough to ever be first in anything. She always thinks others know more than her, are prettier than her and can get the things they want and need more than her. Hannah has some dear old friends and makes some dear new ones. She has grown up in a family that does the same things day in and day out. Never trying new things. Than the strangest things begin to happen.
  She gets to meet and gets to find out what her competitor in the photography business is like. Will they become friends and fierce enemies going for the same businesses?
  Hannah is Irish and in this book you get to read many Irish sayings and I love that.
  This is really a fun, light-hearted read that is very enjoyable. I think you will enjoy it and I recommend it.

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I received my free copy from Donna Hausler from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group for my review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

Rebekah by Jill Eileen Smith * A Review

When her father dies and she is left in the care of her conniving brother Laban, Rebekah knows her life has changed forever. Her hope for the future is restored when she falls in love with her cousin Isaac, and their relationship starts strong. But marital bliss cannot last forever, and the birth of their twin sons marks the beginning of years of misunderstanding, disagreement, and betrayal. The rift between them grows wider and wider until it is surely too deep to be mended. And yet, with God all things are possible.

Join bestselling author Jill Eileen Smith as she fills in the blanks around the biblical women behind the men we know well. Her in-depth research and creative storytelling bring Rebekah's unique story alive with romance, heartache, and the power of forgiveness.

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Revell (February 15, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0800734300
ISBN-13: 978-0800734305

Jill Eileen Smith is the author of Sarai, book one in the Wives of the Patriarchs series, and the bestselling author of the Wives of King David series. When she isn't writing, she enjoys spending time with her family--in person, over the webcam, or by hopping a plane to fly across the country. She can often be found reading, testing new recipes, grabbing lunch with friends, or snuggling one or both of her adorable cats. She lives with her family in southeast Michigan.
To learn more about Jill or for more information about her books, visit her website at www.jilleileensmith.com. You can also contact Jill at jill@jilleileensmith.com. She loves hearing from her readers.


MY REVIEW
   Jill Eileen Smith is a wonderful storyteller and has a great imagination. Her story of Rebekah from the account in the Bible is really interesting.  I probably would have had a few things different if I wrote the story, but everyone is different.
   I like how this book portrays Rebekah as independent and full of life and spunk.
  The love story between Rebekah and Isaac is very special and tender.  The scenes were described brilliantly. You feel like you are there.
  I think Rebekah is a book worth reading for enjoyment and also to help us understand how things can change in a marriage. The ending is excellent. I highly recommend this book.

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I received my free copy from Donna Hausler from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group for my review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255