Love at Mistletoe Inn ~ Review

Love at Mistletoe Inn
December ~ A Year of Weddings Novella
By Cindy Kirk

Hope Prentiss is in for the surprise of her life - she thought her high school marriage to John Burke wasn't real. But the vows and paperwork they had signed made everything legal, even is she got post wedding cold feet mere minutes after say, "I do."

Hope wants to get out of this situation she unexpectedly finds herself in.  After all it was a foolish mistake made by a teenager.  But John has other ideas, he meant what he said to Hope 10 years ago when he said "I do" and he meant it with all his heart.  But how can he convince Hope that he is the right man for her.

When Hope and John are talked into helping Hope's Aunt Verna plan a Christmas wedding at Mistletoe Inn they find themselves planning the wedding they should have had.  But is it too late for a second chance at love?

Love at Mistletoe Inn is a cute story that will thrill any fan of clean romance.  And this story is short enough to fit into your busy schedule.  Take a break from the hectic holiday race and enjoy a sweet Christmas story that will give you a couple hours of reading bliss.  I have to say the cover made me want to read this book - the dress is so gorgeous.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher through the BookLook blogger program in exchange for my honest review.

Destiny ~ Review

Destiny
By Don Brown

Destiny opens in 1938 on a night when the world once again found itself on the brink of an all encompassing war.  We are then taken back to 1931 - Walter Brewer is returning home with his new wife. World War II has yet to make rumblings of its coming threat to America or Jamesville, North Carolina.

Destiny follows the lives of 3 different men and the paths that their lives follow as war slowly engulfs the world in its fever.  Walter Brewer is a simple country postal worker who is about to experience war and its costs.  Meanwhile in England, young Darwin McCloud is faced with his desire to make a difference and earn his father's respect while dealing with his pacifist ideals. And then there is Heinrick Schultz a German who is among the early members of the Nazi party.

Destiny covers a period of nearly 15 years - years in which war links 3 lives in ways no one would expect.  And these links would have a profound and lasting effect that would span national boundaries and touch many lives beyond.

This book is a prequel to Don Brown's Navy Justice series and introduces us to Zack Brewer's grandfather - a man of honor and integrity who finds truths and strengths within himself that he never expected to need.

Fans of World War II historical fiction will love this book and fans of Don Brown's previous work will not be disappointed in this step into the past.  This is a moving story that will leave you with a greater appreciation for what those who served during this time of uncertainty gave.

I was provided a copy of this book through BookFun/TBCN in exchange for my honest review.


About the Book: 

Three men. Three armies. One letter. One destiny.
When World War II hits Walter Brewer's family in the worst possible way, he is torn between his love for two women, his family, and his country. A rural postal carrier in his hometown of Jamesville, North Carolina, Walter has no idea his life is about to become entwined with a Nazi officer and a Royal Naval commando. Will he survive his mission over France as a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne, or is the ultimate sacrifice Walter's destiny?

This much-anticipated prequel to Don Brown's acclaimed Navy Justice series is packed with the ravages of love and war, romance and family, and ultimately the power of faith.


About the Author Don Brown: 

A former U.S. Navy JAG officer, Don is the author of the Navy Justice series and the Pacific Rim series. Paying no homage to political correctness, Don’s writing style is described as “gripping,” casting an entertaining and educational spin on a wide range of current issues, from radical Islamic infiltration of the military, to the explosive issue of gays in the military, to the modern day issues of presidential politics in the early twenty first century.
Don graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1982, and after finishing law school, continued his post-graduate studies through the Naval War College, earning the Navy’s nonresident certificate in International Law. During his five years on active duty in the Navy, Don served in the Pentagon, was published in the Naval Law Review, and was also a recipient of the Navy Achievement Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal.

The Christmas Cake ~ Review

The Christmas Cake 
The Holiday Collection Book 2
by Joyce Swann 

The Christmas Cake is a moving story.  And there is a lot of story in the 43 pages.  Michelle has been making a special cake for Christmas for the past 10 years.  But this is an unremarkable looking cake.  It's not the kind that win awards, at least not until you take a bite of it.

This year the Christmas Cake allows Michelle and her mother to connect in a meaningful way.  And for some reason Michelle feels the need to share an important truth about this cake with her mother.  Because of the Christmas Cake Michelle finds peace, peace that she has sought for years.

And as an added treat the recipe for Christmas Cake is included at the end of this book!

And you can get it free through Amazon (Kindle) until December 1, 2014.

Golden Daughter ~ Review

Golden Daughter
Tales of Goldstone Wood 7
By Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Sairu has been raised to protect her master.  But her master is unlike any that has been protected by a Golden Daughter before. Her master is a Dream Walker - a Dream Walker who has walked farther into the Dream than walkers have walked for generations. And she has walked where she should not have walked.

Lady Hariawan's journey into the Dream has put her in danger. But how can one protect against the unknown dangers of the Dream? This is the task that Sairu has been given as her lifelong task.

But the dangers that Sairu must face are unlike any she has trained for.  And then there is the golden devil cat who seems to be forever present.  Is this beast friend or foe?  Only time will tell...

Golden Daughter is from a time before Heartless, Veiled Rose, Moonblood, Dragonwitch, and Goddess Tithe.  But one can find threads throughout that are the foundations for these tales yet to be.  Characters one has come to know and love can be found within these pages (some are unexpected and some like Eanrin just make the story complete).  This is a story of heartbreak, suffering, discovery, and love.

There is a Gift of the Heart, Dara, and Dragons.  What lies within the Dream is about to be known...

Prepare for another journey into the Wood and to travel paths unseen in this most amazing addition to the Tales of Goldstone Wood saga.  An epic journey you won't want to miss!

I was provided an Advance Reader Copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

BEYOND THE REALM OF DREAMS

IS A WORLD SHE NEVER IMAGINED

Masayi Sairu was raised to be dainty, delicate, demure . . . and deadly. She is one of the emperor’s Golden Daughters, as much a legend as she is a commodity. One day, Sairu will be contracted in marriage to a patron, whom she will secretly guard for the rest of her life.

But when she learns that a sacred Dream Walker of the temple seeks the protection of a Golden Daughter, Sairu forgoes marriage in favor of this role. Her skills are stretched to the limit, for assassins hunt in the shadows, and phantoms haunt in dreams. With only a mysterious Faerie cat and a handsome slave—possessed of his own strange abilities—to help her, can Sairu shield her new mistress from evils she can neither see nor touch?

For the Dragon is building an army of fire. And soon the heavens will burn.

Becoming Beauty ~ Interview

Taking time from her busy schedule author Sarah Boucher took time for a short exclusive interview with me.  Be sure to check-out my review of Becoming Beauty here!




1) What about Beauty and the Beast made you want to retell this tale?

I’ll admit it.  I’ve always been obsessed with Beauty and the Beast. While other girls dreamed about the hunk of the week, I dreamed about the hulking Beast.  Something about a person who can see himself as nothing but beastly is entirely relatable.  Becoming Beauty was spurned by the fact that I have always adored him more than the prince he transforms into and because as much as I admire the sweet, self-sacrificing Beauty, I could see nothing of myself in her.  The two issues festered in my mind until I discovered a way to create a non-princely Beast and a more contemporary Beauty.

2) What is your favorite Genre or do have a broad appreciation of genre types?

Fairy tales have always held a special place in my heart.  As an adult, several traditional fairy tale
volumes still dot my shelves along with modern fairy tales and fairy tale retellings.  Beyond that, I enjoy any type of clean Young Adult romance (contemporary or otherwise) and classics from authors like L.M. Montgomery, Jane Austen, the Brontes, and Shakespeare.

3) What is your best source of inspiration when you write?

During the writing process, I need complete quiet in order to focus.  However, my career as a
kindergarten teacher has left me with a mind that can’t focus on anything for very long.  A variety of
movies, books, and theater, along with nights out with the girls keep my mind fresh and my imagination alive before, after, and in the middle of projects.

4) Which character in Becoming Beauty do you most identify with?  Why this character?

Bella is a conglomeration of every snarky comment, every great comeback, and every sassy thing I ever wanted to do or say.  Underneath all that bravado beats the heart of a real girl who longs for something better.  She’s both the girl I’m afraid I’ve become and the woman I long to be.  Creating her exorcised a number of my personal demons, so is there really any question why I identify with her best?

5) Who is your favorite Fairy Tale character?

Without a doubt, Beauty is the fairy tale character I have always loved best.  The Disney version with her bookish nature, kind heart, and preference for a crabby beast over the village’s most eligible bachelor is particularly appealing.  In Belle, Disney lends depth to the one-dimensional fairy tale character in traditional tales.  But really, what’s not to love about a girl who can appreciate a fabulous makeover and gorgeous gowns and shoes?

Becoming Beauty ~ Review

Welcome to Becoming Beauty's Blog Tour! Learn all about Sarah E. Boucher and her exciting new Young Adult novel based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and The Beast.

Becoming Beauty

Self-centered Bella focuses her attention on beautiful dresses and fabulous balls rather than helping her family earn a living.  And her siblings have had enough! To pay off their father’s debt, they send Bella to a far-off manor where the owner is more like a beast than a man.

As their personalities clash, Bella comes to realize there’s more to the Beast than she could ever have dreamed—if only she can look beneath the surface. And then there’s Jack, the kind servant who helps Bella adjust to her new life, someone Bella could easily fall in love with. But pursuing love may cost Bella her dreams of wealth and beauty. And that’s a price she’s not willing to pay.

Becoming Beauty is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and books and things.


Review
Becoming Beauty
By Sarah Boucher

Bella is determined to marry a nobleman and to do this she must look the part she intends to hold. But she is the daughter of a humble carpenter.  But Bella can talk her father into getting her whatever she wants.  But when her selfish, self-centered attitude becomes too much her brother and sister decide it's time for Bella to learn the true cost of her manipulations.

To pay the debt her father has incurred, Bella is sent to serve in the home of a man who is more beast-like than human.  This dark and foreboding home in the middle of nowhere is shrouded in mystery and sorrow.   Who is Jack and why would he willingly serve this Beast?  And even more perplexing is the absent Rose who haunts Bella's dreams.  Where is this young woman and why did she disappear?  The truth about Rose is the key to Bella's future.

In this retelling of Beauty and the Beast we have a beauty whose personality is anything but beautiful.  And we have a beast who needs someone to help him heal.  And then there is Jack the patient faithful servant who tries to keep the peace while hiding his own secrets.  Becoming Beauty is the story of three people who are damaged and in need of healing.

This is a beautiful and lovely story that will lave you wishing for just one more chapter, though it is not necessary.  Prepare to be enchanted in a timeless story that needs no magic to cast its spell!

I was provided a copy of this book by Cedar Fort in exchange for my honest review and for my participation in this blog tour.

Author Spotlight

Sarah E. Boucher spends her days instilling young children with the same love of literature she has known since childhood. After hours, she pens her own stories and nurses an unhealthy obsession for handbags, high heels, baking, and British television. Sarah is a graduate of Brigham Young University, who currently lives and teaches in Ogden, Utah. Becoming Beauty is her first novel.

Visit Sarah at blog/website (SarahEBoucher.com) 

Or connect with Sarah by clicking through to the following social media sites: 

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• Goodreads

And don't forget to click below and enter the giveaway for a chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

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Guest Post from Author Cindy Thomson

Today we have a special treat - a guest post from Cindy Thomson.  Cindy is the author of the recently released Annie's Stories and its prequel Grace's Pictures.  Today Cindy shares a little about the special foods that play such an important part in a traditional Irish Christmas.  

With a month until Christmas Enjoy this gift from Cindy and be sure to check-out 

Cindy's live Facebook Christmas party on Monday December 1st 

5:00pm - 7:30pm EST  http://on.fb.me/1wTigIz!

Giveaways, chats, and guests are on the schedule!

Trim, County Meath Ireland from Flickr credited William Murphy

Why is it holidays seem to revolve around food? Possibly because sitting around a table to eat is the best way to bring families together for conversation and good times. I used food in my latest novel, Annie’s Stories, to evoke a sense of home for Annie who was searching for that place after her life was disrupted. (You can find some of the recipes from that novel here.)  http://cindyswriting.com/2014/07/06/early-20th-century-recipes-from-annies-stories/

Since my stories feature Irish characters, and much of what I’ve written centers on Ireland and Irish culture, I’d like to share some traditional Irish Christmas recipes with you.

Christmas dinners traditionally feature a roasted goose. Turkeys are a more recent substitution. Other dishes included three types of potato dishes: roasted, boiled, and mashed. You might also find roasted parsnips, cabbage, and brussels sprouts. For desert you’d have plum pudding. On St. Stephen’s Day (Dec. 26) you would serve Irish Spiced Beef.

If you’d like to learn about some Irish foods like mash, bread sauce, and celeriac, check out a post I did for the Irish Fireside. http://irishfireside.com/2013/12/16/christmas-dinner-irish-style/

Plum Pudding is no quick dish to make. Perhaps that’s why there are traditions about the family helping. Below is a recipe I copied. I’ve never made this myself. I’ll stick to cookies. But if you’re adventurous, go for it. I’d love to hear how yours came out. (You can contact me through my website www.cindyswriting.com)

Christmas Pudding from Flickr, credited: Peter Hilton 

Traditional Christmas plum pudding recipe

By CHEF MICHAEL GILLIGAN, Irish Central Staff Writer.

10 eggs
1 cup white flour 

4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons allspice


2 teaspoons nutmeg
4 ounces chopped almond pieces

1 grated apple
1 pound light brown sugar 

1 medium carrot, grated (this optional ingredient probably crept into the recipe 

    during WWII when fruits was in short supply) 

Rind and juice of an orange and a lemon

3 pounds raisins use some currants, some yellow, and some sultanas. The more 

    variety in fruits, the better the pudding. 

8 ounces candied cherries or natural dried cherries

24 ounces bread crumbs

12 ounces candied peel (candied pineapple chunks, citron, mixed peel)

1 pint of Guinness

5 tablespoons of hard liquor 

1 pound butter or finely minced suet if preferred

Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Rub the raisins and other fruits with the flour and spices. The flour adheres to the stickiness of the fruits and gives the pud a nice even texture.

Cut the butter into fine pieces and mix well with the dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl mix the liquid ingredients. When the liquids have been well stirred, add them to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix all together very well.

The batter should be a bit loose, a little thicker than a cake mix. If it’s dry like bread dough, add more Guinness.

My mother would grease a big square of unbleached muslin and pour the pudding into this, tying off the top with string. In these modern times, heat-proof bowls are an acceptable substitute for the cloth bag method...and much easier.

Line the bowl with parchment paper; fill to within an inch of the top of the bowl. Cover the batter with parchment paper and use a lid for steaming. Sealing the top of the bowl with foil will work if there is no self-lid for the bowl. Fill the pot in which you are steaming the pudding to just below the top of the pudding bowl and gently boil for at least 12 hours. I use the slow cooker for this and it works very well. Depending on the size of the bowls used, you may get about three puddings from this recipe. I triple it and get at least a dozen quart-sized puddings. (Big family!)

When the pudding has cooled, remove it from the bowl, dribble brandy (or any other whiskey-type stuff) over the top of it, letting as much sink in as possible. Seal the puddings in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. (Don’t let the aluminum touch the pudding as there is a reaction that dulls the foil and I suspect this is not good for the pud or the people eating it.)

Let it sit for as long as possible before serving. Three or four months is not too long. Occasionally dribble the pudding with a shot of the spirit of your choice: brandy, whiskey, bourbon, etc.

Traditionally, the pudding was steamed again for an hour before serving. There are two possible methods: Remove the wrapping, return the pudding to the original bowl, and steam again for an hour.

Turn it out on a heat-proof serving plate and proceed to the lighting process that follows the brandy butter recipe---or---unwrap the pudding, place it on the serving platter, and microwave for 10 minutes at 50 percent power. The microwave method, though obviously not traditional, works exceptionally well, and has become traditional in my family!

Brandy Butter (Hard Sauce)

1 cup butter

1 cup confectioner's sugar


1/2 cup brandy (or whiskey, Irish or otherwise)

Soften butter. Beat the butter with an electric mixer until it’s fluffy. Slowly add an equal amount or more of confectioner’s sugar. You will see that the mixture changes texture. 

Slowly add the brandy after this textural change in the sugar/butter blend. Beat further until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. Spoon the brandy butter into serving dishes and chill until firm. When turning the mixture into the serving dish, finish off the top by swirling it into a circular pattern with the bottom of the spoon for a decorative effect.

Garnish everything with Holly in berry if you have it.

To light the plum pudding, pour a generous cup of Christian Brothers Brandy (none other!) on top. There’ll be a little puddle on the plate. That should light pretty easily and the blue flames will creep up the sides.

Douse the lights in the dining room to bring in the pudding to the acclaim of all at the table. Don’t be disappointed if the flame is out quickly. That’s how it goes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cindy Thomson is a writer and an avid genealogy enthusiast. Her love of history and her Scots-Irish heritage have inspired much of her writing, including her new Ellis Island series with Tyndale House Publishers. Cindy is also the author of Brigid of Ireland and Celtic Wisdom: Treasures from Ireland, and is co-author of the baseball biography Three Finger: The Mordecai Brown Story. In addition to books, Cindy has written on a regular basis for numerous online and print publications and is a mentor for the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and the Historical Novel Society. Cindy and her husband have three grown sons and live in central Ohio. 

Visit her online at www.cindyswriting.com or on Twitter: @cindyswriting.