Black 'n' Gold Girl's Book Spot

Artisan Grilled Chicken Sandwich (Photo from McDonalds.com ) If you're like me, eating on the go is a way of life. Hitting the drive-thru is pretty much the only option for those of us with busy lifestyles. While many food choices at your favorite restaurants aren't always the best if you're trying to eat healthier, McDonald's is offering a few new menu choices that tickle the taste buds all while being a bit better for the waistline. Their new Artisan Grilled Chicken Sandwiches are loaded with leaf lettuce, a tomato slice, vinaigrette sauce, all topped off with an artisan roll. Coming in at around 360 calories, most of us won't have to feel guilty about indulging. Thanks to the generous people at McDonald's I have four sets of coupons to give away to four lucky winners! The grand prize winner will get   six coupons to try the Artisan Grilled Chicken Sandwich for free! That's approximately a  $28 value . You can take your family out for dinner or t...

Hearts Made Whole by Jody Hedlund Copyright 2015 Bethany House Publishers ISBN: 9780764212383 The Story: 1865  Windmill Point, Michigan  Can She Forgive the Hurting Man Who Costs Her the Role She Loves? After her father's death, Caroline Taylor has grown confident running the Windmill Point Lighthouse. But in 1865 Michigan, women aren't supposed to have such roles, so it's only a matter of time before the lighthouse inspector appoints a new keeper--even though Caroline has nowhere else to go and no other job available to her. Ryan Chambers is a Civil War veteran still haunted by the horrors of battle. He's secured the position of lighthouse keeper mostly for the isolation--the chance to hide from his past is appealing. He's not expecting the current keeper to be a feisty and beautiful woman who's angry with him for taking her job and for his inability to properly run the light. When his failings endanger others, he and Caroline realize he's i...

The Proposal at Siesta Key (Amish Brides of Pinecraft, Book 2) by Shelley Shepard Gray Copyright 2015 ISBN: 9780062337726 The Story: A young Amish woman, yearning for freedom, crosses paths with a handsome Mennonite celebrity in a deeply moving tale of friendship and self-discovery—the second installment in the unforgettable New York Times bestselling author’s new Amish Brides of Pinecraft series. Penny Troyer rarely disobeys her parents. In the years since her sister’s tragic death, they’ve wanted nothing more than to keep her safe…even if it means never leaving the house. But tonight, she’s bending the rules because Michael Knoxx, the most famous member of The Knoxx Family Singers, a traveling Mennonite Evangelical family —is scheduled to speak. Penny has heard of Michael—how he lost part of his leg in a terrible accident and uses the experience to inspire others—and knows she must meet him. So, for the first time ever, Penny stands up to her parents and goes out on her ...

Love's Rescue by Christine Johnson Copyright 2015 Revell Publishers ISBN: 9780800723507 The Story: Can a girl enamored with the adventurous seas ever be content with the tame life of a Southern belle? When her mother dies, Elizabeth Benjamin heads home to Key West, determined to transform herself into the perfect Southern belle her parents always wished her to be. But nothing goes according to plan. Her brother resents her, the servants do not obey her, and Rourke O'Malley, the dashing man she vowed to forget, refuses to relinquish his hold on her heart. Worst of all, it becomes painfully obvious that her father is not the man he appears to be. As family secrets come to light, Elizabeth is faced with a difficult choice: to perform her duty and abandon her dreams, or to leave her life of privilege behind to chase the man her father sees as little better than a pirate. From the first emotional page, author Christine Johnson throws you into a world of impossible choic...

I love thrift shops. I used to shop them solely for books, but I've learnedly that you can find great bargains on vintage clothes too -- if you visit the right location. Vintage has always appealed to me. Be it clothes, furniture, radios, etc. I've always had a respect for the quality craftsmanship that went into so many things from days gone by. In a time when pretty much everything is disposable, and by the time it gets in our homes it is already surpassed by the next best thing, it's hard to find something lasting. In recent years films like The Great Gatsby and the smash British TV series Downton Abbey , the vintage fashions of the Roaring Twenties have made a comeback. The sleek lines of Art Deco, Egyptian archaeological finds, and the influence of jazz could be seen in the wardrobes of the younger set and marked a turning point in women's style. It's no wonder these styles have regained their popularity. A few yards of material combined with sometimes th...