2016 Favorite Reads I’m always surprised when I look at my Goodreads bookshelf for a year and see such a variety of favorites, especially when I prefer contemporary drama. Goes to show that a good book transcends genre. Not all the books listed below were published in 2016, but as that’s when I read them, they make my list. In …
Favorite Novels of 2015
I only read 72 books in 2015. I know, to many of you that sounds like a lot, but I used to read over 100 books, easily. Much of the blame for the low number lies with life taking precedence over reading time, but some blame also belongs to the decreasing number of books I’m interested in reading. It seems fewer and …
May Book Preview – WHILE LOVE STIRS by Lorna Seilstad
I’m so excited! My friend and critique partner, Lorna Seilstad, has another book out: While Love Stirs, the second novel in her Gregory Sisters series. And this one is extra-special fun because it’s based in Minnesota in the early 20th century. Lorna took me to places I hadn’t ever heard of and then she brought me down familiar streets that have barely …
Loving LOVE’S AWAKENING
LOVE’S AWAKENING, Ballantyne Legacy Series (Revell) by Laura Frantz Publisher Description: Ellie finds that her parents are away on a long trip and her siblings don’t seem to want her to stay. When she opens a day school for young ladies, she begins tutoring the incorrigible daughter of the enemy Turlock clan. The Turlocks are slaveholders and whiskey magnates, envious …
July 2013 – Novel Anticipation: A Friend, A Favorite, and a First
My list this month is fairly short, which is just fine since I’m way behind in my reading. Hopefully I’ll get caught up this month. Though the titles are few, I’m very excited about all of them. I’m especially excited for my friend and critique partner, Shannon Taylor Vannatter whose seventh novel, RODEO REGRETS, came out yesterday! Congratulations, Shannon! (Shannon …
The INSPYs & The Christy Awards
Last week was a huge week for Christian authors as two major award organizations announced their shortlists and nominees. Of all the awards programs, I’ve found the INSPYs and the Christy Awards run closest to my taste and my definition of excellence in books. In 2011, I was blessed to be a judge in the General Fiction category for the …
Novel Recommendation – Wishing on Willows
WISHING ON WILLOWS by Katie Ganshert Publisher’s Description: Does a second chance at life and love always involve surrender? A three-year old son, a struggling café, and fading memories are all Robin Price has left of her late husband. As the proud owner of Willow Tree Café in small town Peaks, Iowa, she pours her heart into every muffin she …
Favorite Novels from 2012
My Goodreads bookshelf shows that I read 126 books in 2012. That’s up 19 from the previous year, which surprised me since I’d assumed, at the beginning of 2012, that I’d read less. But, with all those books, only (7) were marked FAVORITE. To receive *Favorite* status, they must combine captivating story, rich prose, complex-authentic-believable characters, and true-to-life dialogue. In addition, all …