Posted by Melanie on Friday, March 23, 2012 with 12 comments
Weekend Report is where I share what I accomplished (book-wise) the previous week! Feel free to join along and post your own Weekend Report on your blog/site. If you do, please leave the URL in a comment below.
What I'm currently reading:
My thoughts:
I'm about half-way through this book and enjoying it so far!
What I've read this week:
I didn't finish ANY book this week! What a depressing reading week... I just didn't have any desire to read - that seems to be ending now (at least I hope!).
What I plan on reading soon:
Reviews posted this week:
None
Current Giveaways!
Enter to win Where Wildflowers Bloom by Ann Shorey ~ US and Canada! Enter here.
Enter to win To Dance Once More by Sherri Wilson Johnson ~ Open Internationally! Enter here.
Giveaway winner!
The winner of A Bride's Portrait of Dodge City, Kansas by Erica Vetsch is...
Lady DragonKeeper
Congratulations!
~
I have a question for everyone - what are your thoughts on not finishing a book you received for review? If the book is really unenjoyable, how much do you think you should have to read? What if that book has a lot of curse words? I'd really appreciate your thoughts! :)
So that's what I accomplished (book-wise) this week, what about you?
Posted by Melanie on Tuesday, March 20, 2012 with 41 comments
Welcome to Christian
Bookshelf Reviews, Ann! Will you tell us a little about yourself?
I've been a full-time
writer for over twenty years. Before I turned to fiction, my writing appeared
in Chicken Soup for the Grandma’s Soul,
and in the Adams Media Cup of Comfort
series. I made my fiction debut in 2009 with The Edge of Light, Book One in the At Home in Beldon Grove series
for Revell. I'm tempted to thank Peet’s coffee and Dove chocolates when I write
acknowledgments for my books. J
What is Where Wildflowers Bloom about?
Here's a peek at the back cover blurb:
The War Between the States stole a father and
brother from Faith Lindberg—as well as Royal Baxter, the man she wanted to
marry. With only her grandfather left, she dreams of leaving Noble Springs,
Missouri, and traveling west to Oregon to start a new life, away from the
memories that haunt her. But first she must convince her grandfather to sell
the family's mercantile and leave a town their family has called home for
generations.
When Royal Baxter suddenly returns, Faith allows
herself to hope that she and Royal will finally wed. But does he truly love
her? Or will another man claim her heart?
When did you first
realize you wanted to be a writer?
I've been told since I
was in high school that I should be a writer, but the need to earn a living
kept me working in an office until a major emotional trauma left me with the
choice of what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I chose writing!
How many books have you
written? Which is your favorite?
Counting Where Wildflowers Bloom,
I’ve written four novels that have been released and one nonfiction family
history. I just finished the second book in the Sisters at Heart series,
tentatively titled When the Heart Heals.
This book features Rosemary Saxon (Faith’s best friend) as the main
character. Each time I finish a new
novel, that one is my favorite.
What would you say is
the best and/or worst part about being a writer?
The best part definitely is having the
privilege of doing what I love best. The worst part is the time that marketing
can take from my writing hours. But they’re intertwined, aren’t they? If I
weren’t writing, I wouldn’t have anything to market. J
What was one of the most
surprising things you learned in creating your books?
Currently, the biggest surprise was
learning how female nurses were regarded during the War Between the States.
When I created Rosemary’s character, I assumed nurses were as respected then as
they are now, but that wasn’t the case.
I love to read, and always have. I used to get in trouble in school for
hiding a novel behind a textbook and reading instead of doing assignments. I
also enjoy walks with my husband and our dog on the beach or around our rural
neighborhood here in Oregon.
What are three things
you wouldn't want to do without (besides the Bible, food, and family)?
Friends, first of all. Life would be
bleak without good friends, which was one of the reasons behind the creation of
the Sisters at Heart series. Second, books! Third, I think a sense of humor
makes life much more enjoyable. It would be terrible to be serious all the
time.
Is there a place you’d
like to visit, but haven’t yet?
I love to travel, so I could give you a long list. To choose a place I
haven’t been, I’d pick Scotland. It would be fun to visit the town where my
great-grandfather was born.
Do you have a favorite
song and/or movie?
My favorite song is the hymn “And Can It Be?”. I never grow tired of
singing that one. Now my favorite movie is going to be 180 degrees opposite: I
loved “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” I don’t get tired of that one,
either.
Do you have any favorite
authors?
Too many to list.
Barbara Kingsolver is my favorite author for her brilliant use of the English
language. In the Christian fiction genre, Liz Curtis Higgs, Laura Frantz, and
Julie Klassen are among my top favorites. You’ll notice they each write
historical fiction, with is my favorite genre to read, although I enjoy
mystery/suspense fiction also.
Do you have a favorite
Bible verse?
Isaiah 41:13 (NIV)
“For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to
you, Do not fear; I will help you.”
Are you currently working
on any new novels? If so, could you tell us a little about it?
I just turned in my latest novel to the
publisher. It’s the second one in the Sisters at Heart series. The main
character is Rosemary Saxon, Faith’s friend in Where Wildflowers Bloom.
I’ve begun a novella to be part of a
collection that Revell will release next year. I’m very excited about this
project! The other three authors in the collection are Laurie Alice Eakes,
Amanda Cabot, and Jane Kirkpatrick. Great company!
Thank you so much for being here! Where can we
find you on the web?
Thank you for inviting me to your blog.
I’ve enjoyed the interview questions.
Enter to win a copy of Where Wildflowers Bloom! I loved this book (you can find my review here) and highly recommend it! :D This giveaway is only open to the US and Canada!
Enter by filling out the Rafflecopter below (here is a tutorial, if you aren't familiar with Rafflecopter). The mandatory entry is to leave a blog post comment on this blog post - after you do that, the other entries will become available.
Posted by Melanie on Saturday, March 17, 2012 with 7 comments
Happy St. Patrick's Day!!
Yesterday I was awarded the Helpful Blogger Award from Charity ~ Austenitis!!! As I've said before, I LOVE blog awards!! Thank you so much, Charity, for awarding my blog! :D
Here are the three rules:
1. Link back to the blogger who nominated you in your award post.
2. Post three helpful things you've done.
3. Nominate another three bloggers and tell them you nominated them.
Three helpful things I've done:
Not good, I'm having a hard time coming up with one!... I could list helpful things other people have done, but it's very hard thinking of helping things I've done...
1. Let other people read my books (does that count as helpful?)
2. Help spread the word about great books (in my opinion)
3. I've helped other bloggers with some blogging questions...
Don't know if those count as helpful, but that is all I can come up with right now! :D
Posted by Melanie on Friday, March 16, 2012 with 10 comments
Weekend Report is where I share what I accomplished (book-wise) the previous week! Feel free to join along and post your own Weekend Report on your blog/site. If you do, please leave the URL in a comment below.
What I'm currently reading:
About Far From Here:
How long do you hold on to hope?
Danica Greene has always hated flying, so it was almost laughable that the boy of her dreams was a pilot. She married him anyway and together, she and Etsell settled into a life where love really did seem to conquer all. Danica is firmly rooted on the ground in Blackhawk, the small town in northern Iowa where they grew up, and the wide slashes of sky that stretch endlessly across the prairie seem more than enough for Etsell. But when the opportunity to spend three weeks in Alaska helping a pilot friend presents itself, Etsell accepts and their idyllic world is turned upside down. It’s his dream, he reveals, and Danica knows that she can’t stand in the way. Ell is on his last flight before heading home when his plane mysteriously vanishes shortly after takeoff, leaving Danica in a free fall. Etsell is gone, but what exactly does gone mean? Is she a widow? An abandoned wife? Or will Etsell find his way home to her? Danica is forced to search for the truth in her marriage and treks to Alaska to grapple with the unanswerable questions about her husband’s mysterious disappearance. But when she learns that Ell wasn’t flying alone and that a woman is missing, too, the bits and pieces of the careful life that she had constructed for them in Iowa take to the wind. A story of love and loss, and ultimately starting over, Far From Here explores the dynamics of intimacy and the potentially devastating consequences of the little white lies we tell the ones we love.
My thoughts:
Not enjoying it that much yet... hope it gets better!
About The Silent Governess:
Believing herself guilty of a crime, Olivia Keene flees her home, eventually stumbling upon a grand estate where an elaborate celebration is in progress. But all is not as joyous as it seems.Lord Bradley has just learned a terrible secret, which, if exposed, will change his life forever. When he glimpses a figure on the grounds, he fears a spy or thief has overheard his devastating news. He is stunned to discover the intruder is a scrap of a woman with her throat badly injured. Fearing she will spread his secret, he gives the girl a post and confines her to his estate. As Olivia and Lord Bradley's secrets catch up with them, will their hidden pasts ruin their hope of finding love?
My thoughts:
While I haven't actually started this book yet, I put it on my currently reading shelf because I plan on reading it soon! I hope I love it as much as I did The Maid of Fairbourne Hall!
Q: What is the best book you've read in the last month? What is the worst book you've read in the last month?
I'm taking this to mean the best and worst books I've read (so far) in March.
The best was Bourne by Lisa T. Bergren...
The worst - that is really hard to choose because I really enjoyed ALL five of the books I read, but I guess I'd choose Song of My Heart by Kim Vogel Sawyer.
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