Downton Abbey Series 4 Premiers in the UK This Sunday!

I haven't spoke much lately about my deep love of Downton Abbey. This year's trailer is out, which indicates an amazing season of new faces, new trials, and changes for many characters. The series premiers in the UK this coming Sunday, but fans in the States must wait until January 5, 2014 before the series runs on PBS.





With the death of her beloved Matthew six months before, Lady Mary is in a time of transition; trying to find her way as a single mother and to keep Downton thriving for her son and heir, George. As you can tell from this trailer, the detached Mary we met in Season 1 has returned. At least we can blame a bit of that on the pain of her loss.

Lady Edith, however, is poised to take this ever-changing world by storm as she embraces her independence. What will happen between her and her very married editor, Gregson?

Lord Grantham, who right before Matthew's untimely death, embraced his and Tom's plans for the future of Downton may need to switch gears. And what role will Lady Mary play in the estate's management now that Matthew is gone? Is love in Tom's future?

Downstairs looks like it will be just as exciting if you can judge by the clips in that video trailer. Daisy's future was up in the air last season as Mr. Mason asked her to consider moving to the farm with the plan she will eventually inherit it. Will the softer side of Thomas be a permanent fixture around the house or is that a thing of the past? How about Jimmy, Alfred, and Ivy--the young servants at Downton--will they remain satisfied in service? What do Anna, Bates, Mrs.Hughes, Mrs. Patmore, and Mr. Carson have to look forward to or dread?

Downton Abbey Addicts shared this synopsis from the first episode:

Following Matthew’s untimely death, new mother Mary is struggling to come to terms with her loss. Robert and Violet disagree on how to bring her through it. Downstairs, hearts are set to be broken as Jimmy finally takes an interest in Ivy. Carson has an unwelcome reminder of his past while Mrs Hughes sees an opportunity to help grief stricken Isobel. Thomas is up to his old tricks and has the children’s Nanny in his sights.

Are you eagerly awaiting the start of Downton Abbey? I'm going to find it hard not to look for spoilers after it airs in the UK.

CFBA: Born of Persuasion by Jessica Dotta

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingBorn of PersuasionTyndale House Publishers, Inc. (September 1, 2013)byJessica Dotta


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born in the wrong century–except for the fact that she really likes epidurals and washing machines–Jessica Dotta writes British Historicals with the humor like an Austen, yet the drama of a Bronte.

She resides lives in the greater Nashville area—where she imagines her small Southern town into the foggy streets of 19th century London. She oversees her daughter to school, which they pretend is an English boarding school, and then she goes home to write and work on PR. Jessica has tried to cast her dachshund as their butler–but the dog insists it’s a Time Lord and their home a Tardis. Miss Marple, her cat, says its no mystery to her as to why the dog won’t cooperate. When asked about it, Jessica sighs and says that you can’t win them all, and at least her dog has picked something British to emulate.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The year is 1838, and seventeen-year-old Julia Elliston’s position has never been more fragile. Orphaned and unmarried in a time when women are legal property of their fathers, husbands, and guardians, she finds herself at the mercy of an anonymous guardian who plans to establish her as a servant in far-off Scotland.

With two months to devise a better plan, Julia’s first choice to marry her childhood sweetheart is denied. But when a titled dowager offers to introduce Julia into society, a realm of possibilities opens. However, treachery and deception are as much a part of Victorian society as titles and decorum, and Julia quickly discovers her present is deeply entangled with her mother’s mysterious past. Before she knows what’s happening, Julia finds herself a pawn in a deadly game between two of the country’s most powerful men. With no laws to protect her, she must unravel the secrets on her own. But sometimes truth is elusive and knowledge is deadly.


If you would like to read the first chapter of Born of Persuasion, go HERE.

Tips for Getting Your Toddler to Nap

Far behind me are the days of struggling to get my toddlers down for their naps. I still remember, however, how aggravating it could be when they wouldn't go down when I wanted or needed them to. "7 Tips for Getting Your Toddler to Take a Nap" offers several great ideas to help out. From crafting a nap time schedule to creating the right napping environment and more, these tips will make getting your toddler down at nap time a lot easier.

Menu Planning for Busy Moms

I love cooking, but with the girls' schedules, it can be hard to fit in time to prepare a healthy meal. That's why menu planning has been something I've done since my girls first came on the scene. Menu planning isn't a new idea, but many busy moms have advice on how to go about it. In "25 Blogs with Menu Planning Tips for Busy Moms" you'll find tips for beginners, how to put your menus together, weekly menus, grocery shopping tips, and even online meal planning services.

Coming downstairs from my office and asking "What do you want for dinner?" is never appealing to me, especially because the answer is usually, "I don't know." By having a plan for each day of the week, I'm able to get in and out of the kitchen faster.

I hope you'll enjoy exploring these other blogs for tips.

You've Got Mail Monday

Though it wasn't a calm week around here, at least the mailbox wasn't overflowing. What did arrive, much to the Lil' Diva's delight, are the gifts she ordered from Claire's with a gift card from her birthday.

She ordered a Round Makeup Kit, a cosmetic bag, glittery eye liner, and an eyelash curler. She's been playing around trying to find a look she likes. She's not allowed to wear makeup to school, but if she's going to be home I let her experiment.

Our newest Tassimo shipment of coffee arrived this weekend. Dad isn't an adventurous coffee drinker--regular coffee and decaf are all that are usually here.

Now, I'm waiting for my shipment of fall bulbs and garlic to arrive. Hopefully that doesn't happen before I get the garden ready.

That's it for this week. Hope you have a great one.

Book Review: Who I Be by Annie Brown

Annie Brown's Who I Be is a call to action for us to live our lives knowing without a doubt that we are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God. Tackling issues such as low self-esteem, bullying, prejudice and more, Who I Be encourages readers to examine their lives to see if they are who God wants them to be or if they are simply allowing society to dictate how they are supposed to look, act, and think.

I was approached by the author's publicist to review this book. I readily accepted because it seemed not only in line with the lessons I had been teaching at Sunday school, but also because I have a child struggling with self-esteem issues. I didn't know if I could glean anything that would hit the mark with her, but I knew I wanted to try.

Who I Be ended up being different than I expected. After the Preface and Introduction, the first chapter shares the question every person needs to answer, "Who I Be?" The book then moves on to the physical, emotional, mental, social, and financial aspects of the question. These sections are where the author talks about body image and illnesses, emotional scars, mental illnesses, discrimination and racism, and money issues.

Overall, I liked what Brown had to say and believe others will find her words helpful. I would have preferred the author explain what she meant by each aspect in her own words instead of relying on citing Webster definitions. They felt a bit clunky in an otherwise conversational style. It's a short book, so it can be read in one sitting, and then reread to reinforce its concepts. It made me curious about another of Brown's books, Christians With Pervasive Issues. There's a bonus chapter that includes information from this book at the back of Who I Be.

Author website:  www.anniecbrown.com

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Who-I-Be-Annie-Brown/dp/1432795139/

Ebook

http://www.amazon.com/Who-I-Be-ebook/dp/B009CAHVCE/ 

Annie Brown was born to the parents of Lonza and Daisy Duckett in Alexander City, Alabama. She was the third of four children. Annie is the proud parent of four adult children, five grandchildren, and one great grandchild. She is a licensed minister and attends Joyful Noise AOH Church of God in Sylacauga, Alabama where she serves as the church secretary.

Annie holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Work from the University of Montevallo and a Masters of Social Work degree from the University of Alabama. She currently works at Lakeside Hospice, Inc. in Pell City, Alabama as a hospice social worker. As a social worker, Annie works with the terminally ill, providing emotional support at the most critical time in an individual’s life.

Annie’s heart desire is that people will learn to love themselves. In order to love themselves a person cannot conform to society’s norms as to what is acceptable but rather believe what God’s Word says.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/annieclara2002

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annie.brown.1804

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/annie-brown/44/a0b/195

I received a paperback copy of this book through the author's publicist. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Cover Reveal: Romancing the Million $$$ Ghost by Heide AW Kaminski, Pam Ryan, and Dorothy Thompson

Eccentric tobacco tycoon Rodger Hawthorne III can have anything his heart desires except his dead wife, Sarah. Feeling responsible for the car crash that killed her twenty years earlier, he offers one million dollars to anyone who can find her spirit and bring it to him within one week or the money is forfeited. Six spiritually-challenged—but highly intuitive—women find his ad over the Internet and accept his challenge only to embark on a journey they didn’t quite expect that covers astral traveling, past life regressions and spiritual encounters of the unworldly kind. While this book is lightly based on a true story of a real man who is offering one million dollars to anyone who can prove that spirits exist, this story is purely fictional. Or is it?

Coming October 2013!

ABOUT HEIDE AW KAMINSKI

HEIDE AW KAMINSKI is the mom of three very successful children and lives in southeast Michigan with her partner, her son and stepson. She teaches English in a high school for juvenile delinquent boys, as well as co-directs the Sunday school program for an Interfaith Center. She is also the editor-in-chief for the Interfaith Center’s monthly 16-page newsletter. She is currently the author of five books, ADHD and ME , Get Smart Through Art, The Ability Gang (a novel for upper elementary readers), Von Riesiggross bis Klitzeklein (a German children's book), and South of Eden (a not so serious novel about life in Heaven). She has also published stories in 15 anthologies, including Chicken Soup for the Divorced Soul.

Kaminski was born and raised in Germany, and after spending a year as an exchange student in the USA, she ended up marrying an American and has been a permanent resident in the U.S. since 1984, as well as a citizen of the U.S. since 2007. After dedicating many years to being there for her children first, she obtained her bachelor’s degree in English communications at the ripe age of 50 and her English teaching certificate two years later.

ABOUT PAM RYAN

Pam Ryan is a writer and professional psychic from Northwestern Ohio. She is the mother of two and has been a widow for the last five years. Her writing career began back in high school where she wrote a column for the Sylvania Sentinel Newspaper in Sylvania, Ohio. Pam was also the first page editor of the high school newspaper as well as doing the public relations for the high school musicals. At the University of Toledo she helped to create the Public Relations Department for the Department of Theatre and Speech, worked as a reporter for the college paper, The Collegian, and was assistant to the Public Relation Director of a local Toledo, Ohio, theatre group, Lynro Productions. After college Pam went to work for the United States Government and part of her duties were to write and publish a newspaper for the Migrant Opportunity Program in Phoenix, Arizona. Back in Ohio she lent her talents to the local Muscular Dystrophy Association, Make A Wish of Northwestern Ohio, worked on newsletters for Grace Lutheran Church and Christ the King Church, both in Toledo, and did public relations for the Parent Organization of Lake Elementary School. Pamela Ryan, as she is known professionally, began her professional psychic career in 1990. She presently does private readings and parties, and is also available at Lite the Way, Lambertville, Michigan, and The Healing Oasis in Clay Center, Ohio. Pam has recently completed classes and become a Certified Hypnotherapist and has completed the Master’s level for hypnotherapists. Publication is tentatively set for 2013, for her book, “My Dearest Children,” channeled by Mary Magdalene, and is presently working on a biography of world renowned journalist, Ruth Montgomery and a series of books about a fictional psychic medium. The first one is called, "The Macrame Cross."

ABOUT DOROTHY THOMPSON

Dorothy Thompson is the owner/founder of Pump Up Your Book, an innovative public relations firm specializing in online book promotion and social media marketing for authors. Pump Up Your Book was voted #1 in the Preditor's and Editor's Readers Poll in 2012. She is also the co-author/compiler of Romancing the Soul, an anthology which proves soul mates exist and has appeared in USA Today, Chicago Times and other publications. Dorothy loves the paranormal and is spatial clairsentient. She lives on the beautiful island of Chincoteague, Virginia.

Together, they make the writing team for Romancing the Million $$$ Ghost. Visit the official book blog at www.RomancingMillionDollarGhost.com or like them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RomancingTheMillionDollarGhost.