Black 'n' Gold Girl's Book Spot

I'm such a sap when it comes to Christmas movies -- the cheesier and mushier the better! For me, Christmas is the perfect time of year not just because of all of the holiday cheer and family traditions but because channels like ABC Family and Hallmark air a bazillion feel good movies. It's as easy to sit down on any given weekend following up to Christmas day and binge on tinsel-filled flicks as it is to binge on Netflix during the summer. Hey, it's okay to lounge around in sweats with a cup of cocoa (extra marshmallows, please!) once a year, right?

A Simple Christmas Wish by Melody Carlson Copyright 2013 Revell Books ISBN: 9780800719654 The Story: One girl in need of a home. One woman in search of a home for her heart. One Christmas where it all seems possible.  It felt strange to be out here in the middle of the night, still wearing the Amish dress--a dress that had belonged to Miri. Rachel's footsteps crunched in the snow, and halfway between the barn and the house, she paused to look up at the night sky, wondering if more snow was in store, but all she saw was velvety black and stars. Millions of twinkling stars. She had never seen stars like that before, so bright and so close, almost as if she could touch them with her hand. Rachel Milligan never imagined that she and her seven-year-old niece would spend the week before Christmas on a quaint Amish farm in Ohio. But with so many unexpected occurrences of late, perhaps she shouldn't have been surprised. With her young niece Holly in tow, Rachel anxiously...

Photo from BBC America.com   I couldn't possibly go without making note that today is the 50th Anniversary of the premiere of the very first Doctor Who episode waaaay back on November 23, 1963. It's really no surprise to me that it has lasted as long as it has and is gaining new fans everyday. The stories and characters are incredible. 

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: Brandi Boddie and the book: The Preacher's Wife Realms (October 1, 2013) ***Special thanks to Althea Thompson for sending me a review copy.***

This past Saturday I reached a new milestone on Pinterest -- I broke the 500 followers mark. It's so exciting when others share your interests and want to see what you are pinning next. Thank you so much for following me. If you haven't already done so and want to, just click the Pinterest link at the top of this blog or go HERE . To say thanks, I'm giving away books to two lucky winners. First prize:  The Governess of Highland Hall  by Carrie Turansky Beloved  by Robin Lee Hatcher Second prize: The Governess of Highland Hall  by Carrie Turansky

Rule number one: The Doctor lies. Rule number two: So does the BBC. That's all I'll say for now so I don't spoil it but if you're a Whovian, you'll know what I mean after watching this mini episode! "The Night of the Doctor: A Mini Episode" - Doctor Who : The Day of the Doctor Prequel by Steven Moffat

Blu-Ray/DVD Overview: As Denise (Joanna Vanderham, Dancing on the Edge , What Maisie Knew ) finds her feet as a lowly shopgirl, she must navigate her way through power struggles, intrigues and affairs. When the shop’s dashing and reckless owner, John Moray (Emun Elliot, Game of Thrones , Prometheus ) spots her talents, she knows she can use this opportunity to rise to great things. In a world as colorful and captivating as the silks on display in the store, The Paradise is a love story with a mysterious, dark secret at its heart. Bonus feature: Behind the Doors of Paradise includes a tour of The Paradise set, cast interviews and a visit to the show’s costume department.

On October 18, 2013 Veil of Pearls t ook home Clash of the Titles's Laurel Award.  Over the course of six weeks, the novel's first chapters were read and judged by avid readers of Christian fiction who determined Veil of Pearls to be the worthiest to receive the  2013 Laurel Award.

Beloved (Where the Heart Lives, Bk. 3) by Robin Lee Hatcher Copyright 2013 Zondervan Publishers ISBN: 9780310257776 The Story: Diana is ready to begin a new chapter in her life—until the husband she believed dead reappears at her engagement party.  Diana Brennan came west on the orphan train and was given a home with a loving couple who cherished and spoiled her. At 17, she fell hard for Tyson Applegate, the son of a wealthy mine owner. After a whirlwind courtship and marriage, Tyson took off for adventures around the world, including fighting with the Rough Riders in Cuba. Receiving no word from him in years, Diana’s infatuation with her dashing husband died an ugly death, and she is ready to move past the old pain and marry again, just as soon as Tyson is declared legally dead. But when Tyson returns, claiming to be a changed man, he wants to reunite with his wife and run for the senate. While Diana suspects the election is his real reason for wanting her by his sid...

Earlier this week we got word that the 50th anniversary Doctor Who special, "The Day of the Doctor", would air simultaneously around the world on November 23 @ 2:50PM EST, and that a trailer for the special would follow today! For those of us fortunate enough to get an early glimpse of the mini-trailer when it leaked on a BBC site late last night only to be quickly removed, it was a bit difficult to get to sleep! I know, crazy right? but if you're a Whovian you probably get it.  For those who may not have seen it, the BBC posted a full-length trailer for all to see this afternoon! Check out the trailer below and be sure to clear your schedules so you don't miss a second of what looks like an amazing episode!

Hello! I'm partnering with Justin Blaney to help him spread the word about his fun new book series, Isfits . He's launching the series with a Kickstarter campaign ---he wants to turn these fun/unique stories into full-color, hardback, glossy-paged books. Who's Justin? Justin Blaney is a virtuoso. He does a little of everything, but one of the coolest things he does (besides writing amazing stories) is run an organization called Innovate for Jesus (resources for pastors, ministry leaders, non profits, authors, etc.). The site features people like Francis Chan, Rick Warren, Pete Wilson, Matt Chandler, Mary DeMuth, and more. Besides the super cool graphics, what is special about Isfits? Justin is releasing his Isfits series in the general kids book market rather than as Christian releases. His hope is to spread the gospel message to children who aren't normally exposed to Christian content. What Is Isfits? Postmodern fairytales & cautionary confessions A...

In case you haven't noticed I've been absent for about a week, but I've had good reason -- jury duty. I apologize for my limited blogger presence, but after spending at least 8 hours a day at the courthouse, I was too pooped to do anything other than crash once I got home. Thank you so much for hanging in there and being patient with me. I promise more posts later this week and next, including a review of the BBC/PBS production, The Paradise ! I hope you all had more fun this week than I did. ;-)