Tree Swing Reading

Alphabet Soup Winner for "R"

Even though we're done going through the alphabet, there are still winners to announce!

Today's drawing is for Francine River's series The Mark of the Lion and the winner is: Jen! (chigirljenn)

Congratulations!

Alphabet Soup Giveaway: Day 26--Z Last Day!

First the winner from Day "Q":

Congratulations to Hannah for winning Quaker Summer! Tomorrow's drawing is for The Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers. Now back to the alphabet!

I am going through the alphabet and giving books away alphabetically by author (Day 1 was Arbertburn for "A," Day 2 was by an author that started with "B" and so on...).  The drawing for the books will be held 10 days after each book is posted, i.e., the drawing for the book posted on March 1 will be on March 11.  First, the rules:

1. Post a comment to the blogs with books that you want to win. In your post you get to answer a silly question:

Today's Question: What book/series from this giveaway would you like another chance to win?  If your name is drawn, you'll win it!  Even if it's a book that hasn't been drawn for yet, you can choose it and then have a second chance to win it. Here are the choices:

Day 1 was Healing Stones by Stephen Arterburn and Nancy Rue

Day 2 was Try Dying by James Scott Bell

Day 3 was Alaska Twilight by Colleen Coble

Day 4 was Black, Red, and White (The Circle Trilogy) by Ted Dekker

Day 5 was Like Always by Robert Elmer

Day 6 was The Other Daughter by Miralee Ferrell

Day 7 was Crime Scene Jerusalem by Alton Gansky

Day 8 was The Perfect Life by Robin Lee Hatcher

Day 9 was Swords of the Lyric Series by Sharon HInck (The Restorer, The Restorer's Son, The Restorer's Journey)

Day 10 was Coldwater Revival by Nancy Jo Jenkins

Day 11 was Skizzer by A.J. Kiesling

Day 12 was Perfecting Kate by Tamara Leigh

Day 13 was Miss Match and Rematch by Erynn Mangum

Day 14 was the To-Catch-A-Thief series by Jill Elizabeth Nelson.

Day 15 was The Watchers by Mark Andrew Olson

Day 16 was Feeling for Bones by Bethany Pierce

Day 17 was Quaker Summer by Lisa Samson

Day 18 was The Mark of the Lion Series by Francine Rivers

Day 19 was Every Good and Perfect Gift by Sharon K. Souza

Day 20 was Sushi for One? and Only Uni by Camy Tang

Day 21 was the Ulitmate in Suspense, the Kanner Lake Series by Brandilyn Collins

Day 22 was the Very cool series, the Shades of Style Series by Marilynn Griffith

Day 23 was The Best of Evil and A Shred of Truth by Eric Wilson

Day 24 was the Xtremely wonderful Between Sundays by Karen Kingsbury

Day 25 was Love Me If you Must by Nicole Young

2. Not all books I review will be giveaways.  Only the ones that have this logo with them.

3. Wait to see if you win.  Today's book giveaway will be drawn on April 2.

So no specific "Z" book today, just a chance to win one of the previously listed books from this contest. 

Tomorrow is the drawing day for the "R" book!

Tomorrow starts the "Spring Cleaning" giveaway!

Alphabet Soup Giveaway: Day 25--Y

First the winner from Day "O" and "P":

Congratulations to Cindi H. for winning The Watchers and to Audra Marie for winning Feeling for Bones! Tomorrow's drawing is for Quaker Summer series by Lisa Samson. Now back to the alphabet!

I am going through the alphabet and giving books away alphabetically by author (Day 1 was Arbertburn for "A," Day 2 was by an author that started with "B" and so on...).  The drawing for the books will be held 10 days after each book is posted, i.e., the drawing for the book posted on March 1 will be on March 11.  Make sense?  So you gotta keep checking back to see what's next!

First, the rules:

1. Post a comment to the blogs with books that you want to win. In your post you get to answer a silly question:

Today's Question: What food combination do you like that other people consider "yucky"?  LOL!  I like peanut butter and syrup on my waffles.  I like ranch dressing on pizza.

2. Not all books I review will be giveaways.  Only the ones that have this logo with them.

3. Wait to see if you win.  Today's book giveaway will be drawn on April 2.

Tomorrow is the drawing day for the "Q" book!

These are the other books you can still sign up to win (post a comment on the pages linked below):

Day 17 was Quaker Summer by Lisa Samson

Day 18 was The Mark of the Lion Series by Francine Rivers

Day 19 was Every Good and Perfect Gift by Sharon K. Souza

Day 20 was Sushi for One? and Only Uni by Camy Tang

Day 21 was the Ulitmate in Suspense, the Kanner Lake Series by Brandilyn Collins

Day 22 was the Very cool series, the Shades of Style Series by Marilynn Griffith

Day 23 was The Best of Evil and A Shred of Truth by Eric Wilson

Day 24 was the Xtremely wonderful Between Sundays by Karen Kingsbury

Today's letter is "Y" and the book is Love Me if You Must by Nicole Young!

Description:

When professional renovator Tish Amble begins work on a derelict Victorian home, she discovers something worse than rats in the cellar---unmistakable signs of foul play! With a police officer living next door and a handsome acquaintance two houses down, Tish decides to dig for the truth. But what will she discover?

My Quick Take:

A very interesting suspense! Tish is an unusual character who I alternately felt sorry for and frustrated by depending on her actions. The story reminds me of the show "Flip This House" with Tish buying an old Victorian house to renovate and resell for a profit.  A job she considers perfect as she likes to work alone and avoid lots of personal contacts.  Little does she know how crazy this renovation is going to get!

More from Christian Book Previews:

Nicole Young’s debut novel, Love Me If You Must, is a tale of personal restoration that develops in a life that has been devastated. Tish Amble finds much more adventure than she expects in the seemingly untainted town of Rawlings. As the usually withdrawn Tish develops relationships with the locals, she recognizes not only the faults and virtues behind their appearances, but she also starts to understand some of her own shortcomings and strengths. Though tragedy strikes, guilt prods, hormones soar, preconceptions press, and the past haunts, she ultimately accepts and moves on in the peace and hope of God and His love.

Tish Amble is renovating a Victorian-era home to sell before moving on to her next project. Her own basement lends much to her mental and emotional instability, first when she sees a startling but unproven vision of a body’s imprint in the cement that fills in the house’s old cistern, and then again when a body really is discovered in her basement and she becomes the primary suspect for the crime and the laughingstock of the small town. When she learns that her dream British hunk is involved in some suspicious goings-on, she finds herself in the midst of the criminal chaos, despite her innocence. She is helped greatly by her police officer neighbor, who always seems to have her back, even though she doesn’t trust him. Tish soon finds herself being pursued by the real killer in a desperate chase, but survives and is able to uncover her redeeming evidence and help put the case to rest.

The suspense and confusion of unsolved crimes and budding relationships find Tish holding back and pushing forward at the same time, trying to clear her name and be free of her past while behaving in eccentric and suspicious ways that only draw more attention to herself. Tish’s behavior often seems unrealistic and over the top, and her imagination is even more sporadic than her actions. In her mind, she eventually accuses practically everyone she meets. Her withdrawn and untrusting personality keeps her on guard against her new neighbors. However, she quickly gets caught in a misleading love triangle with two Rawlings men and becomes friends with several people she judged too harshly at first. In the midst of ever-increasing drama and chaotic events, Tish struggles to carry on with her life while her past still haunts her.

Though the story gets off to a slow start, once the action gets rolling, Love Me If You Must is able to draw the readers in just enough to keep them interested. At times, several of the characters’ actions seem unrealistic and exaggerated. A few subtle twists will catch the reader off guard, but it does not take a Sherlock Holmes to figure out where the plot is headed. I wouldn’t advise any hardcore mystery readers to indulge in this book, but if you are looking for a light novel with some romance and mystery thrown in, Love Me If You Must is a good pick. – Laura Coulter, Christian Book Previews.com 

Giveaways to Come

Before I pursue the giveaway from the survey results where I asked you all for what kind of giveaway to do next (please vote here if you haven't yet, right now the "Mystery Madness" choice is winning by 2 votes), I'm having a short period where I am going to give away some books to help clear off my shelves from duplicates and such.  A little spring cleaning if you will. LOL!

This will include books like:

The Mars Hill Classified series by Austin Boyd
Embrace Me by Lisa Samson
Distant Heart by Tracey Bateman
Yada Yada Gets Decked Out by Neta Jackson
Chocolate Beach and Truffles by the Sea by Julie Carobini
The Rock Star Chronicles by Creston Mapes

I'm trying to keep my reading/blogging schedule a little lighter in the next 2 weeks as I have 3 birthday parties to plan and execute for my girls who happen to have birthdays within a few days of each other. Can you believe I had the same due date for both girls? Each girl has a school friend party and then we have a joint family party too.  My oldest is having a Hannah Montana/spa night slumber party with 7 girls on Friday-Saturday. We're having a luau party for the family party on Sunday. Then my youngest is having a Littlest Pet Shop party the next Saturday.  I always go all out on party planning too, so it will be lots of work, but fun too!

The next giveaway looks like it may be what I'm going to call the "Seesaw Selections" giveaway where I will go back and forth between chicklit and suspense based on the way the votes have been looking.  I will throw in a few others, including non-fiction too as the blog tours I'm involved in come along. 

Look for chicklit like:

My Life as a Doormat by Rene Gutteridge
Splitting Harriet by Tamara Leigh
Everything's Coming Up Josie by Susan May Warren
Chill Out Josie by Susan May Warren
Dreaming in Black and White by Laura Jensen Walker
Dreaming in Technicolor by Laura Jensen Walker
Flies on the Butter and The Will of Wysteria by Denise Hildreth
Symphony of Secrets by Sharon Hinck
Prints Charming by Rebecca Seitz

Look for suspense like:

Dark to Mortal Eyes by Eric Wilson
Randy Singer's False Witness and Self Incrimination
Scoop and Snitch by Rene Gutteridge and My Life as a Doormat
Brandt Dobson's Original Sin, Seventy Times Seven and the Lost Sheep
Melanie Wells' When the Day of Evil Comes, The Soul Hunter, My Soul to Keep

Sound good?  I'm looking forward to it!  But I'm also sad to see the alphabet soup giveaway end.  It was a lot of fun!  I hope to do it again sometime.

CFBA Blog Tour of "For Pete's Sake" by Linda Windsor

For Pete's Sake by Linda Windsor

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing

For Pete's Sake
Book Two of the Piper Cove Chronicles
(Avon Inspire - April 1, 2008)
by
Linda Windsor


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Maryland author Linda Windsor has written some twenty-nine historical and contemporary novels for both the secular and inspirational markets, but she is most noted for delivering “The Lift of Laughter and Spirit” in her modern inspirational romances.

A Christy finalist and winner of numerous industry awards, Linda has written for Multnomah Publishing (historical fiction and contemporary romances), Barbour Publishing (romcom novella), and Westbow Press (the Moonstruck romantic comedy trilogy). Wedding Bell Blues the first book in her new The Piper Cove Chronicles series, is featured on Avon Inspire's launch list.

In addition to writing and doing fiction-writing workshops at conferences across the country, Linda continues a music and lay speaking ministry started by her and her late husband, and she is a part-time financial analyst. She also works on “as desperately needed” home improvement projects on the 18th-century-plus house that she and her husband began restoring in 1986. Wallpaper and paint are definitely in her near future.

LINDA WINDSOR LOCAL APPEARANCES:

Saturday, April 5th, 2008
Jack's Religious Gift Shop
701 Snow Hill Road
Salisbury, MD 21804
2:00PM

Saturday, April 12, 2008
The Gospel Shop
800 South Salisbury Blvd
Salisbury, MD 21801
11:00 AM



ABOUT THE BOOK

For Pete's Sake is a remarkable story about the unlikely live between a grown-up tomboy and the millionaire next door.

Ellen Brittingham isn’t sure true live exists until she contracts to do the landscaping of the estate of the sophisticated widower next door, Adrian Sinclair. Adrian has it all—at least on the surface, He’s engaged to a beautiful woman who helped him build a successful business and he’ll soon have a mom for his troubled son Pete.

Yet, from the moment Ellen rescues a stranded Adrian on her Harley, his well-ordered world turns upside down, cracking his thin façade of happiness and revealing the void of faith and love behind it. Even more, his son seems to have his own sites set on Ellen – as his new mom.

As Ellen’s friendship grows with Pete, she realizes that his father is about to marry the wrong woman for the right reasons. And despite her resolve to remain “neighbors only” with the dad, the precocious boy works his way into her heart, drawing Ellen and Adrian closer. Close enough for heartbreak, for Pete’s sake!

But how can her heart think that Adrian Sinclair is the one when he’s engaged to a sophisticated beauty who is everything Ellen isn’t. When Ellen’s three best friends see she’s been bitten by the love bug, they jump into action and submit her to a makeover that reveals the woman underneath her rough exterior and puts her in contention for Adrian’s love.

But Ellen must ask herself whether she’s ready to risk the heart that she’s always held close. Will Ellen be able to trust that God brought this family into her life for a reason? Or will her fear of getting hurt cause her to turn away from God’s plan and her one true chance at love?

Book link is here: www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0061171387

Alphabet Soup Giveaway: Day 24--X

FYI: I will not be posting an Alphabet Soup giveaway on Easter Sunday, but it will return on Monday!

First the winner from Day "N":

Congratulations to lovedandamazed for winning the To-Catch-A-Thief Series! Tomorrow's drawing is for The Watchers series by Mark Andrew Olson. Now back to the alphabet!

I am going through the alphabet and giving books away alphabetically by author (Day 1 was Arbertburn for "A," Day 2 was by an author that started with "B" and so on...).  The drawing for the books will be held 10 days after each book is posted, i.e., the drawing for the book posted on March 1 will be on March 11.  Make sense?  So you gotta keep checking back to see what's next!

First, the rules:

1. Post a comment to the blogs with books that you want to win. In your post you get to answer a silly question:

Today's Question: What do you prefer: Xtremely chocolate cake, Xtremely cheesy nachos, Xtremely thick steak, or Xtremely sour lemonade?  Chocolate all the way for me!  Though nachos are good too.

2. Not all books I review will be giveaways.  Only the ones that have this logo with them.

3. Wait to see if you win.  Today's book giveaway will be drawn on April 1.

Tomorrow is the drawing day for the "O" book!

These are the other books you can still sign up to win (post a comment on the pages linked below):

Day 15 was The Watchers by Mark Andrew Olson

Day 16 was Feeling for Bones by Bethany Pierce

Day 17 was Quaker Summer by Lisa Samson

Day 18 was The Mark of the Lion Series by Francine Rivers

Day 19 was Every Good and Perfect Gift by Sharon K. Souza

Day 20 was Sushi for One? and Only Uni by Camy Tang

Day 21 was the Ulitmate in Suspense, the Kanner Lake Series by Brandilyn Collins

Day 22 was the Very cool series, the Shades of Style Series by Marilynn Griffith

Day 23 was The Best of Evil and A Shred of Truth by Eric Wilson

Today's letter is X! So I chose another of the selections voted for: the Xtremely wonderful Between Sundays by Karen Kingsbury!

Description:

When 8-year-old Cory Briggs is orphaned, his mom's best friend, Megan Gunn, wants to adopt him. There's only one problem. She needs consent from the boy's father. Cory insists his dad is Aaron Hill, quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers. Megan is afraid he's headed for heartbreak. Is his belief wishful thinking---or is it true?

My Review:

As usual, Kingsbury delivers a sweet and gentle story that tugs on our heart strings and reminds us of what's important in life.  In this story, we get to take a look at what that looks like through the eyes of a young boy, a hard-working foster mom, and a professional football player.  I enjoyed it very much and was happy for the reminder that even for regular non-football-playing people, what happens between Sundays is just as important as what happens on Sundays.

Good Friday

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The Crucifixion

    So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. ¹⁷Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). ¹⁸Here they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

    ¹⁹Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read:|sc JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. ²⁰Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. ²¹The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, "Do not write 'The King of the Jews,' but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews."

    ²²Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written."

    ²³When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

    ²⁴"Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it."
      This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said,
   "They divided my garments among them
      and cast lots for my clothing."So this is what the soldiers did.

    ²⁵Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," ²⁷and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

The Death of Jesus

    ²⁸Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." ²⁹A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. ³⁰When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Alphabet Soup Giveaway: Day 23--W

First the winner from Day "M":

Congratulations to Deborah for winning Miss Match and Rematch! Tomorrow's drawing is for the To-Catch-A-Thief series by Jill Elizabeth Nelson. Now back to the alphabet!

I am going through the alphabet and giving books away alphabetically by author (Day 1 was Arbertburn for "A," Day 2 was by an author that started with "B" and so on...).  The drawing for the books will be held 10 days after each book is posted, i.e., the drawing for the book posted on March 1 will be on March 11.  Make sense?  So you gotta keep checking back to see what's next!

First, the rules:

1. Post a comment to the blogs with books that you want to win. In your post you get to answer a silly question:

Today's Question: What kind of Weather are you having today?  We are getting up to 12 inches of snow today!  Hard to imagine that it's Easter weekend. 

2. Not all books I review will be giveaways.  Only the ones that have this logo with them.

3. Wait to see if you win.  Today's book giveaway will be drawn on March 30.

Tomorrow is the drawing day for the "N" book!

These are the other books you can still sign up to win (post a comment on the pages linked below):

Day 14 was the To-Catch-A-Thief series by Jill Elizabeth Nelson.

Day 15 was The Watchers by Mark Andrew Olson

Day 16 was Feeling for Bones by Bethany Pierce

Day 17 was Quaker Summer by Lisa Samson

Day 18 was The Mark of the Lion Series by Francine Rivers

Day 19 was Every Good and Perfect Gift by Sharon K. Souza

Day 20 was Sushi for One? and Only Uni by Camy Tang

Day 21 was the Ulitmate in Suspense, the Kanner Lake Series by Brandilyn Collins

Day 22 was the Very cool series, the Shades of Style Series by Marilynn Griffith

Today is W and I chose 2 books by Eric Wilson, more suspense: The Best of Evil and Shreds of Truth, the Aramis Black books.

Description:

"Spare your soul," he ranted, "and turn your eyes from greed...."

The tattoos on his arms still reading "Live by the Sword" and "Die by the Sword," Aramis Black is ready for a fresh start. Determined to set aside his violent tendencies, he opens an espresso shop in Nashville and begins to put his childhood memories behind him. The past isn't finished with him, though. One ordinary day at the shop, a man is shot before his eyes, speaking dying words to Aramis that are all too familiar.

Aramis realizes that his path to freedom will demand forgiveness-forgiveness from God and forgiveness of others. Along the way, he must uncover the conspiracy behind a centuries-old mystery and the shocking truth of his mother's death. The question remains: Will Aramis be able to conquer his past, or will evil get the best of him?

My Review:

I think I found another favorite suspense author!  This book was very good. I was worried that I wouldn't like the first-person character, Aramis Black, but I did. In fact I found myself really drawn to his character. He is just the right mix of rawness and realness. Aramis knows he made mistakes in his past and he is trying to make them right. He is trying to live right. But trouble keeps finding him and it is the story of those troubles that weaves a spell-binding story in The Best of Evil. I couldn't stop reading! This book takes its readers on an exciting journey to solve a murder, find a treasure, uncover family history, and wrestle with forgiving past wrongs. 

Description:

In The Best of Evil, Aramis Black uncovered family secrets and historical conspiracies, hoping that his own dark past had come to certain resolution. But now, in the dark of night, he finds his brother unconscious and tied to a statue in Nashville’s Music Row …with the initials AX carved into his back.

A shadow from his former life has reappeared, casting threats of violence and retribution. And soon the attacker is swinging his blade of self-righteous judgment directly at Aramis, calling upon him to “face his sins.” Can Aramis finally break free from the guilt of his old ways… or will he succumb to the vengeance of an arrogant sociopath?

My Review:

Another great suspense! I totally enjoyed this book and think Eric Wilson is right up there with the best of the suspense writers.  Not only is the writing engaging and action-packed, but it also full of important truths brought into the story in a way that is never preachy or contrived. I especially enjoyed Aramis and Sammie's conversation about God's judgement juxtaposed with his grace.  Aramis is a fantastic character and this is a fantastic book.

Something else cool about these books:

At the end of this first book, Aramis tells his brother he's going to write the story of his family and the Lewis treasure that everyone was searching for. Johnny Ray (his brother) asks him about the treasure and Aramis says that the first letter of each chapter of his book wil spell out a clue to finding the treasure.

So...I thought, I wonder if this book spells out something with the first letter of each chapter.  Here's what it says:

"In a cave where the wolf's mouth opens and Indians bluff."

Anyway, the second book confirms this clue (which helped me put the words together) and indicates that Johnny Ray figured it out.

So I cheated and looked at the end of the second book. Turns out Aramis is going to write another story and this time the last letter of each chapter will spell a clue. Johnny Ray says, "another treasure to find?" and Aramis says, "You'll just have to see."

So here's what I got from the last letter of each chapter in the second book, A Shred of Truth.

"Human sorrow leads to death. Godly sorrow to repentance."

Pretty cool that Wilson put these into his books.  Just had to share my discovery.

What to do...what to do?

The Alphabet Soup giveaway is coming to an end...(sigh!) and I need help deciding whether to do it again right away or to do a different kind of giveaway.  I'd love your input if you don't mind.  Please take the poll below or post a commnent if you have a different idea.  Thanks!

By the way, some have asked me where I get the books I give away.  Sometimes I get free copies from a publisher or author.  Sometimes they are books that I am personally giving away just for the pure joy of giving.  It's my way of encouraging people to read good books.  Regardless, it's a wonderful blessing to share books with you all!  I so appreciate the friends I am making in the blog world.  Already you have been an encouragement to me whether you know it or not.  In truth, this season in my life has been full of challenges and loneliness and this combination of blog friends (you) and the books have been medicine for my soul.

Alphabet Soup Giveaway: Day 22--V

First the winner from Day "L":

Congrats to Lace for winning Perfecting Kate!  Tomorrow I will draw a winner for Miss Match and Rematch by Erynn Mangum.

Now back to the alphabet!

I am going through the alphabet and giving books away alphabetically by author (Day 1 was Arbertburn for "A," Day 2 was by an author that started with "B" and so on...).  The drawing for the books will be held 10 days after each book is posted, i.e., the drawing for the book posted on March 1 will be on March 11.  Make sense?  So you gotta keep checking back to see what's next!

First, the rules:

1. Post a comment to the blogs with books that you want to win. In your post you get to answer a silly question:

Today's Question: What's a pet peeve that drives you Very crazy?  Mine is cars who race around you and then cut right back in front on you and when my husband smacks his gum.

2. Not all books I review will be giveaways.  Only the ones that have this logo with them.

3. Wait to see if you win.  Today's book giveaway will be drawn on March 29.

Tomorrow is the drawing day for the "M" book!

These are the other books you can still sign up to win (post a comment on the pages linked below):

Day 13 was Miss Match and Rematch by Erynn Mangum

Day 14 was the To-Catch-A-Thief series by Jill Elizabeth Nelson.

Day 15 was The Watchers by Mark Andrew Olson

Day 16 was Feeling for Bones by Bethany Pierce

Day 17 was Quaker Summer by Lisa Samson

Day 18 was The Mark of the Lion Series by Francine Rivers

Day 19 was Every Good and Perfect Gift by Sharon K. Souza

Day 20 was Sushi for One? and Only Uni by Camy Tang

Day 21 was the Kanner Lake Series by Brandilyn Collins

Today's letter is "V." I had nothing to give away with V authors, so I'm going with your poll choice and saying this is a Very cool series: the Shades of Style series by Marilynn Griffith (Pink, Jade, Tangerine, and Turquiose).

Book 1: Pink

Description:

High fashion meets romance in the Big Apple for a fresh, funky designer Raya Joseph wants to break free from the beige world around her and celebrate the color of the city. With a sassy pink style and a radical change of hair, she's off to conquer the design world. But it doesn't take long for Raya to meet her match--in style and flair. Flex Dunham, a personal trainer and one of Raya's clients, has got it going on. As much as Raya would like to pursue a relationship with Flex, she has other matters on her mind--and on her heart. Then a blast from the past comes back to haunt her, and Raya can't help but wonder if she made the right decision in keeping her past a secret. Flex seems to be hiding something too. But what? Woven with humor, heartache, and hip friendships, Raya's new life has a lot of colorful threads. But will the end result be a beautiful design? Or will it fall apart at the seams? Join Raya and her friends Lily Chau, Jean Guerra, and Chenille Rizzo as they untangle the threads in the Shades of Style series.

"Marilynn Griffith's writing makes the five senses come alive. Her writing makes you taste color, smell love, hear hearts, see purpose, and touch God's truth in every word and phrase!"--Gail M. Hayes, author, Daughters of the King

"With poetic description and compelling storytelling, Marilynn Griffith delights readers with every sentence."--Stephanie Perry Moore, author, A Lova' Like No Otha'

Book 2: Jade

Description:

Having the perfect life isn't all it's cracked up to be. Designer Lily Chau doesn't know if she's finally got it together or if life is starting to unravel. With a successful boyfriend and a great job at up-and-coming fashion house Garments of Praise, it seems she has the perfect pattern for success. But her mother's health is failing, her boyfriend just won't pop the question, and being a pattern maker is a far cry from having a clothing line of her own. Lily is sure her hands are just too full to draw her deepest dreams. Raya and Chenille, Lily's pals at Garments of Praise, offer plenty of advice and sympathy. And Jean, Lily's co-worker and second mom, even goes behind Lily's back to boost her chances of success. When she's chosen for the reality show The Next Design Diva, it seems like the chance of a lifetime for Lily. But the mysterious designer chosen to mentor her sends her spinning. He's fresh, fine-and way off limits. Suddenly Lily's life goes from carefully patterned to nothing but a tangle of threads.

Praise for the Shades of Style series: "The Shades of Style series combines multicultural characters with heartache, drama, humor, and romance."-Charisma

"Griffith's debut Shades of Style series features four women in the fashion industry: Raya, Chenille, Lily, and Jean. The women fight to save their struggling business and learn some important lessons about people, life, and faith."-Library Journal

Book 3: Tangerine

Description:

Her world has seemed black and white for so long. A little bit of color might be just what she needs. Jean Guerra, a designer at Garments of Praise fashion house, doesnt like surprises. These days, though, the unexpected meets her everywhere. Since Jeans return to the church a year ago, her God-encounters occur with increasing frequency, along with thoughts of her husband, the one she vowed to divorce and gave up on long ago. The one nobody knows about, not even her best friend, Lily, or her boss, Chenille. So when Jean sees the designer assigned to work with her on a line of mens suits, shes shocked to her core. It's her husband, Nigel Salvador. Jean is finally rendered speechless. She already has enough trouble keeping up her relationship with her daughter and granddaughter. Can Nigels reappearance help her broken family come together again? Or will Jean remain in the trenches of loneliness forever?

What others are saying about Marilynn Griffith: "Marilynn Griffith is a fresh voice in Christian fiction." Tracey Bateman, author, Reasonable Doubt

"With poetic description and compelling storytelling, Marilynn Griffith delights readers with every sentence.Stephanie Perry Moore, author, A Lova Like No Otha Marilynn Griffiths writing makes the five senses come alive. Shes a master storyteller!" Gail M. Hayes, Ph.D., author, Daughters of the King

Book 4: Turquoise

Description:

Her company and her friends are all she has now. God wouldnt take them from her too. Would he? Since she lost her husband and newborn son, Chenille Rizzo has poured her life into her growing fashion design company, Garments of Praise. But when she receives a shocking note from her deceased husband, things begin to unravel. Megan, a former prima donna client, has caused more than one relationship to fall apart at the seams. She surprises everyone when she returns to Garments of Praise pregnant. What does she want with Chenille now? Has she really changed, or is she just out to break more hearts? For Chenille, none of it makes much sense these days. When she finds herself being comforted by the arms of a handsome stranger, she quickly wraps her heart in ice and runs away. Still, despite her best efforts, this man becomes tightly woven into her lifeand Megans. Can Chenille ever really feel whole again?

My Thoughts:

A great series that takes a look at four very different friends who are dealing with all kinds of issues. As they struggle to overcome and even find a little romance in their lives, the friends offer support and accountability to each other.  Life has not been easy for these women, who are dealing with broken hearts, AIDS scares, ailing parents, death of loved ones, and crises of faith, but through it all they remain friends and find ways to reconnect with the faith.  I love Marilynn Griffith and her characters and how she uses all the senses to bring her characters to life.  My favorite is how she describes the way they smell!  It's like you can smell them too! LOL!  I also love how each of these women have been blessed with different gifts and how they come to use them in their lives.