Black 'n' Gold Girl's Book Spot

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book! You never know when I might play a wild card on you! Today's Wild Card author is: Jennifer Hudson Taylor and the book: Highland Blessings Abingdon Press (May 1, 2010) ***Special thanks to Jennifer Hudson Taylor for sending me a review copy.*** ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jennifer Hudson Taylor is the author of historical and contemporary Christian fiction set in Europe and the Carolinas . Her fiction has won awards in the American Christian Fiction Writers' Genesis Contest. Her debut novel, Highland Blessings, will be releas...

I'm sorry it's been so long since I've posted in my "Collector" series but I've been extremely busy with book reviews. Unfortunately since I last posted I haven't acquired anything new to add to my collection of nick knacks and antiques but I still have a lot of interesting things to share with you. This week I've chosen another art print. I'm not sure of it's title or it's age but is a very romantic sepia tone print that I have hanging in my exercise room of all places! Hahaha it makes it a little easier to workout when you have beautiful things to look at! I purchased this picture at a local auction. I have no idea how old or new it is but I love it. I wonder if the gentleman is trying to persuade this young lady to perform a duet? I'll bet they'll make beautiful music together if the young miss can overcome her shyness!

I'll just bet that 95 percent of you read the title of this post and said, "Huh?" Unless you're from Pittsburgh or Southwestern Pennsylvania you probably thought I was speaking a foreign language. Well I just saw an article in the local newspaper yesterday that reminded me just how unique the Pittsburghese dialect is and how it can affect the lives of those who migrate to different parts of the country. Here's the link to the article if you need a crash course on regional dialects! ;-) http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_705894.html And of course what good is a blog lesson without a visual aide? It's a bit dated and some of the people mentioned in the slide show and the songs are no longer around but it's pretty funny, misspellings and all! LOL, ENJOY!

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book! You never know when I might play a wild card on you! Today's Wild Card author is: Andrea Kuhn Boeshaar and the book: Uncertain Heart (Seasons of Redemption, Book 2) Realms (October 5, 2010) ***Special thanks to Anna Coelho Silva Publicity Coordinator, Book Group Strang Communications for sending me a review copy.*** ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Andrea Kuhn Boeshaar is a certified Christian life coach and speaks at writers’ conferences and for women’s groups. She has taught workshops at such conferences as: Write-To-Publish; Ame...

Emily's Chance (The Callahan's of Texas, Book 2) by Sharon Gillenwater Copyright 2010 Revell Publishers 338 pages ISBN: 978-0-8007-3354-4 Contemporary Romance From the publisher : Emily Rose may be in the tiny West Texas town of Callahan Crossing for the moment, but it's just a rung on her ladder to success. Her work at the Callahan Crossing Historical Museum will look good on her ever-growing resume as she attempts to break into the prestigious world of a big city museum curator. Little does she know that cowboy and contractor Chance Callahan has decided that he can convince her to stay--both with the town and with him. As he helps Emily restore the town's history after a devastating fire, can he help her uncover the value of love? My Review: Sharon Gillenwater has done it again. She makes the fictional town of Callahan Crossing, Texas, come alive with complex characters, rich history and of course romance. It really helped that the historian in me could very much rel...

Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway of Love Remains by Kaye Dacus, there were a total of 14 comments. I used Random.org to choose a winner and that lucky person is... Congrats! You have 48 hours to reply to the email I sent with your mailing info or another winner will be selected. Remember to stop back often for more great giveaways! Happy reading!

Head in the Clouds by Karen Witemeyer Copyright 2010 Bethany House Publishers 368 pages ISBN: 978-0-7642-0756-3 Historical Fiction From the publisher : When a recovering romantic goes to work for a handsome ranch owner, her heart's not the only thing in danger! Adelaide Proctor longs to find a real-life storybook hero to claim as her own. But when a husband-hunting debacle leaves her humiliated, she interviews for a governess position on a remote Texas sheep ranch and vows to leave her silly romantic yearnings behind. Gideon Westcott left his privileged life in England to make a name for himself in America's wool industry, never expecting to end up with a child. To his dismay, five-year-old Isabella hasn't uttered a word since she lost her mother. The unconventionality of the new governess concerns Gideon—and intrigues him at the same time. But he can't afford distractions. When Isabella's uncle comes to claim the girl—and her inheritance—Gideon and Adelaide must wo...

I thought it would be interesting to sort of catalogue some of the books that I grew up reading. You all know that I love to read romance, Christian fiction and historical fiction but I didn't start out reading those. From Clifford the Big Red Dog to Gone with the Wind my literary choices have certainly changed but no matter what you or I may like the important thing to do is to keep reading! You never know what you may learn or if you're like me it will encourage you in your "grown up" life as far as furthering your education or the career path you will choose. Clifford the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell Does it get any better than a huge, lovable dog? I think I owned every Clifford book by the time I was in kindergarten! ********** The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Suess I think any Dr. Suess book is a staple in just about everyone's young life. ********** Disney Storybooks: Sleeping Beauty , Beauty and the Beast , Cinderella Didn't every little girl read these...

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book! You never know when I might play a wild card on you! Today's Wild Card author is: Jennifer Erin Valent and the book: Catching Moondrops Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (September 20, 2010) ***Special thanks to Maggie Rowe of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. for sending me a review copy.*** ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jennifer Erin Valent is the 2007 winner of the Christian Writers Guild's Operation First Novel contest. A lifelong resident of the South, her surroundings help to color the scenes and characters she writes. In fact,...