Black 'n' Gold Girl's Book Spot

Wish You Were Here by Beth K. Vogt Copyright 2012 Howard Books ISBN: 9781451659863 About the book: Allison Denman is supposed to get married in five days, but everything is all wrong. The huge wedding. The frothy dress. And the groom. Still, kissing the groom's brother in an unguarded moment is decidedly not the right thing to do. How could she have made such a mistake? It seems Allison's life is nothing but mistakes at this point. And pulling a "Runaway Bride" complete with stealing, er, borrowing her best friend's car doesn't seem to solve her problems. Can Allison find her way out of this mess? Maybe she just needs to stop orchestrating everything. Allison prefers being the one in control, and giving it up is not going to be easy. But to find her way again, she will have to believe that God has a plan for her and find the strength to let Him lead. My Thoughts: "She never should have said yes." When reading a story that's about a br...

Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer Copyright 2012 Bethany House Publishers ISBN: 9780764209659 About the book (from Amazon ): No one steps on Archer land. Not if they value their life. But when Meredith Hayes overhears a lethal plot to burn the Archer brothers off their ranch, a twelve-year-old debt compels her to take the risk. Fourteen years of constant vigilance hardens a man. Yet when Travis Archer confronts a female trespasser with the same vivid blue eyes as the courageous young girl he once aided, he can't bring himself to send her away. And when an act of sacrifice leaves her injured and her reputation in shreds, gratitude and guilt send him riding to her rescue once again. Four brothers. Four straws. One bride. Despite the fact that Travis is no longer the gallant youth Meredith once dreamed about, she determines to stand by his side against the enemy that threatens them both. But will love ever be hers? Or will Travis always see her merely as a short-straw ...

I know this isn't they type of book I usually post about but I love this author's stories so much I just had to share. Merrie Destefano's releasing an anthology of three short stories in e-book form just in time for summer. I have the feeling that this will be very good and just right for a beach read. At 99 cents the price won't break the bank either. ;-) It's not available right now but look for it next week on Amazon ! The stories in Waiting for Midnight (taken from Merrie's blog ) Set on an alien world, “Letters from Home” tells the tale of a mother’s love for her wayward son and the great lengths to which she’ll go to rescue him from another dimension. “Learning to Hunt” features Ash, the Darkling dream-eater introduced in FEAST: Harvest of Dreams, as he explores seventeenth-century Amsterdam, where his father teaches him how to harvest dreams.  “Waiting for Midnight” explores that dangerous territory between first love and obsession, all set in...

*guest post by April W Gardner This week, Clash of the Titles is featuring five novels new to bookstore shelves. You don't want to miss a single one! They're already getting great reviews. Check them out on Amazon by clicking the cover images. You can also use the survey below to let us know which you're most likely to read first. Which one is going to the top of your TBR pile? COWGIRL TRAIL by Susan Page Davis Alex Bright is torn between supporting the cowboys who want to strike or the rancher who gave him his start. The boss’s beautiful daughter complicates matters when she organizes an all-woman outfit to replace the striking men. THE RESTORER'S SON by Sharon Hinck Cast out by those he trusts and preferring to cross swords with the One rather than yield to His will, Kieran flees to enemy Hazor, only to find that the One knows no borders. Pursued by his calling, Kieran finds a boy without a home, a king with burning questions, and a nation torn by...

Submerged (Alaskan Courage, Book 1) by Dani Pettrey Copyright 2012 Bethany House Publishers ISBN: 9780764209826 From the publisher: A sabotaged plane. Two dead deep-water divers. One single clue. Bailey Craig vowed never to set foot in Yancey, Alaska, again. She has a past, and a reputation--and Yancey's a town that doesn't forget. She's returned only to bury a loved one killed in the plane crash, but then dark evidence emerges and Bailey's own expertise becomes invaluable for the case. Cole McKenna can face dangerous rescue dives. He can face the fear a murderer may be threatening his town. But facing the reality of Bailey's reappearance is a tougher challenge. She broke his heart... but doesn't seem to be the same girl who left Yancey ten years ago. And he's not the same guy she left behind. Racing against the clock and a rising body count, Bailey and Cole must move beyond the hurts of their pasts to work together until the truth of what is ...

A Love Forbidden (Heart of the Rockies, Book 2) by Kathleen Morgan Copyright 2012 Revell Books ISBN: 9780800719715 From the publisher : Moved by a compassionate heart and the desire for adventure, twenty-year-old Shiloh Wainwright impulsively accepts a teaching position at the White River Indian Agency in northwestern Colorado. Eager to use her skills to help improve the lives of Ute Indian children, she looks forward to a fulfilling, independent life on the Colorado frontier. But her new job isn't what she imagined it would be, and Shiloh soon finds herself caught in the cross fire between the Utes, their unyielding Indian agent, and a demanding US government. Her unexpected encounter with a half-Ute childhood friend, Jesse Blackwater, only complicates matters as they battle their growing feelings for each other amidst spiraling tensions that threaten to explode into a catastrophic uprising. My Thoughts: Kathleen Morgan is such a talented writer. I've read many...

  **Guest post by Michelle Massaro In the recent Leading Ladies Clash, Life on the Edge by Jennifer Comeaux and High Desert Haven by Lynnette Bonner  went into the ring on Clash of the Titles . After the public vote, the winning title was....   HIGH DESERT HAVEN by Lynnette Bonner!!     We're happy to announce that High Desert Haven has been added to the list of COTT Champ titles! And we also want to extend our congratulations to the author. I'm sure we're all eager to add this book to our summer to-be-read pile!   In response to her win, author Lynnette Bonner said: It was an honor just to have been chosen as a clasher, in the first place, and then to have won… wow, I’m totally blessed by that. I’m still fairly new at this, and putting my stories out to the public is, to say the least, a daunting experience. So every little bit of encouragement and affirmation gets tucked away for days ahead when I w...

The Pursuit of Lucy Banning by Olivia Newport Copyright 2012 Revell Publishers ISBN: 9780800720384 From the publisher : Lucy Banning may live on the exclusive Prairie Avenue among Chicago's rich and famous, but her heart lies elsewhere. Expected to marry an up-and-coming banker from a respected family, Lucy fears she will be forced to abandon her charity work and squeeze herself into the mold of the well-dressed wife who spends most of her time and money redecorating. When she meets Will, an unconventional young architect who is working on plans for the upcoming 1893 World's Fair, Lucy imagines a life lived on her own terms. Can she break away from her family's expectations? And will she ever be loved for who she truly is? Get swept away into the lavish world of Chicago's high society as Olivia Newport brings to life an age of glitz and grandeur, stark social contrasts, and one woman who dares to cross class lines for what she believes. My Thoughts: Fir...

The Midwife of Venice by Roberta Rich Copyright 2011 Gallery Books ISBN: 9781451657470 About the book: Hannah Levi is renowned throughout Venice for her gift at coaxing reluctant babies from their mothers—a gift aided by the secret “birthing spoons” she designed. But when a count implores her to attend to his wife, who has been laboring for days to give birth to their firstborn son, Hannah is torn. A Papal edict forbids Jews from rendering medical treatment to Christians, but the payment he offers is enough to ransom her beloved husband, Isaac, who has been captured at sea. Can Hannah refuse her duty to a suffering woman? Hannah’s choice entangles her in a treacherous family rivalry that endangers the baby and threatens her voyage to Malta, where Isaac, believing her dead in the plague, is preparing to buy his passage to a new life. Not since The Red Tent or People of the Book has a novel transported readers so intimately into the complex lives of women centuries ago or so r...

My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade Copyright 2012 Bethany House Publishers ISBN: 9780764209741 About the book: Kate Donovan is burned out on work, worn down by her dating relationships, and in need of an adventure. When her grandmother asks her to accompany her to Redbud, Pennsylvania, to restore the grand old house she grew up in, Kate jumps at the chance. Upon her arrival in Redbud, Kate meets Matt Jarreau, the man hired to renovate the house. Kate can't help being attracted to him, drawn by both his good looks and something else she can't quite put her finger on. He's clearly wounded--hiding from people, from God, and from his past. Yet Kate sets her stubborn heart on bringing him out of the dark and back into the light...whether he likes it or not.  When the stilted, uncomfortable interactions between Kate and Matt slowly shift into something more, is God finally answering the longing of her heart? Or will Kate be required to give up more than she ever dreame...

The winner of a copy of Deborah Raney's After All is... Katie M! Katie has been emailed and will have 48 hours to claim her prize or another winner will be selected. Thank you all so much for entering! I'll be hosting another book giveaway in the upcoming days so look for it soon. :-) Happy Reading!

The Ride of Her Life (Lake Manawa Summers, Book 3) by Lorna Seilstad Copyright 2012 Revell Books ISBN: 9780800734473 About the Book: She's planted firmly on solid ground. He's ready to sweep her off her feet. The only man pragmatic Lilly Hart needs in her life is a six-year-old. Widowed for three years, Lilly has decided to leave the home of her intrusive in-laws to stand on her own. However, her in-laws find her new life as a cook at Lake Manawa utterly unsuitable for their grandson. When an argument ensues, a handsome stranger--who designs roller coasters, of all things--intercedes on her behalf. But Lilly is not about to get involved with any man, especially this cocky gentleman. Little does she know she is about to begin the ride of her life. Filled with the sweet romance of summer, The Ride of Her Life will have you laughing out loud and sighing contentedly as you spend the summer of 1906 at Lake Manawa. My Thoughts: Oh where, oh where do I begin? How ab...

*Guest post by Jennifer Slattery When our daughter was young, I was very cautious of the television shows and movies she watched. It wasn’t just the language or violence that concerned me, but the image of women they portrayed. The media seemed to convey a constant message: “Women’s value is only skin deep.” I was probably overly cautious, but the discussion still holds merit. What do our choice of heroine’s say about our values as a society? At the risk of sounding cliché, we’ve come a long way … in but a short period of time. The other day my daughter showed me a page from her magazine. On it, there were five models, each with different skin tones and body types. Hurrah! I believe the heroine’s in Christian fiction are changing, too. I’ve read novels of women with disabilities, vices they need to overcome, backgrounds they’re not fond of. I’ve read of women doctors, single moms, those facing divorce. To me, a sinner saved by grace, it’s encouraging to read of...

To celebrate the start of the lovely,  warm month of May I'm giving away a copy of the new release in the Hanover Falls trilogy, After All by Deborah Raney. Thanks to Libby @ Howard Books for sending me the extra copy to give away. Be sure to read all of the rules for the giveaway in the form below and look for my review very soon! After All (Hanover Falls, Book 3) by Deborah Raney Howard Books Copyright 2012 ISBN: 9781416599951 About the book:  Eighteen months after the tragic Grove Street Fire took the life of her husband, David, and four other heroic firefighters, Susan Marlowe thinks she’s finally beginning to heal. But then she discovers that David carried a secret to his grave. A secret that changes everything she thought their marriage had been. For the sake of their sons, can Susan forgive the unforgivable? Andrea Morley lost her closest friend in the fire. But she has no right to mourn him. Instead, she must forever grieve in silence—beca...

This week, COTT is featuring a Clash of Leading Ladies. But just how are interesting characters born? Here's one author's experience. Welcome Carol Moncado. Do you ever wonder how authors come up with their characters? I've heard of authors who fashion their main characters after a barista at their favorite coffee shop or some guy on the bus who looked interesting. The further I get into my writing journey, the more I find my characters often come from real life.  For instance: The weekend before Easter, I was diagnosed with Bell's Palsy - where half your face just stops working. Fun. Not really, but it's great story fodder. That's me. The story is one I started recently. She was wearing an eye patch. At church. On Easter. It might have been what drew my attention to her, but it wasn't what kept it. She stood there, singing along with the praise and worship band, her hands raised. Worshiping her Maker with abandon. But only half o...

Thanks to all who entered the giveaway of Katie Ganshert's Wildflowers from Winter . I loved reading all your comments and I know Katie did too! If you didn't win this time please be sure to stop back for a new book giveaway in the VERY near future. ;-) And now for the winner... Cheryl D! Cheryl has already claimed her prize. Remember if you didn't win  Wildflowers from Winter is available for pre-order at Amazon and other great book retailers!