Tree Swing Reading

Book Giveaway! "The Dance" by Dan Walsh and Gary Smalley

Now every Thursday will be a Giveaway Day! Not only that, but the weekly giveaways will be a new release! So, every Thursday one of the "100+ to Watch" New Release books will be served up for you to enter to win!

First some housekeeping. How to enter...

Here are the rules for the giveaway:

1. Post a comment below.

2. In the post include an answer to the random question of the week. Possibly something from the week's random Hodge Podge.

Today's Question: March 20th was the first day of spring...was she a lion or a lamb in your part of the world?

My Answer: We are having a "lion" spring beginning. So cold here!

3. Be sure to leave some way for me to reach you should you win (an email preferably).

4. Closing date to enter for this book is: March 28. Winner will be announced on March 29.

Today's Book is The Dance by Dan Walsh and Gary Smalley!

Description:

Jim Anderson is a successful businessman, and his wife, Marilyn, is the perfect wife. And why wouldn't she be? He gives her everything she needs. That's why Jim never expected to come home one day and find Marilyn gone.

After 27 years of marriage, Marilyn has had enough of feeling unloved and neglected. She wants to experience some measure of happiness before she's too old to enjoy it, even signing up for dance lessons, something Jim would never do. What will it take for Jim to finally become the man Marilyn needs him to be?

New Suspense from Lis Wiehl and April Henry: "A Matter of Trust"

Love this writing team!  Great suspense writing!

Title: A Matter of Trust

Released:
March 2013

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Genre: Suspense Fiction

Series: yes, Mia Quinn Mystery Series #1

Publisher's Description

It all starts with a phone call from the dead.

Mia Quinn is on the phone with Colleen, her best friend and coworker, when the unthinkable happens: she hears the sound of a gunshot. And Colleen's death is an eerie echo of the murder of another Seattle prosecutor who was also gunned down at home four years earlier.

Mia’s life has already been turned upside down by the recent death of her husband. Now a single parent to a teenager and a toddler, she is struggling to hold on to their house. Meanwhile, her son has turned moody and secretive, and her daughter is suffering from mysterious nightmares.

When the DA asks her to head up the investigation into Colleen’s death and its connections to the earlier murder, Mia agrees—if he’ll also let her investigate the suicide of a teenager who may have been bullied to death. Partnered with irascible homicide detective Charlie Carlson, Mia finds that many people could have wanted Colleen dead, including people in Mia's life she thought she could trust.

As Mia races to figure out who gunned down Colleen in cold blood, she uncovers more secrets than she bargained for. Has she been wrong to trust those closest to her?

Will she put the pieces together before it’s too late? A Matter of Trust is a riveting tale of love, loyalty—and murder.

 

To find out more about Lis Wiehl, check out her website.

To find out more about April Henry, check out her website.

New from Brock and Bodie Thoene: "When Jesus Wept"

'Page-turning . . . Set against the political and religious turmoil of the times, the Thoenes' story vividly reimagines the evolving friendship between Jesus and Lazarus.' ---Publishers Weekly

Title: When Jesus Wept

Released:
March 2013

Publisher: Zondervan

Genre: Bible Times Fiction

Series: yes, The Jerusalem Chronicles #1

Publisher's Description

LAZARUS---the man Jesus raised from the dead in one of the most extraordinary encounters with The Living Savior in all of Scripture. But the life of Lazarus holds interest well beyond this miraculous event. Living in Bethany, near Jerusalem, Lazarus witnessed many of the most important events of Jesus's life and ministry. Lazarus owned a vineyard and devoted his life to caring for its vines and fruit. But he encountered another man---Jesus---whose vineyard was the world, its fruit the eternal souls of men. When Lazarus's story and the story of Jesus's crucifixion and resurrection touch in When Jesus Wept, we are offered a unique vision into the power and comfort of Christ's love. Brock and Bodie Thoene's most powerful and climactic writing project to date, When Jesus Wept, captures the power and the passion of the men and women who lived through the most important days in the history of the world.

To find out more about the Thoenes check out their website.

New from Dan Walsh and Gary Smalley: "The Dance"

Aren't there a lot of awesome new books this month?! This one has really caught my eye.

Title: The Dance

Released:
March 2013

Publisher: Revell

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Series: yes, Restoration Series #1

Publisher's Description

Jim Anderson is a successful businessman, and his wife, Marilyn, is the perfect wife. And why wouldn't she be? He gives her everything she needs. That's why Jim never expected to come home one day and find Marilyn gone.
After 27 years of marriage, Marilyn has had enough of feeling unloved and neglected. She wants to experience some measure of happiness before she's too old to enjoy it, even signing up for dance lessons, something Jim would never do. What will it take for Jim to finally become the man Marilyn needs him to be?

Combining the literary talents of bestselling author Dan Walsh and the relationship expertise of bestselling author Gary Smalley, The Dance is the first novel in The Restoration Series. Readers will get caught up in these flawed but sincere members of the Anderson family as they rediscover genuine love and start a transformation that ultimately affects all of them. 

To find out more about Dan Walsh check out his website.

New Suspense from Joel C. Rosenburg: "Damascus Countdown"

Non-stop action in Rosenburg's suspenses! 

"Joel Rosenberg is unsurpassed as the writer of fiction thrillers! Sometimes I have to remind myself to breathe as I read one of his novels, because I find myself holding my breath in suspense as I turn the pages. Because his story lines are based on Biblical prophecy, they have a ring of truth that eerily echoes the news headlines. So I can't wait to read his latest novel that has just arrived, Damascus Countdown. Thank you, Joel, for novels that provide hours of reading pleasure…and that pack a meaningful punch!" - Anne Graham Lotz, author and speaker

Title: Damascus Countdown

Released:
March 2013

Publisher: Tyndale House

Genre: Suspense Fiction

Series: yes, Twelth Inman Series #3

Publisher's Description

All eyes are on the Middle East. Israel has successfully launched a first strike on Iran, taking out all of their nuclear sites and six of their nuclear warheads—and causing The Twelfth Imam to order a full-scale retaliation. US President William Jackson threatens to support a UN Security Council resolution condemning the Jewish State for unprovoked and unwarranted acts of aggression.

Meanwhile, CIA operative David Shirazi has infiltrated the Iranian regime and intercepted information indicating that two Iranian nuclear warheads survived the attack and have been moved to a secure and undisclosed location. In danger not only from the ongoing missile strikes on Iran but also from the increasingly hostile and suspicious governments of multiple countries, David and his team are in a race against time to find the remaining nuclear warheads before disaster strikes. 

To find out more about Joel C. Rosenburg check out his website.

Check out the other books in this series too!

New Suspense from Jordyn Redwood: "Poison"

The highly anticipated second installment of the Bloodline Trilogy explores the boundaries of faith and family and what happens when both are put to the test.  I've heard great things about this author!

Title: Poison

Released:
March 2013

Publisher: Kregel Publications

Genre: Suspense Fiction

Series: yes, book 2 in the Bloodline Trilogy

Publisher's Description

Five years ago, Keelyn Samuels's armed, mentally ill stepfather took her family hostage in their house in rural Colorado. She and her half-sister Raven made it out alive, but others did not. Authorities blamed the father's frequent hallucinations about a being named Lucent, but in the end, even the best of the FBI's hostage negotiators failed to overcome the man's delusions and end the standoff peacefully.

SWAT team member Lee Watson was there that day. He watched it all unfold and was able to pull Keelyn and Raven from the grip of their demon-possessed father. Though partially successful, his team had still failed, and the outcome of that day-and that tortured family-has continued to plague Lee ever since. Though unusual for SWAT to reconnect with survivors, Lee bumped into Keelyn two years after the crisis, and they both found some peace in their budding relationship. But peace is hard to maintain when the memory returns . . . in the flesh.

Lucent is back, and he's no hallucination. In fact, he is a very real person with dangerous motives. He has kidnapped Raven's daughter, and--Keelyn worries--maybe has hurt Raven as well. Though she is estranged from her sister, Keelyn feels the immediate need to find Raven and save what family she has left. But when others who were involved in that fateful day start dying, some by mysterious circumstances, Keelyn wonders if she and Lee can emerge unscathed a second time.

 

To find out more about Jordyn Redwood check out her website.

Check out the other book in this series:

New Suspense from Connie Mann: "Angel Falls"

There's so many wonderful new books out this month!  I can hardly stand it!  This new suspense looks so good too!

Title: Angel Falls

Released:
March 2013

Publisher: Abingdom Press

Genre: Suspense Fiction

Series: no

Publisher's Description

When her best friend is killed in an explosion, leaving Regina da Silva with her friend’s young child, she doesn’t realize that the child was as much a target as her friend. Brooks Anderson has been sent to find the child and bring it to the US. When circumstances bring them together in Brazil, they find themselves being pursued by a killer as they protect an orphaned baby.

As the danger heightens around them, so does the attraction between Regina and Brooks, despite their differences. Regina and Brooks have both been broken by their violent pasts, but while Regina relies on her faith to deal with her past, Brooks has turned away from God. Will their pasts stop them from realizing their true feelings for each other when their pursuer strives to keep them apart forever?
 

To find out more about Connie Mann check out her website.

Review of "Wings of Glass" by Gina Holmes

Description:

From the best-selling author of Crossing Oceans comes a heartrending yet uplifting story of friendship and redemption. On the cusp of adulthood, eighteen-year-old Penny Carson is swept off her feet by a handsome farmhand with a confident swagger. Though Trent Taylor seems like Prince Charming and offers an escape from her one-stop-sign town, Penny’s happily-ever-after lasts no longer than their breakneck courtship. Before the ink even dries on their marriage certificate, he hits her for the first time. It isn’t the last, yet the bruises that can’t be seen are the most painful of all.

When Trent is injured in a welding accident and his paycheck stops, he has no choice but to finally allow Penny to take a job cleaning houses. Here she meets two women from very different worlds who will teach her to live and laugh again, and lend her their backbones just long enough for her to find her own.

 

My Thoughts:

Holmes tackles the tough subject of domestic abuse with her usual compassion and skill. Watching Penny have to walk through her abusive marriage was at times difficult to swallow, but felt like an accurate and honest portrayal of the kind of denial that many abused women live with. I wanted to shake her and save her. I grew to love her girlfriends and the strength that they lend to Penny time after time, never giving up on her. 

This book is well-done and powerful.

Book Bullets:

• My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
• Genre: Contemporary Fiction
• Part of a Series: no
  
• Publication year: 2013
• Publisher: Tyndale House

Random Hodge Podge Wednesday

On Wednesdays I enjoy participating in a Random Hodge Podge of Questions.  Here's today's list and my answers!

Happy First Day of Spring! And welcome to another Wednesday hanging out with Joyce and the Hodgepodge!

1. March 20th is the first day of spring...is she a lion or a lamb in your part of the world?

It is not spring-like here at all yet!  We have a "lion" of a day, with terrible winds and low temperatures.  I'm huggled in my house, drinking coffee, and trying to get warm!

2. What's the most dreaded task on your spring clean to-do list? Do you have a 'plan of attack'?

Actually, my least favorite part of spring is doing the taxes! I hate financial paperwork!

3. Peas...love 'em or hate 'em? What's a favorite dish you make using peas?

Not a fan of peas.  The only time I like them is in the seven-layer salad and raw pea pods.

4. Do you feel under-appreciated?

Don't we all at times? I struggle to feel like my husband "gets" what my day is like and how crazy it can be sometimes. But, I have to remind myself how grateful I am to be able to do things for my family and to be able to be home so much for our girls.

5. Have you been using Google Reader? If so, what are you switching to now that GR has announced retirement? If not, how do you read your favorite blogs?

Yes. I'm trying bloglovin...not sure about it yet.

6. Anne Bradstreet is credited with the following quote~

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome."

Agree or Disagree? Why?

Yes, we always have a better appreciation of something whenever we've been without it.

7. When did you last 'spring for something'? What was it?

Tomorrow I get to go "srping" for my daughter's birthday gifts!  Hopefully I can find somethings she'll love!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I feeling worried.  I'm feeling a scratchy throat and chills and the last thing I need is to get sick again! 

New Historical Fiction from Maureen Lang: "All in Good Time"

From Maureen Lang's blog:
"I hope readers of All In Good Time will be reminded that even though mistakes can change our lives, change us, no mistake is too big for God’s grace."

Title: All in Good Time

Released:
March 2013

Publisher: Tyndale House

Genre: Historical Romance Fiction

Series: yes, book 2 in Gilded Legacy Series

Publisher's Description

Dessa Caldwell has a dream: to open Pierson House, a refuge for former prostitutes in Denver’s roughest neighborhood. But after exhausting all charitable donations, Dessa still needs a loan, and nearly every bank in town has turned her down. Her last hope hinges on the owner of Hawkins National Bank.

Henry Hawkins has a secret: though he owns the most successful bank in town, his initial capital came from three successful raids on Wells Fargo coaches. Now he’s the most eligible bachelor in Denver, but to protect his criminal past, he’s built a fortress around his heart. Not even the boldest matchmaking mother can tempt him . . . until the day Dessa Caldwell ventures into his bank requesting a loan.

Though he’s certain her proposal is a bad investment, Henry is drawn to Dessa’s passion. But that same passion drives her to make rash decisions about Pierson House . . . and about whom she can trust. One man might hold the key to the future of her mission—but he also threatens to bring Henry’s darkest secrets to light. As the walls around their hearts begin to crumble, Henry and Dessa must choose between their plans and God’s, between safety and love.

 

To find out more about Maureen Lang, check out her website.