COTT {Clash of the Titles} The Champion of the January 2015 Clash of the Titles

A hearty Thank You to the five excellent champions of the first Clash of the Champions in 2015. Some of them are new to us, and we always like to introduce new authors.

One of my favorite parts of being a hostess is to share some of the amazing and beautiful encouraging comments your readers make during the clash. Here are a few from both the survey and the post:

• I've read several books by Pat Simmons, but her Guilty Series books touched my heart. The books in that series showed me the love and beauty of Missouri, at a time that I needed to know it was there. 

• Marian P Merritt is a wonderful author and I love her Cajun inspired books. 

• Susan Lyttek, you are an amazing and talented writer. 

• I Love everything Marian P. Merritt has written! She pulls me into the story and I feel like I am one of the characters. 

• Christmas Greetings is such a beautiful story! Thank you, Pat for allowing God to use and encourage others through His words.......C Lewis 

• These books all sound great! 

• Davalynn Spencer makes her fictional characters come alive in her stories! Genius! 

• You don't shy away from life in your writing, Tammy Doherty. Keep it up!! 

• Davalynn, I loved your book, couldn't put it down! 

• I can't wait to read every one of these titles. They all look so amazing! 

• Looking forward to reading Plundered Christmas! 

• To Tammy Doherty, I would be wicked excited to read this.  

• Really nice cover, too, Marian Merritt. 

• Susan, your work continues to thrive, all for the Glory of God! I'm proud to know you, and can't wait to read this one! 

• Pat keep doing what you do ... Uplifting people through your writing ... its a pleasure falling in love with your characters 

• Great series by Susan Lyttek! 

• Pat, I had planned to send you the same sentiment on your FB page! BTW, I downloaded 'A Christian Christmas' last month. Haven't gotten to reading it yet (I made a huge TBR pile in December!!) but really looking forward to it. Blessings, my friend :D 

• I love mysteries, and Plundered Christmas sounds fun. 

• Going to read The Snowbound Bride! 

• They're all beautiful. It's exciting to think how many hours of reading pleasure are wrapped up under those lovely covers! 

• It's a pity you could choose only one of those books. If I could I would choose both 'She's mine' and 'Plundered Christmas'

Congratulations to

Tammy Doherty 

She's Mine

Caitlin Harrington has a new job and a new life away from her menacing ex-boyfriend, Adam. Issues with her parents, losing her previous job and the death of her beloved grandmother leave her wondering if God has abandoned her. Two things she is sure of: she’s a lousy judge of character and men just can’t be trusted.

Buy the Book:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

$4.99 e-book

$14.99 Print

Tammy Doherty writes Inspirational/Christian fiction. Her first three novels are Western romances set in late 1800s Colorado. After completing this series, Tammy turned to contemporary romantic suspense. The Mystique of Naultag series is set in a small town in central Massachusetts very similar to the town where she grew up. 

Tammy Doherty grew up in the family greenhouse business but decided to go into an animal related career and became a veterinary technician. Her husband is "The Perennial Guy," so she's back to being immersed in the plant business. Currently, she works for a veterinary distribution company, selling pharmaceuticals and supplies in the Northeast. Tammy shares a blog with critique partner Nike Chillemi. There you can find information about the world of writing along with personal interest articles. Yes, writers have lives too. They just need to be reminded of that sometimes! Visit the blog and here to learn more about life in small town Massachusetts - the setting of her current works. 

Learn more about Tammy on her website.

Some Amazon Reviews:

scombs - See all my reviews

Verified Purchase

This review is from: She's Mine: A Mystique of Naultag novel (Kindle Edition)

I read this book in 2 days. I usually avoid romance novels as I find them to be boring. However this book was fast paced and full of enough action to keep my interest all the way to the end. I also enjoyed reading about places and events of the local area which I could recognize throughout the novel. Excellent job Tammy!

Connie L. Winters (Central MA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: She's Mine: A Mystique of Naultag novel (Kindle Edition)

Did I want to stay up until 2 am reading? NO! But the book was too good to put down. Highly recommend.

5.0 out of 5 stars Classical Mystery/Modern Energy, December 1, 2014

WOW {Warm Oven Wednesday}

A very non nutritional Valentine's Treat!

Oreo Bomb Cake:

1. Dip oreos milk
2. Line pan with them
3. Cover in Cool Whip.
4. Layer and repeat.
5. Consume

Psalm 23 Richard Jesse Watson

Book Description:  In this follow-up to his bestselling children’s book, The Lord’s Prayer, illustrator Richard Jesse Watson brings to life the beloved Psalm 23. Watson’s use of vibrant color and detailed imagery beautifully captures the essence of the comforting words of David, bringing the King James Version of Psalm 23 alive for readers young and old.

My Thoughts:  I love children's books!  And I'm loving all these sweet picture books that enable children to "view" the Word of God more visually.

The only other book that I've read that Richard Jesse Watson has illustrated is One Wintry Night by Ruth Graham Bell.  He did such a grand job with this book that I knew Psalm 23 would be grand too. And it is.

Of course, the Psalms are one of my favorite books in the Old Testament and my son had to memorize Psalm 23 when he was in second grade so I wanted this book to be visual reminder to the children I teach.

As I read this book to a class of first graders they loved it!  Not only did they love the illustrations but they loved how Psalm 23 "spoke" to them.

This is a lovely hardback book. 

It is great for a classroom or for that one child.  As an adult I love the book, too.  

It makes a great gift, too!

*This book was provided for review by BookLook*

Another book to check out:

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Zonderkidz (February 5, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310727847
• ISBN-13: 978-0310727842

Love Never Fails (The Homeward Journey, Book 3) by Martha Rogers

Book Description:  At odds over their beliefs and separated by the war, Molly and Stefan must learn to depend of God.

In book three of the Homeward Journey series, Daniel and Sally Delaney’s daughter Molly finishes school and returns to her home to teach. When old friends of her parents come for a visit with their son, Stefan, Molly is attracted to the young man, but all he is interested in is talking about his position in the army. When he leaves to rejoin his regiment, Molly is both relieved and saddened. Can they overcome their differences and find love?

My Thoughts: Love Never Fails, by Martha Rogers is the third book in The Homeward Journey series.

I have read all three and I must admit that Martha's writing gets better with each book.  

I truly enjoyed the story of Molly, Daniel and Sally's daughter.  This is not a typical love story...love seems like a long road of many disappointments.  

Molly has a keen dislike for guns and war.  The handsome young man, Stefan, that Molly has admired for years is in the military.  Stefan thinks that his uniform and military position will make Molly admire him.

Just like real life, people are sometimes "thrown together" in a social setting and like each other.  But as life would have it, the couple has too many different opinions/thoughts to get together romantically.  Since Molly and Clarissa are good friends and Molly has liked Stefan, Clarissa's brother, Molly goes to meet Clarissa's husband, Andrew, and there is Stefan, too.  

Molly does think that Stefan is handsome in his military uniform but she feels that killing is a horrible sin!  

An interesting thought about defending one's country.  Will love ever come to these two?  How do people overcome "big" obstacles in their relationships?  This story is aptly named for Love Never Fails!

This is the last book in the series.  If you haven't read the other two then you'll need to read those, too.  

This series is a "family" series.  It begins with the grandparent's story, then the parent's story, and now the grandchild's story.

• Series: The Homeward Journey (Book 3)
• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Realms (November 4, 2014)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1621366472
• ISBN-13: 978-1621366478

{Kregel Blog Tour} The Abbot's Agreement (The Chronicles of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon #7) by Mel Starr

Book Description:  My life would have been more tranquil in the days after Martinmas had I not seen the crows. Whatever it was that the crows had found lay in the dappled shadow of the bare limbs of the oak, so I was nearly upon the thing before I recognized what the crows were feasting upon. The corpse wore black.Master Hugh is making his way towards Oxford when he discovers the young Benedictine - a fresh body, barefoot - not half a mile from the nearby abbey. The abbey's novice master confirms the boy's identity: John, one of three novices. But he had gone missing four days previously, and his corpse is fresh. There has been plague in the area, but this was not the cause of death: the lad has been stabbed in the back. To Hugh's sinking heart, the abbot has a commission for him . . . 

My Thoughts: The Abbot's Agreement is the seventh book in the Chronicles of Hugh de Singleton and I've read them all!  

This is not my normal reading material.  But every once in awhile I like to read "outside my comfort zone."  

I like the way Mel Starr writes....his writings/stories remind of the way Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote Sherlock Holmes. Interesting and amusing at times.

There is no high drama, no fast action or political intrigue but oddly enough this is quite an interesting story.  The way they lived in the medieval  Benedictine monastery and the ways the Black Death affected the lives of those so long ago. 

Hugh is on his way to Oxford to buy a Bible, quite a luxury in these days, when he stumbles up on the dead monk whose body has been eaten by crows.   

The Abbot commissions Hugh to solve the murder...his payment will be a Bible.  

Hugh begins his search for the murderer and uncovers more than he bargained for...blasphemy in the monastery and it seems the monks have quite a few sins of the flesh.

An interesting murder mystery and a good read.  {not a read all mystery fans would enjoy, though}.

*This book was provided for review by Kregel Publications*

• Series: Chronicles of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon (Book 7)
• Paperback: 252 pages
• Publisher: Lion Fiction; 1st New edition edition (October 8, 2014)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1782641092
• ISBN-13: 978-1782641094

Sketch!: The Non-Artist's Guide to Inspiration, Technique, and Drawing Daily Life by France Belleville-Van Stone

Book Description:  An inspirational manual for integrating sketching into daily life for artists and non-artists alike. 

     Urban sketching--the process of sketching on the go as a regular practice--is a hot trend in the drawing world. In this aspirational guide, French artist France Belleville-Van Stone offers motivation to move beyond the comfort zone, as well as instruction on turning rough sketches into finished work. By sharing her own creative process, which includes sketching by hand and digitally, Belleville-Van Stone emboldens readers to craft a method of their own and devote more time to art, even if it's just 10 minutes a day. Sketch will inspire artists both established and aspiring to rethink their daily practice, sketch for the pure joy of it, and document their lives and the world around them.

My Thoughts:  I've always been interested in sketching or drawing; however, I can't seem to "get it."  I'm a crafty person and can decorate and place colors together but this sketching/drawing "thing" just never came to me.  

Well, this year  I am determined to learn but don't have the time to go to a class so when I saw this book Sketch!: The Non-Artist's Guide to Inspiration, Technique, and Drawing Daily Life by France Belleville-Van Stone I knew this was my chance!

Also, the title caught my attention:  The Non-Artist's Guide to Inspiration, Technique, and Drawing Daily Life...well, that's me...a non-artist.

This book does delve into the art/drawing instruction (and there are some great pointers/instructions).  The book is more about (don't laugh) making mistakes.  Yes, getting out paper and pencil/pen and sketching!  Make mistakes!  Go back and redo!  Love it!  Kind.of.like.life!  Make mistakes and then do better!  Learn, learn, learn!

I love this quote from the book, “If talent exists, my definition of it is this: it is the capacity to spend innumerable hours doing something and believe that somehow it matters. And perhaps if somehow God had a hand in it, it was in planting that tenacity in us.”

And yes, I've made some progress...I think I'll keep referencing this book and keep Sketching!

*This book was provided for review by Waterbrook/Multonmah*

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill (November 4, 2014)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385346093
• ISBN-13: 978-0385346092
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 0.5 x 9 inches

WOW {Warm Oven Wednesday}

• All Recipes has a wonderful, quite tasty Hobo Stew that's great for these January days!

  

  Ingredients 

• 1 tablespoon of oil
• 1 cup of chopped onion
• 1/2 cup of chopped mixed sweet and hot peppers
• 1/2 cup of celery
• 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
• 1-1/2 pounds of ground beef
• 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour
• 1-1/2 cups of beef stock or broth
• 3 (11.5 ounce) cans of original or spicy V-8, or tomato juice
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can of diced tomatoes
• 2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 cups of fresh diced carrots (about 2 large)
• 2 cups of corn
• 2 cups of cut green beans
• Dash of Worcestershire sauce
• Couple dashes of hot sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning, optional
• 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste
• 
  
• Instructions:
  
  In the bottom of a Dutch oven or other heavy pot, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onion, peppers and celery; cook and stir until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and ground beef, cook and stir until meat is browned and cooked through. Drain off excess fat. Sprinkle meat with flour; cook and stir for 3 minutes. Add the beef stock, V-8 juice and diced tomatoes. Stir in the potatoes, carrots, corn and green beans. Add Worcestershire, hot sauce and seasonings to taste. Stir, cover and simmer over medium to medium low (low bubble) for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, or until veggies are tender, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
  
  Hobo stew can be served as is, or spooned over rice or mashed potatoes. Serve with hot cornbread, biscuits or rolls.