Black 'n' Gold Girl's Book Spot

Some of you may be wondering where I've been lately, well I'm glad to say there are a few good reasons why I haven't been posting a whole lot in the past few weeks. Sometimes it's hard to believe but I do have a life outside of cyberspace (I know, right?!). I've been visiting with family and working on new creative projects on top of all the reading I need to do in order to keep this blog informative and relevant. Family and the new creative endeavor I'm working on have been taking up A LOT of my time but it's not a bad thing in the least! I'm happy to say that the "project" I've been working on is somewhat book related and it might potentially lead to an even bigger project - my own online store! By now you're probably all wondering what in the world I'm talking about so I'm going to tell you. I've been making book purses! What the heck is a book purse you may ask, well it's as simple as it sounds, a purse made fr...

Clash of the Titles has a BIG week coming up!  Wednesday marks the beginning of our June Releases Clash, hosted by the lovely Gail Pallotta. She'll introduce you to five amazing new books, so get your voting finger ready. Saturday, we'll announce the three finalists in the 2012 Laurel Awards. Our judges have been raving about the books, saying they wished they had more than just the first two chapters. Remember, this year's judges are readers like you, who have no connection with the writing or publishing world. You could be one of them! If you're interested in being a judge for the upcoming Olympia Award, please email us at contactcott(at)gmail(dot)com. Our current judges are still sending in their score sheets, but by Saturday, we'll have the final tally! In the meantime, we'd like to pass along that Astraea Press is having a HUGE  Summer Sale . Almost all of their stock is available for $.99 on Kindle and Nook. To whet your appetite, he...

Inescapable (Road to Kingdom, Bk 1) by Nancy Mehl Copyright 2012 Bethany House Publishers ISBN: 9780764209277 About the Book: Lizzie Engel is used to running away. At eighteen, she left her Mennonite hometown, Kingdom, Kansas, with plans never to return. But five years later, the new life she built is falling apart. Lizzie knows she's being followed, and she's certain the same mysterious stranger is behind the threatening letters she's received. Realizing she'll have to run again, the only escape Lizzie can manage is a return to the last place she wants to go. Once she arrives in Kingdom, Lizzie is confident she'll be safe until she comes up with a new plan. In reacquainting herself with the town and its people--especially her old friend, Noah Housler--she wonders if she judged her hometown and her Mennonite faith too harshly. However, just as she begins to come to terms with her roots, Lizzie is horrified to discover the danger she ran from is closer ...

Song of My Heart by Kim Vogel Sawyer Copyright 2012 Bethany House Publishers ISBN: 9780764207860 About the book:  Sadie Wagner has always been devoted to her family. So when her stepfather is injured and can't work, she decides to leave home and accept a position as a clerk at the mercantile in Goldtree, Kansas. Goldtree also offers the opportunity to use her God-given singing talent--though the promised opera house is far different from what she imagined. With her family needing every cent she can provide, Sadie will do anything to keep her job.  Thad McKane comes to Goldtree at the request of the town council. The town has been plagued by bootlegging operations, and Thad believes he can find the culprit. After he earns enough money doing sheriff work, he wants to use it to pay for his training to become a minister. Thad is immediately attracted to the beautiful singer who performs in Asa Baxter's unusual opera house, but when he hears her practicing bawdy tunes,...

At Clash of the Titles , we're interested in the Christian Fiction that's making a splash, flying onto the scene in a burst of attention-grabbing technicolor and gripping our imaginations. Every month we're seeing batches of new stories hit the shelves and here's one that has also hit our hearts. Dineen Miller's The Soul Saver recently competed on our website and garnered a lot of attention there. We just had to know more about this book and its author. Here's what we discovered... About Dineen Miller: Dineen Miller readily admits that one of the greatest lessons she’s learning about life is that there’s purpose in our trials. It’s all about trusting God and putting our hope in Him. Her favorite stories are of the miracles God has wrought in the lives of her family. Through this lens she also believes her years as a youth counselor, a Stephen Minister, a women’s ministry leader, and a small group leader fuel her desire to ignite the souls of others th...

The Secret Keeper by Sandra Byrd Copyright 2012 Howard Books ISBN: 9781439183144 About the book: What she sees in secret, she may not tell.  Mistress Juliana St. John is the lovely, forthright daughter of a prosperous knight’s family. Though all expect her to marry the son of her late father’s business partner, time and chance interrupt, sending her to the sumptuous but deceptive court of Henry VIII. Sir Thomas Seymour, brother of the late Queen Jane, returns to Wiltshire to conclude his affairs with Juliana’s father’s estate and chances upon her reading as lector in the local church. He sees instantly that she would fit into the household of the woman he loves and wants most to please, Kateryn Parr. Juliana’s mother agrees to have her placed with Parr for a season and Juliana goes, though reluctantly. For she keeps a secret.  As Juliana accompanies Kateryn Parr to court, Henry’s devout sixth queen raises the stakes for all reformers. Support of firebrand Anne Ask...

Thanks so much to everyone who entered The River Rose giveaway . The lucky winner as selected by random.org is... Amy R. S. Congratulations Amy! Amy has 48 hours to claim her prize or another winner will be selected. Many thanks to B&H Publishers for offering up this great book for giveaway. If you didn't win the book you can always order it from Amazon or your other favorite book seller. Happy Reading!

Thank you to all who stopped by this week to chat with Keli. I enjoyed reading your comments and I know Keli did too! Remember if you aren't the lucky winner you can stop by Amazon or another of your favorite booksellers and order Keli's book. Also, I just posted my review of the book yesterday HERE if you want to check that out too. And now for the winner... Lysette! Lysette has been notified by email that she won and has 48 hours to claim her book or another winner will be selected. Happy Reading!

A Bride Opens Shop in El Dorado, CA by Keli Gwyn Copyright 2012 Barbour Books ISBN: 9781616265830 About the book: Love Is Gold in El Dorado, California Widow  Elenora Watkins heads to California with her nine-year-old daughter, Tildy, eager to become a partner in a mercantile. When the mulish owner withdraws his offer because she’s a woman, she opens her own shop. She’s determined to prove herself capable of running a successful business without the help of anyone—including her controlling father, her seemingly distant heavenly Father, and one Miles Rutledge.  Widower Miles Rutledge is not about to get involved with another willful woman like his late wife, especially when she’s his competition. But the beautiful Elenora may be too hard to resist. When another man appears out to claim Elenora’s heart, Miles searches for a way to win her back. . .while putting her out of business.  Meanwhile, Maude Rutledge, Miles’s meddling mother, longs to see her son make ...

This clash's host: Jennifer Slattery My summer reading list is quickly growing. When you read the following two-sentence hooks, I'm sure you'll agree, these five May releases are must-reads indeed! Which one is drawing you the most? Please vote below, and check out www.clashofthetitles.com on July 5th to see who won. Happy Independence Day! Spring Hope by Martha Rogers : Libby Cantrell’s life has gone from bad to worse since her mother’s death. With an abusive father, and life in a brothel, she sees no hope for her future until she gains the courage to make her escape one cold winter night. 

When she arrives exhausted, hungry, and ill in Portersfield, Texas, Sheriff Cory Muldoon finds her in an alley and takes her to a doctor.  Wildflowers From Winter by Katie Ganshert :  A young architect at a prestigious Chicago firm, Bethany Quinn has built a life far removed from her trailer park teen years. Until an interruption from her estranged mo...

After All (Hanover Falls, Book 3) by Deborah Raney Copyright 2012 Howard Books 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—because her dearest friend was someone else’s husband. Peter Brennan carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. As Hanover Falls’ fire chief, he was responsible for the brave firefighters who lost their lives that awful November night. Can he ever shake the feeling that he should have somehow prevented the tragedy? As he tries to rebuild the team at...