|
|
02.24.10 at 10:50 am by Kara_S
I started watching American Idol during Season 7, so this year I decided that since I have a little experience under my belt, I would choose potential winners (read: who should get recording contracts and we’ll hear from in the future, IMO).
After last night’s show, I chose my top 3 females. Drum roll, please …
On the left is Siobhan Magnus. Center is Michelle Delamor. And, on the right is Katie Stevens.
(Those are listed in no particular order.)
Stay tuned for my top 3 male picks after tonight’s show.
Photos are from americanidol.com.
02.24.10 at 10:18 am by Kara_S
Can you guess what today’s ABC Wednesday letter is? I promised a few weeks ago to introduce you to my Furry Feline Friends that I cat-sit while their human works out of town. So, without further ado, meet Sammy and Scrubs …
Sammy is a stray that someone dumped off back in October. She’s a fun kitty with a very distinct personality. If it’s possible for a cat to give a human a dirty look, she does it with perfection. I laugh constantly at her different facial expressions.
Since she was a drop off, it was impossible to know if she was spayed or not. Turns out she wasn’t because she’s going to be a mommy kitty very, very soon. (I’m guessing this weekend since it’s a full moon.)
 This little darling is Scrubs. She was a rescue kitty. A couple of months ago, she showed up at a local auto mechanic’s garage. She had some physical problems, but showed a lot spunk and was really sweet. The owners of the garage were afraid she’d get hurt even more with the constant movement of vehicles in and out of the garage.
So, about a month ago, she got a ride to her new home where she’s been pampered and loved on. She’s not out of the woods physically but she’s doing much, much better now. Most of her problems are because of her short little stub tail …
In this area of West Virginia, bobtail cats are quite popular, and there’s a genetic group of cats that are true bobtails. However, Scrubs isn’t a true bobtail. One glimpse at her little stubby tail reveals that it was chopped off.
According to the vet, people assume that bobtails are easier to find homes for, so when kittens are born, people cut the tails. Personally, I think it is quite cruel, and I imagine that little Scrubs would agree.
If you’d like to see more letter F posts for today, click here.
02.23.10 at 7:07 am by Kara_S
 ABOUT THE BOOK
With one solved case under her belt, PJ Sugar is ready to dive into her career as a private investigator. Or at least a PI’s assistant until she can prove herself to Jeremy Kane, her new boss. Suddenly PJ’s seeing crime everywhere. But is it just in her head, or can she trust her instincts? When she takes on her first official case-house-sitting for a witness in protective custody-Jeremy assures her there’s no danger involved. But it soon becomes clear that there is someone after the witness . . . and now they’re after PJ, too.
MY THOUGHTS
Double Trouble is a great continuation of the PJ Sugar series. The first book, Nothing But Trouble, introduced us to PJ and her eccentricities and insecurities. She encountered her high school sweetheart, managed Russian house guests, and took care of her 4-year-old nephew. In the end, her super sleuthing skills earned her a position as a private investigator in training.
I loved meeting up with PJ again and seeing where her determination and suspicion would lead her. She lands her first “big” case and goes undercover as a body double for Dally, who is scheduled to testify in a huge drug dealer case. While dealing with rowdy chinchillas (I learned enough about chinchillas in this book to know that I never want one as a pet!), an elderly neighbor, and a few odd happenings, PJ has to figure out what her heart is telling her. Does she really love her high school sweetheart Boone? Is she really cut out to be a private investigator?
I have two favorite lines from the book that I want to share. These lines are simple yet filled with big punches.
- Draw with confidence to the throne of grace because I promise you’ll find mercy. – Both Gabby and Jeremy quote this verse from Hebrews to PJ. How beautiful is that message?
- Stop looking at your feet. You’ll only trip over them. – Told to PJ by her elderly neighbor Gabby when PJ whines about not being able to dance. Taken a little out of context, if we focus on our feet, we fail to see where the path is leading us and what God has in store for us.
Double Trouble is a fun book with mishaps that one can’t help laughing out loud at. However, I felt like the story was a little unrealistic at times, maybe larger than life – like could all those things really happen to a person? Don’t get me wrong, this is a fun read, and I’m definitely keeping my eyes peeled for the next book in the series. Anyone who has that much drama in life is definitely worth reading about!
If you would like to read additional reviews of Double Trouble, visit its blog tour page.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Susan May Warren is the RITA award-winning author of twenty-four novels with Tyndale, Barbour and Steeple Hill. A four-time Christy award finalist, a two-time RITA Finalist, she’s also a multi-winner of the Inspirational Readers Choice award, and the ACFW Book of the Year. Her larger than life characters and layered plots have won her acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. A seasoned women’s events and retreats speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you! She is also the founder of www.MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice. Susan makes her home in northern Minnesota, where she is busy cheering on her two sons in football, and her daughter in local theater productions (and desperately missing her college-age son!) A full listing of her titles, reviews and awards can be found at: www.susanmaywarren.com.
A special thank you to Litfuse Publicity for sending me this book for review. The “My Thoughts” section is written in my own words. The rest is information provided by Litfuse.
02.22.10 at 3:55 pm by Kara_S
ABOUT THE BOOK
 Elyse McCord always plays it safe─a fact she blames on being the biological daughter of a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde. Even in the security of her adoptive family, the McCords, the timid dog whisperer keeps her guard up with strangers. But when she discovers a dog being horribly mistreated, shy Elyse transforms into a mighty warrior and charges into a perilous situation, not only risking her life but also her heart Reporter Andrew Stone has been fearless since the day his wife was shot and killed three years ago. He has one mission─use his Texas Ranger upbringing to find her murderer and clear his own name of any involvement. When he sees a beautiful brunette in the hands of a pistol-wielding maniac, he’s forced to abandon his covert surveillance and go to the rescue. The danger surrounding Andrew doesn’t scare him at all, but the awakening of his dormant heart terrifies him.
When painful pasts collide, the explosion is deafening. Can Andrew and Elyse pick up the pieces and go forward together? Or will they forever live with haunting memories, unable to forgive, unable to love?
If you would like to read the first chapter of Cowgirl at Heart , go HERE.
MY THOUGHTS
Cowgirl at Heart is the 2nd book in the “A McCord Sister Romance” series by author Christine Lynxwiler. The first book, The Reluctant Cowgirl, is about Elyse’s older sister Crystal. Since the stories have different heroines, you could read the 2nd book without reading the 1st, however book 1 does come before book 2 in the timeline.
Heroine Elyse McCord is a woman that lives with fear – fear of talking to people, fear of her biological father coming back, fear of forgiving and reconciling, fear of letting God have total and complete control. She encounters each of those fears throughout the story, and sometimes she does okay and other times she falls flat trying to face her fear. Intertwined among her fears is a lot of action and a budding romance.
The relationship between Elyse and Andrew was really fun to watch develop. I also enjoyed getting re-acquainted with the McCord family members and seeing where Crystal’s life was leading her. I’m looking forward to the third book which I can only presume is about little sister Kaleigh.
One of the things I mentioned about author Christine Lynxwiler’s writing in my review of the 1st book was that she doesn’t preach at the reader, but lets the characters and their lives illustrate the path we should follow. While little sister Kaleigh was a minor character in this story, she teaches some great lessons about image, being true to yourself, and not trying to be someone you aren’t. The same is true of Elyse – we see how to overcome those things we fear and take steps of faith. Great lessons to be learned in this book!
Thank you to Barbour Publishing and CFBA for providing this free book for my review. The words contained under “My Thoughts” are my own with no affiliate links. “About the Book” information is provided by CFBA.
02.18.10 at 1:46 pm by Kara_S
I’ve lamented about our roads in the past, so I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve been very impressed with the Calhoun County DOH this winter. Our roads have been well cared for – treated and plowed – during a winter when we’ve had more than enough snow.
But then this week, the snow plows vanished. It’s almost like “where’s Waldo” except it’s where’s the snow plow?
This is an paved road that hasn’t seen a snow plow since sometime Sunday night I believe. It’s slightly wider than a single lane and if anyone comes the other way, you have to scoot over into 6-8 inches of snow and pray you don’t get stuck.
This is the gravel road that I live on. Doesn’t look much different than that paved road, huh? Funny thing is, this is a single lane by design yet the road conditions are identical to that two lane paved road.
I understand not plowing the gravel roads on a regular basis. But the paved roads have a lot more traffic. What’s up with that?
Our county has about 600 miles of roads broken down into two categories – primary and secondary. Yes, this particular paved road is considered a “secondary” road meaning it isn’t a first priority. The secondary roads are cared for after the primary roads (main arteries) are deemed in good shape, however a few cinders after 4 days of nothing would be nice. Sometimes I think the DOH adds a third category – irrelevant.
|
|
Recent Comments