Tree Swing Reading

Wildcard Wednesday Giveaway 3

Well, yesterday was "Wildcard Wednesday" and I forgot to post.  Here it is on Thursday anyway.

Same rules as always:

1.) Post a comment to this blog entry so I know you're interested in being entered for the item.

2.) Answer a wildcard Wednesday question.

Today's question: Would you consider yourself a spontaneous person or a big planner?  I am totally NOT spontaneous.  I am crazy about to-do lists and plan everything.  I'm very detail oriented. 

3.) See if you win!  Today's winner will be drawn in two weeks on May 7.

The Wednesday item for this week: a hugs and kisses (XOXO) bracelet from my jewelry sale.  You can pick the crystal colors.  Here it is in pinks:

Swarvoski crystals and sterling silver x's (the kisses!) make up this bracelet. About 7.5 inches in length. 

Winner of the Necklace

So Wednesday came and went and I didnt' do any of my Wednesday blog stuff!  Totally forgot!  We were outside a lot enjoying a beautiful day (finally)!

Congratulations to Susan whose name was drawn to win this necklace I made.  Thanks for entering!

See more of my jewelry at www.creativetree.typepad.com/boutique

CFBA Blog Tour and review of "Winter Haven" by Athol Dickson

Winter Haven by Athol Dickson

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Winter Haven
(Bethany House April 1, 2008)
by
Athol Dickson

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Athol Dickson's university-level training in painting, sculpture, and architecture was followed by a long career as an architect then his decision several years ago to devote full time to writing.

Athol Dickson’s writing has been favorably compared to the work of Octavia Butler
(Publisher’s Weekly), Daphne du Maurier (Cindy Crosby, FaithfulReader.com) and FlanneryO’Connor (The New York Times).

His They Shall See God was a Christy Award finalist and his River Rising was a Christy Award winner, selected as one of the Booklist Top Ten Christian Novels of 2006 and a finalist for Christianity Today's Best Novel of 2006.

He and his wife, Sue, live in Southern California. Visit AtholDickson.com for more information.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Boys who never age, giants lost in time, mist that never rises, questions never asked...on the most remote of islands off the coast of Maine, history haunts the present and Vera Gamble wrestles with a past that will not yield. Will she find refuge there, or will her ghosts prevail on...Winter Haven

Eleven years ago, Vera Gamble's brother left their house never to be seen again. Until the day Vera gets a phone call that his body has been found...washed ashore in the tiny island town of Winter Haven, Maine. His only surviving kin, Vera travels north to claim the body...and finds herself tumbling into a tangled mystery. Her brother hasn't aged a day since last she saw him.

Determined to uncover what happened in those lost years, Vera soon discovers there are other secrets lurking in this isolated town. But Winter Haven's murky past now seems bound to come to light as one woman seeks the undeniable and flooding light of truth.The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764201646My thoughts: an interesting book taking place in a strange little island with quirky and suspiscious residents. Vera is walking fine line between faith and fear. She has lost so much already that it is hard for her to trust. She is drawn to the mysterious Evan and I enjoyed following their relationship.  It was my favorite part of the book! 

Seesaw Selections Giveaway: Chicklit 5

  I will be "seesawing" back and forth between mystery/suspense and chicklit books to give away.  Get it?  It's like a seesaw: first the mystery book will come up, then the chicklit book will come up; back and forth. 

Suspense books will be reviewed and listed for giveaways on Mondays and Thursdays. 

On Wednesdays I will throw in a surprise...maybe a non-fiction book, maybe an audio book (I love using those for walking!), maybe a piece of the jewelry I make...who knows?

The drawing for the books will be held 2 weeks after each book is posted. The drawing for today's book will be held on Tuesday, May 6.

Now the rules:

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

Today's question: If you saw my blog post from earlier today, you know I'm crazy about beading and it really "fills my tank."  Do you have a hobby/ability that does that for you?  If so, what is it?

2. Not all books I review will be giveaways.  Only the ones that have this logo with them or specifically indicate a giveaway.

3. Wait to see if you win.

Today's book is I Heart Bloomberg by Melody Carlson

Kendall's managed to wrangle her grandmother's house—free and clear—except for the rules. No male roommates. But that's ok, with the right ad she'll pull in some girls, their rent, and if she's lucky, she won't have it go to work any time soon.

For their part, Anna, Leiani, and Megan all have their reasons for wanting to move in: Anna has got to get out from under her overprotective parents; Leiani can't take another day in her aunt's tiny crackerbox house overflowing with toddlers; and Megan needs a place free of her current roommate from Hades. Though they come with assorted baggage filled with broken hearts and dreams, they will discover they also have a vast array of hidden strengths.

As they struggle to become the women they want to be, they'll find new hope and maybe even Kendall will learn a thing or two about life, love, and the true meaning of friendship.

My Thoughts: I'm not completed done with it yet, but am enjoying the friendship and crazy antics of these women!  A light-hearted read perfect for a read on my tree swing with my iced tea!  I think I'll go out there right now to read some more!

Beading bonkers

I think I am officially obsessed.  I have been going online looking at different fashion stores to get ideas for jewelry to make for my spring/mother's day sale.  I can't seem to stop looking at them and then trying to find ways to modify the designs to make them my own.  Sometimes when I start looking at things online, I can't stop myself from going nuts with it!  I have so many beads already, but so many new ideas! 

Making jewelry is one of those things that really "fills my tank."  Do you know what I mean?  It really makes me feel good about myself--and I usually struggle with that and am very negative with my self-talk.  It's nice to find something that replaces all the withdrawals on my self-esteem. 

I just have to convice myself that the "getting ideas" stage is now over and it's time to start making the jewelry! LOL!

Seesaw Selections: winner of Splitting Harriet

Congratulations to Katie! Your name was drawn to win this book!

Tomorrow's drawing is for the necklace.

Winner of "No Legal Grounds"

Congratulations to Karen for winning this book from the first Seesaw Selections day!

Tomorrow I will draw for Splitting Harriet

Seesaw Selections Giveaway: Suspense 5

I will be "seesawing" back and forth between mystery/suspense and chicklit books to give away.  Get it?  It's like a seesaw: first the mystery book will come up, then the chicklit book will come up; back and forth. 

Suspense books will be reviewed and listed for giveaways on Mondays and Thursdays.

Chicklit books will be reviewed and listed for giveaways on Tuesdays and Fridays.

On Wednesdays I will throw in a surprise...maybe a non-fiction book, maybe an audio book (I love using those for walking!), maybe a piece of the jewelry I make...who knows?

The drawing for the books will be held 2 weeks after each book is posted. Today's drawing will be on Monday, May 5

Now the rules:

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

Today's Question: what state/country do you live in? Add yourself to my map if you want.

2. Not all books I review will be giveaways.  Only the ones that have this logo with them or specifically indicate a giveaway.

3. Wait to see if you win.

Today is suspense day!  The book is Relentless by Robin Parrish

Description:

Grant Borrows has been Shifted- in the blink of an eye, he realizes there's another man in his world, one with his exact face who is living his life. The changes don't stop with this new character, but Grant also realizes that he's become the main target in a web of lies and deceit, some that stem from over one thousand years ago. Grant needs to decide who is telling the truth and who is lying, but when it comes down to it, enemies and allies alike learn that they don't want to push Grant Borrows too far...

My Thoughts:

One reviewer from Christianbook.com captured my thoughts: this is like what would happen Ted Dekker met the X-men. This was my first book by Parrish and his style reminded me of Ted Dekker for sure. You never know what's going to happen and our idea of "reality" is challenged by people doing things that normally people can't do. It also made me think of the TV show "Heroes" with the special abilities of the "shifted" people.  Very high suspense.  The action keeps going and going.  I look forward to reading the next book in the series. 

Blog Tour for "Change and Cherish" part 2

I can't get my blog to save the info about the third book.  So here's a separate post about it. To win the series, post a commennt to the other link: http://creativetree.typepad.com/treeswingreading/2008/04/blog-tour-for-j.html

Book 3 Description:

“Of all the things I left in Willapa, hope is what I missed the most.”

So begins this story of one woman’s restoration from personal grief to the meaning of community. Based on the life of German-American Emma Wagner Giesy, the only woman sent to the Oregon Territory in the 1850s to help found a communal society, award-winning author Jane Kirkpatrick shows how landscape, relationships, spirituality and artistry poignantly reflect a woman’s desire to weave a unique and meaningful legacy from the threads of an ordinary life. While set in the historical past, it’s a story for our own time answering the question: Can threads of an isolated life weave a legacy of purpose in community?

If you like historical fiction, this series is for you! There are times when Emma's despair is overwhelming, but it is clear that at some point her spunk will help her overcome it.

From Christianpreviews.com

Emma is a marvelously complex character. She is stubborn, independent, and embittered by her husband’s death, yet incredibly loving and caring toward her children. 

It is easy to believe that the characters in this book were once real people; they are complex and beautifully crafted. Jane Kirkpatrick did an excellent job bringing them back to life and recreating the world they lived in. However, Emma experiences a lot of discouragement, and unprepared readers will find themselves becoming depressed right along with her, so real are the circumstances. This story is not meant to entertain readers who want to escape their reality; it is for those who wish to understand it. – Kate R. Miller, Christian Book Previews.com

Blog Tour for Jane Kirkpatrick's "Change and Cherish" series

I have three complete sets of this series to give away!  Post a comment here to win. Drawing to be held Friday, April 25.

About the Author: Jane Kirkpatrick

Author Bio: Jane Kirkpatrick is the best-selling author of two nonfiction books and fourteen historical novels, including the popular Kinship and Courage series. Her award-winning writing has appeared in more than fifty publications, including Sports Afield and Decision. She’s won the coveted Western Heritage Wrangler Award, an honor shared by such writers as Larry McMurtry and Barbara Kingsolver. Jane is a licensed clinical social worker as well as an internationally recognized speaker. She and her husband, Jerry, ranch 160 acres in eastern

Oregon

.

About the series:

Jane Kirkpatrick discovered the grain of the story when she read that in 1853 Emma Giesy was the only woman in a party of ten Missouri scouts sent to find an Oregon site for their communal society.  That got Kirkpatrick considering why a woman had the courage to make such a journey 150 years ago.

From that brief mention of Emma Giesy, Kirkpatrick was determined to discover more about this young woman who dared to go against the grain of her communal society’s constraints.

Book 1 Description:

Emma Wagner seeks a singular voice in her 1850s religious community in Bethel, Missouri when she chafes at the constraints of a culture that values conformity over independent thought, especially in women.

Sent West with nine men challenged to secure land set apart from the world's distractions, this novel, inspired by historical events, follows one woman through her isolation from her community and the lessons learned in her spiritual journey.

In book one of this fact-filled fiction, Emma discovers what it truly means to serve--and to survive.

My Thoughts: Emma is a spunky and determined woman who finds a way to meet life's challenges and overcome them and turn them for good. Based on a true story.

Book 2 Description:

Based on true events, this second book in the Change and Cherish Historical Series continues the saga of the feisty Emma Giesy, a member of the Missouri Bethelites, a repressive German religious colony. Set against the backdrop of Willapa Bay of the Washington Territory coast in 1856–1861, Emma and her husband, Christian, formerly a prominent leader in the community, carve out their own independent existence. Tragedy strikes, and alone and pregnant, Emma finds that her decision to ensure independence for her little family may cost her everything she holds dear.

A Tendering in the Storm is about living with the uncertainties of life and allowing others to give us gifts that will help us find new direction.