The Baker's Wife

This book was provided in exchange for my honest review by Litfuse Publicity and Thomas Nelson.

I loved this book. It was refreshingly different from a lot of what I've been reading lately. Once I picked this up, I really didn't want to put it down. The author was new to me. I haven't read anything else she's written. After this, I will be looking for more books by her. 

I loved the originality of the story. Her characters felt real and weren't perfect but not exaggerated in their imperfections. Each of their stories added something to the whole. I love the added spiritual dimension, the inexplicable and unexplainable. 

I loved the connection to baking bread that Aubrey and Geoff do together, first as a hobby and second as a career. Ralph and I love to cook and bake together. We love to use it to bless other people. I really connected with that part of the story as a result. 

I strongly recommend  this book and truly enjoyed it. 

About the book:

To save her husband and son, Audrey Bofinger must rescue her enemy. The Bofinger family has lost their church ministry in a scandal exposed by Officer Jack Mansfield. Hoping to heal and to restore their reputation, Audrey, Geoff, and their son Ed take over a failing bakery in the small community. Driving to the bakery one morning, blinded by fog, Audrey hits a motor scooter owned by Jack’s wife, Julie. The mangled scooter is crushed and bloody. But Julie is nowhere to be found. Her disappearance coincides with a sudden illness that nearly cripples Audrey.

Jack believes the Bofingers have hurt Julie to take revenge on him, but the evidence dries up and her trail goes cold. At a breaking point, Jack takes the tiny bakery and its patrons hostage, issuing only one demand: Audrey has six hours to return Julie to him, or lose Geoff and Ed forever.

With only an excruciating and intuitive gift, an ex-con, and Julie’s estranged daughter to help search for clues, Audrey starts the search of her life for a woman who has vanished like the fog.

Read an excerpt here.

About Erin:

Well-known to critics and reviewers, Erin Healy has established herself as an award-winning editor and a best-selling co-author with Ted Dekker. Healy received wide acclaim for her two debut novels Never Let You Go and The Promises She Keeps. Her work focuses on the psychological and spiritual, driven by high moral stakes. She lives and writes in Colorado with her family.

For more information please visit www.erinhealy.com. 

Link to buy the book:

http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/product_detail.asp?sku=1595547525&title=The_Baker's_Wife&author=Erin_Healy

About the contest:

Let the flour fly! Beginning October 24th, Erin's celebrating the release of her latest page turner, The Baker's Wife, with an outstanding KitchenAid baking prize package giveaway that includes a brand new KitchenAid Mixer, cook books, and all you need to whip up some fabulous bread or sweets! Then and on November 10th she'll be wrapping up the release of The Baker's Wife with an Author Book Chat Party on Facebook! Don't miss a minute of the fun!

One grand prize winner will receive:

• Empire Red 4.5 QT Ultra Power KitchenAid Stand Mixer
• Black & White Kitschy Apron
• Black Silicone Oven Mitt
• Black OXO Rolling Pin
• Wilton 9X5 loaf pan
• At My Grandmother's Knee Cookbook by Faye Porter
• Second Helpings with Johnnie Gabriel Cookbook
• The Baker's Wife by Erin Healy

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on November 9th. Winner will be announced at The Baker's Wife Author Book Chat Facebok Party. Erin will be wrapping up the The Baker's Wife celebration with a book club chat and giving away a bunch of "sweet treats"! So grab your copy of The Baker's Wife (it's okay if you don't have one yet- you might win one!) and join Erin on the evening of November 10th for a book chat, some "baking" trivia and lots of "sweet" giveaways (books, and Amazon, iTunes & Starbucks gift certificates)!

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends. Hope to see you on the 10th!

Blog Tour Schedule

What Are You Thinking

Thanks to Media Guests for providing this book in exchange for my honest review.

Title: What Are You Thinking

Author: Valerie Ackley

Category: Children’s book, motivational

Format: Hard back, full-color, 32 pages

Touring Dates: October-November 2011, available for review, guest post and interview

Tour Page

I loved the concept for this book. There are so many people today who do not understand that when they assume they can't do something and focus on that, then they truly can't. The Bible has many verses that teach us to focus our hearts and minds on things that are pure, holy, lovely, good report, the Word of God, God Himself, etc.

When the book came, Miss Nugget was enthralled with the bright colors and pictures. However, upon reading it, I feel I may have some world views that differ with the author. She very heavily emphases that one's mind/positive thoughts are the cause for good things in a person's life. While I believe that positive/focused thoughts are important, I differ in my belief that they in and of themselves cause things to happen. The book was a little bit too busy in its graphics for me but Nugget really liked them. Since it is a children's book, I will defer to my daughter on the book's appearance. 

Overall, I like the idea of the book but we will not be incorporating it into our reading list. 

ABOUT THE BOOK: Our thoughts, be it positive or negative, determine who we are and what we become. That is why helping our children understand the power of thoughts from an early age is essential.

Studies show that children with negative thoughts are more likely to give up; they lack confidence and motivation. On the other hand, children who think positively take on their life, they overcome challenges, they are more enthusiastic, and driven. Author, Valerie Ackley, illustrates the power of our thoughts in the award winning book, What Are You Thinking? This book introduces children to the Law of Attraction. Beautifully illustrated with fun characters and humorous situations, this amazing creation teaches the power of the mind and the importance of wisely selecting our dominant thoughts.

“What Are You Thinking?” will inspire creativity, confidence, goal setting, gratitude, and HOW to turn a bad day around! Parents can use this book as a spring board to discuss healthy vs. unhealthy “thinking habits” with their children.

Valerie Ackley (Photo: Scott Hancock)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Valerie Ackley graduated from college with a degree in Business Management and worked eight years in the telecommunications industry before becoming a full-time homemaker to her 5 sons.

After attending a seminar by Leslie Householder, author of The Jackrabbit Factor, Valerie gained a better understanding of the effect our thoughts have on our experiences. Valerie had a strong desire to introduce these principles to her sons.

The idea for “What are You Thinking?” was born when she was unable to find any similar products for children. She hopes this book will be a tool to open a discussion between parents and children regarding the power of the mind, and the importance of wisely selecting our dominant thoughts. Valerie has seen her children benefit from applying these principles. She believes this book, with the delightful and humorous illustrations created by Lori Nawyn, will empower children and parents to enjoy the endless rewards of positive thinking.

Valerie lives in a beautiful valley at the base of the Wasatch Mountains in Utah, with her husband and five sons.

Fall Photo Shoot and a Blast From the Past

Since I had an unexpected day off work yesterday, we decided to take the girls out and get some pics with our pumpkins before I roast them! We still need to take them to a pumpkin patch but it was fun to get these now.

Zita's outfit is the same one Nugget wore Fall of 2009. Nugget was 11 months old then and Zita is 18 months old now. Mom got Nugget this outfit when she was born (it is an 18 mo) for her to grow into. I think I was super excited for her to wear it!

Cooking at Helm's Deep

We had one of those dinners last night that was just so quintessentially us. I found a recipe via Pinterst. It was pinned by one of my favorite bloggers, Tsh Oxenreider, founder of the Simple Living Media. (Those are possibly some of my most favorite blogs.)

Anyway, back to the recipe. Tsh pinned this recipe and suggested using a homemade biscuit recipe to avoid all the yuckiness that comes with such processed food. I thought that sounded like a great idea but of course had to take it a step farther. We also make our own enchilada sauce (LOVE). Our current favorite biscuit recipe comes from the inimitable, Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond.

Buttermilk Biscuits
by Ree Drummond
From The Pioneer Woman Cooks , pg 44-45


Ingredients:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 2.5 tsp baking soda
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1/3 cup cold butter (5 1/3 Tbsps) cute into pieces
• 1 1/4 cup buttermilk

I just throw all the dry ingredients into a food processor and give it a quick whirl. Then I add the butter and shortening and whir it until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add the buttermilk until just combined. It comes out slightly sticky but not overly dry or crumbly. Roll then out on a floured surface to desired thickness (we like ours thick), cut out and bake at 450 for 11-14 minutes. You want them golden brown. 

Now, of course, for the Bubble Up Enchiladas I just measured out 12oz on my food scale and used it as directed in the recipe. Then I rolled out the rest of the dough and we had biscuits for our breakfast this morning. 

I also felt the recipe was missing a few things so I added green pepper, onion and garlic to the hamburger while it was browning. My enchilada sauce is not super spicy so I also added a pinch or two of cayenne pepper. 

Now Ralph and I loved this, as did Nugget who had 2 helpings. She just wouldn't eat the biscuit part, which is funny because she loves these biscuits. She had 2 with jelly for breakfast. Zita didn't eat much probably because I didn't start dinner until 6. I hadn't started the biscuits, enchilada sauce and had semi-frozen hamburger. Ahem. Like I said, a Helm's Deep quintessential meal. Anyway, an hour and a half later and countless snacks in between, Zita lost her appetite. My bad. If you're smart, unlike me, you could make up both the biscuits and sauce up ahead of time (probably even a day or so). That would save on time for sure.

So here is my much modified recipe:

Bubble Up Enchiladas 

modified from this recipe

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2-3 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 10 oz Mexican Enchilada Sauce (or your favorite sauce)
• 1 (8oz) can tomato sauce (after making the enchilada sauce I didn't have a full 8 oz left in my 15oz can so I just made up the difference with a little extra enchilada sauce)
• approx 12 oz of PW Buttermilk Biscuits (or recipe of your choice)
• 1 1/4 cup of your favorite cheese, shredded (we used Tillamook Special Reserve Extra Sharp Cheddar)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Brown hamburger, green pepper, onion and garlic cloves. Drain if needed. Add in enchilada sauce and tomato sauce. Drop pieces of biscuit dough into mixture and incorporate. Pour mixture into greased casserole dish. Bake for 25 minutes. Add cheese to top and bake another 10 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Should serve about 6. 

I'm fairly confident we lost all resemblance to the Weight Watchers calorie goal the original recipe was going for but it sure was yummy!

Zombie Church

This book was provided through Litfuse Publicity and Kregel Publications in exchange for my honest review.

I have to start my review with an apology. I haven't quite been able to finish this yet. I have read 7 of the 12 chapters and am just loving it. My enjoyment of the book is what's holding me up. It's making me think and ponder--myself, my relationship with the Lord, my church, my small group, etc. I love it. So far, I would have to say nothing in this book is rocket science or completely new information. However, Ecclesiastes does teach us that there is nothing new under the sun.

I think what does make this book unique is both his analogy is distinctive and he manages to convey his message in love. There are some hard truths in this book but his overall message(s) are the two greatest commandments: Love God and Love you neighbor as your self. I find he is very motivating to know God better, to love Him more and to love others while demonstrating that in real and practical ways. 

I admire his stance that we need to heal the church, not abandon, change, ignore, etc. Rather his message is heal the church starting with ourselves. Rooting out the apathy and "zombieness" from our own hearts. Remove our own planks. 

I will definitely be finishing this book because I need to see where it is all going. I have already been pondering what changes I can make in my life and where. Love it. Highly recommend it.

About Zombie Church:

A creative, entertaining approach to resurrecting the undead church.  There is something missing in the church today. Stuck in a rut of routines and rituals, the church is caught up in doing what it is “supposed to do” but is lacking the true essence of what it is supposed to provide: life. Real faith--and a real relationship with Jesus--is not about playing by the rules, attending services, and praying before meals. Real faith is more than religion. Believing there is a way to breathe life back into the church, Tyler Edwards adopts a contemporary and entertaining metaphor--zombies--to highlight and challenge the problematic attitude of today’s believers.

Written for the discouraged, disenfranchised, and anyone unsatisfied with their same-old church routine, Zombie Church challenges readers to turn away from hollow religious practices, which characterize “zombie Christianity,” and turn toward a radical relationship with Jesus.

While other books have addressed legalism in the church, this is the only book that effectively capitalizes on a popular entertainment genre in order to diagnose and correct the problem. Realizing that even his own church is part of that problem, Edwards has written an accessible and often humorous book that will help believers change the Spirit-draining (or life-draining) habits that stop them from achieving a full, fulfilling life in Christ. Order a copy here.

Link to buy the book: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0825424593/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=sprightly-20&camp=213381&creative=390973&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=0825424593&adid=1XBB9CNE5N30WACVQ3DX

About Tyler Edwards:

Tyler Edwards is the lead pastor at Cornerstone Christian Church in Joplin, Missouri, where he works to help people learn how to live like Jesus, love like Jesus, and look like Jesus—so they carry out the mission of Jesus to the world. He graduated from Ozark Christian College with bachelor’s degrees in both Biblical Literature and Christian Ministry. He has written articles for Lookout Magazine, spoken at various campus ministry events in Missouri, and served overseas in Mbale, Uganda.

Tyler loves cheesy horror films. He is particularly fond of movies like Dawn of the Dead, The Signal, and 28 Days Later, where zombies run wild and threaten to infect an entire town. Connect with Tyler on Facebook.

Blog Tour Schedule

Like Ducks To Water

Apparently, my children have become thoroughly indoctrinated by PNW weather. Today we woke up to sun stubbornly shining through a thin veil of clouds. I announced that it was a perfect day to go outside. Nugget replied, "I don't want to go outside today." What?! The first thing she says on a rainy day is "Mama, I'm going outside now. Let's get my boots on." Maybe rain boots are more fun than tennis shoes?

Since sun is now our rain in our upside down little world, we did some projects instead. I also am headed into a rather intense work stretch: 3 days in the hospital, 2-12's and 1-8; one day off; 4 days in the clinic, 2-8's, 1-10, 1-8 hour shifts. These two facts made me more open to wasting a perfectly good and rare "sunny" day. A relaxing project day seemed in order.

We deemed it a Made By Joel day. We created both the Dressy Cats and Willow the Owl. Nugget LOVED her Dressy Cats. Zita thought they were very tasty. *grin, wink* Willow the Owl was rather time consuming but I was quite excited to make my first pom pom. However, we cannot get the felt to stick to him to save our lives. Maybe because I used acrylic yarn instead of wool? I must admit I'm not wasting good wool on this little owl. Hmm, we tried a glue stick and gorilla glue. Wonder if good, old fashioned Elmer's would have worked better? Still pondering. Or maybe it was the little hands who insisted on "seeing" them instead letting them dry. *hee, hee* Oh, well, we've enjoyed ourselves today.

Their Bird

The girls built this "bird". LOVE their imagination!
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Reclaiming Lilly

Thanks to Litfuse Publicity and Bethany House for providing this book in exchange for my honest review.

I just have to jump in there and say, "I love this book!" Patti Lacy has quickly become one of my new favorite authors. I reviewed her Rhythm of Secrets back in February. While I thoroughly enjoyed that book, I was totally hooked by this one.

I have many friends who have participated in international adoption as well as friends from my youth who were internationally adopted. Combine that with a medical plot line and (a new interest for me) some Chinese history, this book was just what I didn't know I was looking for. 

The characters' emotions and thoughts and actions just felt real, not made up. Almost as if this were a biography instead of fiction. Now, it sounds as if she had some fantastic help in researching this book and that it really paid off. Even the medical parts of it seemed pretty believable to me, like she really understood the disease process she was describing. 

This was a fast read for me because I was fascinated with the story and where it was going. I didn't see all the twist in it, that's for sure, and even the ending surprised me. There just wasn't any part of this book that I didn't love. I highly recommend this one. 

About the book:

A storm the size of Texas brews when Gloria Powell and Kai Chang meet in a Ft. Worth hotel. They have come to discuss the future of Lily, the daughter Gloria adopted from China and the sister Kai hopes to reclaim. Kai is a doctor who had to give up her little sister during the Cultural Revolution and has since discovered that an inherited genetic defect may be waiting to fatally strike Lily.

Gloria's relationship with her daughter is tattered and strained, and the arrival of Kai, despite the woman's apparent good intentions, makes Gloria fearful. Gloria longs to restore her relationship with Lily, but in the wake of this potentially devastating diagnosis, is Kai an answer to prayer--or will her arrival force Gloria to sacrifice more than she ever imagined?

About Patti:

Patti Lacy graduated from Baylor University with a BS in education and completed master's-level courses in English at Indiana State University. She taught atHeartland Community College until May 2006, when she resigned to pursue her passion of writing. The author of three previous novels, Patti is the mother of two grown children and lives with her husband in Normal, Illinois.

For more about Patti and her other books, visit her website at www.pattilacy.com.

Link to buy the book

Blog tour schedule

Echoes of Savanna

I love a good science fiction book! This has the added benefit of being a little bit medical too. I must admit, this is a case of not judging a book by it's cover. The cover is not my favorite. I read the description of the book without ever seeing the cover. That was enough to intrigue me.

This book is supposed to take place in 2036. These days that doesn't really seem that far away. In the book, we had made some amazing scientific leaps but given the changes in technology over the last century make that very plausible. I was hooked from the first chapter. I really had a hard time putting it down.

The book really makes you think and is entertaining at the same time. Some of the issues both medical and political are very believable and not much different from some of the fears and issues we deal with now. I am really looking forward to continuing with this series. Check it out.

About the Book: Every generation has their defining moments, events that change history and turn the course of lives. Forever will the children of that generation be identified by those moments. Savanna Taylor is a medical doctor in 2036, the same year terrorists release a series of plagues and viruses into the world. She is a nineteen year old Brain Trust whose task it is to find a cure for the diseases and develop vaccines to prevent their further spread. The world is thrown in turmoil and Savanna needs to find a way to survive with her sanity and family intact. Can Savanna cope in a world in constant flux brought on by war and disease? Can she save the world and protect her loved ones or will she make the ultimate sacrifice? How will she be defined?

About the Author: Lucinda Moebius grew up in the mountains of Idaho and Eastern Oregon. Her mother taught her to read when she was four years old and since that time books have been her constant companions. She has a Bachelors Degree in English Teaching, a Masters in Educational Leadership, and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Education. Lucinda supports her writing habit by teaching High School and College. She currently lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband and their dog and cat. Lucinda is the author of Echoes of Savanna, a Haven Novel, part of the Parent Generation.

Tour Blogs:

September 28 - My Sea Of Books, guest post
September 29 - A Good Day To Read, review
September 30 - Jami's Reviews, review
October 3 - Window To My World, review
October 6 - Pages I Turn, review
October 7 - From the TBR Pile, review
October 8 - Acting Balanced, guest post
October 10 - Musings From Inside the Hobbit Door, review
October 11 - The Gandy's Home Base, review
October 12 - So Many Precious Books, So Little Time!, feature/giveaway

Zita Dancing

This is totally a post for the grandparents or anyone who doesn't mind watching for 3-4 minutes. These are some of Zita's current favorite kid's songs/videos. Here is just a peak of how she dances, sings and exclaims over her videos. Enjoy!

Win a Kindle Touch From Patti Lacy

Patti Lacy is celebrating the release of her latest book, Reclaiming Lily,  with a KindleTouch Giveaway, blog tour and FB Book Chat Party!



Follow the blog tour and read the reviews!



Patti and her publisher, Bethany House, are giving away a Reclaiming Lily prize package worth over $150 to one lucky winner!!!!

Enter the Reclaiming Lily Giveaway and you could win:

• A brand new just released KindleTouch with Wi-Fi
• $25 gift cetificate to Amazon.com

But, wait there’s more!




Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. Giveaway ends on 10/19! Patti will be announcing the winner of the Reclaiming Lily Giveaway at her Party on Facebook October 20th! She’ll be hosting a book club chat of Reclaiming Lily (it's okay if you haven't read it - you could win a copy!) and giving away other fun prizes! (signed copies of her books and gift certificates to Amazon.com, Starbucks, & iTunes!). Don’t miss the fun at Patti’s FB Author Page on 10/20/11 at 5pm PST ( 6 pm MST, 7 pm CST, & 8 pm EST)! RSVP today!