Ramblings-n-Writings

Archive for April, 2010

It’s been years, but Luke Davis is back–older and wiser–and still alone. Returning as Lookout’s new town marshal, Luke is determined to face the past and move on. He flippantly tells his cousin he’d get married if the right woman ever came along. But then he discovers that the woman who betrayed him is now a widow, and all his plans fall at his feet.

Rachel has carried her guilty shame for eleven years. Her marriage to James Hamilton was not what Luke or the town thought it to be. Now James is dead, and her long-time love for Luke is reignited with his return to town. So when three mail-order brides appear, she panics.

Could they possibly find love a second time?

Rachel begs his forgiveness, but Luke finds he has none to give.

And then the brides arrive. Three of them–ordered for Luke through newspaper ads by his incorrigible cousins. The only place in town for them to stay is Rachel’s boardinghouse. And none of the ladies is willing to let Luke go. When choosing a bride becomes a contest, the chaos that ensues is almost funny.

When the mayor forces Luke to pick a bride or lose his job, will Luke listen to his heart that still longs for Rachel or choose one of the mail-order brides?

Will Rachel find the courage to tell Luke that she loves him? Or take an anonymous part in the contest for his hand?

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Anonymous Bride (Barbour Publishing, April 1, 2010), go HERE.

MY THOUGHTS

Due to an additional work load, I’ve not been able to finish reading this book. I’ve reached the part where the brides start arriving, and so far, I like what I’ve read. I can only imagine what hilarious moments will happen in future chapters! The plot will definitely get thicker.

Author Vickie McDonough‘s writing style is lighthearted and descriptive, yet the storyline deals with some serious issues. Luke and Rachel deal with issues from their past and forgiving each other, plus Rachel tries to manage being a good parent to her tomboy daughter.

At this point, I have no problem recommending the book especially if you like historicals and are looking for a storyline that will make you giggle.

A special thanks to Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for sending me this book to review. This post does not contain any of my affiliate links.

One of my projects for the month of April has been focused on social media and my business. Living in a rural area, and one of the poorest counties in the country, doesn’t exactly lead to high business volume. My desire is to spread the word more about who I am and what I have to offer. So, I’ve been looking for ways to expand my client base.

The wave of the future seems to be social media – Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, blogs. People are obsessed with knowing what others are doing and what their opinions are. What better way to connect with potential clients than to go where they are?

My first step was to find a way to make my business website dynamic. That means I needed something that changed periodically so people would keep coming back to the site. What did I do? Created a blog.

My second step was to start tweeting as my business. (Follow me @SkalaCreative.) I’ve been on Twitter for over a year now as an individual. I tweeted about my business and promoted my website with my personal account, but now I wanted something more focused. Having a business twitter helps build name recognition in the minds of potential clients.

My third step involved updating my profile on LinkedIn and making some more connections. I started using LinkedIn a long time ago (don’t ask for specifics because I don’t remember how long ago! ). Since the connections on LinkedIn are more professional in nature, I view it as a good spot to showcase my previous work experience. 

My fourth step started today when I made a Facebook page for my business. I have a totally different group of friends on Facebook than I do on Twitter. Creating a Facebook page will help put that group of friends in contact with my business on a regular basis too. (If you want to join the Facebook page, the link is in the sidebar to the left. Hope to connect with you there!)

Throughout this entire process, I’ve read hundreds of articles about “how to” and “how not to.” I’m so grateful for friends who have walked the road ahead of me and aren’t afraid to share their knowledge with me.

My goal for May is to be consistent in blogging and updating (that goes for both my business and personal sites!).

Now I just need to figure out how to automate everything …

How am I doing with my American Idol picks for Season 9?

Back in the beginning of March, I chose my top 3 females and top 4 guys from the top 24. At this point, I chose 5 of the top 7.

Wednesday night we said goodbye for the second time to a female pick – Katie Stevens. Like Ryan said when chatting with Katie, she really has come a long ways in the past weeks and has grown up a lot too. I have no doubt in my mind that we’ll hear from Katie in the future. She has a huge set of vocals! I thought her performance Tuesday night was one of the best of the night. (But I don’t think the judges thought so.)

The only complaint I have about Katie is that whoever chose her wardrobe for the show didn’t do her justice. Her clothes were consistently unflattering and made her almost look frumpy. And if I had to guess, the clothes probably cost her some teenage boy votes. 

So, since we said goodbye to Katie, that leaves me with only one female pick left – Siobhan Magnus. I’ve liked Siobhan from the beginning and especially after her Aretha song. I feel her frustration because the judges tell her not to scream (a.k.a. opening up and letting it rip on the high notes), yet when she doesn’t use her powerful vocals, they tell her she’s boring.

Rabbit trail warning: After paying attention to a lot of the judges’ criticisms this year, I think I’d like to sit in the audience for a show. There’s apparently a dramatic difference between the live versions and what we hear on tv. Many times a performance sounds horrible and the judges praise it or it sounds awesome and they trash it. But I digress…

So far, all of my top 4 guys are still in the competition. Last week got a little touchy when Big Mike had the least votes but was saved by the judges.  Now that we’re a little further into the competition, here’s my thoughts on the guys…

Tim Urban – Wow, has he come a long way since the beginning. Something about him made him stand out in the top 24, because he made my cut. I think he got a little lost along the way, and getting some of the “vote for the worst” vote gave him the confidence he needed. Like Simon said recently, Tim went from a “zero to hero” in two weeks.

Big Mike – He can definitely sing, although he needs to add some variety to his songs. Like Siobhan, his songs are starting to all sound the same.

Lee DeWyze – I liked Lee in the beginning, still do, but he isn’t a favorite. He’s good but he’s too much like past American Idol guys. 

Aaron Kelly – Aaron has a great voice, but lacks a little bit in the maturity area. If he wants to pursue a career in music, he’ll make it some day, but I don’t think now is his time. He hasn’t quite figured out who he is as an artist and I think some of that comes with maturity.

The two left in the top 7 that I didn’t choose are Casey James and Crystal Bowersox, both excellent in their own way.

I’ve been trying to decide on a top 3, but I’ve only managed to narrow it down to 4. For the girls, I’m confident that it will come down to Siobhan and Crystal being in the top 4. The guys are a little more dicey. I see Aaron leaving the show first followed by either Casey or Tim, possibly Lee, or for that matter, maybe even Big Mike. LOL

What’s your choice for the top 3?

Last week I introduced you to Sworn to Protect by Diann Mills. I promised a review (although I’m a day late from when I promised it). Let’s start with a little bit about the book…

ABOUT THE BOOK

Border Patrol Agent Danika Morales has sworn to protect our borders. But that oath has come with a price.

Two years ago, her husband was shot and killed trying to help undocumented immigrants – the very people Danika is responsible for deporting. His murder was never solved.

Now, a recent string of attacks and arrests leads Danika to believe her husband’s death may have been part of a larger conspiracy, and it appears that she’s the next target. When the Border Patrol discovers that one of their own is leaking top-secret information, Danika turns to the only person she can trust – a doctor at the local medical clinic. Together they search for answers before more innocent lives are destroyed.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Sworn To Protect, go HERE.

 MY THOUGHTS

Sworn to Protect intrigued me because it was the 2nd book in author Diann Mill’s “Call of Duty” series. The first book, Breach of Trust, was excellent, so I was eager to reader the second book. The two books are totally unrelated to each other with the only connection being the heroines are serving our country.

Did Sworn to Protect meet my expectations? Yes. The only downside, in my opinion, was it didn’t seem as fast paced as the first book. That’s kinda picky, I guess. But eliminating that comparison, it is still a great book.

To me, the most fascinating part of the book was its somewhat delicate topic of illegal immigration.

Two years before this storyline started, Danika Morales discovered that her husband was helping illegal immigrants by providing them food and water at the safe houses. She was overwhelmed with anger at him because she spent long hours each day trying to chase down and deport illegals. Later that same day, her husband was found with a bullet in his head. For two years, Danika searched for clues leading to his killer, but never had a break. Danika’s view on illegal immigration sticks to the law – you cross the border illegally, you will be sent back.

Besides Danika’s hunt for Toby’s killer, two other storylines carry throughout the story with each touching on illegal immigration. First, we meet Toby’s brother, Jacob, who is also a Border Patrol Agent and appears to hold the same views as Danika. Jacob comes under suspicion as the rogue agent who is leaking information to help illegals. Through Jacob’s story, I learned the technical details of how a border patrol operates - sensors, alarms, call-outs, etc. Besides being implicated as the rogue agent, some other very difficult situations happen to Jacob, but I’m not going to give away the juicy details.

The other storyline concerns Alex, a certain doctor at the medical clinic. Alex, a character that I liked a lot, provides emergency medical care to illegals. He believes it is his obligation as a doctor to help those in need, legal or illegal. Of course, Danika and Alex clash egos over his views, especially once she finds out that he knew Toby and how their views were somewhat similar.

I thought author Diann Mills did a superb job of keeping the character relationships true to life. They didn’t get along 100% of the time, they said things they wished they hadn’t, and they made choices they wished they could change. When Danika and Alex feel that attraction to each other, it isn’t all sweet and gushy like many authors portray relationships, but more like fireworks with a few firecrackers thrown in as their relationship rode a roller coaster. In the end, they have to agree to disagree, just like we do in every day life.

A special thanks to Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for sending me this book to review.

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Wildflowers of TerezinAbingdon Press (April 2010)by

Robert Elmer
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robert Elmer is a former pastor, reporter and as copywriter who now writes from he home he shares with his wife Ronda in northern Idaho. He is the author of over fifty books, including eight contemporary novels for the adult Christian audience and several series for younger readers. Combined, his books have sold more than half a million copies worldwide. Like his popular “Young Underground” youth series, Wildflowers of Terezin was inspired by stories Robert heard from his Denmark-born parents and family. When he’s not sailing or enjoying the outdoors, Robert often travels the country speaking to school and writers groups.

ABOUT THE BOOK

When nurse Hanne Abrahamsen impulsively shields Steffen Petersen from a nosy Gestapo agent, she’s convinced the Lutheran pastor is involved in the Danish Underground. Nothing could be further from the truth.

But truth is hard to come by in the fall of 1943, when Copenhagen is placed under Martial Law and Denmark’s Jews—including Hanne—suddenly face deportation to the Nazi prison camp at Terezin, Czechoslovakia. Days darken and danger mounts. Steffen’s faith deepens as he takes greater risks to protect Hanne. But are either of them willing to pay the ultimate price for their love?

To read the first chapter of Wildflowers of Terezin, go HERE.