A new bunch of books to giveaway!
The giveaways for this theme will be about a random series of books related only because they are about things that make me think of summer!
For this theme I have a bunch of summer things in my mind:
1. bugs--very big issue for me this summer!
2. beach
3. travel
4. storms
5. horse-riding
6. gardening/farms
7. going home to visit my family
8. weddings
9. blue sky
10. dandelions
11. hiking
12. potlucks
13. crazy reality shows
14. books with the word "summer" in them
I had other words, but couldn't think of books to use to relate to them! :)
RULES FOR ENTERING:
a. Post a comment to the blog entries of the books you would like to win AND answer the question that goes with it. There will be one summer word giveaway at a time.
Today's Question: Have you ever lived on a farm? Do you live in the city/country?
b. Enter on or before the date specified. Today's book winner will be drawn on July 29.
c. Check back for the next summer theme word giveaway!
Today's summer word: "gardening/farming"
The giveaway books: Traci DePree Lake Emily Series (A Can of Peas, Dandelions in a Jelly Jar, Aprons on a Clothesline)
My Thoughts First this time: Just wanted to say that I loved these books! They made me think of coming home, going after your dreams, and the importance of family. They are gentle and loving stories that will fill your mind and heart.
From Traci DePree's website:
Welcome to Lake Emily...
As a Minnesota Christian fiction author, my desire is to celebrate the wonder of everyday life--the neighbor who lives down the road, the old man in the diner, the woman under the hair dryer at the beauty shop. Everyone has a story and my hope is that, just as in Lake Emily, you will see God’s creation and inspiration in the people in your own lives.
A story of the hope of beginning, the connection to what came before, and kindness in times of deepest need. The Lake Emily series is set in the quaint fictional small town of Lake Emily, Minnesota, where a neighbor is more than someone who lives down the road and where kindness is an everyday occurrence. The Lake Emily series begins with A Can of Peas and is continued in Dandelions in a Jelly Jar and Aprons on a Clothesline.
A Can of Peas
Weaving together the threads of family and friendship in a pattern of grace, forgiveness, and kindness, A Can of Peas invites readers into a place where every day brings a new story.
After the death of his grandfather, Peter Morgan and his new bride, Mae, face a life-changing decision: should they embrace the career-chasing ambitions of their family and friends in St. Paul or accept the absurd challenge of saving the family farm in the Minnesota countryside?
Enticed by the romance of a simple, quiet life, the Morgans set out to follow in the footsteps of Peter’s grandparents. Soon, Peter is farming around the clock, barely one step ahead of failure as Mae struggles to find her place in Peter’s life and in the community. Will the strain of saving the farm tear their marriage apart? Was it a mistake to dream? Click to read a sample chapter at Random House
Dandelions in a Jelly Jar
The peaceful town of Lake Emily will never be the same when Trudy Ploog comes to stay!
Mae Morgan’s flamboyant art teacher sister, Trudy Ploog, moves to the quiet, rural town of Lake Emily, Minnesota, to be closer to Bert Biddle, her shy, unassuming farmer boyfriend. Everything is perfect and then...the school board cuts the Gifted and Talented program and rumors of more cuts fly.
Outraged, Trudy kicks up a whirlwind, beginning with a letter to the newspaper that questions the very foundation of small-town life--high school sports! Soon the whole town is talking, and Trudy and Bert’s relationship is put to the test. Meanwhile, the Morgan family is recovering from the loss of a child and the death of a life-long dream as Virginia Morgan helps a father and daughter rediscover life.
A hopeful story of facing the challenges of life with courage and learning to see with eyes of grace, Dandelions in a Jelly Jar gently reminds readers that the best bouquets are dandelions.
Aprons on a Clothesline
Virginia Morgan is used to helping others—it’s who she is. A wife. A mother. A grandmother. A friend. But when Virginia suffers a debilitating stroke, she can no longer wear that apron. It is a change that sends her into the depths of hopelessness. Can she find her way to seeing that life is still well worth living? Or will she give up hope and sink deeper into despair?
Meanwhile, the Biddle, Morgan, and Wise families discover that each season of life has its adjustments—for Trudy Biddle marriage and a meddling mother-in-law, for Mae and Peter Morgan the challenges of keeping the family farm afloat as they welcome a new member into their midst, and for young Jessie Wise hopes for a new mother.
Filled with the enchantment that makes Lake Emily everyone’s hometown, Aprons on a Clothesline is a lovely reminder that hope can be found even in the tragedies of life and that joy waits in the most unexpected places.
