Tuesday, April 16, 2013

CFBA: Josiah's Treasure by Nancy Herriman

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Josiah's Treasure
Worthy Publishing (April 16, 2013)
by
Nancy Herriman



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:



Nancy Herriman abandoned a career in Engineering to chase around two small children and take up the pen. She has been writing for longer than she would like to admit. Her work has been a finalist in several Romance Writers of America contests and she won the 2006 RWA Daphne du Maurier award for Best Unpublished Mystery/Romantic Suspense. In 2009, she was an ACFW Genesis finalist. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America.

When she is not writing, or gabbing over lattes about writing, she is either watching history shows on cable TV or singing. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and sons, and wishes there were more hours in the day.


ABOUT THE BOOK



In 1882, Sarah Whittier dreams of opening an art studio run by immigrant women. She plans to use the house left to her by family friend Josiah Cady as collateral for her studio. But will all be lost when the inheritance is challenged by an angry man claiming to be Josiah's son and legal heir? Rumor of gold nuggets hidden in the house, place Sarah's life in danger. Her future uncertain and her safety threatened, Sarah has nowhere to turn. That is, unless she can soften a vengeful man's heart-and they both learn that love is finer than any gold.




If you would like to read the first chapter of Josiah's Treasure, go HERE.



Teaser Tuesdays - April 16th


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


"I think I understand what you've been driving at. Are you trying to say that your father might disinherit you? I mean, could something like that happen these days?"

~ page 123, The Passing Bells by Philip Rock

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge - Letter N



We're up to the letter N during the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. Hope you're enjoying our trip through history.

Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and other women founded the National Woman Suffrage Association in May 1869. In addition to suffrage, the NWSA dealt with issues important to women, such as the unionization of women workers. They also supported Victoria Woodhull, the first woman candidate for president of the United States. The American Woman Suffrage Association, however, concentrated solely on securing the right to vote. The AWSA was opposed to Anthony and Stanton's policies that they felt diverted attention from the suffrage issue. Eventually, the two groups would put aside their differences and formed the National American Woman Suffrage Association in 1890. In 1919, the NAWSA would succeed in getting the Nineteenth Amendment passed, giving women the right to vote.

I read a wonderful book about a contemporary of Stanton and Anthony--Martha Coffin Wright, whose neighbors called her "A Very Dangerous Woman." The book is not only a biography of Wright, it provides excellent insight into the times in which these women lived. You can find it here.

Monday, April 15, 2013

Blogging from A to Z Challenge - Letter M


Today is the start of the third week of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. If I had scheduled this post to run before we left for New York City yesterday, this would have been a very different post. While our family enjoyed a mini-vacation, a tragedy occurred in our home state of Massachusetts. Two bombs were set off during the Boston Marathon. So far, two are confirmed dead (one of them a child) and dozens were injured. In honor of the victims and their families, I offer this post on the history of the Boston Marathon.

The Boston Marathon is the oldest annual marathon in the world. The first Boston Marathon took place in 1897, inspired by the Olympics of the previous year. It coincides with Patriots' Day each year. Patriots' Day is a statewide holiday that commemorates the opening battle of the American Revolutionary War on April 19, 1775. While the Boston Marathon started out as a local event, it now attracts competitors and spectators from around the world. More than 22,000 participants signed up for the 2012 Boston Marathon. Over 24,000 participants started off at Hopkinton this year. The 26.2 mile current route can be seen here.

Latest news reports state the White House believes today's bombing was an act of terrorism, but no one is claiming responsibility, and it is not known if the attack came from a foreign entity or is home-grown terrorism.

My prayers go out to all who have been affected by today's events.





Saturday, April 13, 2013

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge - Letter L



This ends the second week of the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. I hope you're enjoying these posts.

The Lawrence Strike began in January 1912 against the textile mills in Lawrence, MA. The owners of a mill lowered workers' pay when a new state law shortened the work week. Within a few days, 10,000 men and women went out on strike.

For weeks the workers held rallies and picketed. The mill owners reached out to the United Textile Workers of America to break the strike, but they were unsuccessful. Local police clashed with striking workers constantly; and when a woman was killed, labor organizers were arrested for her murder (though later acquitted). Another organizer, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, attempted to gain public sympathy for the workers by sending a group of the strikers' children to be cared for in other cities. This turned out to be successful when photos were taken of police beating women and children at the train station.

On March 1, the owners granted a five percent pay raise. The workers continued to hold out, and within weeks, all four of their demands were met.

Friday, April 12, 2013

New Releases from Pelican Book Group


On the eve of the Battle of Shiloh, Union soldier Tyler Sheridan has a premonition he is going to die. That night, he writes an epic anti-war poem called “Never-ending Night.” The next day, a cannonball explodes in front of him, but rather than walking through the gates of Heaven, Tyler steps into a modern-day Civil War reenactment. Confused by a world he can’t comprehend, Tyler has no choice but to rely on a beautiful and fascinating photojournalist for help.

As Stacy Sutton watches Tyler emerge from the rising smoke of faux cannon fire, she’s amazed by the authenticity of his uniform and demeanor—and then he claims to be from the nineteenth century, a mere delusion according to doctors. But Stacy’s not convinced Tyler is delusional and sees helping him as her second chance—an opportunity to atone for the death of her partner...and her past. As the mystery surrounding Tyler’s appearance deepens, it threatens any hope they have of a future together, and Stacy finds she must discover whether the man she loves is a traveller through time or a mad man lost in his own delusions.



If all the young men of England leapt off a cliff, Madeline St. James wouldn't care. Then she'd have peace. Her nightmares of courtship would end,and she'd cozy up with a Psalm in her aunt's quiet sculpture garden. Yet, a chance meeting and a bullet wound change everything, and Madeline must trust the Good Shepherd has led her to the altar to marry a dashing stranger, Lord Devonshire.

Death and pain are no strangers to Justain Delveaux, Lord Devonshire, and he vows his dutiful bride will be kept safe and in her place. Though this compromised marriage is in-name-only, his wife and her unwavering faith both intrigue and allure him. Perchance when he thwarts his brother's killer, Justain will tempt the unpredictable Madeline with the comfort of his arms.

But can Madeline and the stubborn earl forge a true bond before the next disaster strikes?


Despite a bustling day care center and a new foster child, Terri Hayes hungers for a family of her own. Then a plumbing mishap leaves her homeless and questioning God’s plan. Steve Evans’s gracious offer of his basement apartment as a temporary solution is an answered prayer.

Steve is a successful writer and a good father, but Terri is horrified when Steve’s book research leads him to a harsh confrontation with the parents of her foster child. She needs to distance herself from Steve, but her efforts fall short as his two scheming daughters plot to make Terri their new stepmother.

Will harsh words and sneaky plans drive Kelsey’s family further apart and put a wedge between Terri and Steve, or does God have another plan in store?


Early McGrath didn’t want freedom from her thirty-year marriage to Nash, but when it was forced upon her, she did the only thing she knew to do—she went home to the Ridge to reinvent herself. Only what is someone who’s taken care of people her whole life supposed to do when no one needs her anymore? Even as the threads of her life unravel, she finds new ones— reconnecting with the church of her childhood, building the quilt shop that has been a long-time dream, and forging a new friendship with her former husband.

The definition of freedom changes when it’s combined with faith. Can Early and Nash find a Soft Place to Fall?

Find all these are more great Christian fiction favorites at Pelican Book Group.

DVD Review: Wild Kratts: Lost At Sea

Young animal lovers will be thrilled with the latest Kratt brothers show that premiered in January on PBS. Like Zoboomafoo before it, Wild Kratts™ is a blend of real life characters and animation meant to share fun animals facts with young viewers. We received a DVD of Lost At Sea which includes the episodes "Speaking Dolphinese" and "Blowfish Blowout."

In "Speaking Dolphinese," the Kratt brothers (Martin and Chris) are on a mission to decode the secret language of dolphins. Using their newly created Creature Power Suits, the Kratt brothers dive beneath the surface to communicate with the dolphins, while Aviva and Koki help from aboard their craft. When a hungry shark traps a dolphin,the Kratt brothers and their team launch a rescue mission.

In "Blowfish Blowout" the miniaturized Kratt brothers are caught up in a swath of plankton headed for the coral reef. They make friends with a couple of blowfish; and when Donita Donata and her henchman, Dabio, show up with plans to make a crown fit for a fashion queen, the Kratt team works to save their new friend.

Chris and Martin Kratt have been teaching kids about creatures for decades. Their blend of animal facts and adventure make learning fun. Wild Kratts is a perfect addition to the PBS Kids® line. It's also nice to see how they use technology to learn about their animal friends. This is something young people will truly relate to.

This DVD is available for purchase at www.shoppbs.org. Young animals lovers can also visit www.pbskids.org, where they will find fun games and videos, learn even more animals facts, and can download the Wild Kratts Creature Power App with their parents' permission.

Format: Color, NTSC
Language: English
Region: Region 1(U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number of discs: 1
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: PBS (Direct)
DVD Release Date: January 22, 2013
Run Time: 55 minutes

I received a free DVD from PBS. This review contains my honest opinions, for which I have not been compensated in any way.