Brave Enough to be the Queen's Servant? ~ Roses Have Thorns by Sandra Byrd ~ Review AND Giveaway!!

The third in a historical trilogy, “Roses Have Thorns” is set in the Tudor period, a time rife with conflict and rich in more than just the jewels and costumes.

           

Much like a movie playing out before the mind’s eye, this novel follows richly on the its cover’s promise. Dark and deep, telling in its portrayal of real life characters through the eyes of a fictional heroine, the novel takes place over more years than most titles can pull off.

           

A reader can travel years within one chapter, but a tip of my feather-decked hat to never once making me feel as though I were rushed. I would have really loved to see the layer of Thomas and Helena begin much sooner in the novel. I wanted to delve deeper into their relationship and their struggles.

          

  To be a servant to the queen? A woman with enough power to sever your head from your shoulders without being questioned? I don’t think I’d be brave enough. Helena was. 16^th century England was nothing short than a walking booby trap. What faith!        

         

   I felt much of the novel was circular. The same events happening over and over and with this, I lost a great deal of my initial interest. While the story as a whole, had great potential for good, I didn’t enjoy this one as much as “To Die For” (novel #1)

           

This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers for my copy to review.

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More about the novel....

From the acclaimed author of To Die For comes a stirring novel told that sheds new light on Elizabeth I and her court.Sandra Byrd has attracted countless fans for evoking the complexity, grandeur, and brutality of the Tudor period. In her latest tour de force, she poses the question: What happens when serving a queen may cost you your marriage—or your life?

In 1565, seventeen-year-old Elin von Snakenborg leaves Sweden on a treacherous journey to England. Her fiance has fallen in love with her sister and her dowry money has been gambled away, but ahead of her lies an adventure that will take her to the dizzying heights of Tudor power. Transformed through marriage into Helena, the Marchioness of Northampton, she becomes the highest-ranking woman in Elizabeth’s circle. But in a court that is surrounded by Catholic enemies who plot the queen’s downfall, Helena is forced to choose between an unyielding monarch and the husband she’s not sure she can trust—a choice that will provoke catastrophic consequences.

Vividly conjuring the years leading up to the beheading of Mary Queen of Scots, Roses Have Thorns is a brilliant exploration of treason, both to the realm and to the heart.

*~*CONTEST INFO*~*

Would you like to win your own copy of Sandra's latest novel and the pictured Elizabethan necklace?

I thought so. ;-) I'd enter myself, if I weren't hosting it!

Leave a comment below about why YOU'D like to read this book and I'll add your 

name to a drawing to win the title, Roses Have Thorns and the pictured necklace (actual prize might appear slightly different than pictured)

Standard contest rules apply. Only U.S. entries please! One entry per entrant in this contest. :-) 

I'll draw a winner and email them privately next Saturday, May 25th

Giveaway! The Heiress of Winterwood by Sarah Ladd!

Welcome to Writing for Christ Sarah Ladd, it is great to have you here! Do you have an interesting fact about yourself the average reader probably doesn’t know?

Thanks so much for inviting me! I LOVE to garden.  English lavender and morning glories are my two favorite plants to grow.

Do you have a favorite genre to read/write?

Yes! My favorite genre to write is Regency, but I enjoy reading books set in a wide variety of historical settings.

Do you have a nugget of writing advice that has completely changed how you view writing?

Instead of a “nugget of writing advice,” I have a reading suggestion! The Moral Premise by Dr. Stanley D. Williams completely changed my approach to writing.  This book was recommended to me by an agent when I first started writing, and then I had the privilege

of hearing Dr. Williams speak at an American Christian Fiction Writing conference. This book challenges writers to dig deep and identify what their book is REALLY about (the moral premise), and then it discusses how to build the plot around that main idea.  It is a weighty book … I have read it a couple of times, and each time I do I take something new away.

5 things you love?

1.             My family

2.             Coffee

3.             Gardening

4.             Looking through old photos

5.             Writing!

What novel have you recently read that has stood out to you that both teens and adults will find enjoyment in? 

I have been on a “classics” kick lately. I just finished rereading The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë. It could very well my favorite Brontë book!  

Places for readers to learn more about you?

I LOVE to connect with readers!  Here are a few places I hang out:

Facebook 
Twitter

Goodreads 

Website

Thank you for being with us today! 

Readers, here is your chance to enter to win Sarah's book!

Please leave an email address! If I draw your name and there is no email, you will not win.

For extra entries:
~Be a follower
~Be a subscriber

Contest is only open in the U.S. and void where prohibited. Chances of winning are based on the number of entries and winner is draw from a non-biased third party- Random.org. I am not responsible for any lost or damaged items for said prize.

Thanks for coming by to enter! Contest ends on May 24th

Attn Readers! If you're struggling to leave a comment on my blog, please email your comment entries (in ONE email) and I will submit it for you. But PLEASE only do this after you've failed to leave a comment. My email is: caseym.writer(@)gmail.com 

Thoroughly Enjoyed ~ Firefly Island by Lisa Wingate ~ Review

It’s a romance flip. The wedding doesn’t close the book, it opens the story and I think I was pretty much captured by that premise alone.

           

I personally love the first person writing style. Done really well, the reader is welcomed into the story in one of the most intimate ways. To do so, you really have to come to like the main character and I loved Mallory. She struggled and fought through what was less than the ideal, but she transformed through her circumstances. Now true, every good novel character is going to change, but I love to watch a good character refuse to let her circumstances define her.

            

Mallory and Daniel truly love each other in this story. There is no false glamour, (though there are false expectations for sure), but it broke the mold of the normal tried and true romance formula.

           

The premise of the book definitely has some high concept elements with the politics, and the lies and cheats woven amongst our less-than-shining secondary cast of seedy characters. A hint of mystery and intrigue to mix with our romance.

        

    Beginning to end I thought the story crafting was fabulous. The characters very likeable and the pace exceptional. All in all: a thumbs-up read!

            

This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers for my copy to review. 

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Lisa Wingate Is a Top Name in Inspirational Contemporary Romance .

At thirty-four, congressional staffer Mallory Hale is about to embark on an adventure completely off the map. After a whirlwind romance, she is hopelessly in love with two men--fortunately, they're related. Daniel Everson and his little boy, Nick, are a package deal, and Mallory suddenly can't imagine her future without them. 

Mallory couldn't be more shocked when Daniel asks her to marry him, move to Texas, and form a family with him and motherless Nick. The idea is both thrilling and terrifying. 

Mallory takes a leap of faith and begins a sweet, mishap-filled journey into ranch living, Moses Lake society, and a marriage that at times reminds her of the mail-order-bride stories. But despite the wild adventure of her new life, she discovers secrets and questions beneath her rosy new life. Can she find answers on Firefly Island, a little chunk of property just off the lakeshore, where mysterious lights glisten at night?

April Pinterest Project (In May! ;-) ~ What Did You Create?

Happy May, Pinterest creators (and blog followers!) 

Yes, my April Pinterest post is sorely lacking, so you'll get two this month...maybe. ;-) The good news is, I DID create something for the month of April. 

This project is one I've had my "eye" on for some time. (to borrow the popular cliche) Turns out the project was just as fun in person as it appeared to be online. Gave a wonderful "shabby chic" look to my little bunkhouse and I'm now officially addicted to painting glass jars with chalk paint.

For ease of project, relatability to the original and overall made-me-feel-super-crafty-even-though-I'm-not, I give it two thumbs up!

Cost, was a bit more. Chalk paint isn't cheap. I found mine at Joanne's and Michael's and the price only varied by a dollar or two (Joanne's was cheaper) and both stores were WAY cheaper than Amazon. 

Original pin

Start with any Ball or Kerr jar you can find either at almost any store or in your own pantry! I cut out the cost of purchasing the jars and used some odds and ends we had here at home.

Chalk paint, brushes, paint tray (my preferred choice, since I had no newspaper and this is more portable) and sand paper!

All painted, stressed and decorated. ;-)

Baker's Twine around my purple jars turned out so cute and gave it a fun little pop! The lavender jar came from combining my white and dark purple paints. All of my jars (except for the lavender one) took about 3-4 coats of paint and took over 24 hours to fully cure so the paint didn't peel or feel tacky.

I didn't like the way the dark purple paint sanded. It left it scratched and not in a way that looked like an antique. ;-) So I painted a couple coats of white over it and then sanded through enough to see the purple. It's grown on me over time. ;-)

My FAVORITE jar turned out to the white one. The stressing did the best job on the white and made the "Ball" and "wide mouth" really pop. I keep this one my night stand for lotions, chapstick, etc. 

This jars are GREAT catch-alls and I plan to make many more of them as I find the jars (and my mom is willing to part with them. ;-) You really can't go wrong with this craft. My kind of project. ;-)

What did you create in the month of April? I'd love it if you would post a picture on Facebook or Pinterest and tag me!

Take Me Away! ~ It Happened At the Fair by Deeanne Gist ~ Review

The Chicago World’s Fair came once and last six months. The novel, “It Happened at the Fair” has come once and I wish it would have lasted me those six months!

            From first chuckle to last sigh, this novel made my five-star book shelves and my favorites for 2013. Sweetly romantic, sassy and charming, I couldn’t have loved spending time with these characters more.

          

  I don’t think you could have a richer in culture and history setting than the World’s Fair. There aren’t many books out there set in this period and it was fun to step into this world created by so many ingenious minds.

            Our characters in Cullen and Della are captivating. To watch their dance of avoidance and falling in love, that tension that only comes from truly wanting and loving something you can’t have made the pages irresistible to stop turning. It’s one of those stories, you don’t skim. At all.

            With historical depth, romantic symmetry and snappy dialogue, a story world has been created that made this reader ever so eager to spend all the time I could there. It’s just too bad each page takes you closer to the end. Highly recommended historical romance reading!

            This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers through Litfuse for my copy to review. 

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More about the novel...

A transporting historical novel about a promising young inventor, his struggle with loss, and the

attractive teacher who changes his life, all set against the razzle-dazzle of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.

Gambling everything, including the family farm, Cullen McNamara travels to the 1893 Chicago World's Fair with his most recent invention. But the noise in the Fair’s Machinery Palace makes it impossible to communicate with potential buyers. In an act of desperation, he hires Della Wentworth, a teacher of the deaf, to tutor him in the art of lip-reading.

The young teacher is reluctant to participate, and Cullen has trouble keeping his mind on his lessons while intently watching her lips. Like the newly invented Ferris Wheel, he is caught in a whirl between his girl back home, his dreams as an inventor, and his unexpected attraction to his new tutor. Can he keep his feet on the ground, or will he be carried away?

*~*CONTEST INFO*~*

Deeanne Gist is celebrating the release of It Happened at the Fair with an iPad Mini Giveaway and a Live Author Chat Webcast event {5/22}!

  One "fair" winner will receive:

• An iPad Mini
• A $25 iTunes gift card

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 21st. Winner will be announced at the "It Happened at the Fair" Live Webcast Event on May 22nd. Connect with Deeanne for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Deeanne will also be taking questions from the audience and giving away books and fun gift certificates throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of It Happened at the Fair and join Deeanne and friends on the evening of May 22nd for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 22nd!

Didn't See the Ending Coming ~ When a Secret Kills by Lynette Eason ~ Review

Talk about a twist from what I thought the ending was going to be! A suspenseful conclusion to a three book series that can has kept me on my toes.

        

    I have been waiting for Jillian’s story for three novels now. She has been the reason and the driving forward behind what our killer has aimed for. It takes courage for her to come back and face the man who she believes to be after her life and the girl doesn’t get much of a break!

       

     It seemed with this title, there needed to be an explosion or death threat every couple of chapters to keep the tension level high. After a bit this pace became a bit old, but the romance leveled in was a nice balancing act.

          

   As I mentioned above, the end had a fantastic twist that I didn’t see coming for three books. I think it was a surprise for our would-be murderer too. Talk about depravity…but it was interesting and different. Made for a “did that really just happen??” moment.

         

   Contemporary suspense with a flair of romance and more than just a pinch of fast finger-flicking through the pages. A weekend read sure to keep you up late to find out “who did it”.

         

   This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers for my copy to review.

           

**Available May 2013 from Revell, a division of Baker Publishers** 

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More about the novel...

Investigative reporter Jillian Carter knows it's time to put the past to rest. She's tired of looking over her shoulder, letting a killer go free. She's no longer the scared kid who changed her name and disappeared. Now, no matter what the cost, Jillian must do what she is trained to do--ferret out the truth and expose it. Senatotr Frank Hoffman committed murder ten years ago--and Jillian watched it happen.

Didn't she?

Not even the enigmatic and attractive Colton Brady, her ex-boyfriend and nephew of the killer, will be able to make her leave this alone. Get ready for the spine-tingling, nail-biting conclusion to an explosive series.

Giveaway! Hill Country Cattleman by Laurie Kingery!

Welcome back to Writing for Christ Laurie Kingery, I am excited to have you here for a second time. What has changed in your writing life since you were last here?

 I've released another two or three more books in the "Brides of Simpson Creek" series, THE SHERIFF'S SWEETHEART (Prissy's story), THE RANCHER'S COURTSHIP (Caroline's story) and most recently, THE PREACHER'S BRIDE (Faith's story). I've gone to a couple more  ACFW conferences (American Christian Fiction Writers) and have been assigned to a new editor at Love Inspired, the wonderful Elizabeth Mazer, who has been the editor for a couple of my manuscripts even when Melissa Endlich was my editor.

What recent read stood out to you as truly spectacular?

Nikki Arrana's THE NEXT TARGET, which is a chillingly realistic storyline, about the dangers Muslims who convert to Christianity face even in America

Do you have favorite authors?

 Mary Connealy, Vicki McDonough, Darlene Franklin, Susan Davis, all of whom write westerns/Americana. I read in other subgenres too, and love Ronie Kendig's military books.

What do you find the most enjoyable part of writing or connecting with readers?

 Finding out what specific things they liked or what resonated with them, what characters they liked the best. But everyone who writes me gets an answer, even the critical ones—yes, I get those; we all do, sooner or later. Nothing is going to please everyone.

What do you find the most ideal atmosphere for writing? Do you ever get those surroundings?

Perfect quiet, and if my husband is at work, I've got that. My children are grown! And he is very considerate when he is home, but I've learned to write with guitar riffs in the next room (he is a bass guitarist by avocation) and the muted roar of TV football. J

Okay, something fun for those writers out there: In what point of your writing career did you surprise yourself by writing the most words ever in the shortest amount of time?

 Hmmm. I usually put on the best bursts of writing speed when I'm on deadline, because I pride myself on never turning in a book late, but I love those magic, all-too-rare times when I'm "in the flow," the book's going well, and I look up and the afternoon is gone and I've piled up 6 pages or more. Again, that's rare, alas. :/

Thanks for being here again! It has been a joy and we wish the very best with your novels.

Readers, here is your chance to enter to win Laurie's book!

Please leave an email address! If I draw your name and there is no email, you will not win.

For extra entries:
~Be a follower
~Be a subscriber

Contest is only open in the U.S. and void where prohibited. Chances of winning are based on the number of

entries and winner is draw from a non-biased third party- Random.org. I am not responsible for any lost or damaged items for said prize.

Thanks for coming by to enter! Contest ends on May 17th

Attn Readers! If you're struggling to leave a comment on my blog, please email your comment entries (in ONE email) and I will submit it for you. But PLEASE only do this after you've failed to leave a comment. My email is: caseym.writer(@)gmail.com