Ramblings-n-Writings

A Glimpse at Hunter’s Moon

Kara_S — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:55:54 +0000

ABOUT THE BOOK

Every family has secrets. Few will go as far as the Baxters to keep them. Bestselling novelist CJ Baxter has made a career out of writing hard-hitting stories ripped from his own life. Still there’s one story from his past he’s never told. One secret that’s remained buried for decades. Now, seventeen years after swearing he’d never return, CJ is headed back to Adelia, NY. His life in Tennessee has fallen to pieces, his grandfather is dying, and CJ can no longer run from the past. With Graham Baxter, CJ’s brother, running for Senate, a black sheep digging up old family secrets is the last thing the family and campaign can afford. CJ soon discovers that blood may be thicker than water, but it’s no match for power and money. There are wounds even time cannot heal.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Hunter’s Moon, go HERE

MY THOUGHTS:

I feel really weird saying this, but I have no idea if this book is good or not. I’m pretty sure I received my review copy through CFBA because I vaguely remember the cover art. However, I have absolutely no clue what I did with the book! I haven’t gone so far as to look under the sofa cushions, but maybe I should?

I’ve said in previous posts that I always read the books that I post about, whether or not I include a review, so I just wanted to let you know that I haven’t actually read this book. If I do find my copy, I will definitely update this post to include my thoughts. If you’ve read the book, please leave a comment and let other readers know what you thought!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Don Hoesel was born and raised in Buffalo, NY but calls Spring Hill, TN home. He works as a Communications Department supervisor for a Medicare carrier in Nashville, TN. He has a BA in Mass Communication from Taylor University and has published short fiction in Relief Journal.

Don and hopes to one day sell enough books to just say that he’s a writer. You can help with that by buying whatever his newest novel happens to be.

He lives in Spring Hill with his wife and two children.

This book was sent to me through Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for the book tour. The words under “My Thoughts” are my own, and the rest is promotional material supplied by CFBA. No affiliate links are in this post.

Wishing I Had a Profound Thought

Kara_S — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:02:48 +0000

Ever have one of those days when you want to blog but can’t think of a single thing to write?

Yeah, I know it’s hard to imagine, but it’s happening to me. Ack!!! Usually the ideas are spinning in my head and I have little notes of things to blog about … but my note pile is exhausted and my head is silent.

I think part of my problem is I feel pressured to write at certain times because the “schedule post” option isn’t working on my blog. (The dreadful gremlins are back at it again!) So I feel like I have to write something on my “office” days instead of being able to write it whenever and just schedule it for later.

I suppose I could write the posts, save them as drafts, and just publish them on the days I want … but that requires remembering to actually publish them.

Since I’m having such a hard time finding things to write about, can you give me some suggestions?

What do you want to know about me?
Is there anything that I haven’t blogged about recently that you’re wondering about?
Curious about my opinion on something or what I like/dislike?
I’d love to start a blog series on something but am unsure of what. Any suggestions?

C is for …

Kara_S — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:50:12 +0000

C is for … what else but CAT! Did you seriously think I would come up with a better C word? (I did … once. You can see the CAVES here.)

Sassy Lou is my only kitty furbaby that I have left. She’s definitely my little sweetie!

Most of my cat herd went to new homes this past summer / fall. It was starting to get too expensive paying for food, shots, flea prevention, and vet visits for 6 cats!!!

Winks and Sylvester, my two boys that I had for about 7 years, disappeared during 2009. Both went outside and never came home. Thankfully it wasn’t at the same time but about 9 months apart. Part of me wonders if they found new homes or exactly what happened.

Buttercup went to a new home not too far away along with two rescue kitties that were found along the road. (Yep, at one point, there were 8 cats/kittens in the house.) The lady that adopted them said all three were the best cats she ever had in her life!

Buttons moved in with a three-year-old girl and I’m positive that they are the best of friends and spend hours and hours playing together.

Penelope ventured to the next door neighbor’s farm where she has a barn full of mice all to herself. Why share a barn with other cats when you can have your very own? I still see her every couple of days on my way out of the hollow.

So while all of my furbabies have found new homes, I’m glad Sassy Lou is still around. She’s a great companion, prefers getting in my face when I type, and has the quietest meow of any cat. (Who wouldn’t love a quiet kitty?)

One day soon I’ll introduce you to the two kitties that I cat-sit during the week…

To see more ABC Wednesday photos, click here.

Review: Beguiled by Gist & Bertrand

Kara_S — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:15:38 +0000

ABOUT THE BOOK

In the shadows of Charleston, someone is watching her… Rylee Monroe, a dogwalker in Charleston’s wealthiest neighborhood, never feared the streets at night. But now a thief is terrorizing the area and worse, someone seems to be targeting her.

Reporter Logan Woods is covering the break-ins with the hope of publishing them as a true-crime book. The more he digs, the more he realizes this beguiling dogwalker seems to be at the center of everything. As danger draws ever closer, Logan must choose: Chase the girl, the story, or plunge into the shadows after the villain who threatens everything?

If you’d like to read the first chapter of , go HERE

MY THOUGHTS

It’s no secret that I enjoy reading Deeanne Gist’s novels. Her typical genre is historical fiction (one of my favs) and her writing is considered “edgy” (in reality, it’s just true to life, not sugarcoated). So, when CFBA offered a new Deeanne Gist book for review, I jumped at the chance. I admit that I was skeptical … A co-author? And how would a superb historical fiction author do in a contemporary setting?

Within pages, my skepticism was put aside and I was immersed in a suspense-filled romance. Beguiled is one of those “don’t interrupt me while I’m reading” and “I don’t care if the house is burning down – I’m finishing this chapter” kind of books.

To be honest, the suspense created by co-authors Deeanne Gist and Mark Bertrand reminded me of books by author Dee Henderson. However, what makes Beguiled different from Henderson’s O’Malley series is the personal relationships. The O’Malley siblings, while not siblings by birth, all had someone in the family to turn to when trouble struck. Rylee Monroe is by herself except for her elderly grandmother. At times I wanted to reach in to the book’s pages to tell Rylee she wasn’t alone.

The book isn’t all suspense since there’s lots of quirky things about both Rylee and Logan that make it a fun read – a car named Daisy, minor league baseball players with a pet frog… And there’s the added element of romance. What would a book with Gist as an author be without romance? (Moms, I recommend reading Deeanne’s books first and making sure the romance scenes are appropriate for your daughter’s maturity level.)

My only disappointment with the book was that it ended too soon. In a way, I did feel like the end suddenly wrapped up everything, but that’s how things happen when a crime is solved, so I can’t complain.

And here’s a hint to those Hollywood producers – Beguiled would make a great box office hit!

Mandie Book Comes to Life

Kara_S — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:10:12 +0000

Do you remember reading the Mandie books when you were growing up? Or maybe your girls or granddaughters have read the series? Here’s the description of the first book …

Amanda Shaw, Mandie for short, is almost a teenager, and she is certain God no longer loves her as she watches her father being lowered into his grave. Mandie’s move into a neighbor family’s home, when her mother remarries, does not soften her grief. Her only comfort is the promise from her father’s faithful Cherokee friend, Uncle Ned, to watch out for her and be a friend.

Will Mandie be able to escape her new and nearly intolerable home situation? Will she find her long-lost family? When she finds a mysterious key, she hopes it will unlock the door to a secret tunnel and her own family’s history. This wholesome, entertaining series for young readers is a delightful mingling of suspense, tears and joy. Recommended for ages 8 to 13.

I remember getting Mandie books for my birthday, Christmas, good grades on my report card, and probably other occasions. I was growing up at the time when author Lois Gladys Leppard was writing the series so it was always a looooong wait between each book. It probably wasn’t as long as it seemed, but to a little girl wanting to know what mystery happened next, it seemed like forever!

(According to the Mandie website, there’s 40 books in the series. If your daughters (elementary – middle school age) haven’t read the books, I highly recommend them.)

Anyway, I found out the most interesting piece of information via Facebook today. And, by the way, this totally made my day! Someone made a Mandie movie!!! In fact, there’s a sequel that is scheduled to start production very soon. (I learned this fun fact from one of my former students who is on the film production crew for the sequel – how cool is that?)

The first movie is about the first book, Mandie and the Secret Tunnel. From what I’ve been told, the movie follows the book’s plot fairly close. And the preview trailer makes it look like a great movie.

Since I have the entire series of Mandie books gracing a shelf in my office, I had to order the DVD. I feel like I’m 12 years old again waiting patiently for the next book to come out. And, I know that others of you who enjoyed the series or have little girls who enjoy would love to watch the trailer and other movie/production clips. I’m including the trailer here but make sure you go to the Mandie Movies site to see more.

MANDIE and the SECRET TUNNEL Trailer from Owen Smith on Vimeo.

*This is not a paid review, but merely ramblings of my own about something that made my heart glad.

Will the Doctor be Accepted?

Kara_S — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 19:37:12 +0000

Gooding, Texas, is about to gain a double blessing–a veterinarian and a doctor. But when siblings Enoch and Taylor Bestman arrive, the discovery that Taylor is a lady doctor has the town up in arms. Especially Karl Van der Vort, the town blacksmith, who becomes the first patient…against his will.

Though hesitant to believe in Taylor’s doctoring skills, Karl finds himself oddly protective of this surprising woman who dares to drive about town on her own, wearing the color red, for heaven’s sake! Taylor, on the other hand, wants only to prove that doctoring is her life’s calling, despite the town’s opposition. The result? Pride meets attraction head-on, and sparks begin to fly.

MY THOUGHTS

That Certain Spark quickly earned a spot on my favorite books list. Author Cathy Marie Hake did a superb job of creating delightful characters immersed in a somewhat fast-paced, definitely intriguing storyline.

I absolutely loved the relationship between Taylor and Karl. Their verbal sparring and debates were at times hilarious yet also serious in message. The bond created between the two of them grew into love so quickly that neither recognized it or wanted to admit it. Of course, finding out they were in love leads to some great moments.

The idea of a woman doing a man’s job isn’t foreign to fiction, especially historical fiction, but there was something fresh about this story. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but within the first few chapters, I found myself hoping that some adventurous Hollywood producer reads this book and turns it into a movie. The interaction between the characters far exceeds most Hollywood scripts.

The book is charming and witty yet shows the hardships of modern medicine as we know it. I have to admit that I was surprised when Taylor performed breast cancer surgery on a patient. We hear so much about breast cancer in today’s world, that I never stopped to think of women having it back in the late 1800s. Plus since most 1800s fictional doctors deal with broken bones from accidents, gun shot wounds, and flu-like illnesses, the idea of breast cancer was different and refreshing. Don’t worry – Taylor also treats gun shots wounds, broken bones, and illnesses.

This book isn’t preachy but weaves a wonderful message of God’s forgiveness and providential care throughout the story. I would definitely recommend this book, and it is suitable for older teenage girls.

This book was sent to me free through Bethany House’s book review program. The words under “My Thoughts” are my own, and the rest is promotional material supplied by the publisher. No affiliate links are in this post.

What Would You Like To Read?

Kara_S — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 16:37:44 +0000

Note: And again, the gremlins are at work. This post was auto-scheduled to post Saturday morning. For some reason, my scheduled posts don’t want to cooperate and actually post. Grrr.

Just when I think I finally figured things out, something always throws a monkey wrench into the delicate workings of my life. Of course, I should probably stop trying to figure things out, and life would move along smoothly. LOL!

Life has actually been pretty calm so far in 2010. But I just don’t seem to have the time for writing. I think part of my problem is I went from my deadline in December to Christmas break straight into January’s deadline. My usual 1-2 weeks between deadlines were filled with holiday stuff rather than writing stuff.

As you can guess, since I’m actually posting something two days in a row, I’m on my 1-2 week break between January and February deadlines.

Since the past six months have a been a little rocky in my blogging world, I’d like you to help me out as I get refocused. Could you answer the following question in the comments or send me an email?

What would you like to see more of on this blog?

I am planning on cutting back on the number of book reviews simply because in order to keep up, my nose is always stuck in a book. I do want to write more about the lessons God taught me in 2009. And I plan on talking more about my goals and my business and how I might be able to help those of you who are aspiring writers. Any other suggestions?

My Song from 2009

Kara_S — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 16:34:28 +0000

Note: This post should have automatically posted on 1/5/10 but for some reason auto scheduling didn’t work. The gremlins must be at work again…sigh.

So many things happened in my personal life during 2009, and those events drew me even closer to God and relying on Him for grace, strength, and peace. People seem to think that I should be hurting and a mess after my divorce. So not true. Initially I was for the first few weeks, but I realized that God didn’t want that for me. I was to turn to Him, cast all my cares on Him, and move on. When I reached that point in late July, things slowly began to fall in place and my heart was overflowing with peace.

As I look back at how far I’ve come and how things have changed in the last six months, I know everything happened for a purpose and none of it was a mistake. It was all part of God’s perfect plan. I was recently reminded of a song (I believe it was written by Mac and Beth Lynch.)

My life I give to you oh Lord use me I pray
May I glorify Your precious name in all I do and say
Let me trust You in the valley dark as well as in the light
Knowing You will always lead me
Your will is always right

I know God makes no mistakes
He leads in every path I take
Along the way that’s leading me to home
Though at times my heart would break
There’s a purpose in every change He makes
So that others would see my life and know
That God makes no mistakes

And when some day in heav’n above I see His dear face
May I then be counted faithful as a runner in this race
But now I’m trusting in the Savior to show me the way
In His righteousness He guides me as I seek to please Him day by day

I’ve tried to live each day reflecting the peace in my heart, and I know it baffles people. But God didn’t make a mistake in giving me those events to live through. I wouldn’t trade a single one of them, no matter how emotionally or physically painful, for a million dollars. They’ve made me a better and stronger person, one who is looking forward to what will unfold in 2010.

Seeing God Every Day

Kara_S — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:35:44 +0000

As I was contemplating possibly moving after my divorce, my heart always felt heavy, but I never quite knew why. All of the usual reasons came to mind – friends, work, etc. – but they didn’t seem to be the root of it.

Finally, earlier this week, I figured it out. I was walking to my car with a friend one evening and we stopped to gaze at the stars. Here in our tiny county in the center of the West Virginia, the eye can see thousands upon thousands of stars. My jaw drops every time I gaze at the sky. There are so many specks of light and tiny galaxies!

Our area has little to no light pollution making the night sky jet black. The closest city with street lights is 25 miles away – probably a little closer if you were a crow – but that little town only has 1 street lined with lights. The closest major city giving off a glow in the sky is about 60 miles away. So, our nights are really, really dark – don’t expect to see your hand two inches in front of your face unless you have a flashlight.

To give you an idea of what our sky looks like … below is an image of the constellation Orion and is considered a magnitude 6 (that’s apparently astronomer speak for how dark the sky is, and there’s only one level higher where you can see more stars). For all I know, we could be a magnitude 7 and, honestly, the picture really doesn’t do it justice. All I know is it is gorgeous.

But anyway, I’m slightly off topic. The thought that ran through my mind that evening consisted of the words to How Great Thou Art…

Oh Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder consider all the worlds thy hands have made, I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, thy power throughout the universe displayed, then sings my soul, my Savior, God to thee, how great thou art, how great thou art.

I realized that here in West Virginia I see God every day, and that deeply increases my personal faith and walk. I couldn’t live where there are huge homes with perfectly manicured lawns lining every street and shopping plazas and drug stores on almost every corner. That describes where I grew up – goodbye farmland, hello drug store.

There’s something deeply personal to me about being able to drive down the road and see a newborn calf just figuring out how to use his wobbly legs. Or standing outside on a summer afternoon listening to the thunder roll through the hills and echo for miles. Or gazing at millions of stars on a cold winter night. Or watching an ugly weed next to the ditch turn into a beautiful wildflower. Or noticing a fawn or a flock of turkeys or a hawk or a small barn owl.

I finally figured out that seeing God through nature is part of what makes me tick deep down inside. And I couldn’t possibly leave it behind.

And, as a little treat today, I’m ending with my absolute favorite version of How Great Thou Art. Every time I hear Carrie sing this song, I get goosebumps. This particular video doesn’t quite do Carrie’s performance justice, but you can catch the “live” version on either CMT or GAC on a really great show called “How Great Thou Art.”

2009 Reflections

Kara_S — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:55:24 +0000

At the end of 2008, I posted my goals for 2009. Now that 2009 is over, which is incredibly hard to believe, I want to reflect on how I did.

Here’s my original goals…

I want to strengthen my business.
I want to organize.
I want to write my novel!

I followed up during the year with two other posts … Am I Meeting Goals? and Reflecting on Goals. Those posts will give you a little more insight into my plans.

So how did I do?

My business is producing an income, especially now that I’m able to invest more time and money into it. I have definitely seen the benefits of social media and online networking. I had a period of time where I wasn’t able to put as much time into twitter and blogging as I would like, and I can see how it has affected my business. (Note to self: goal for 2010 = consistently blog and tweet) I am completely self-sufficient on my business income starting 2010 – something I never would have imagined.

Organization is going to be a lifetime goal because I don’t think I’ll ever reach the point I want. The paper piles will forever invade my space. But it’s getting easier to toss that irrelevant piece of paper that I think I might need, especially after it has sat in the same spot for weeks and weeks. Yep, definitely needed to save that paper. Ha!

And then the final goal: writing my novel. God definitely had other plans in that area. I no longer have a desire or plan to write a novel, unless God places it on my heart. I do, however, intend to write about the life lessons I learned in 2009.

I had no idea on June 29 when I wrote Reflecting on Goals and included Psalm 119:165 …

Great peace have they which love thy law:
and nothing shall offend them.

how true that verse would become within a matter of days. God showed Himself so faithful in 2009, and I can’t wait to see what He’s going to do in 2010!

As far as goals for 2010 … still working on those!