Black 'n' Gold Girl's Book Spot

Hi everyone! To thank you for all your support and the encouraging comments that you leave I felt that it was time for me to do a book giveaway! As most of you may know I love historical fiction and for me there's nothing better than picking up a good book and escaping to a different time! One of my new favorite authors in the Christian fiction genre is Maggie Brendan. Her book No Place For A Lady debuted earlier this year with Book 2, The Jewel of His Heart, releasing in October. To celebrate her latest release and to show my appreciation to you, my faithful followers, I am offering a brand new copy to one lucky winner...which I will be giving away HERE during Revell's blog tour on October 18! Here's a preview of the book! Be sure to read the rules below so you can be entered to win The Jewel of His Heart ! The Jewel of His Heart (Heart of the West, Book 2) by Maggie Brendan Revell Publishers Copyright 2009 333 pages ISBN: 978-0-8007-3350-6 Fiction/Romance/Historical F...

In the Shadow of Lions (Book 1, Chronicles of the Scribe) by Ginger Garrett David C. Cook Publishers Copyright 2008 336 pages ISBN: 978-0-7814-4887-1 Fiction/General Synopsis : During the reign of King Henry VIII there lived two women, who would witness history in the making. One the devout Anne Boleyn catches the eye of the king and the power she holds that will change history. Rose, a peasant of the street is rescued by Sir Thomas More, under whose roof comes to a closer relationship with God, not realizing the trouble that will change to world. Both of their lives even though they are separate, become connected to tell the story of angels and kings and the beginnings of the Reformation of a Church and the people through one Book. My Review : In the Shadow of Lions by Ginger Garrett is a wonderful rendition of the story of Anne Boleyn. Instead of the power seeking seductress, she is the devoted servant of God and king. It's always refreshing to see a different take on what most...

Lori over @ Some of My Favorite Things just started a cool meme for the Top 10 books that you have on your wishlist or books that you can't wait to be released! Here's mine...although I have about 350 books that I can't wait to read!! Be sure to stop by Lori's blog HERE to see what she can't wait to read! My Top 10 List for Wished for Historical Christian Fiction ~ 10. The Frontiersman's Daughter by Laura Frantz 9. Emmy's Equal by Marcia Gruver 8. Wildflower Bride by Mary Connealy 7. The Lightkeeper's Daughter by Colleen Coble 6. A Lady Like Sarah by Margaret Brownley 5. Though Waters Roar by Lynn Austin 4. The Husband Tree by Mary Connealy 3. Where Grace Abides by B.J. Hoff 2. The Raven Saint by M. L. Tyndall 1. Cowboy Christmas by Mary Connealy

Every week Marcia @ The Printed Page hosts Mailbox Monday. This is the chance for you to showcase all the great reads that you have received during the past week. Also it gives you an opportunity to check out what great books others received too! So be sure to stop by and see what Marcia and all her other Internet friends will be reading in the future ! But first check out what I got below! This week was a slow week for me in terms of getting new books from the post office...so I had to make up for it and actually buy another book last night at the store...but you guys know I hardly ever pay full price for any book...I went to Ollie's ;-) So here's what I got there as well as a few good looking books from great friends! From Lori @ Some of My Favorite Things and Some of My Favorite Books : Finding Stefanie (Noble Legacy, Book 3) by Susan May Warren Tyndale Publishers Copyright 2008 357 pages ISBN: 978-1-4143-1019-0 Fiction/Romance/Contemporary From Revell Book Review I receiv...

As High As the Heavens by Kathleen Morgan Revell Publishers Copyright 1998, 2008 362 pages ISBN: 978-0-8007-5816-5 Fiction/ Historical Synopsis: Heather Gordon was born to a privileged life as Scottish nobility, Duncan Mackenzie was too but never knew life as anyone other than a rugged Highlander. In a plot to save Mary, Queen of Scots, Heather and Duncan are thrown together. Heather must teach Duncan the manners befitting nobility and despite everything are drawn to one another. Both must survive the daring plot and decide whether love alone is enough. My Review : It has been a while since I've read an enjoyable romance based in the Highlands of Scotland, but As High As the Heavens by Kathleen Morgan was just that, an enjoyable read!Many thanks to Lori @ Some of My Favorite Things for sending this book to me! I liked the story line immediately, a plot to rescue the queen was sure to be interesting. Heather Gordon was a likable heroine who wasn't a snob even though she was up...

I think this is so amazing! I LOVE history as you know and think it is incredible that one person with a metal detector found all these beautiful gold, silver, and garnet, Anglo-Saxon artifacts that are a part of most of our pasts! Check out the links below for the full article and awesome pictures! Yahoo News The Staffordshire Hoard Shared via AddThis

Seaside Letters by Denise Hunter Thomas Nelson Publishers Copyright 2009 ISBN: 978-1-59554-260-1 320 pages Fiction/Christian/Romance Synopsis : Sabrina Kincaid, a waitress at a small Nantucket cafe has fallen in love with one of the regulars, Tucker McCabe a man who she serves coffee to every morning. Unfortunately a secret past prevents Sabrina from acting on her feelings for fear of more hurt and rejection that she will not be able to put behind her. One day, Tucker asks for her help in finding a woman he has fallen for online. If she decides to take him up on his offer she will spend many evenings in close proximity to the man who has captured her heart but who she can never have or she will risk having the disastrous truth uncovered by someone else. Tucker just might find out that the person he's been searching for is Sabrina Kincaid. My Review: As a reviewer for Thomas Nelson's Book Review Bloggers program ( http://brb.thomasnelson.com/ ) when this book became available...

Wendi over @ Wendi's Book Corner has an awesome contest going on for The Smart One and the Pretty One by Claire LaZebnik! Please stop here to enter for your chance to win 1 of 5 copies!!! Also be sure to visit her sidebar to learn about other fantastic contests!

Every week Marcia @ The Printed Page hosts the Mailbox Monday meme. If you've never heard of Mailbox Monday, it's your chance to share all of the books you've acquired from various websites, blog giveaways etc. as well as see what books others will be reading in the future. Please be sure to stop by Marcia's site to see what other lucky readers got! This week my mailbox was pretty full and I had books coming at me from a ton of different places! From Bookmooch: Loving Mr. Darcy: Journey's Beyond Pemberley by Sharon Lathan Sourcebooks Landmark Copyright 2007, 2009 448 pages ISBN: 978-1-4022-1741-8 Fiction Take Two: Above the Line Series by Karen Kingsbury Zondervan Publishers Copyright 2009 316 pages ISBN: 978-1-61523-271-0 Christian Fiction The Secret Circle: The Initiation and The Captive Part I by L. J. Smith HarperTeen Copyright 1992 396 pages ISBN: 978-0-06-167085-5 YA fiction The Secret Circle: The Captive and the Power Part II by L. J. Smith HarperTeen Copyrig...

As some of you may have noticed, I have changed the title of my blog! I have decided to change it from Steeler Girl's Blog to Black 'n Gold Girl's Book Spot. Black 'n Gold Girl better suits me I think and allows me to incorporate my love of all the professional sports teams in Pittsburgh since black and gold are colors that represent my Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL), Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL), and Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB)!!! The address is still the same, http://steelergirl83.blogspot.com and you can still call me SteelerGirl...because that's what I am at heart! Thank you for your support! I love you! Please continue to stop by to read about great books and occasionally read my rants about southwestern Pennsylvania sports!

His Secondhand Wife by Cheryl St. John Harlequin Copyright 2005 ISBN: 0-373-29360-7 296 pages Harlequin Historical/Western Synopsis: Months after her husband Levi Cutter left to find work, tired and pregnant Katherine is greeted at her door by Levi's brother, Noah who has come to claim her along with her husbands body to take them back to his ranch. Realizing that any life will be better than what she has, Katherine agrees to leave the city to live on the ranch with Noah. She quickly realizes that Noah is a man worthy of trust and respect unlike her late husband. Her life with Noah just might turn out to be better than she ever expected. My review : A few months ago I reviewed Chery St. John's Steeple Hill inspirational, The Preacher's Wife . I liked it but not as much as her older Harlequin Historical, His Secondhand Wife . I'll admit I'm a sucker for beauty and the beast type stories. This book was no exception, I really liked Katherine and her willingness to acc...

Dawn's Prelude (Song of Alaska, Book 1) by Tracie Peterson Bethany House Publishers Copyright 2009 335 pages ISBN: 978-0-7642-01511-6 Christian Historical Fiction Synopsis : Lydia Gray was married off at the tender age of 16 to a cruel, decades older widower. When an accident claims his life Lydia can't help but feel relieved. Determined to escape her older step children she heads off to Sitka, Alaska, to live with her Aunt Zerelda. While there she meets handsome and kindly, Kjell Lindquist who is unlike any man she's ever known. A discovery is made that will not allow her to leave her past behind her completely but Lydia is determined to move on. However her step children are not and will stop at nothing to gain what they consider to be rightfully theirs. My Review : After reading about this book on cbd.com I immediately added it to my wishlist. Knowing that Tracie Peterson was such a popular author I knew it would be a long wait before I could get this book on any online...

Reclaiming Nick (Noble Legacy, Book 1) by Susan May Warren Tyndale Publishers Copyright 2006 370 pages ISBN: 978-1-4143-1017-6 Fiction/Christian/Romance Synopsis: Nick Noble is the prodigal son, returning to the Silver Buckle after his father's death following a ten year absence. He is determined to keep the ranch in the Noble family. Piper Sullivan, a hardnosed investigative journalist who believes that her brother was framed for murder by former cop, Nick signs on at the Silver Buckle as cook to uncover the truth and find justice. However, Piper finds Nick's disarming smile and cowboy charm hard to resist. In the midst of family turmoil and working to find solutions to problems on the ranch dangerous secrets are uncovered and someone will stop at nothing to claim the Silver Buckle as their own. My Review: My friend Lori over @ Some of My Favorite Things , was kind enough to send me a copy of Reclaiming Nick by Susan May Warren, because she thought it was so awesome! I was n...

Every week Marcia @ The Printed Page hosts the Mailbox Monday meme. If you've never heard of Mailbox Monday, it's your chance to share all of the books you've acquired from various websites, blog giveaways etc. as well as see what books others will be reading in the future. Please be sure to stop by Marcia's site to see what other lucky readers got! This week I only received 5 books...I know, soooo sad. :-( I've already read and reviewed a few so please be sure to check out the books with the links to my reviews! From Bookmooch : The Accidental Lawman by Jill Marie Landis Steeple Hill Books Copyright 2009 360 pages ISBN: 978-0-373-78652-7 The Blue Enchantress (Charles Towne Belles, Book 2) by M. L. Tyndall Barbour Publishing Copyright 2009 317 pages ISBN: 978-1-60260-157-4 Read my review here Plain Pursuit (Daughters of the Promise, Book 2) by Beth Wiseman Thomas Nelson Publishers Copyright 2009 346 pages ISBN: 978-1-59554-719-4 Read my review here From Lori : No Pl...

No Place for A Lady (Heart of the West, Book 1) by Maggie Brendan Revell Publishers Copyright 2009 303 pages ISBN: 978-0-8007-3335-3 Synopsis: Crystal Clark arrives in the beautiful Yampa Valley of Colorado with hopes of leaving the tragedies she faced in Georgia behind and to start a new life. The prim and proper miss is graciously accepted with open arms by her aunt Kate and the ranch hands of Aspengold. Luke, the dashing foreman is reluctant to acknowledge Crystal as an asset to the ranch while at the same time fighting his growing attraction, despite being engaged to April McBride. A sudden tragedy forces Crystal and Luke to work together to keep all that they hold dear from slipping through their fingers into the hands of a neighboring rancher. Will Crystal be able to find the love she longs for and save beloved Aspengold or will she have to head back to Georgia with nothing? My review: Thanks to my friend Lori , I finally had the chance to read No Place for A Lady and I am cer...

Plain Pursuit (Daughters of the Promise, Book 2) by Beth Wiseman Thomas Nelson Publishers Copyright 2009 346 pages ISBN: 978-1-59554-719-4 Carley Marek, a busy journalist from Texas, travels to Lancaster County deep in the heart of Amish country for a mandatory one month vacation. Little did she know that members of the Amish community and one who was shunned many years ago would affect her life deeply and permanently. Carley's friend, Lillian who has settled into life in the Amish community and now has a family of her own, is devastated when her son Daniel's life is threatened by illness. Can Carley convince her Amish friends to trust Dr. Noah? Will Carley be able to leave Lancaster County behind when her vacation is up? How will she escape love's pursuit? Plain Pursuit is the second book in the Daughters of the Promise series by Beth Wiseman. This book can be read as a stand alone if you haven't had the chance to read book 1, Plain Perfect . I really enjoyed the fir...

If you're a fan of Michelle Rowen or think you would be if you had the chance to read her books check out the awesome contest here : http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=10619 to enter for the chance to win some great prizes! Hurry the contest ends Wednesday, 9/9/09 at 11:59 PDT!!

To enter for your chance to win Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran visit Eliza @ Strange and Random Happenstance before September 10 at 11:59 pm! Good Luck!!!!

The Blue Enchantress by M. L. Tyndall Copyright 2009 Barbour Publishing 317 pages ISBN: 978-1-60260-157-4 Hope Wescott longs for love and understanding, on this quest she left home to follow a lover only to find her hopes at love dashed. Caught in a seemingly inescapable situation, she is put up for auction only to be bought by Nathaniel Mason, the man she once ignored. Nathaniel having risked his livelihood for Hope vows not to love her, especially since she doesn't know God. Will Nathaniel and Hope find love amidst storms, tragedy, and pirates? I received this book today courtesy of Lori and Bookmooch and got started on it right away! I've been looking forward to reading about Hope's story finishing Faith's story, The Red Siren . I was not disappointed, this story had all the action, romance, and a strong faith message that I've grown to expect from a book written by M. L. Tyndall! Hope is admittedly a little bit spoiled and bratty but we learn why she acts as sh...

Tall, Dark and Fangsome (Immortality Bites, Book 5) by Michelle Rowen Copyright 2009 Forever/ Hachette Book Group 340 pages ISBN: 978-0-446-50585-7 Sarah Dearly's life as a vampire well...kinda sucks! Besides the fact that she's got a super sexy master vampire boyfriend and a few good friends, life has been hell. Stuck living with a curse from a now dead, psycho witch and the unwanted attentions of former vampire hunter leader, Gideon Chase makes life extremely difficult. Will she live her life with all the vampire clichés or loose it as well as those she holds dear? Well as you know I love this series and after reading this 5th and final book in the Immortality Bites series I was not disappointed. When I started the book I thought I had it all figured out including the "bad guy" in the story...well I was wrong and I think that's totally awesome as I'm usually pretty good at guessing the bad guy. Sarah is the same Sarah that we've grown to love except now...

Many thanks to Marcia @ The Printed Page for hosting Mailbox Monday. If you've never heard of Mailbox Monday, it's a chance for you to tell everyone which books you've received in the past week on your blog post, and to give everyone a hint as to which books you will be featuring on your blog in the weeks to come! This week, my mailbox was full of great reads, some of which I have already reviewed! Check them out! From Bookmooch : Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger Dewey: The Small Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron and Bret Witter Read my review here From Lori :-) Love Finds You in Valentine, Nebraska by Irene Brand The Inheritance by Tamera Alexander As High as the Heavens by Kathleen Morgan Reclaiming Nick by Susan May Warren Tall, Dark and Fangsome by Michelle Rowen Read my review here The Edge of Light by Ann Shorey Read my review here

Lonestar Secrets by Colleen Coble Copyright 2008 Thomas Nelson Publishers 321 pages ISBN: 978-1-59554-487-2 Over five years ago after making a life changing decision, single mom, Shannon Astor left her home in West Texas to start a better life for her and her daughter Kylie. When an opportunity to reclaim her childhood home arises, Shannon returns to more heartache and trouble than she's ever known but also gets a surprise that is more precious than anything she's ever know. Standing in the way of total happiness is Jack MacGowan, her high-school nemesis, who is still too handsome for his own good. If Shannon learns to trust love, she just might find the truth that sets her free. I received Lonestar Secrets today as part of Thomas Nelson's Book Review Blogger program ( http://brb.thomasnelson.com/ ) and I started it immediately and finished it in one sitting! I really loved this story and it follows with the theme of women veterinarians that most of the books I'm readi...

Dewey: The Small Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter Copyright 2008 Grand Central Publishing 277 pages ISBN: 9780446407410 One cold winter day in January 1988 in the small town of Spencer, Iowa, a tiny half dead ginger kitten was discovered in the Spencer Public Library who would change the world forever. From then on known as Dewey Readmore Books, the library cat, he had an impact on all who met him and those who could only read about him. Vicki Myron, Dewey's "mom" and library director tells the inspiring and sweet story of the best library cat in the country. As you know I tend to stick with fiction and I also tend to pick up books because I like the covers! When I saw the cover for Dewey I knew I wanted to read it...even though it was nonfiction! I needed to add a little variety to my reading life so when I got the book this week I started it immediately. I really enjoyed this story! If you love cats you will love this really touchin...

The Edge of Light : At Home in Beldon Grove, Book 1 by Ann Shorey Revell Publishers Copyright 2009 318 pages ISBN: 9780800733308 Molly McGarvie widowed by the death of her husband Samuel to cholera, along with her 4 children vows to make a new life in Beldon Grove. On the trip, Molly suffers more loss than she believes she can bear. With the help of family and townsfolk she makes due and is overjoyed at an unexpected miracle. Molly learns forbearance and forgiveness that change her life forever. All this together makes for a good read! When I first started this I thought it was going to be a romance, I was mistaken! This is the story of a woman trying to make a life for herself and the struggles that one must face through adversity from all sides; people, nature, et cetera. Ms. Shorey does a really good job developing Molly's character. At times I liked her and wanted to cry along with her and I times I wanted to shake her! She wasn't perfect, so that's probably why in the ...

I saw this ABC meme @ Amy Reads Good Books and thought it looked like fun! Here are the rules: 1. Link to the person who tagged you 2. Share your ABC’s 3. Tag three people at the end by linking to their blogs 4. Let the three tagged people know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website 5. Do not tag the same person repeatedly but try to tag different people, so there is a big network of bloggers doing this tag A vailable or married? Single B est Friend? This is hard, but I'd have to say Rachel, we've known each other since age 6 but my online BFF would be Lori! C ake or Pie? Most definitely pie!!! Blackberry, raspberry and Coconut cream are my favorites. D rink of choice? Mt. Dew or Dr. Pepper E ssential item for every day use? computer F avorite color? pink G oogle? Occasionally...oh wait does gmail and blogger count because if so then all the time! H ometown? Perryopolis, PA I ndulgences? BOOKS!!!! J anuary or February? neither I like summer! K ids and their...

Today I visited MizB @ Should Be Reading . She hosts the Teaser Tuesday meme which is an interesting way to learn about what people are reading and about new and interesting books! Here are the rules for Teaser Tuesday! 1. Grab your current read. 2. Let the book fall open to a random page. 3. Share two teaser sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12. 4. Share the title of the book that the “teaser” comes from, so people can find the book if they like the teaser. 5. PLEASE avoid spoilers. Here's a Teaser from ONE of the books I'm reading this week: ' "Clare. I like him, very much. He's fascinating. But he's dangerous. All he women he's been with fall apart. I just don't want you blithely waltzing into the arms of this charming sociopath..." ' Excerpt from The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger Copyright 2003 Harcourt Books 546 pages ISBN: 9780156029438 Please stop by and see MizB and check out what others are readi...