Black 'n' Gold Girl's Book Spot

Unrivaled by Siri Mitchell Copyright 2013 Bethany House Publishers ISBN: 9780764207976 The story: Lucy Kendall returns from a tour of the Continent, her luggage filled with the latest fashions and a mind fired by inspiration. After tasting Europe's best confections, she's sure she'll come up with a recipe that will save her father's struggling candy business and reverse their fortunes. But she soon discovers that their biggest competitor, the cheat who swindled her father out of his prize recipe, has now hired a promotions manager--a cocky, handsome out-of-towner who gets under Lucy’s skin.  Charlie Clarke's new role at Standard Manufacturing is the chance of a lifetime. He can put some rough times behind him and reconnect with the father he's never known. The one thing he never counted on, however, was tenacious Lucy Kendall. She's making his work life miserable...and making herself impossible for him to forget. My Thoughts: At first I though...

The Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) (Picture from Pinterest ) As you probably know if you have followed this blog for any amount of time, I'm pretty much in love with Doctor Who . If you've never seen the show (*gasp* Really?! ...since I love you, my blog reader, you are forgiven just this once) I highly recommend it. The acting is superb, the scripts are brilliant, and it's always an adventure. The reboot of the classic show which first aired in 1963 began in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor and Billie Piper as his traveling companion, Rose Tyler. This is when I first fell in love with the series. I cried and wailed as much as the next Whovian when Christopher left the show after one series but it didn't take me long to become attached to the Doctor as played by David Tennant. He cemented himself as a favorite of mine with his great hair and The Lion King reference in the very first episode of series 2. Needless to say I was over the moon when I r...

We have contestants in all five corners of the ring!  Welcome to another thrilling contest brought to you by your friendly neighborhood Clash of the Titles . This showdown features books released in February 2013 . Each is prepared to duke it out for the top spot in this all-out, no-holds-barred, literary sparring match. (Okay, okay, there are a FEW rules. Like no strikes below the belt, no brass knuckles, no slipping poison into the well water. But you get the idea.) Below are each of the five contenders , listed in no particular order. Please vote for the one most likely to grace your nightstand first. Click on the images to purchase on Amazon: Good, Clean, Murder: A Plain Jane Mystery by Traci Hilton  Living on her own for her first time, Bible school student Jane cleans houses to make ends meet. But being independent brings big trials, like falling for a handsome professor, dealing with an obnoxious roommate, and then there's the dead bodies...   ...

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: Sandra Robbins and the book: Mountain Homecoming Harvest House Publishers (March 1, 2013) ***Special thanks to Ginger Chen for sending me a review copy.*** ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Sandra Robbins and her husband live in the small college town in Tennessee where she grew up. They count their four children and five grandchildren as the greatest blessings in their lives. Her published books include stories in his...

I have no time for anything anymore but I somehow found the time to start a new blog on Tumblr. It's going to be a lot different from this site but I'd love you to follow it if you are so inclined. It's going to focus on a few of my other favorite things, paranormal fiction, YA fiction and different British things I love. I'm a bit of an Anglophile in case you didn't know. ;-) Don't worry , I'll still be posting here on Black 'n Gold Girl's Book Spot like always, so please continue to stop by! I know absolutely nothing about Tumblr so if you have any tips, tricks, or hints PLEASE let me know, I'd appreciate it! A Bevy of Books and Brits Happy Reading!

A Change of Fortune by Jen Turano Copyright 2012 Bethany House Publishers ISBN: 9780764210181 About the book: Lady Eliza Sumner is on a mission. After losing her family, her fiancé, and her faith, the disappearance of her fortune is the last straw. Now, masquerading as Miss Eliza Sumner, governess-at-large, she's determined to find the man who ran off with her fortune, reclaim the money, and head straight back to London.  Much to Mr. Hamilton Beckett's chagrin, all the eyes of New York society--all the female ones, at least--are on him. Unfortunately for all the matchmaking mothers and eligible daughters, he has no plans to marry again, especially with his hands full keeping his business afloat and raising his two children alone. When Eliza's hapless attempts to regain her fortune put her right in Hamilton's path, sparks instantly begin to fly. The discovery of a common nemesis causes them to join forces, but with all their plans falling by the wayside and thei...

This week, Clash of the Titles is featuring a rare genre-- contemporary allegory.   If you've been itching for something different, this one should do it! The Song of the Tree contains a message that applies to each of us at some point in our lives. It moves the God-seeker from fist shaking stance, down to knees before the throne. PURCHASE THE BOOK ON AMAZON About The Song of the Tree : Despite promises of eternal joy given by the Tree of Life, a privileged young woman loses everything in a brutal war. Her husband disappears; her family is murdered; her home is burned to the ground.  Desperate, starving, and burdened with an unwanted child, she now despises and rejects the Tree she once worshiped. Ripped from her land and people, forced into survival immigration, she becomes a lowly refugee, a servant in the homes of the rich. Her unusually gifted child thrives, but is an ever present reminder of ultimate loss and betrayal.   Two women: ...

Love in a Broken Vessel by Mesu Andrews Copyright 2013 Revell Publishers ISBN: 9780800721695 About the book:  An epic journey of intimacy, rejection, betrayal . . . and hope. God gives Hosea a difficult command-marry a prostitute in order to show God’s people the nature and depth of His love for Israel. When Hosea goes to Israel to proclaim the Lord’s message, the woman God directs him to marry turns out to be his childhood friend Gomer. He finds her broken and abused, unwilling to trust Hosea or his God. But when marrying Hosea becomes her only means of escape, Gomer does what she’s good at-she survives. Can Hosea’s love for God and God’s love for Israel restore Gomer’s broken spirit? With her powerful combination of in-depth research and masterful storytelling, Mesu Andrews brings to life one of the most complex and fascinating stories of love and forgiveness in the face of utter betrayal. My Thoughts: My original  Goodreads review of, "Excellent, excellent...

Swept Away (Trouble in Texas, Book 1) by Mary Connealy Copyright 2013 Bethany House Publishers ISBN: 9780764209147 The Story: When a cowboy focused on revenge encounters a woman determined to distract him, there's going to be trouble in Texas!  Swept away when her wagon train attempts a difficult river crossing, Ruthy MacNeil isn't terribly upset at being separated from the family who raised her. All they've ever done is work her to the bone. Alive but disoriented, she's rescued by Luke Stone...so unfortunately, there are more chances to die in her immediate future.  Luke is on a mission to reclaim the ranch stolen from his family. But the men currently on the property won't let it go without a fight. Luke plans to meet up with friends who will help him take back the land, and since he can't just leave Ruthy in the middle of nowhere, she’s going to have to go with him. But the more time Luke spends around the hardworking young woman, the more he ...

Before we introduce this week's featured new release, COTT would like to extend a quick, yet heart-felt congratulations to our first annual Olympia Award winner, Author Laura McClellan and her manuscript,  Do No Harm. More on Laura and her exciting win next month. Stay tuned! And now, our featured novel... **** About The Knitting Fairy:  Molly Stevenson rather expected her new job at Crabapple Yarns to be deadly boring... but somehow she just didn't expect the "deadly" part to be quite so literal. After all, what could possibly be more sweet and innocent than a yarn store and a bunch of ladies knitting? As a librarian, by trade and by nature, Molly really ought to have known better. And, worse, she broke the first rule of librarianship - never, ever judge a book by its cover. Sadly, some of us have to learn the hard way. Perhaps that is why Molly didn't exist long as Assistant Librarian at Springgate Library. The new job at Crab...

When I was younger I used to read the books in the Heartsong Presents romance line like they were going out of style. Sadly, I have gotten away from reading mass market books that are published monthly simply because I am running out of space, not because I don't enjoy the stories. If you're like me, challenged for space, now you don't have to worry about finding room on your shelves since these can go in your virtual library. While tucked up in bed searching for freebie deals last night on my Kindle I found 10 Truly Yours, formerly known as Heartsong Presents, titles available for $0! Yep. That's free, zip, zilch, nada, nil, etc -- a HUUUUUUGE savings as I remember these books running around 4 bucks a pop back in the day. Take advantage while you can if you're a fan of the line and hey, if you've never read one of the books why not give it a try? AS ALWAYS, please double check before ordering a book to make sure it's still free. Here are just a few I found...