It’s been one of those days.
6yo with a dentist appointment who stayed numb until too late to go to school [her nose was numb!], 4″ stack of papers to grade and so on.
I’m currently at 2601 for the month which is 952 for the day so far. Taking the smidgiest of breaks to post this so I have a post for the day that’s NaNo related :D.
Back to the grindstone… 😉
TitleTrakk.com Blog Tours Presents:
Bound by Guilt
by C.J. Darlington
Published by Tyndale House
Shuttled between foster homes, Roxi Gold will do anything to fit in. Soon she’s traveling the country stealing rare books from unsuspecting bookstores. Police officer Abby Dawson has seen the worst of society—and not just at work. One fateful night, both their lives are changed forever. One searches for justice, the other finds herself on the run. Will the power of forgiveness set them free?
This is my first official blog tour blog ;). How cool!
My good friend Andrea over at Andrea’s Take will be posting her review shortly – head over there to see what she thought.
I liked this book. A lot. A friend had raved to me about it and I don’t think I liked it quite as much as she did. For whatever reason, that’s making it hard to write this review.
I like Roxi. She’s got spunk. She’s led a very difficult life, one that would have shattered most of us. She longs to be loved, just like all of us, and it’s no wonder that she goes to the lengths that she does to find that love and approval. I think most humans would go to those lengths or beyond, though all of us would like to think we’d be above doing anything illegal to gain the approval of an important adult or parental figure in our lives. Can any of us truly say what we would or wouldn’t do? Same for Diego. He was raised by his mother [a cousin of Roxi’s mom], but her approval was fleeting at best.
Abby is a cop. Things aren’t going so well for her. Then her world falls completely apart. A mom who never sees her daughter. A cop who is suspended. A daughter and sister who rarely sees her family. Abby is in a difficult spot. I see her growth as a character throughout the book. Ms. Darlington didn’t give us the reconciliation with her daughter, which I’d hoped to see, but there is some hope for it. She will stop at almost nothing to find the answers she needs.
I liked Christy. I ached for her, for her loss. I have hope for her future.
Ms. Darlington has some wonderful secondary characters. Gordon the truck driver. Stan from the coffee shop. Jan, and Keith, the ranch owners [who probably shouldn’t be relegated to ‘secondary’ status]. Even Selah. All following God’s guidance to be where they needed to be, when they needed to be. Being His hands and feet in Roxi’s life.
This is a good book. I would buy it [though this copy was provided for free by the publisher – the opinion is my own]. I will likely reread it. I would buy her previous book [which wasn’t necessary for reading this one]. I will read the next one.
Overall, I give Bound by Guilt 8.5 out of 10 stars.
Great job! You kept me turning the pages.
—Francine Rivers, Internationally best selling author
C.J. is a wonderful, talented writer . . . extraordinary . . .
—Bodie Thoene, best-selling author of the A.D. Chronicles
This one engages your senses and reaches your heart.
—Jerry B. Jenkins, NY Times best-selling author & owner of The Christian Writers Guild
About the Author:
C. J. Darlington won the 2008 Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild Operation First Novel contest with her first novel, Thicker Than Blood. She has been in the antiquarian bookselling business for over twelve years, scouting for stores similar to the ones described in her novels before cofounding her own online bookstore. In 2006 C. J. started the Christian entertainment Web site www.TitleTrakk.com with her sister, Tracy, and has been actively promoting Christian fiction through book reviews and author interviews. A homeschool graduate, she makes her home in Pennsylvania with her family and their menagerie of dogs and cats. Visit her website www.cjdarlington.com
QUICK LINKS:
So over on Facebook, Linnette posted a prompt on the Wake Up Your Muse page. We were talking about it and Jan said she was going to use it for a prompt and it worked for me in Nick and Debbie’s story so…
We decided to do an impromptu Flash Fiction dealie. She wrote two [one about her father and another one that she hasn’t posted yet because it’d make a great query/one sheet/back of book for a novel – warning, Kleenex required] from the same prompt. I worked it into something I need for the novel. So here we go…
She pulled the curtain aside and peered into the darkness as a tear slipped out and trailed down her cheek. Nick moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.
He placed a gentle kiss in the crook of her neck. “Are you okay?”
Debbie sniffled and shrugged. “If they go away. If they never, ever find us here.”
“The safe room is ready. We need to have drills.”
“Drills?”
“Like fire drills. Can you get there at night, in the dark, when you think someone’s after you, and take Nicky with you. Can you keep him quiet if you need to? I’d like for you to be able to get him there while blindfolded.”
She peered over her shoulder at him. “Blindfolded? Seriously?”
“I am completely serious.”
“I’m sure you are.” She leaned the back of her head against his chest. “And it makes sense. If they ever get here, we could need to get safe fast. ”
“And not just mobsters. It’s a tornado shelter, too. Darrin told me bad weather can pop up out of nowhere around here. And any time of year. One of the schools not too far from here lost part of a roof in January.”
She groaned. “Year round? Not just in April and May?”
“Nope. Most of them come in the spring, but also other times of year. And a few weeks later you could get a bunch of snow, but you won’t need the safe room for that.”
“No.” She swiped at her cheeks with her fingers. “All right, show me how this safe room works.”
Yay! Fresh meat! Er, we have a new friend joining us! Andrea over at Andrea’s Take joined me and Jan for FFF! [I think Jan’s is amusing. Jan is blaming me for making her post it.]
Without further ado:
“Geez, could you warm those hands up a bit first?” Nick covered Debbie’s arms with her own. Her head rested on his back as she held him.
“I thought you were going to keep me warm. I’m not used to this whole real winter thing.” He smiled as she held him a little tighter.
“I will. But your hands and feet should get warmed on their own. Cold feet in bed are not a good thing.”
“Do you think they’re going to come after us?” she asked quietly.
He turned easily in her arms and folded his around her. “I don’t know, babe. I hope not. I hope they didn’t figure out that was me, but if they did, we’ll handle it. We’ll run again if we have to. If they catch up to us before we can, then we’ll fight them off if we have to. And we’ll pray.”
“You’ll pray?” Her tone was incredulous as she turned her cheek to his chest.
“Maybe. But I know you will. And I know Vince and Lena are even if they don’t know what’s going on. And you’re always telling me that the prayer of the righteous man avails much. I’m guessing it applies to women, too, so between the three of you, I think we’re covered.”
He could hear the smile in her voice. “I think it would be good for you to pray yourself, too. If the three of us are good, four of us are better.”
Nick took a deep breath in and blew it out slowly. “Don’t push me, Debs. Please.”
Updated 12/9/10
Yesterday I was talking with a friend who has a teen friend who wants to be a writer. My first instinct was to tell her to write, write, write! And to learn proper grammar and punctuation because that’s important. I submitted the question about resources for teens to the ACFW main loop and these are the answers I received. Many, many thanks to those who helped with this. I will update this as I find more resources.
Books [recommended by Melanie Dickerson who recently compiled the list for middle schoolers]:
[I have a number of these books – not that I’ve read all of them yet – but have heard many good things about them.]
[Notes: This is Julie Lessman review month! I have her first 4 books in hand – about half done reading #4. I’m planning a random notes post tomorrow on a number of things. Erynn Mangum’s second series will be reviewed Saturday. But in the meantime, heeeeere’s Julie!]
Book Description:
Refusing to settle for anything less than a romantic relationship that pleases God, Faith O’Connor steels her heart against her desire for the roguish Collin McGuire. But when Collin tries to win her sister Charity’s hand, Faith isn’t sure she can handle the jealousy she feels. To further complicate matters, Faith finds herself the object of Collin’s affections, even as he is courting her sister. The Great War is raging overseas, and a smaller war is brewing in the O’Connor household. Full of passion, romance, rivalry, and betrayal, A Passion Most Pure will captivate readers from the first page
First, just let me say that I ADORE Julie Lessman! In fact, I want to be Julie when I grow up. She writes incredible books and is wonderful to boot. I’ve gotten to know her a little bit over the last couple of months and I just flat out <3 her. The reality is if I can write half as well, I’ll consider myself enormously blessed.
So the first book she wrote is A Passion Most Pure. She started it as a kid and came back to it a few years ago. You can read more of her story on her website. Julie is also a part of the wonderful Seekerville blog.
So what did I like about A Passion Most Pure? A better question would be what didn’t I like? There’s nothing I can specifically put my finger on that I didn’t like. There were times that I wanted to go knock on Julie’s door and shake the book at her and demand she explain why on God’s green Earth did Collin do this or Faith do that? And Charity?! What about her?! And Mitch?! And I did do that – virtually. Emailed her my thoughts as I went ;). Not all of them. But enough. When she fixed one particular situation, I literally jumped up and down [well, not literally, but I did squee]! And emailed her to tell her what I thought.
But Julie pulled through! She did not disappoint. She answered enough of the questions while hinting at answers to more in books to come. Her fourth is out, fifth is coming out in the spring [I think] and the sixth, as of this week, is officially being written. Each child in the O’Connor family gets his or her own book and this one is Faith’s.
Faith O’Connor grew up in Boston with her Irish-American Catholic family. She’s not the oldest child, but is the oldest daughter. Her next youngest sister, Charity, is seeing rogue hottie Collin McGuire. Collin has a bit of a reputation with the women – a reputation that is well-earned. But when Faith and Collin realize they have an attraction for each other, it throws a wrench in Charity and Collin’s romance. Collin and Faith are meant to be together. It’s obvious, right? But there’s a problem. Or two. Or more. Dad didn’t approve of Collin for Charity, why would he for Faith? And then there’s WWI [though they didn’t call it that, of course].
But even the ‘Great War’ isn’t the biggest problem.
The biggest problem? Faith’s, well… faith. A fervent Catholic [not just going through the motions], her faith is the biggest thing in her life. She has a passion for God that surpasses all else and she won’t settle for a life with a man who has any less. Collin? Not so much. But the two of them together? Sparks fly – and not just the fighting kind.
Julie’s tagline is “Passion with Purpose”. She writes passionately. She writes about passion – both for God and between a man and woman. While there is that ‘passion’ outside of marriage in the life of some of the characters [Collin in particular in this book], the emphasis is still on purity before God. That passion is fine, good, even God-ordained, in the right time and place – within the context of marriage. It’s refreshing to see the temptations a couple in love – or even just in lust – struggle with the kinds of things that so many do in real life. I know there are many who feel that doesn’t have a place in a Christian book and I know that was something Julie struggled with in finding a publisher – too Christian for ABA, to secular for CBA – but she found a publisher willing to take the risk and I, for one, am so very, very glad she did.
Besides, she thinks I’m a hoot ;).
9.5 out of 10 stars [because I know there was SOMETHING that bugged me a bit, but I loaned out my copy and can’t name it off my head and besides, now she has somewhere to go with the next one =D].
Happy Day After Turkey Day! Black Friday shopping was successful – started at Toys R Us last night where Matt and Sis spent the girls’ gift cards on new scooters – they’ve been wanting them. Sis got a TV. Today, I went to Sam’s Club [go there. Seriously. No one else thinks to so their deals last.] and got a new digital camera [way nice!] and portable DVD player for the car. Nice :).
So – here it is. Flash Fiction Friday! It doesn’t QUITE fit with where I am at the moment in the story, but is coming right up so it works :). ‘He’ here is Nick :).
It was a horrible scene and yet his eyes were drawn to it like a magnet. He pushed the door open as quickly as he could, running before his feet even hit the ground. His breathing quickened with his pace and before he could consciously make a decision the choice was made.
He crouched down behind the Secure truck, opposite the gunmen who were attempting to lighten it’s load.
Another shot rang out.
Then another.
He grimaced as he pulled his concealed handgun out of it’s holster on his ankle. He moved around the vehicle before glancing quickly to see what was happening on the other side.
One of the gunmen was holding his weapon on the two guards. The other was emptying the back of the truck. The first was too busy watching his partner to keep an eye on Nick – even though he didn’t know Nick was there.
He took a deep breath and yelled. “Drop your weapon!”
Instantly he drew the fire of the man.
He stayed hidden behind the truck and the bullets bounced harmlessly away. He heard one of the men yelling that it was time to leave. He heard the other swearing as he couldn’t get clip to load properly. Nick stepped out from behind the vehicle.
“Drop it,” he warned again.
The man in front of him continued to fumble with his weapon as Nick walked towards him.
“I strongly recommend you drop your weapon,” he warned one more time.
The clip slipped into place with a click. The would-be thief started to raise the weapon but by then it was too late.
Setting this one up early too so no updated statuses etc :).
From the Back Cover:
Lauren Holbrook, matchmaker extraordinaire, takes credit for four successful couples now. With her dad happily married and life settling down around her, Lauren feels quite content. That is, until the tables are turned and she’s on the receiving end of the matchmaking!
Lauren and her boyfriend, Ryan, devise a plan to make it look as if they’ve broken up so people will get off their backs about marriage. No problem, right? That’s of course until Lauren realizes she’s in love.
What I Liked:
What I Didn’t Like:
Overall:
More fun, rom com, chick lit stuff J. Love it. 8 out of 10 stars.
Setting this up early so no new status updates ;).
From the Back Cover:
With two matc
hes under her belt, Lauren’s ready to get back to work. Lucky for her, her job at The Brandon Knox Photography Studio makes it even easier to work her magic on her best friend and boss, Brandon, and the adorable receptionist, Hannah. And since she’s at Shawn’s cafe every day anyway (a girl’s gotta feed her caffeine and chocolate addictions, doesn’t she?), why not look for his perfect match as well?
But with all her love-connection luck, Lauren’s thrown for a loop when her dad announces that he’s heading out of town for a singles retreat. But in the midst of panicking about her dad and potential future stepmom, there’s also the matter of Ryan–love interest or friend? Only time, vats of coffee, and pounds of chocolate will tell!
What I Liked:
What I Didn’t Like:
Overall:
Another fun, chick lit, rom com easy read. Lauren is still Lauren and still so much fun. Another 8.5 out of 10 stars.
Yeah – so I can’t keep track of volumes, so going with something else ;). I’m posting three reviews throughout the day today – all three of Erynn Mangum’s Lauren Holbrook series. They’re not real in depth reviews but hopefully enough to get a sense of them. Tomorrow, I’ll review her Maya Davis series – book 3 was a free influencer copy ;).
Miss Match – Erynn Mangum
From the Back Cover:
Lauren Holbrook has found her life’s calling: matchmaking for the romantically challenged. And with the eclectic cast of characters in her world, there’s tons of potential to play “connect the friends.” Inspired by the recent success of matching her sister and new husband, Lauren sets out to introduce Nick, her carefree singles’ pastor, to Ruby, her neurotic coworker who plans every second of every day. What could possibly go wrong? Just about everything. When Lauren’s foolproof plan begins to unravel, she learns that a simple introduction between friends can bring about complicated results. And as she reconsiders her new role as Cupid (as well as her vow to stay single forever), will Lauren finally decide that God’s plan is always good enough?
What I Liked:
What I Didn’t Like:
Overall:
Miss Match is a fun, easy read – a chick lit, rom com book. Lauren is, overall, secure in her faith and that comes through. Movie quotes are great, but Bible verses abound as well. This was my first Erynn Mangum book but won’t be my last :). 8.5 out of 10 stars.
Watch for the other two Reviews later today :).