Congratulations goes out to Mayra C. the winner of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook Software.
Thanks to all who participated. I hope you'll visit us again soon.
Friday, March 9, 2012
My Memories Suite Scrapbook Software Winner!
Congratulations goes out to Mayra C. the winner of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook Software.
Thanks to all who participated. I hope you'll visit us again soon.
Giveaway Ending Soon!
Enter the Sage & Sweetgrass by LoRee Peery giveaway at http://booktoursandmore.blogspot.com/2012/03/free-for-all-friday-sage-sweetgrass-by.html. Ends late tonight!
Book Spotlight: Chasing the Sun by Tracie Peterson
Wounded soldier William Barnett returns to his home only to discover that his family's ranch has been seized. Though angry and bitter at this turn of events, he's surprised to discover that it is a beautiful young woman with amazing fortitude who is struggling to keep the place running.
Hannah, desperate for help, and William, desperate to regain his family's land, form an uneasy truce. But nearby Comanche tribes, the arrival of Confederate soldiers, and a persistent suitor all threaten the growing attraction that builds between them. Will they be able to set aside their own dreams and embrace the promise of a future together?
Read the first chapter by clicking here.
PURCHASE AT:
AMAZON
BARNES AND NOBLE
BOOKS-A-MILLION
CHRISTIANBOOK.COM
INDIEBOUND
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Guest Blogger: Joshua Graham, Author of Beyond Justice
THE DESCENT INTO HELL IS NOT ALWAYS VERTICAL…
Sam Hudson, a reputable San Diego attorney, learns this when the authorities wrongfully convict him of the brutal rape and murder of his wife and daughter, and sends him to death row. There he awaits execution by lethal injection.
If he survives that long.
In prison, Sam fights for his life while his attorney works frantically on his appeal. It is then that he embraces the faith of his departed wife and begins to manifest supernatural abilities. Abilities which help him save lives– his own, those of his unlikely allies–and uncover the true killer’s identity, unlocking the door to his exoneration.
Now a free man, Sam’s newfound faith confronts him with the most insurmountable challenge yet. A challenge beyond vengeance, beyond rage, beyond anything Sam believes himself capable of: to forgive the very man who murdered his family, according to his faith. But this endeavor reveals darker secrets than either Sam or the killer could ever have imagined. Secrets that hurtle them into a fateful collision course.
BEYOND JUSTICE, a tale of loss, redemption, and the power of faith.
Faith and Fiction
By Joshua Graham
As a writer, finding the balance between a great read and inspirational themes is not always easy. The challenge is that you can’t always please everyone. So what’s a writer to do? The answer is simple: Write the best book you can with sincerity. Some will love it, some will hate it, but that’s the case for ALL books. To illustrate this fact, just look at the 5-star reviews and 1-star reviews for books written by your favorite bestselling authors.
Why write about faith? Well, for some authors (like me) it’s just a part of who we are. And to do so with sincerity, we need to know about that which we write. For example: John Grisham was and still is an attorney. So naturally he writes Legal Thrillers. Dick Francis was the son of a jockey and stable manager and left school at 15 without any qualifications, with the intention of becoming a jockey and became a trainer in 1938. Francis became a celebrity in the world of British National Hunt racing and won over 350 races, becoming champion jockey in the 1953–54 season. Guess what he wrote about?
If anyone meets me and talks with me for more than 5 minutes, they’ll also learn about my wife and family. Again, they’re such a part of my life that if I open myself personally to anyone, they’ll inevitably come up in the conversation. It would take effort to purposely not talk about them.
As the adage goes, write what you know.
Of course, what you know needs not dominate the entirety, or even majority of a novel. And though my faith is the most important part of my life, I try not to make it the major thrust of the plot or characters in my book.
Now depending on the market for which you write, it may be appropriate to make the faith aspect more central (Christian Fiction) or more peripheral (Mainstream Market). I’ve seen the latter done nicely in the works of C.S. Lewis, John Grisham, and Dean Koontz, to name but a few.
When I write, I invite people of all convictions to get into the world and characters of my story. Even if there is a faith element, I try to present all sides and let the reader decide for themselves what they wish to think/believe. I don’t have any agenda other than presenting a compelling book that stimulates discussion and leaves memorable impressions.
Connect with Josh at the following:
http://www.joshua-graham.com/
www.facebook.com/j0shuaGraham
Twitter:@J0shuaGraham
TV Show Review: Downton Abbey, Season 1
Gee, it's eight days into March and I am posting my first TV show review. I promise it isn't because I'm lazy. The deadlines are looming and the personal life is crazier than normal right now. My first review isn't even of a movie, though the family did see Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, and I hope they will share their thoughts on it with me--at least more than saying it was fabulous.
I rarely hook onto the popular shows or see an overhyped movie. I haven't read a Harry Potter or Twilight book. I haven't seen more than 10 minutes out of any of the movies. I guess I'm not much of a follower.
One evening, however, I was looking for something to watch on Netflix, and Downton Abbey came up as a recommendation. I had heard how wonderful this show is, so I decided to try it out.
Downton Abbey revolves around the lives of the Crawley family and their servants. In the first episode, Robert Crawley, Lord of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville), receives word the heir to the estate is considered lost after the sinking of the Titanic. A distant cousin, Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens), a self-made man, is next in line. Though not ready to live the Crawley ways, Matthew and his mother move onto the estate.
Downstairs in the servants' quarters, ambitious and angry Thomas (Rob James-Collier) and the conniving, malicious lady's maid, O'Brien (Siobhan Finneran), are kept in tow by the housekeeper, Mrs. Hughes (Phyllis Logan), and the butler, Mr. Carson (Jim Carter). With the return of John Bates (Brendan Coyle), an ex-solider who served with Lord Grantham in the Boer War, the many other servants, and a mix of meddling relatives, living at Downton Abbey is never boring.
I have to admit, it took me to two episodes to be fully captivated by Downton Abbey, but now I can't wait for Season 3. The storytelling from creator Julian Fellowes is phenomenal. While the setting is stunning, it's truly the lives of these well-portrayed characters that captures you. Lord Gratham is compassionate and has a strong sense of right and wrong. His wife, Cora, an American heiress, isn't thrilled about watching the family fortune being tossed away; especially since a lot of the money was hers. Their three daughters have such different personalities, there is bound to be some rivalry. Lady Edith resents all the attention paid to her older sister, Lady Mary. It causes her to do some truly awful things. Mary, not to be bested, makes sure payback is on the menu. Lady Sybil, the youngest daughter, is the rebel. She's fiercely political, and hates injustice of any kind. She yearns for a life outside of Downton Abbey.
What I truly enjoy the most about Downton Abbey, is that although a lot of nasty stuff takes place on the estate, the viewer doesn't get an eyeful or earful of vulgarity or obscenity. Yes, there are bedroom scenes, but they are handled modestly. There's a certain elegance to the show despite the evil elements that go on upstairs and in the servants' quarters. I also like that the servants' lives are as much a focus of the show as the lives of the Crawleys.
You can order Season 1 of Downton Abbey at Amazon or directly from PBS. Amazon also offers it as an instant video.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
WSJ Wednesdays - Are Bright Young Minds Being Left Behind?
I dug deep into my pile for this week's edition of WSJ Wednesday. In the November 12 - 13, 2011 edition, an article by Stephanie Banchero appeared in the U.S. News section. Banchero says, "A national focus on the lowest-achieving students has helped boost their performance, but has left the country's brightest minds behind..." Data that included results from national math and reading exams, indicated high achievers were are not only stagnating, but falling behind their international counterparts.
The National Association for Gifted Children, a non-profit advocacy group, is calling for policy changes that would hold schools accountable for the scores of top achievers. Director Jane Clarenbach even claims that top achievers in the nation are being ignored.
Banchero's article contained several statistics. There were a couple that caught my eye:
1) Even though the majority of the nation's gifted and talented children are taught in general education classrooms, only six states require those teachers receive training to work with top-performing students;
2) Schools spend more than $12 billion on special-education students and states require schools to provide intensive services for them.
One of the association's recommendations is to make it easier for gifted students to skip grades. According to the article, only eight states have policies that let top achievers skip grades. For the rest of the country this decision is left up to the local school districts.
I have a diverse household, so this issue affects me either way. One of my daughters had been getting special-education services from our school district for the last three years. I had to fight tooth and nail to get them for her, but her special-ed teams in both schools (the district reorganized and she had to switch schools last year) are superb. My other daughter has been testing above average since pre-school. Every year I hear how bored she is the entire time. She begs me to stay home. Despite having a literacy group made up of other top performers, she still has time left over where she simply draws or reads. I've definitely toyed with the idea of requesting she move up a grade. Kids who are bored can get mischievous. I've also considered the idea of private schooling, but that would cost around $15,000 a year.
I can't imagine how only six states in the nation could require teachers to have training to work with top achievers. I realize teaching is a tough job, and training costs money, but at what point do we say those being left behind aren't the lower performers anymore? How many years must the scores of America's top students remain stagnate before action is taken?
What's your opinion? Should all states require teachers to be trained to work with top achievers? Are America's public schools still the answer for top performers? Is there too much attention placed on helping low performers achieve passing scores on standardized tests?
Happy Belated 100th Birthday to Oreo!
Happy 100th birthday, Oreo! May the next 100 be just as great.
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