Book Arrivals for Week January 18

How to make home your family's favorite place to be . . . all year long. Does your home sometimes feel like just a place to eat, sleep, and change clothes on the way to the next activity? Do you long for "home" to mean more than a place where you stash your stuff? Wouldn't you love it to become a haven of warmth, rest, and joy . . . the one place where you and your family can't wait to be?There is good news waiting for you in the pages of "The Lifegiving Home." Every day of your family's life can be as special and important to you as it already is to God. In this unique book designed to help your family enjoy and celebrate every month of the year together, you'll discover the secrets of a life-giving home from a mother who created one and her daughter who was raised in it: popular authors Sally and Sarah Clarkson. Together they offer a rich treasure of wise advice, spiritual principles, and practical suggestions. You'll embark on a new path to creating special memories for your children; establishing home-building and God-centered traditions; and cultivating an environment in which your family will flourish. (Don't miss the companion piece, "The Lifegiving Home Experience.")

Anna's Healing is the first book in a brand-new collection from popular author Vannetta Chapman. These stories of love and family and Amish community in Oklahoma tell of the miracles that can happen when lives are lived in service to God and to one another.

When a tornado strikes the farms surrounding Cody's Creek, Anna Schwartz's life is changed forever. She suffers a spinal cord injury and suddenly finds herself learning to live as a paraplegic.

Three people--Chloe Roberts, Jacob Graber, and Ruth Schwartz--join forces to help Anna through her darkest days. Chloe is an Englischer who writes for the local paper. Jacob has recently arrived in town and stays on as a hired hand at her uncle's. And Ruth is her grandmother, a woman of deep faith and a compassionate spirit.

Then one morning Anna wakes and finds herself healed. How did it happen? Why did it happen? And what is she to do now? Her life is again turned upside down as the world's attention is drawn to this young Amish girl who has experienced the unexplainable.

Have you received any books you've been waiting for lately?

New Year's Resolution Solution Part 2 Continued

I have to tell you, lifestyle changes are so-o-o-o-o-o-o hard. Right about now all I want to do is sit down and eat an entire gallon of ice cream. Well, maybe not; but even though I like the food I am eating, I miss donuts and tossing back a movie size box of Junior Mints in one sitting. My poor Schwan's driver must hate me right about now. I've drastically reduced what I purchase from them. 

Saturday night I made mini spinach, mushroom and cheese muffins from a recipe I found in the Big Y Life in Balance. magazine. They were good, but not something I would want all the time. I like my muffins sweet. Other than that, breakfast has been hard-boiled eggs and yogurt or oatmeal with fruits and nuts. 

When I've been eating out I've stuck to salads or light meals. I joked with my husband when we took the girls out to eat on Sunday that it was a sorry state of affairs when my meal was the healthiest one on the the table. His diet is usually better than mine. 

Suppertime has been rough because my schedule has been nutty. Tonight I made myself a meatball grinder on a whole wheat pita with American cheese and salad greens. It was awesome. 

I worked out yesterday and today, but I've been keeping it a bit light because I'm not feeling one hundred percent. I did a butt workout today and my legs have felt like jelly ever since. I plan to take a day off tomorrow because I have an early house inspection. Probably for the best anyway.

They are starting up another Facebook group in February like the one I've been participating in. We get workout routines and recipes on a daily basis. We don't have to, but to keep us motivated they ask us to post workout photos and pictures of our meals and snacks. Let me know if you would like to join us.

Mailbox Monday - Jan 25

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.

For us in Western Mass this weekend was the blizzard that wasn't. Most of the snow stayed to our south; though we did get around three inches. I am glad for it, but feel badly for those states that got truly pounded by the elements.

Last week was filled with book surprises. I had agreed to hold a giveaway for a book (Fallen Land), but the publisher kindly sent two copies so I could have one for myself (they knew it would be a while before I would get to it). Then a book that had been delayed arrived. Finally, Vannetta Chapman, whose street team I am on for 2016 sent me a book package that included all kinds of goodies.

How to make home your family's favorite place to be . . . all year long. Does your home sometimes feel like just a place to eat, sleep, and change clothes on the way to the next activity? Do you long for "home" to mean more than a place where you stash your stuff? Wouldn't you love it to become a haven of warmth, rest, and joy . . . the one place where you and your family can't wait to be?There is good news waiting for you in the pages of "The Lifegiving Home." Every day of your family's life can be as special and important to you as it already is to God. In this unique book designed to help your family enjoy and celebrate every month of the year together, you'll discover the secrets of a life-giving home from a mother who created one and her daughter who was raised in it: popular authors Sally and Sarah Clarkson. Together they offer a rich treasure of wise advice, spiritual principles, and practical suggestions. You'll embark on a new path to creating special memories for your children; establishing home-building and God-centered traditions; and cultivating an environment in which your family will flourish. (Don't miss the companion piece, "The Lifegiving Home Experience.")

Fallen Land is Taylor Brown's debut novel set in the final year of the Civil War, as a young couple on horseback flees a dangerous band of marauders who seek a bounty reward.

Callum, a seasoned horse thief at fifteen years old, came to America from his native Ireland as an orphan. Ava, her father and brother lost to the war, hides in her crumbling home until Callum determines to rescue her from the bands of hungry soldiers pillaging the land, leaving destruction in their wake. Ava and Callum have only each other in the world and their remarkable horse, Reiver, who carries them through the destruction that is the South.

Pursued relentlessly by a murderous slave hunter, tracking dogs, and ruthless ex-partisan rangers, the couple race through a beautiful but ruined land, surviving on food they glean from abandoned farms and the occasional kindness of strangers.

In the end, as they intersect with the scorching destruction of Sherman's March, the couple seek a safe haven where they can make a home and begin to rebuild their lives.

Dramatic and thrillingly written with an uncanny eye for glimpses of beauty in a ravaged landscape, Fallen Land is a love story at its core, and an unusually assured first novel by award-winning young author Taylor Brown.

Anna's Healing is the first book in a brand-new collection from popular author Vannetta Chapman. These stories of love and family and Amish community in Oklahoma tell of the miracles that can happen when lives are lived in service to God and to one another.

When a tornado strikes the farms surrounding Cody's Creek, Anna Schwartz's life is changed forever. She suffers a spinal cord injury and suddenly finds herself learning to live as a paraplegic.

Three people--Chloe Roberts, Jacob Graber, and Ruth Schwartz--join forces to help Anna through her darkest days. Chloe is an Englischer who writes for the local paper. Jacob has recently arrived in town and stays on as a hired hand at her uncle's. And Ruth is her grandmother, a woman of deep faith and a compassionate spirit.

Then one morning Anna wakes and finds herself healed. How did it happen? Why did it happen? And what is she to do now? Her life is again turned upside down as the world's attention is drawn to this young Amish girl who has experienced the unexplainable.

I also picked up the following Kindle freebie.

Things are going great for Lexy Baker. She's finally opened her dream bakery, gotten rid of her cheating boyfriend and settled into her grandmothers house with her perky dog Sprinkles at her side.

But her blissful life doesn't last long. When her ex boyfriend is found poisoned with cupcakes from her bakery, Lexy finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation headed up by her hunky neighbor detective Jack Perillo.

With the help of a gang of iPad toting, would-be detective grandmothers, Lexy decides to take it upon herself to find the real murderer in order to clear her name and get her bakery back in business.

As things heat up on the murder trail, in the kitchen and between Lexy and the hunky detective, it's a race against time to put the real murderer behind bars and get back to baking.

Will Lexy get her man?


What was in your mailbox this week?

New Year's Resolution Solution Part 2

It's been an interesting week as far as the New Year's Resolution Solution Part 2 goes. I've only worked out two days because the doctor diagnosed me with tennis elbow and my work schedule has been nuts. Bummer! I can still workout, but I need to be careful. If there is any pain, I need to stop. So, no lifting weights because that kills and no planks because that doesn't feel good either.

The exciting news is this:

Doctor's visit on 12/29/15: weight 124 lb 6.4 oz, BP 120/70, Pulse 64 and BMI 23.13.

Yesterday's visit: weight 117 lb. 9.6 oz, BP 94/62, Pulse 60 and BMI 21.86.

My blood pressure always runs low, so I was surprised when it was up at the end of December. Not sure if it had something to do with the infection I was fighting.

Many people have asked me why I am working out and watching what I eat. They don't see me as overweight. Here's the scoop:

I spent the majority of my life underweight. It wasn't until I had the Lil' Princess that I kept ten extra pounds. Then I got older and then I started with menopause. The last few years I've been close to the top of the normal scale for my height and I simply didn't like my BMI number.

In addition, when tracking my cholesterol numbers and blood pressure over the last few years, I've noticed them creeping up. Not to mention I can see the slow changes in my body: rounder middle, bloating, thicker legs and arms, and flabby skin. Toss in the osteopenia and I knew I had to make some lifestyle changes.

I've cheated a couple times this week: a soda or two and a pastry today. I don't feel well when I do it, so I can see my body is getting used to my eating healthier foods and drinking more water. That will definitely help, because when you feel better, you want to continue the habits that are making you feel good.

Keeping on track with the workout is tough because it's the first thing to go when my schedule gets busy. I want to stick to it, though, because I can see the results.

Wishing me luck!

Coming in February!: Joshua's Mission & An Amish Market Novella Collection from Vannetta Chapman

Joshua Kline travels from his farm in Oklahoma to offer aid to an Englisch town on the gulf coast of Texas after a category 4 hurricane has ravaged the area. He brings his brother with him, who needs a change of environment. The last thing he wants for Alton is another brush with the law. He is pleasantly surprised when he hears that Becca Troyer, the bishop’s granddaughter, plans on joining their team.

What will Joshua find when he arrives in Texas? A lack of electricity, certainly, which poses little problem for the Amish volunteers as they help restore order from destruction. But a budding romance? A call from God? And a possible healing of his relationship with Alton?

Joshua’s Mission is a story of love, forgiveness, and the grace of God that carries us through even the worst situations.

Pre-order from Harvest House!

All the color and variety of a quaint Amish shop in a charming collection of novellas by four of your favorite authors.Feel free to come in and browse!

Love Birds by Amy Clipston

While Ellie Lapp and her mother are still mourning the loss of her brother, Seth, Ellie starts working at one of the gift shops in town. Seth s friend Lloyd is talented at carving wooden birds, but his father disapproves and expects him to take over the family farm someday. Ellie sees the beauty in Lloyd s creations and insists Lloyd sell the birds in the gift shop where she works. As Ellie and Lloyd spend more time together, they begin to develop feelings for one another, but she accidentally betrays his trust. Will she lose any hope of a future with him?

A Bid for Love by Kathleen Fuller

Every week, Hannah Lynne brings her home-churned butter to the local market. And every week Ezra stops by to purchase some. Hannah Lynne knows not to read too much into it Ezra is a confirmed bachelor and barely even glances her way, despite any hope to the contrary. But when Ezra bids an exorbitant amount to win the quilt she had her heart set on, Hannah Lynne can t stop her heart from taking over her mind. Could Ezra finally be in the market for love?

Sweeter Than Honey by Kelly Irvin

Shattering a jar of pickled beets wasn t the impression Isabella hoped to make on her first trip to the local Combination Store of Bee County, Texas. But as embarrassed as she was by the accident, she didn t think it warranted the frosty reaction from the handsome manager of the store, Will Glick. As she soon learns, though, Will s heart has been broken one too many times. And now, for some reason, Isabella finds herself determined to be the one to repair that broken heart and renew his faith in love.

Love in Store by Vannetta Chapman

Stella Schrock works at the Old Mill in Nappanee, Indiana, with new employee David Stoltzfus, a recent widower. When strange happenings begin occurring around town, it appears as if someone wants to close the mill. Stella and David have to work together to solve the mystery of what is happening at the Old Amish Mill, and in the process they might just find that God has more in store for their future than they would ever have dreamed possible.

Pre-order from Amazon!

Coming in February!: Promise Lodge by Charlotte Hubbard

It's a better life, a fresh start--and a heaven-sent second chance. Founded by three Amish sisters determined to put misfortune behind them, Promise Lodge is a colony where faith's abiding promise can be fulfilled--and love can make all things new…

Energetic widow Mattie Bender Schwartz is working day and night to get Promise Lodge going. She's also hoping the change will help her son Noah's heart to heal after his broken engagement. But his former fiancée, Deborah, is looking for a fresh start too. Filled with regret, and cast out by her dat for a reason she can't yet reveal, Deborah can only pray Noah will forgive her foolishness.

Deborah is the last person Noah expected to show up at Promise Lodge. But with her cruel words still ringing in his head, he's reluctant to accept her apology--even if the Old Order ways demand he try. If only he could obey Christ's most important commandment: love one another. But one thing is certain--his mother and aunts, and their beloved Preacher Amos, will do their best to help him get there.

Series: Promise Lodge
Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Zebra (February 23, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 142013941X
ISBN-13: 978-1420139419

Pre-order here!

Mailbox Monday - January 18

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.

Happy Monday, everyone! I didn't participate in this meme last week because I had a very sad, empty mailbox. That is certainly not the case this week.

I only got a tiny bit of reading done, but some is sure better than none. Work is hectic. I thought real estate was supposed to be slow during the winter. Actually, the weather is helping out with that. We have only had a couple of inches of snow this winter. I'm okay with it now that Christmas is over.

Speaking of Christmas, the final tree was taken down yesterday. I guess it's time to think of spring.

Now, on to books.

This one arrived directly from author Charlotte Hubbard. I'm grateful she reached out to me and asked if I wanted an ARC. This is the first book in her new series.

It's a better life, a fresh start--and a heaven-sent second chance. Founded by three Amish sisters determined to put misfortune behind them, Promise Lodge is a colony where faith's abiding promise can be fulfilled--and love can make all things new…

Energetic widow Mattie Bender Schwartz is working day and night to get Promise Lodge going. She's also hoping the change will help her son Noah's heart to heal after his broken engagement. But his former fiancée, Deborah, is looking for a fresh start too. Filled with regret, and cast out by her dat for a reason she can't yet reveal, Deborah can only pray Noah will forgive her foolishness.

Deborah is the last person Noah expected to show up at Promise Lodge. But with her cruel words still ringing in his head, he's reluctant to accept her apology--even if the Old Order ways demand he try. If only he could obey Christ's most important commandment: love one another. But one thing is certain--his mother and aunts, and their beloved Preacher Amos, will do their best to help him get there.

These next three I picked up for free as leftovers from the church tag sale.

In the summer of 1953, two eleven-year-old boys—best friends—are playing in a Little League baseball game in Gravesend, New Hampshire. One of the boys hits a foul ball that kills the other boy's mother. The boy who hits the ball doesn't believe in accidents; Owen Meany believes he is God's instrument. What happens to Owen after that 1953 foul ball is extraordinary.

The little beach house on Martha's Vineyard has a rickety porch and no closets, but the gorgeous location is unbeatable--and more than enough to entice three total strangers into a house share for the summer. . .

At first, the only thing Gincy, Danielle, and Clare have in common is a desire to spend weekends away from the city. No-nonsense Gincy has worked hard to leave her small-town childhood behind. Danielle grew up with every advantage and is looking for a husband who'll fit neatly into her pampered life, while Clare is enjoying a last burst of independence before marrying her ambitious fiancé. Yet lazy beach days and warm, conversation-filled nights forge an unexpected connection. And over the course of one eventful summer, Gincy, Danielle, and Clare will discover that friendship isn't always measured in how well you know a person's past--but in opening each other's eyes to everything the future could hold. . .

The spirit of motherhood is the spirit of love—and how better to capture that special feeling than in three glorious new stories from three favorite Silhouette authors?

Nurturing, caring, trust and—most of all—love. Those are the true foundations of motherhood, a secret Jilly Winston would come to learn....

These ones were Kindle books I picked up. Most were free, but I pre-ordered Colleen Coble's book because the price went up once it was released.

The plan is simple: kidnap the daughter of Senate candidate Richard McClaine, take the money and run. Nobody gets hurt, the kid goes home alive.

Twenty-two-year-old car thief Kelsey Money thinks it’s the worst idea Matt and his drug-fueled brother have ever come up with. But Matt’s the planner. He’s the one Kelsey has always depended on.

Then she discovers she only knew half the plan. By the time she finds out the rest, she’s been framed for murder, and six-year-old Holly McClaine won’t be found alive.

Across town, Elizabeth McClaine has no idea what her daughter was wearing when she disappeared. When Holly was born with Down syndrome and a cleft palate, Elizabeth placed her only child in the care of a nanny while she fought postpartum depression.

But when Holly is kidnapped and Elizabeth discovers the detective leading the hunt has already failed one kidnapped child, Elizabeth knows she cannot fail hers.

Now both women have twenty-four hours to find Holly. Because in twenty-five, she’ll be dead.

The Candidate's Daughter is a fast-paced and gripping story about love and loss, failure and redemption, about mothers and daughters and the bonds between them.

Shame and confusion have kept Mallory Davis from her home for the last fifteen years, but when her dad mysteriously dies on his mail boat route, she doesn’t have any choice but to go back to Mermaid Point.

Mallory believes her father was murdered and childhood sweetheart Kevin O’Connor, game warden in Downeast Maine, confirms her suspicions. But Kevin is wary of helping Mallory in her search. She broke his heart and left—without a word—years ago.

When Mallory begins receiving threats on her own life—and her beloved teenage daughter, Haylie—their search intensifies. There’s a tangled web within the supposed murder, and it involves much more than what meets the eye.

As answers begin to fall into place, Mallory realizes her search is about more than finding her father’s killer—it is also about finding herself again . . . and possibly about healing what was broken so long ago with Kevin. She just has to stay alive long enough to put all the pieces together.

London, 1816

Cavalry captain Gabriel Lacey returns to Regency London from the Napoleonic wars, burned out, fighting melancholia, his career ended. His interest is piqued when he learns of a missing girl, possibly kidnapped by a prominent member of Parliament. Lacey's search for the girl leads to the discovery of murder, corruption, and dealings with a leader of the underworld. At the same time, he struggles with his own transition from a soldier's life to the civilian world, redefining his role with his former commanding officer, and making new friends--from the top of society to the street girls of Covent Garden.

Artist and ex-actress Libby Sarjeant is busy directing a play for the opening of a new theatre in her village when one of her cast is found murdered. The play, written by her friend Peter, is based on real events in his family, disturbing and mysterious, which took place in the village during the last war.

As the investigation into the murder begins to uncover a tangled web of relationships in the village, it seems that the events dramatised in the play still cast a long shadow, dark enough to inspire murder.

Libby’s natural nosiness soon leads her into the thick of the investigation, but is she too close to Peter’s family, and in particular his cousin Ben, to be able to recognise the murderer?


What appeared in your mailbox last week? Hope you enjoy your haul.