Book Review: In Grandma's Attic (book 1 and 2)

I simple adore these two books!  Arleta Richardson writes "True Stories of Yesteryear with Timeless Lessons for Today" and you will truly enjoy these books.

From the  back cover of book 1:
  As a little girl, Arleta never would have guessed what her grandma was up to when she was her age.  That is, until she discovered the secrets hidden in her grandma's attic.  Everything she found sparked a tale of Grandma's life in simpler times and a life lesson her grandma had learned.  A quilt square reminded her grandma to avoid pride.  A shoe button inspired a story about honesty.  And what was that wire thing Grandma wore?


  But the most amazing thing Arletta discovered?  Grandma had been a little girl just like she was, trying to be good but often getting into trouble, sometimes without even meaning to!  Filled with fun and laughter, Grandma's stories will whisk you away to another time and place.


MY THOUGHTS:
These two books are truly timeless.  You will be able to enjoy them yourself as I'm sure they will bring memories of time spent with your own grandma.  You can enjoy them with your children and then save them for your grandchildren, these stories will not grow old!  I love these books, the stories Arletta tells are sometimes humorous, at times a great lesson is learned and are all around just plain fun.  These books show that there are stories in everything as well as family history.  Each chapter is it's own little story which makes these great bedtime books....a true treasure.

**I received a complimentary copy of these books for review from the B and B Media group, I was not compensated in any other way for my honest thoughts and opinion.

Book Review, High Tide: A Cozy Mystery

High Tide: A Cozy Mystery by Ann Summerville is the second book in the Lowena Series.

ABOUT ANN (taken from her SITE)

Ann Summerville wrote her first short story before her age reached double digits. She was born in England, and in search of a warmer climate, moved to California before settling in Texas.  Her short stories and flash fiction have been published in Long Story Short, The Shine Journal, Doorknobs & Bodypaint Anthology, Associated Content, Trinity Writer’s Workshop newsletters and also their collection of Christmas stories.  A member of Cowtown Crimesolvers, the Fort Worth Chapter of Sisters in Crime, Ann is currently working on her latest cozy mystery set in a Texas town.  Ann resides in Fort Worth, near her daughter and son-in-law, with her son, two boisterous dogs and a somewhat elusive cat.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW 

Tell us a little about yourself?

Until my late 20s I lived in England and moved to California before settling in Texas. I like the simple things in life – family and friends are at the top of the list. I enjoy gardening, making quilts, and knitting - especially now I have a granddaughter to make things for.

When did you start writing?

I have always loved writing, but only in the past few years have I sent anything out for publication. I had many short stories published in e-zines and started writing novels about four years ago.

Where do you get your ideas from?

Many of the stories start with either something I have heard or perhaps a newspaper article or story. It starts me thinking “what if?”

What advice would you give new authors?

Enjoy writing and realize that opinions of others are just that. If writing is your passion, don’t give up. Learn from your favorite authors, study what they have written and learn about your craft. Look for a good critique or writing group. The members at Trinity Writers’ Workshop in Bedford, Texas have helped me to grow as a writer.

Where is High Tide available?

The printed copy is available on Amazon. For e-readers it’s available on Kindle and on other formats on Smashwords.com.

How can readers find out more about you?

Blog: www.cozyintexas.blogspot.com

Web Site: www.annsummerville.com

Contact: cozyintexas@yahoo.com

Thanks for inviting me.

ABOUT THE BOOK (from the back cover)
  Giovanna Matthews settles into the English west country village of Lowenna, but a storm is about to rock her world.  Distressing the ladies from the knitting circle, a body drifts in with a hide tide and unconvinced the death is an accident, Gia leaves no pebble unturned while sleuthing her way around the village.  Her delving further disrupts village life much to the upset of many villagers who want every rock to stay firmly in place.  Meanwhile, her boyfriend, David, has an unwelcome visitor who threatens to unravel the bonds that tie him and Gia.  Can Gia solve the mystery and encourage the visitor to leave before her anchor in the village is uprooted and she too is cast out to sea?

MY THOUGHTS:
When I first heard the title of the book I wondered how exactly a mystery could be cozy, but it is cozy indeed!  This mystery does not leave you wanting to look under your bed, double check the locks on the door or leave the light on at night.  Instead, it makes you want to curl up and leaves a smile on your face as you follow Gia as she unfolds the mystery!

Gia is one who is full of energy, chattering away like a chickadee and sometimes leaves you breathless as she is relentless in her sleuthing!  The people in this book are full of fun characteristics which make them entirely real and rather quirky. 

I enjoyed the story line, it was a fun mystery instead of creepy and all in all a nice change from the usual.  High Tide left me wanting to read the first book, and anxiously awaiting the third...I hope there's a third because Gia certainly must figure out what to do with her mom!!

Ann is giving away 3 of her books and has reduced all of her Ebooks to $2.99 for the month of April, head on over to her BLOG to learn more!

**I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for review directly from Ann Summerville, I was not compensated in any other way for my honest opinion.

Book Review: That's When I Talk to God

That's When I Talk to God, by Dan & Ali Morrow is a sweet little book, beautifully illustrated by Cory Godbey.

FROM THE BACK COVER:

  A little girl discovers that she can talk to God anytime, in any place, and about anything.

  As a little girls says her bedtime prayers, her mother asks a simple question that sparks a powerful discovery; "You know we can pray to God anytime we want to, right?"  With that, the little girl suddenly finds things to talk to God about everywhere-in her garden, in a friend's backyard, and on the soccer field-and learns how God talks to her, too.

MY THOUGHTS:
This is a wonderful book for children, each page has colorful pictures which are certain to be appealing to children and the story is written in the little girl's voice which makes it even more fun for those you are reading it to.  I loved how the story unfolded as the little girl realized how she could talk to God anytime just like she can talk to her mom anytime!  I think this book is great for young children, as parents we may pray at meals and at bedtime which becomes normal for our children, but how do they know they can talk to God anytime?  It's obvious we can do so as adults, but not to our children.  That's When I Talk to God is a great bedtime story and I can't wait to share it with my nieces and nephews!

  
** I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for review from B and B Media group.

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Sockupied Emag Review

When I was asked to review the Sockupied Emag, I jumped at the chance! I have never read an Emag before and it was quite the experience! You can purchase Sockupied through the Interweave site HERE 

Once you've purchased the Emag you get a download link, it did take about 2 hours to download which surprised me, but no big deal since I could still use my computer during the download...the only problem here was being patient.....I wanted to read it NOW!

About the Emag:  It was/it awesome, I now have the mag icon on my screen so I can access it at any time.  The Emag itself is amazing.  Have you watched the Harry Potter movies?  If so, you've seen the newspaper that has talking/moving people in it, well, that 's the best way to describe the Sockupied Emag!  As you go through the pages there are several tabs which you can click on and watch videos, which is pretty neat.  The magazine is also full of great content, I have knit a few socks....never an actual pair since I'm never that happy with my results...Sockupied has a lot of helpful info. which includes 5 patterns and directions to knit a toe-up or toe-down sock.  A little fun is at the end of the Emag, where you can design your own argyle sock by clicking on different colors until you have the sock you like!

Now, if you're like me and never tried an Emag before, you won't be disappointed.  I wasn't sure if I'd like the fact that I couldn't hold it in my hands, but it was great and I think I'll be more inclined to open up the mag while sitting at the computer for a quick browse through than I would be if it were sitting in a pile somewhere in my house.

Interweave offers several different Emags, so go on over and check them out HERE!


**Special thanks to Jaime over at Interweave for the review copy of Sockupied, I was not compensated in any other way for my opinion.

Get paid for Tweets!

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CFBA: Book Review: Wolves Among Us

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Wolves Among Us David C. Cook; New edition (April 1, 2011) by Ginger Garrett

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ginger Garrett is the author of the Chronicles of the Scribes series (In the Shadow of Lions, In the Arms of Immortals, In the Eyes of Eternity), Dark Hour, and Beauty Secrets of the Bible. Chosen: The Lost Diaries of Queen Esther was recognized as one of the top five novels of 2006 by the ECPA.

Focusing on ancient women's history, Ginger creates novels and nonfiction resources that explore the lives of historical women. A frequent media guest and television host, Ginger has been interviewed by Fox News, Billy Graham's The Hour of Decision, The Harvest Show, 104.7 The Fish Atlanta, and many other outlets.

A graduate of Southern Methodist University with a degree in Theater, she is passionate about creating art from history. Ginger resides in Georgia with her husband and three children.

ABOUT THE BOOK

This richly imagined tale takes readers to a tiny German town in the time of “the burnings,” when pious and heretic alike became victims of witch-hunting zealots. When a double murder stirs up festering fears, the village priest sends for help. But the charismatic Inquisitor who answers the call brings a deadly mix of spiritual fervor and self-deceptive evil. Under his influence, village fear, guilt, and suspicion of women take a deadly turn. In the midst of this nightmare, a doubting priest and an unloved wife—a secret friend of the recently martyred William Tyndale—somehow manage to hear another Voice…and discover the power of love over fear.

Dinfoil, Germany, 1538. In a little town on the edge of the Black Forest, a double murder stirs up festering fears. A lonely woman despairs of pleasing her husband and wonders why other women shun her. An overworked sheriff struggles to hold the town—and himself—together. A priest begins to doubt the power of the words he shares daily with his flock. And the charismatic Inquisitor who arrives to help—with a filthy witch in a cage as an object lesson—brings his own mix of lofty ideals and treacherous evil. Under his influence, ordinary village fears and resentments take a deadly turn. Terror mounts. Dark deeds come to light. And men and women alike discover not only what they are capable of, but who they are…and what it means to grapple for grace.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Wolves Among Us, go HERE

MY THOUGHTS:

This book will make you very glad that you did not live in 1538.  Evil just pours from the pages as you read of innocent people being captured and killed because of ignorance.  It is amazing how far people will go to find reasons for their problems and how willing people are to believe what they hear.

While this book was disturbing, I did enjoy it and the end has a lovely twist. 



**I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for review from CFBA