A Rush of Wings by Kristen Heitzmann*A Review

ABOUT A RUSH OF WINGS
Though her panic is real, Noelle St. Claire is uncertain what danger she is fleeing. Fragmented images and slivers of memory have driven her to abandon her wealthy, sheltered life in New York for the hope of a haven—remote and safe.
Noelle's arrival at the Rocky Mountain horse ranch owned by Rick Spencer and his brother Morgan causes more than a little stir. Beautiful, vulnerable, yet strangely secretive, Noelle is an enigma the two contrasting brothers seek to unlock. But as their attentions breach the wall she hides behind, the past becomes a menacing threat from which Noelle can no longer hide.

Price: $14.99
ISBN: 978-0-7642-0845-4
ISBN-10: 0-7642-0845-4
Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.5
Number of pages: 384
Carton Quantity: 32
Publication Date: Oct. 10
Formats: Paperback





ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kristen Heitzmann is the bestselling author of over a dozen novels, including Freefall, Halos, A Rush of Wings, and the Christy Award winner Secrets. She and her husband, Jim, and their family live in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she serves as worship leader in their church. Visit Kristen's Web site at

http://kristenheitzmann.net/default.aspx


MY REVIEW
I’ve read many of Kristen Heitzmann’s books and love them all. This one A Rush of Wings is one of her best.
Right from the start you really fall in love with Noelle, Rick, Morgan and Marta. When a book starts like this “Noelle pressed her back into the textured wall and tensed, her breathing fast and shallow” you know it is going to be a fantastic book to read. I really hated for A Rush of Wings to end. Such a book, full of fear, nightmares, safety, peace, love and hope.
A Rush of Wings is an avalanche of action with many twists and turns. You will fall in love with these compelling characters.
Noelle left her home of ease and wealth because of an overpowering feeling of fear and unrest. She just went and went until she was far, far away from her home. She landed at a Christian horse ranch. God was directing her paths always, but she wouldn’t believe that God is doing anything good.
Reading this book you will go through so much with Noelle and see why she acts as she does.
I really loved this book and it will be on my top list of favorite books for 2011. Thanks for another fantastic book Kristen. I highly recommend this unforgettable book.


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Thank you to Bethany House 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

Author Interview-Gift giveaway-Laurie Alice Eakes

NOT A BOOK GIVEAWAY BUT GIFTS

Laurie, thanks for taking the time to visit us today! I appreciate you
answering these few questions. It will be fun to get to know you
better. Tell us a little about yourself.


I'd like to think of myself as normal, but am probably not. Not sure
any author is normal. At the same time, I like to play--watch movies,
bake brownies, go for long walks in the woods or on the beach, go out
with friends. Most of the time, I'm chained to my desk.


How long did you write before you were published?

That's always complicated. I have written all my life. Seriously
pursuing publication? two years.


Tell us about “Lady in the Mist,” the featured book.

This is about a midwife, not midwifery, as some readers seem to
expect, but a midwife and how her profession affects her role in her
village on the Eastern Shore of Virginia in 1809. As did midwives at
that time, she knows secrets and people don't want her to divulge them
to the point her life is in danger. It is, of course, a romance, and
when she begins to fall in love, things get worse, yet God uses the
danger and her profession and her love for the hero to soften a heart
she has hardened against Him due to too much loss in her life. It's a
love story, a self-forgiveness story, a romantic suspense in an
historical setting.


Is there any person who has been a strong influence in your writing journey?

Not just one, no. My parents and paternal grandmother instilled a love
of books in me. My maternal grandfather was a great storyteller, and
many people have crossed my path along my journey like Lena Dooley,
Marylu Tyndall, and my lovely agent, Tamela Hancock Murray.


What message do you want to be clear to your readers?

We can't earn forgiveness. It comes from God and from there, within
ourselves. And I want readers to also be entertained.


What are some of your likes and dislikes? Your hobbies, interests?
Where do you like to vacation?


Besides books, I love movies, especially old ones with Audrey Hepburn
and/or Humphrey Bogart. I love the water and prefer vacations near
water. That probably stems from growing up near water. Of course,
going to rather different places is fun, too. I'm heading to Colonial
Williamsburg in March for research and fun. And I've been to Europe
three times. Lots more there I want to visit.

As for dislikes? Rude, ignorant people. Snarky people.


Tell us a little-known fact about yourself that readers may not know.

This is always difficult. Most things I want people to know are out
there for anyone to find on the Internet, but I've recently discovered
most people don't know that I was born legally blind. It's gotten
worse due to glaucoma as I've gotten older. Thanks to technology, that
doesn't stop me from writing and research.


How do you spend your writing days? Do you set goals to reach a
certain number of words per day? Can you give us a general idea of how
long it takes you to write a novel?

I've written a whole novel in as few as 17 days and as long as seven
months. Tight deadlines keep me writing faster, as I have this year.
My writing routine is at my desk by 8:00, do promotion and some
writing until noon, take an hour break to walk the dog, clean house,
do laundry, etc., then back to work until about 5:30 or 6:00. I often
work after supper, too, if my husband is working, which is most
nights.


What are you currently reading?

For fiction, I just set aside a book that shall remain nameless, as it
was awful, and haven't decided what I'll read next. In nonfiction, I'm
finally reading In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson.
I attended his church when I lived in Washington, DC and heard his
sermon series based on this book.


Do you grow flowers or vegetables? What are your favorite flowers?

LOL I have a reputation for being able to kill mint I'm such a bad
gardener. But I love flowers. Hyacinths and daffodils, irises and
tulips--the spring flowers. And I love chrysanthemums. Flowers from my
two favorite seasons--spring and autumn.


What are you writing now?

I'm doing the edits for the second book in the midwife series, for
Baker/Revell, still not officially titled, and then will write my
first novella for Barbour Publishing. Printed on My Heart will appear
in Highland Crossings in Jan. 2012. The second midwife book in Feb.
2012.


How can readers find you on the Internet?

My web site http://www.lauriealiceeakes.com has excerpts from my books
and more about me. I also have a blog
http://www.seizethechance.blogspot.com and just google my name. I'm
around a lot of places.


And thanks for spending this time with us,Laurie.

Thank you for having me.


We wish you much success.

Thank you.

Here is my review of Lady in the Mist if you didn't get to read it before. http://thelifeandtimesofwanda.blogspot.com/2011/02/lady-in-mist-by-laurie-alice-eakesa.html

NOT A BOOK GIVEAWAY BUT GIFTS
*******If you win you may chose one of these as your prize: A mug, totebag or postit notes . All have the Lady in the Mist cover on them.
Leave a comment with your name and email address. You will not be entered unless you leave a comment AND your email address.


Here are the ways to get extra entries:

For extra entries:
~Be or become a follower +1
~Be an email subscriber +1

~Be a networked blog follower +1

Contest is only open in the U.S. and void where prohibited. Chances of winning are based on the number of entries and winner is draw from a non-biased third party- Random.org. ENTRY DEADLINE March 14, 2011

Winner of Hatteras Girl by Alice J. Wisler

Congratulations to Jennifer at jmschwindt0306 you have won Hatteras Girl by Alice J. Wisler. I've sent you an email and hope to hear from you soon.
To my other followers, I have two more giveaways coming soon. Thanks to all of you for commenting and being a part of my blog. I appreciate every one of you.
Many blessings,

Lady in the Mist by Laurie Alice Eakes*A Review

ABOUT LADY IN THE MIST

By virtue of her profession as a midwife, Tabitha Eckles is the keeper of many secrets: the names of fathers of illegitimate children, the level of love and harmony within many a marriage, and now the identity of a man who may have caused his wife's death. Dominick Cherrett is a man with his own secret to keep: namely, what he, a British nobleman, is doing on American soil working as a bondsman in the home of Mayor Kendall, a Southern gentleman with his eye on a higher office.
By chance one morning before the dawn has broken, Tabitha and Dominick cross paths on a misty beachhead, leading them on a twisted path through kidnappings, death threats, public disgrace, and . . . love? Can Tabitha trust Dominick? What might he be hiding? And can either of them find true love in a world that seems set against them?
With stirring writing that puts readers directly into the story, Lady in the Mist expertly explores themes of identity, misperception, and love's discovery.


Paperback: 402 pages
Publisher: Revell (February 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0800734521
ISBN-13: 978-0800734527
Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 12 ounces

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Laurie Alice grew up in Michigan, but always wanted to live somewhere else--somewhere history took place. The kind of history that interested her, that is. She began her odyssey out of state with acquiring her Bachelor of Arts degree in English and French secondary education at Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky. From there, she moved to New Jersey to work. From there, she moved to Pennsylvania, and from there, she moved to Iowa. . .
She fully admits that she had—and perhaps still does—a bit of wanderlust.
During her wanderings, she met and married a man whose career took them to Washington, DC, then to Texas, where she currently resides and writes full-time


http://www.lauriealiceeakes.com/




MY REVIEW
I keep finding authors I have never read before and am so very glad. Lady in the Mist by Laurie Alice Eakes is such a fantastic book. It is book 1 in The Midwives series. I can’t wait for book 2. Laurie writes with an interesting, sweet approach that makes you feel you are right inside the story yourself. Lady in the Mist takes place in 1809 in Seabourne VA.
Tabitha and Dominick are such a sweet, caring couple. The story makes you hope that they will get together and work out all of their troubles and they have many to work on.
I really love the title and cover of this fantastic book. To me you must have both to catch people’s attention and Lady in the Mist does that.
Tabitha doesn’t fit in anywhere because she’s not married so she doesn't fit in with the families, but she's not quite a servant either. Since the deaths of her father, mother, and lastly grandmother that left her alone, she has turned her back on God. That makes her not fit in with the people who go to church. Dominick Cherrett is a redemption, but he seems much more than he is. He seems like a true gentleman with a very good education. So in this wonderful book you have many puzzles to figure out.
I really recommend this book for reading pleasure over and over again.

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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

Winner of The Search by Suzanne Woods Fisher

to all of my many friends and followers
Just wanted to say come back often for more giveaways.
Jesus is our real Valentine.
Now on to our winner of the book The Search by Suzanne Woods Fisher

go to Jolee
joleehamlin [at] comcast [dot] net

you are our winner.

I will be sending you an email soon.

Happy Valentine's Day to all and

Congrats to Jolee!

Golden's Rule by C.E. Edmonson~A Review

ABOUT THE BOOK
Fourteen-year-old Maddie Bergamo seems to have it all—looks, brains, mad moves on the basketball court, a cute crush, and true friends—and so far, her life seems right on track to make her eventual goals of the Olympics and a sports scholarship to her Ivy League dream school.
But then life topples her neatly stacked plans, and Maddie finds herself in a fight for survival. As events spiral out of her control, Maddie receives an unexpected gift: an ancestor’s extraordinary diary of life as a slave girl. And what Maddie discovers within those pages changes her world forever.






http://www.goldens-rule.com/
http://ceedmonson.authorweblog.com/


MY REVIEW
Golden’s Rule by C.E. Edmonson is a very sweet, tender story of a young girl who gets a brain tumor.
It is also switches between two very moving stories: a girl named Maddie that has the tumor and a historical story of a young slave girl escaping and finding freedom. If you lived these stories you could do either one of two things. You could just collapse and be very down or you could become stronger and a better person.
In Golden’s Rule you find out what is really important in life, faith, family and friends. They will really get so much out of the story and help them to see that boys, dances and fitting in isn’t all that important in life.
This book is for everyone, but especially for the tween/teen girls. I would highly recommend this book. I just wanted to say I’m sorry that I couldn’t come up with a picture of the author or the bio. I looked everywhere.




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Thank you to Wine Press 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

Becoming a Woman of Influence by Carol Kent~A Review

ABOUT BECOMING A WOMAN OF INFLUENCE

Description: Women have the power to influence others, whether we're trained leaders or not. Discover 7 principles for building solid relationships through simple steps to mentoring from author and speaker Carol Kent.

• 9 lessons


Becoming a Woman of Influence
ISBN-13: 9781576839331
Trim Size: 5 1/2 x 8 1/4
Cover: Paperback
224 Pages

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carol Kent is hilariously funny, biblically sound, and heartbreakingly transparent in person and in print. Founder and president of Speak Up for Hope (a prison ministry) and Speak Up Speaker Services (a speakers' bureau), Carol is the best-selling author of many books, including When I Lay My Isaac Down, A New Kind of Normal, Becoming a Woman of Influence, Speak Up with Confidence, Secret Longings of the Heart, and Tame Your Fears. She is an expert on public speaking, writing, and evangelism. Carol travels the world, speaking to tens of thousands each year at events such as Extraordinary Women, Vision New England, Women of Faith, THRIVE, and Women of Grace. Carol and her husband, Gene, make their home in Florida.

MY REVIEW
This book is mainly about older Christian women becoming mentors to younger Christian women. Becoming a Woman of Influence has nine chapters and they are Impacting Live Like Jesus Did, Learning from the Master, The Principle of Time Alone with God, The Principle of Walking and Talking, The Principle of Storytelling, The Principle of Asking Questions, The Principle of Compassion, The Principle of Unconditional Love, The Principle of Casting Vision. Then after those chapters comes a Nine-week Bible Study.
This book shows us if we just follow Jesus’ example and do what He did we will be doing the right thing.
Here is three facts from the book that really jumped out at me.
1. One person (Jesus) trained twelve human beings who went on th so influence th world that time itself is now recorded as being before or after His existence.
2. This person (Jesus) worked with a staff that was totally human and not divine… a staff that in spite of illiteracy, questionable backgrounds, fractious feelings, and momentary cowardice went on to accomplish the tasks He trained them to do. They did this for one man the reason-to be with Him again.
3.His leadership style was intended to be put to use by any of us.
So the author is saying we can mentor twelve people and get fantastic results also.
Very good book that I believe would be an interest if you want to start a program like this or have someone older mentor you.



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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. 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 Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising