Black 'n' Gold Girl's Book Spot

...so I made cupcakes! I found this recipe for White Almond Sour Cream Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting a few days ago on Julie's website,  The Little Kitchen and decided to give them a try today!

For Love or Loyalty by Jennifer Hudson Taylor Copyright 2013 Abingdon Press ISBN: 9781426714696 The Story: To atone for her father's evil, Lauren Campbell agrees to help Malcolm MacGregor. By the time she realizes she's the bargaining price to free Malcolm's mother from indentured servitude, it's too late. Malcolm MacGregor only wants to free his family and exact revenge against Duncan Campbell. As the pride and joy of Duncan's life, his daughter Lauren is the perfect answer, but during the voyage to America, her faith continues to witness to Malcolm. He becomes enraptured with her, and upon their arrival, discovers he's sold her into a fate worse than death. Now Malcolm has the dilemma: free his family or rescue Lauren? Time is short and with little means, he needs a miracle. To read more about the book and the author, visit Jennifer's website: http://jenniferswriting.blogspot.com/

I just got back from a 30 mile ride on the Great Allegheny Passage bike trail (seriously, if you love wildlife and coal/steel history, this trail is AWESOME!) and am proud of my accomplishment. I know, I know, a guy passed me on the trail wearing a shirt bragging that he biked 12,000 miles in 2009 so 30 might not seem like a big deal, but it totally is for a couch potato like me! I've never went for more than 15 miles, so doubling up and going 30 is huge! It's time I got a little more fit and since I don't have a gym membership and I don't like to run or jog, biking was the answer. I hope to hit the trails more often and hopefully go even further next time.

Hope at Dawn by Stacy Henrie Copyright 2014 Hachette Book Group ISBN: 9781455598809 The Story: IN A TIME OF WAR, LOVE IS THE INSPIRATION. With her brothers away fighting the Great War overseas, Livy Campbell desperately wants to help her family. Her chance comes when she meets a handsome stranger who lands her a job as a teacher in a place far from her parents' farm. But the war casts a long shadow over the German-American town that Livy now calls home-and the darkness will test everything she thought she knew about family and love . . . More than anything, Friedrick Wagner wants to be part of his adopted country's struggle for peace. But when the bitter animosity between Germans and Americans soon turns citizens against newcomers, friend against friend, he will do whatever it takes to protect Livy from the hysteria that grips their town. As tragedy-and dark secrets from the past-threaten their future, Friedrick and Livy have one chance to stand up for what's r