Amy Grant's "Tennessee Christmas" CD: review and GIVEAWAY!

Get cozy by the Christmas tree and pop in Amy Grant's newest CD, Tennessee Christmas, and you'll no doubt feel all the warmth of the season. The soft tones of Grant's voice coupled with a soothing instrumental accompaniment, and even one song that highlights the more raucous side of the holidays, make this the perfect addition to your Christmas music collection. The title song, Tennessee Christmas, welcomes listeners into the home of Grant and her family. In fact, inside the cover she shares that the music was actually recorded at her home. There are thirteen songs, half of which are new tracks and the rest are traditional Christmas songs you'll recognize. She's added a few personal reflections and background vocals with family and friends. In her words, "Nostalgic...warm...hopeful...loved...not alone...These are the things I hope you feel as you listen to this record." These are definitely the things I felt with several of the songs on this album. Here is one of my personal favorites:

I will be giving away one free copy of this CD to one of you!!  Comment on this post with a a favorite Christmas memory or tradition to be entered into the drawing I'll have on Monday, Dec. 5th. If you don't win the drawing but would like this CD, go here to pick up your own copy from Itunes.

Connect with Amy!

Amy's team will be putting together a compilation of videos of fans receiving Christmas surprises. If you'd like to post a video on social media, use the hashtag #TNChristmasSurprise. Here's a sample of one family's suprise to their loved one : ). Don't you just love videos like this?!

Looking forward to reading your comments! Merry Christmas!!

*Only for residents of the continental US*

“Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”):  Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

Reviewer's Bookshelf: The Silent Songbird by Melanie Dickerson

Book summary (Amazon): Evangeline is gifted with a heavenly voice, but she is trapped in a sinister betrothal—until she embarks on a daring escape and meets brave Westley le Wyse. Can he help her discover the freedom to sing again?

Desperate to flee a political marriage to her cousin King Richard II’s closest advisor, Lord Shiveley—a man twice her age with shadowy motives—Evangeline runs away and joins a small band of servants journeying back to Glynval, their home village.

Pretending to be mute, she gets to know Westley le Wyse, their handsome young leader, who is intrigued by the beautiful servant girl. But when the truth comes out, it may shatter any hope that love could grow between them.

More than Evangeline’s future is at stake as she finds herself entangled in a web of intrigue that threatens England’s monarchy. Should she give herself up to protect the only person who cares about her? If she does, who will save the king from a plot to steal his throne?

My thoughts...

I wish I would've had books like Melanie Dickerson's to read when I was a teenager.  Honestly, the selection at the school library had nothing like this. Knowing that this is a Young Adult novel, as I read it I thought of what it would be like for my daughter, but in the process I enjoy it just as much as an adult.  

Melanie combines an interesting setting, medieval England, with adventure, moral dilemma, faith and very clean romance.  The story of Evangeline and Westley is part of a series of fairy tale retellings that have been written with a slight twist. This story is a retelling of The Little Mermaid in the sense that Evangeline pretends not to be able to speak, although she can, and has quite a beautiful singing voice. It is that voice that Westley was drawn to initally, even though he wasn't able to see the face of the girl who was singing. This is just the beginning of their story. As it continues, the characters face various physical and moral dilemmas as they must overcome evil and trust one another. 

I really enjoyed the building of the plot in this novel and how it was not only a romantic story, but one that had depth. Themes like honesty, trust, and faith were prominent in this tale, as well as perseverance. Evangeline had led a pampered life but wasn't whiney when she struggled through doing hard work. This is a great message to a young audience. The pace was steady and was especially exciting as the plot began to build. The main characters were brave, and somewhat stubborn and reckless in one sense, but they worked together to fight the good fight. 

I love Melanie's style of writing and the way she weaves faith and character into these classic fairy tales. Personally, I love these newer versions! I can't wait to share them with my daughter when she gets a little older. As an adult, I enjoy the setting, action, and the interesting plot twists in the story. But most importantly, that it's not our own efforts or "magic" that allows us to persevere, but our faith in God and His power.

**I received a free copy of this novel from the publisher in order to give an honest review, which I did.**

Reviewer's Bookshelf: The Cautious Maiden by Dawn Crandall

Book Summary (Amazon): Violet Hawthorne is beyond mortified when her brother Ezra turns their deceased parents' New England country inn into a brothel to accommodate the nearby lumberjacks but when Violet's own reputation is compromised, the inn becomes the least of her worries. In an effort to salvage her good name, Violet is forced into an engagement with a taciturn acquaintance, Vance Everstone.

As she prepares for a society wedding, Violet learns that her brother had staked her hand in marriage in a heated poker game with the unsavory Rowen Steele, and Ezra had lost. Now Rowen is determined to cash in on his IOU.

With danger stalking her and a new fiancé who hides both his emotion and his past, Violet must decide who to trust, and who to leave behind.

My thoughts....

The Cautious Maiden is the fourth book in Dawn Crandall's Everstone Chronicles. I thoroughly enjoyed the first books in this series and this book was equally exciting and fun to read. 

In this novel, Violet is definitely a victim of her brother's bad choices. She is wounded, particularly in an emotional sense. I had a somewhat negative impression of Vance Everstone from a previous novel in the series, in which he was quite a scoundrel. I was curious to see how his redemption would play into Violet's story.

The fact that Dawn Crandall writes in first person really adds an interesting aspect to her novels. You really get to see a depth to the central character that you may not typically get in third person storytelling. As I was reading this novel, there were times that Violet's thought processes kind of frustrated me. She excused some of Vance's behavior that I wished she would call him out on more...or feel differently about. But on the flip side, that is what I appreciated about the novel as well. Even though Violet is a fictional character, she represents how a real person might respond. She is not perfect...and I'm kind of glad she's not. It creates the tension in the novel, makes Violet more relate-able, and develops her character. The first person aspect allows Violet to tell her story, flaws and all, and as the reader I felt that it was ok if it wasn't all in a neat package. The lovely little romantic scenes and the building of romantic tension that are always so well written in Dawn's novels were another highlight to the story.

I always look forward to reading a novel by Dawn Crandall. She has a gift in writing first person, stirring your heart with the struggles faced by her characters, and including clean romantic scenes that are just the icing on the cake!

And there's more!
Dawn is having a Rafflecopter giveaway!  Go here for Giveaway 1  for some fun goodies!! 

If you're in Indiana, Dawn Crandall and Denise Hunter are doing a book signing. How fun!

If you haven't read Dawn's previous books I would definitely recommend them!

Happy reading!

**I received a free copy of this novel from the publisher in order to give an honest review, which I did.**

Reviewer's Bookshelf: No Way Up by Mary Connealy

Book summary (Goodreads): When Cimarron ranch patriarch Chance Boden is caught in an avalanche, the quick actions of hired hand Heath Kincaid save him. Badly injured, Chance demands that his will be read and its conditions be enforced immediately. 

Without anyone else to serve as a witness, Heath is pressed into reading the will. If Justin, Sadie, and Cole Boden don't live and work at home for the entire year, the ranch will go to their low-down cousin Mike. 
Then Heath discovers the avalanche was a murder attempt, and more danger might follow. Deeply involved with the family, Heath's desire to protect Sadie goes far beyond friendship. The danger keeps them close together, and their feelings grow until being apart is the last thing on their minds.

My thoughts...Once again, Mary Connealy takes us out to the wild west in another series called The Cimarron Legacy.  No Way Up is the first book in the series, but there is a novella prequel that is worth the read.  It gives the history of the characters and how Chance Boden became the owner of the ranch.

     I always enjoy the way Connealy writes the west.  Strong men, strong women, and often a lot of sass and magnetism between the characters.  The chemistry between Heath and Sadie is one of my favorite parts of this novel.  The bond between the Boden siblings and the way they gave up their own pursuits to serve and help each other (even though they were forced to do so at first), was also a favorite aspect of the novel.  Connealy starts her novels with an action-packed beginning, and that was present as well.  An element of mystery rounds out the plot, which concluded in a way that I did not fully expect.

     The only bit of this story that I missed was more of witty, sassy banter between the characters.  I was waiting for it and in the end it seemed to pick up, but, for me, it took a while.  I wanted a little more spark. 

     Overall, I think this series has great potential and I look forward to seeing how the next parts of this story play out.

**I received a free copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley in order to give an honest review, which I did.**

Reviewer's Bookshelf: The Ringmaster's Wife

Book summary (from Goodreads): What is revealed when you draw back the curtain of the Greatest Show on Earth?

Rosamund Easling is no stranger to opulence. As the daughter of an earl, she’s grown up with every comfort money can buy. But when hard times befall the family’s Yorkshire estate in the aftermath of the Great War, Rosamund’s father sells her beloved horse, setting the stage for a series of events that would extend beyond even her wildest dreams.

Though expected to marry for a title instead of love, Rosamund feels called to a different life – one of adventure outside the confines of a ladies’ parlor. She abandons all she’s known and follows in pursuit as her horse is shipped to the new owner – an American entertainer by the name of John Ringling. Once introduced to the Ringling Brothers’ circus and knowing she has much to learn, Rosamund agrees to a bareback riding apprenticeship in the shadow of the Ringlings’ winter home—Ca’D’Zan. It is at that mansion, in what would become the last days of the enigmatic Mable Ringling’s life, that Rosamund finds a deeper sense of purpose in the life she’s been given, and the awakening of faith in her heart.

With a supporting cast of characters as mysterious and dazzling as the Ringlings’ big-top world, Rosamund’s journey takes her from the tradition of the English countryside to the last days of America’s Roaring ‘20s—a journey that forever changes what one life might have been.

My thoughts: Things that initially caught my attention when I requested to read this book were the cover (beautiful!), the author (love her previous books), and the title.  Not knowing much about the history behind the circus, I was intrigued.  

One of the strengths of this novel is Kristy Cambron's ability to intertwine two, what seem to be unrelated, storylines and create a beautiful connection of life, faith, and perseverance.  I enjoyed seeing how the story began to unfold and how the characters impacted each others' lives.  The detailed descriptions of the locations made me feel like I was right there with the characters in the story, from walking through the Ca'D'Zan to exploring behind the circus tents. The faith of the characters and how it helps them grow and overcome adversity is also a central theme in the story.  Here are some of my favorite quotes:

"This building up of what we want doesn't have to be a tearing down of who we are. It's the worst kind of extravagance to think we're above adversity. Isn't that what God calls of us, to acknowledge that we are moving with this undercurrent of something that is always at work around us?  Something bigger than we could ever be as just one person?" -Mabel

"They all had one thing in common: to have faith that when one has no control, there is One who does."

Reading this story to completion helped me to appreciate all the aspects of how the story came together, but when I began reading I had a hard time making the connections between the two storylines.  I honestly wanted more of John and Mabel's story, as she was the actual ringmaster's wife.  I realize that she impacted the lives of all who were in the story, but I wanted more details behind the love that she and John shared.  

This is definitely a well-written novel, and would recommend it.

**I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an unbiased review, which I gave.**

Reviewer's Bookshelf: From This Moment by Elizabeth Camden

Book Summary (Goodreads):Romulus White has tried for years to hire illustrator Stella West for his renowned scientific magazine. She is the missing piece he needs to propel his magazine to the forefront of the industry.

But Stella abruptly quit the art world and moved to Boston with a single purpose: to solve the mysterious death of her beloved sister. Romulus, a man with connections to high society and every important power circle in the city, could be her most valuable ally. 

Sparks fly the instant Stella and Romulus join forces, and Romulus soon realizes the strong-willed and charismatic Stella could disrupt his hard-won independence. Can they continue to help each other when their efforts draw the wrong kind of attention from the powers-that-be and put all they've worked for at risk? 

My thoughts....First of all...love the names Elizabeth Camden chose for her characters!  They definitely create accurate images of their physical appearance and personalities.  Romulus is strong, masculine, and a man who is very confident in the way he interacts with others.  He has an image that he projects in the way that he takes charge of situations and has an impeccable sense of style. Beneath that shiny exterior, though, is a man who has his vulnerabilities.  At the slightest crack in that exterior, his insecurities begin to take over.  Stella is beautiful, talented, and also has a sense of fashion that is ahead of her time. In the past she has been untouchable to Romulus, who has been trying to convince her to come work for him as an illustrator for his magazine, Science World. The Stella who has moved to Boston, however, is a woman on a mission to solve her sister's mysterious death.

One of my favorite things about Elizabeth Camden's novels is that she addresses some point or event in history that had a huge impact on the culture but may not necessarily stand out to us today.  For example, in From This Moment, the novel explores the construction of the first subway lines and how that impacted American culture.  She also includes the aspects of a scientific magazine, how it's produced, and how it impacted the area of science and discovery.  All of that was woven through the story without it seeming like a history textbook; true events intermingled with fictional characters.  This story was also more of a murder-mystery than a romantic fiction for me.  While there were romantic elements, the mystery involving Stella's sister had the stronger story line, in my opinion.  Here are some of my favorite quotes:

"She'd learned long ago that courage was not the absence of fear, but the willingness to confront it."

"Happiness was not an abundance of riches or amusements, it was evenings such as these, when people were engaged in a worthy pursuit and surrounded by kindred spirits."

"Do you love God only when he is good to you?" (A challenge to Stella)

"Beneath the careless insults, the forgotten anniversaries, and socks thrown on her clean floor, she had found a man. And she loved him desperately. This was love.  This was marriage, in all its shining, imperfect glory." (this isn't a spoiler ; ))

**I was given a free copy of this novel in exchange for an unbiased review, which I gave.**

Reviewer's bookshelf: No Other Will Do by Karen Witemeyer

Book Summary (from Amazon): Men are optional. That's the credo Emma Chandler's suffragette aunts preached and why she started a successful women's colony in Harper's Station, Texas. But when an unknown assailant tries repeatedly to drive them out, Emma admits they might need a man after all. A man who can fight--and she knows just the one.

Malachi Shaw finally earned the respect he craved by becoming an explosives expert for the railroad. Yet when Emma's plea arrives, he bolts to Harper's Station to repay the girl who once saved his life. Only she's not a girl any longer. She's a woman with a mind of her own and a smile that makes a man imagine a future he doesn't deserve.
As the danger intensifies, old feelings grow and deepen, but Emma and Mal will need more than love to survive.

My thoughts...When this book began with Emma's message to Malachi to come to her...and he immediately starting packing his stuff without question and called her his "angel," I was totally smitten with this story.  Malachi is unquestionably masculine, but his tenderness towards Emma made my heart want to melt.  Karen Witemeyer has the ability to write fantastic heros in her novels that embody not just a strong masculine side, but a vulnerability that draws me in every time.  Emma is also a well-written character, who is kind and tenderhearted but also has a tough side.  She's smart and sassy. The two of them compliment each other so well. I also love Witemeyer's use of descriptive language:

"Ever since she'd made up her mind to ask him to come, anticipation had been swelling inside her like yeasty bread dough rising on a warm windowsill. She was in desperate need of someone to punch her down and knead her back into shape."

Here's one other quote from Emma's friend:

"Emma, you see people the way Jesus did. You bend down to wash their feet even when they have thirty pieces of silver jangling in their pocket." (Love that.)

The chemistry between the characters is not the only strength of this novel. Someone is harassing and threatening the residents of Harper's Station, and it's not clear just who it is or why they're doing it. The elements of mystery and danger were just enough...and didn't involve several complicated subplots.  I love a good mystery and depth to a story, but I don't want to have to take notes while I'm reading just so I can keep up with all the characters and what's going on. No Other Will Do hit the sweet spot.

I loved this book and couldn't put it down!  I would definitely recommend it!

**I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, which I gave.**