I'm Back!

So, what was I doing while I was away? I attended the Little House on the Prairie 40th Anniversary Cast Reunion in Walnut Grove, MN. Yes, I am a bonnet head. I landed in Wisconsin last Tuesday to meet up with my chums: Beth, Dorothy, and Lorrie (USA), Marilyn (Canada), and Martha (Austria). We drove to De Smet, SD where we stayed at this beautiful bed and breakfast that has housed TV actors Melissa Gilbert and Dean Butler. Then we spent three days in Walnut Grove, MN before driving to Spring Valley, MN and finally to Burr Oak, IA--all places that Laura Ingalls Wilder lived--before driving back to Wisconsin and saying our goodbyes.

It was a blast! I have never done anything like this before in my life. I had known most of these women for more than a decade, but this was the first time we met in person. Great thing we all got along, because the quarters were tight. I'll share more from my trip as time allows.

CFBA: In the Field of Grace by Tessa Afshar

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingIn The Field of GraceRiver North; New Edition edition (July 1, 2014)byTessa Afshar



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

TESSA AFSHAR was voted "New Author of the Year" by the Family Fiction sponsored Reader's Choice Award 2011 for her novel Pearl in the Sand. She was born in Iran, and lived there for the first fourteen years of her life. She moved to England where she survived boarding school for girls and fell in love with Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte, before moving to the United States permanently. Her conversion to Christianity in her twenties changed the course of her life forever. Tessa holds an MDiv from Yale University where she served as co-chair of the Evangelical Fellowship at the Divinity School. She has spent the last thirteen years in full-time Christian work.



ABOUT THE BOOK

Destitute, grief-stricken, and unwanted by the people of God, Ruth arrives in Israel with nothing to recommend her but Naomi's, love. Her loftiest hope is to provide enough food to save Naomi and herself from starvation.

But God has other plans for her life. While everyone considers Ruth an outcast, she is astounded to find one of the most honored men of Judah showing her favor. Long since a widower and determined to stay that way, Boaz is irresistibly drawn to the foreign woman with the haunted eyes. He tells himself he is only being kind to his Cousin Naomi's chosen daughter when he goes out of his way to protect her from harm, but his heart knows better.

Based on the biblical account of Ruth, In the Field of Grace is the story of a love that ultimately changes the course of Israel's destiny and the future of the whole world.






If you would like to read the first chapter of In The Field of Grace, go HERE.

Mailbox Monday - July 28

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

I'm still in the Midwest today, so I won't be posting about any books received. I hope you'll still share yours. I look forward to checking them out when I return on Wednesday.

This Day in History - Saving Private Ryan Opens

On this day in 1998, the movie Saving Private Ryan starring Tom Hanks and Matt Damon opened. This World War II film centered on the fictional story of Captain John Miller (Hanks), and his band of seven rangers, who are sent on a mission to rescue Private James Francis Ryan (Damon), a paratrooper missing somewhere behind enemy lines. Because Ryan's three older brothers have been killed in action, military officials order Miller to find Ryan to avoid a public relations disaster.

Saving Private Ryan was partially inspired by the real-life story of the Niland brothers. During World War II, Sergeant Frederick “Fritz” Niland, a member of the 101st Airborne, was accidentally dropped behind enemy lines. He eventually made it back to his unit, where he was informed that two of his brothers had died at Normandy and the third had gone missing in Burma. Niland was sent home to Tonawanda, New York.

For more information, visit http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/saving-private-ryan-opens-in-theaters


Please note, I'm on vacation this week, so I won't respond to comments right away. If you want to see where I am, check out http://lauralittlehouseontheprairie.blogspot.com/2014/07/40-anniversary-little-house-cast-reunion.html

Wordless Wednesday

In the News: Weather and Housing

Now that I am in the real estate business, I tend to look at news about the housing market. In the Friday, July 18 edition of The Wall Street Journal, an article by Alan Zibel and Kris Hudson discussed how a stretch of wet weather in the south led home construction to temporarily decline in June.

I honestly never considered these things before I was involved in this industry. I'm starting to read magazines like Forbes and Kiplinger now too. Gosh, I sound like a grown up.

CFBA: Firewall by DiAnn Mills

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingFirewallTyndale House Publishers, Inc. (July 1, 2014)byDiAnn Mills



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

DiAnn Mills believes her readers should “Expect an Adventure.” She is a fiction writer who combines an adventuresome spirit with unforgettable characters to create action-packed novels. Her books have won many awards through American Christian Fiction Writers, and she is the recipient of the Inspirational Reader’s Choice award for 2005, 2007, and 2010. She was a Christy Award finalist in 2008 and a Christy winner in 2010.

DiAnn is a founding board member for American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Inspirational Writers Alive, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, and is the Craftsman Mentor for the Christian Writer’s Guild. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops.

DiAnn and her husband live in Houston, Texas. Visit her website or find her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/diannmills





ABOUT THE BOOK

After a whirlwind romance, Taryn Young is preparing to board a plane at Houston International Airport, bound for a dream honeymoon, when a bomb decimates the terminal. Injured but still alive, she awakens to discover her husband is missing and they’re both considered prime suspects in the attack. Further, the FBI is convinced her husband isn’t who he appears to be.

Agent Grayson Hall’s number-one priority is to catch those responsible for the day’s act of terror. All evidence is pointing to Taryn and her new husband. But his instinct tells him her pleas of innocence are genuine. Is her naiveté just for show, or could she truly be another victim of a master scheme, possibly linked to the software she recently developed for her company?

With both their lives and reputations on the line, and the media outcry for justice increasing with each passing minute, Taryn and Grayson have no choice but to trust one another . . . and pray they can uncover the truth before they become two more casualties.

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