My First Visit to Moses Lake Won't Be My Last!

Firefly Island
by Lisa Wingate
Moses Lake series, #3
Christian Fiction
Available February 2013
Bethany House
386 pages

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About the Book
Sometimes love takes you on an adventure completely off the map.

Mallory Hale's life quickly veers off course when she falls hopelessly in love. After a whirlwind romance, Mallory finds herself leaving the bustle and action of Capitol Hill for the remote town of Moses Lake, Texas—with husband, stepson, and a U-Haul in tow.

A sweet, mishap-filled journey into marriage, motherhood, and ranch living ensues, and Mallory is filled with both the wonderment of love and the insecurities of change. But what she can't shake is the unease she feels around her husband's new boss, Jack West. Jack's presence—and his mysterious past--set her on edge, and when hints of a scandal emerge, Mallory finds herself seeking answers . . . and comes to realize that the middle-of-nowhere home she wasn't sure she wanted is the very place she'll risk everything to save.

My Thoughts
Firefly Island was such a pleasant surprise. Of course, I anticipated enjoying it. The surprise was how much I enjoyed it! This gem has all the makings of a classic southern tale—family, romance, and secrets, combined with plenty of small-town drama, unique townspeople, a precocious child, a handsome man, and a sassy woman. Seriously, what more could you want?

Oh, perhaps incredible writing? Well, Lisa Wingate delivers on that account too. She has a talent for balancing the need to push the plot forward with allowing time for readers to really get inside the character's minds. I loved getting to know Mallory through this first-person account (which is not my usual preference). Reading her thoughts on what was happening around her and on life in general added a fantastic layer to the book. If I were prone to writing in books (which I'm not!), I can assure you that I would have underlined and jotted notes in the margins throughout. (I've posted some of my favorite lines here.)

From the very beginning, I was invested in the characters and the outcome of their story. Only a few chapters in, I had to stop myself from cheating and looking at the last page—to make sure things turned out okay for them. By the end of the book, I was sad to see it end. It was just so perfect—yet not—and I wasn't ready to leave Mallory and the rest of the residents of Moses Lake.

Think I'm gushing too much? Well, that's certainly your prerogative. But I challenge you to read it for yourself and see if you can prove me wrong. I hope you enjoy your time in Moses Lake as much as I did! [5 stars]

I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House and LitFuse Publicity in exchange for my fair and honest review.

About the Author
Lisa Wingate is a popular inspirational speaker, magazine columnist, and national bestselling author of several books, including Tending Roses, Talk of the Town, Blue Moon Bay, and Larkspur Cove, which won the 2011 Carol Award for Women's Fiction. Lisa and her family live in central Texas.

Lisa Wingate Online

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Happy Release Day to DiAnn Mills!

The Survivor by DiAnn Mills is available today! 

Happy Release Day, DiAnn!

About The Survivor
In The Chase, award-winning author DiAnn Mills introduced you to the world of Kariss Walker, the best selling suspense author with a nose for trouble. In The Survivor, Kariss gets the chance to tell her most powerful story yet. But will it revitalize her writing career? Or bring it to a violent end?

Kariss meets Dr. Amy Garrett, who survived a brutal childhood attack in which the assailant was never found. Now Dr. Garrett wants her story written in a novel. Kariss wishes she could seek the advice of Special Agent Tigo Harris, but she broke off the relationship a few months prior and seeing him again would be too painful. She interviews Amy and conducts her own research, stepping unaware into a viper's pit of danger.

Tigo misses Kariss and wants her back, but he understands why she broke off their relationship. Instead, he concentrates on solving a car bombing and bringing the killer to justice. As Kariss's new story attracts an onslaught of danger that she never expected, can Tigo save the woman he loves and find who wants her dead for writing about an unsolved cold-case?

A Contest: What's Your Survivor Story?
In celebration of the release of The Survivor, DiAnn is hosting a contest! All you have to do is share your "survivor story" with DiAnn in 100 words or less. You might win one of the following prizes: 

- a Kindle Fire
- a collector's edition kaleidoscope 
- a $35 Amazon gift card 
- one of two personalized copies of The Survivor 

The submission deadline is March 8, so hurry and turn those stories in! (Complete details are here.)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (on Tuesday)

"It's Monday! What Are You Reading?" is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey where we share what we're reading and our goals for the week.

Since yesterday was my stop on the Easter Egg Blog Hop, I decided to wait and post this today. Here's what I've been reading over the past week.

What I Read Last Week ...

Ummm ... anyone else read Grave Consequences yet?! EXCELLENT! When the Smoke Clears was really great too. Great suspense.

What I'm Reading Now ...
I'm generally a one-at-a-time reader. But ... seems that I have a few books going right now. I think this is actually keeping me from a reading slump. Whatever works, right?! My review for Moonlight Masquerade is due this week, so I'll definitely finish it this week. We'll see about the others. :)

What I Hope to Read This Week ...

I've got QUITE a few books on my TBR list this month. I won't be able to read them all, but it's worth a shot, right?! (Side note: Does anyone else make a list of books they hope to read during the month? I started doing it last year and it's helped me stay motivated when I'm not really wanting to read as much as normal.) Anyway. Hoping to read at least three books total this week. Now that I'm looking, it's a pretty good mix. Lots of choices!

That's what I'm hoping to read this week. What are you reading?

Easter Egg Blog Hop | Stop #6

Welcome to the Easter Egg Blog Hop! Today I am hosting the sixth stop along this ten-stop-hop.

What’s the Easter Egg Blog Hop? Learn more about it here, and join the fun!

Laura J. Bryant is the illustrator for God Gave Us Easter, as well as several other books in the God Gave Us series. She studied painting, printmaking, and sculpture at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. She has illustrated numerous award-winning children’s books, including God Gave Us You, Smudge Bunny, and If You Were My Baby. Laura lives in Asheville, North Carolina.

What is your favorite cover in the God Gave Us series, as illustrated by Laura?

Today’s Easter Egg: Share your favorite God Gave Us cover on your blog or social media! Then head over to the entry form and submit the link to your blog or social media post.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Be sure to stop at the other blogs hosting this blog hop later this week. (You can find a list of the hosts here.)

Month in Review | February 2013

As easy as it is to get behind with these monthly wrap-ups, I'm going to try to continue posting them ... even if they're a few days late. I read some great books in January. If the reviews aren't posted yet, I'll be posting them soon. :)

Books Read [11]

Favorite of the Month?
Oh, it's too hard to decide, so I'll choose three: Secrets Over Sweet Tea, Firefly Island, and Grave Consequences. I have a feeling that these will be in the running for best books of the year. Seriously, amazing!

Reviews Posted [6]

• Safe in His Arms by Colleen Coble (Litfuse Tour)
• Let Them Eat Cake by Sandra Byrd
• Lovelier Than Daylight by Rosslyn Elliott
• Secrets Over Sweet Tea by Denise Hildreth Jones
• Picture Perfect by Janice Thompson (Revell Tour)
• Secrets by Robin Jones Gunn

Blogside Chats
I have every intention of gearing these up again, so be watching for more fun interviews soon! This month, though, I had fun interviewing Sandra Byrd as part of a special blog tour to celebrate the e-release of The French Twist series!

Blog Stats
Here are a few of the more random stats that Blogger tracks. Interesting, huh?

Most Viewed Posts of the Month

1. Through Rushing Water by Catherine Richmond
2. Special Promotion & a "Sweet Giveaway" from Author Sandra Byrd
3. Review Copy Cleanup Challenge - February 2013
4. It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Feb 25)
5. Interview with Sandra Byrd, Author of the French Twist Series

Most Frequently Used Search Words to Find i blog 4 books

1. baseball kids
2. [a website that is pretty weird so I'm not going to spell it out here]
3. read loving by karen kingsbury online
4. tree of goals (NO idea what this means or what it could be linking to!)

Noteworthy Posts / Happenings

• I participated in the Review Copy Cleanup Challenge. Great motivation to read some great books I've received for review!
• Looking Ahead ... Most Anticipated Books of 2013, Part 1

That's my January. What did you do last month?

Celebrate Lisa Wingate's Latest Release w/ iPad Mini Giveaway and FB Chat!

Lisa Wingate is celebrating the release of Firefly Island with an iPad Mini giveaway and a fun Facebook Author Chat Party (March 19th).  

  One fortunate winner will receive:

• An iPad Mini
• The Moses Lake series (Firefly Island, Blue Moon Bay and Larkspur Cove)

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on March 18th. Winner will be announced at the "Firefly Island Author Chat Party on March 19th. Connect with Lisa, get a sneak peek of her next book, try your hand at the trivia contest, and chat with readers just like you. There will also be many fun giveaways -- gift certificates, books, and more!

So grab your copy of Firefly Island and join Lisa on the evening of the March 19th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun, RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 19th!

Fantastic Sophomore Novel from Darrel Nelson!

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance 

is introducing  

The Return of Cassandra Todd

by 

Darrel Nelson

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The Return of Cassandra Todd
by Darrel Nelson
Christian Fiction / Contemporary / Suspense
Available February 2013
Charisma Media
304 pages

About the Book

When the popular girl whose friends bullied him in high school suddenly reenters his life, little son in tow, Turner Caldwell must put the past behind him if they are to survive.

Turner Caldwell works at a local motel as a handyman while attending college full-time. On his way to class one day, he is shocked to see Cassandra Todd and her young son in town. The sight of her brings back powerful memories of being bullied in high school—she was the popular head cheerleader and he the target of her friends’ mean-spirited pranks.

When Cassandra and her son check into the motel where he works and she asks for his help in eluding her abusive husband, he finds himself entangled in a dangerous drama that will require him to forgive and draw on every skill he has if they are to survive.

My Thoughts
I was introduced to Darrel Nelson last year through the release of his debut novel, The Anniversary Waltz. I quickly realized that Darrel had a special talent for story-telling, and have eagerly anticipated the release of his second novel. I'm happy to say that—while very different from his debut novel—The Return of Cassandra Todd was just as good, if not better!

The first few pages provided great background for what was to come, yet immediately intrigued me. Throughout the rest of the book, Nelson balanced the need for background information, plot development, and an intensity that kept me furiously turning the pages.

Turner was a great character. He's overcome a horrible high school experience only to continue facing trials within his family. When Cassandra and her son turn to him for help, he willingly assists them, but things quickly get out of control. I loved his protective nature and how he used his wilderness survival skills to get them out of one tough situation after another. It was interesting to watch the friendship between Turner and Cassandra grow and show him that God could still use him, in spite of himself.

The suspense throughout the novel surprised me—both that the book was suspenseful and the intensity of it. Several of the twists really caught me off guard, and that's pretty hard to do. :)

POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT: One final thing I feel bears mentioning is the fact that the publisher labeled Cassandra Todd as a "romance." When I realized that the heroine was married, I was a little uncomfortable with the idea of a Christian romance novel featuring a married woman. HOWEVER, after reading the entire book, I don't feel that the book was truly a "romance" novel (much more of a suspense!). The relationship between Turner and Cassandra is truly a friendship worth embracing, and I loved how the author tackled this unique situation.

Overall, The Return of Cassandra Todd is a stellar read—a perfect blend of emotion and suspense, and I cannot recommend it highly enough! [4.5 stars]

I received a free copy of this book from Charisma Media and CFBA in exchange for my fair and honest review.

About the Author

I am a schoolteacher by profession and have taught school for (thir—ahem!) years. I grew up in Raymond, Alberta, and attended the University of Lethbridge after graduating from high school and serving a two-year mission to Japan. During university, I met and married Marsha Smith, and we are the parents of four children, which has grown to include their spouses and our ten grandchildren.

I have always loved to write. I started writing stories before I was old enough to realize I was writing stories. It seemed a natural thing to pick up a pencil and paper and create a world simply by using words—worlds of adventure in steaming jungles (Tarzan was an early influence on me) or realms of adventure in outer space (Buck Rogers). But as I have grown older, I have discovered that the real inspiration for me is exploring the theme of love and how it can make such a difference in the world.

I’ve had an article published in Lethbridge Magazine and have written several dramatic plays, two of which won provincial recognition and were showcased at a drama festival. I won the CJOC radio songwriting contest two years running, and have had one of my songs receive international airplay. I have written four novels intended for the juvenile market. They are unpublished as yet, but I read them annually to my fourth grade students and my students tell me they love them, the darlings.

Darrel Nelson Online

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