Teaser Tuesday (December 25)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (MAKE SURE THAT WHAT YOU SHARE DOESN'T GIVE TOO MUCH AWAY! YOU DON'T WANT TO RUIN THE BOOK FOR OTHERS!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Book Description

Betty Kowalski isn't looking forward to the holidays. She just can't seem to find Christmas in her heart. There's church, of course. But who can she bake for these days? And who would care whether or not she pulled out the Christmas decorations? 
Her new neighbor just adds to the problem. He's doing home improvements that don't appear to be improving much of anything. These days when Betty looks out the window, she sees a beat-up truck, a pile of junk, lots of blue tarps, and--horror of horrors--an old pink toilet. 
But when a mangy dog appears at her doorstep, the stage is set for Betty to learn a very important lesson about what Christmas is all about. This contemporary Christmas story is a timely yet gentle reminder that God can work miracles through something as seemingly insignificant as a little brown dog.

My Teaser

'Betty looked out at her backyard only to see that the stupid dog was now digging in her favorite tulip bed. "I'll kill him, all right," she snapped.' - page 32

Purchase: Amazon / Christian Book /Barnes & Noble

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Merry Christmas!

Teaser Tuesday (October 30)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (MAKE SURE THAT WHAT YOU SHARE DOESN'T GIVE TOO MUCH AWAY! YOU DON'T WANT TO RUIN THE BOOK FOR OTHERS!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Book Description

After a brush with death due to equipment failure, smokejumper Alexia Allen is ordered to take time off while the incident is under investigation. She makes a last-minute decision to recuperate at her mother's home and attend her high school reunion. Yet trouble seems to be following her, and within hours of arriving home she is confronted with murder, arson--and a handsome detective.

But the conflicts ahead are nothing compared to the ghosts of her past. As she struggles to accept and forgive her family's past, she must also decide if the secret she's been guarding for the last ten years must finally come to light.

Chock-full of the suspense and romantic tension you've come to expect from Lynette Eason, When the Smoke Clears is the explosive first book in the Deadly Reunions series. 

My Teaser

"He suspected what was in the envelope. Shaky fingers opened it and pulled out the single white sheet with the block-style printed words. I KNOW." pg.17

Purchase: Amazon / Christian Book /Barnes & Noble

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Teaser Tuesday (October 16)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (MAKE SURE THAT WHAT YOU SHARE DOESN'T GIVE TOO MUCH AWAY! YOU DON'T WANT TO RUIN THE BOOK FOR OTHERS!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Book Description
Three best-selling authors. Three possible brides. Three separate tales. They come together for an Amish wedding.

Priscilla King has dreamed of being married to Chester Lapp since she was sixteen. With the help of her sister Naomi’s matchmaking skills, Chester proposes to Priscilla on her nineteenth birthday. As the wedding day approaches, problems emerge: an attendant with poison ivy, a failed celery crop, and a torn wedding dress.

At the same time, Priscilla’s best friend Rose is convinced her fiancé is hiding something and she is intent on discovering the truth at any cost.

Naomi remains hopeful that she, too, will soon find her perfect match. When Chester’s cousin shows up, there’s an immediate attraction between him and Naomi—as well as an obstacle that may just as immediately derail their blossoming love.

Is God sending a message to stop the wedding? What is certain is that the hearts of these three women will be forever transformed by this touching Amish wedding.

My Teaser

'"Hey!" she hissed, arching the light into the yard. The beam caught against a pair of  blue-jean clad legs, and she dropped the quilt and stood. "Wait!" she called. "Please."'

Purchase: Amazon / Christian Book /Barnes & Noble

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Review: The Scent of Cherry Blossoms by Cindy Woodsmall

Title: The Scent of Cherry Blossoms 

Author: Cindy Woodsmall 

Genre: Contemporary/Amish/Fiction 

Pages: 208 

Release Date: February 21, 2012 

Published by: WaterBrook Press 

Purchase: Amazon / Christian Book  

ABOUT THE BOOK

Annie Martin loves the Plain ways of her Old Order Mennonite people, like those revered by her beloved grandfather. Retreating from a contentious relationship with her mother, Annie goes to live with her Daadi Moses in Apple Ridge.  
 
But as spring moves into Pennsylvania and Annie spends time amongst the cherry trees with the handsome Aden Zook, she wishes she could forget how deeply the lines between the Old Order Amish and Old Order Mennonite are drawn.
 
Can Annie and Aden find a place for their love to bloom in the midst of the brewing storm?

About the Author:

Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times best-selling author who has written six novels, three novellas, and Plain Wisdom, a work of nonfiction coauthored with her dearest Old Order Amish friend, Miriam Flaud. She’s been featured on ABC Nightline and the front page of the Wall Street Journal, and has worked with National Geographic on a documentary concerning Amish life.

Cindy lives in Georgia with her husband, three sons, two daughters-in-law, a new granddaughter, and a dog named Jersey who wants to dominate the world, starting with the Woodsmall household.

My Review:

This is the fourth book by Cindy Woodsmall I have read; the other three were part of the Sisters of the Quilt series. I always thought I didn't like Amish fiction; but, since I've loved all four of the books I've read so far, maybe I do like it after all! :)

The Scent of Cherry Blossoms is about Aden Zook and Annie Martin. Aden and Annie have been friends for years and now are falling in love with each other, but a relationship between them is forbidden because he is Old Order Amish and she is Old Order Mennonite. 

I really enjoyed reading about Aden and Annie's budding relationship. Their story was interesting and I was curious as to how it was all going to turn out!
The side story of Aden's brother Roman was also interesting. Although at first I was a little bored when reading about him, I enjoyed his story as well and was glad with where his story seemed to be going.
I felt the ending was a bit abrupt and would have liked it better had there been an epilogue.
Overall, I really liked The Scent of Cherry Blossoms. I thought it was a quick, well-written read that I would recommend to fans of Contemporary romance and Amish fiction. 
4.5 Stars
I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group in exchange for my honest review. 
PLEASE RATE MY REVIEW:  

WWW Wednesdays (Aug. 22)

WWW Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

 I'm currently reading:

I haven't started it yet, but plan to soon.

I recently finished: 

  

Next, I think I'll read:

Teaser Tuesday (August 21)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (MAKE SURE THAT WHAT YOU SHARE DOESN'T GIVE TOO MUCH AWAY! YOU DON'T WANT TO RUIN THE BOOK FOR OTHERS!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Book Description

Annie Martin loves the Plain ways of her Old Order Mennonite people, like those revered by her beloved grandfather. Retreating from a contentious relationship with her mother, Annie goes to live with her Daadi Moses in Apple Ridge.

But as spring moves into Pennsylvania and Annie spends time amongst the cherry trees with the handsome Aden Zook, she wishes she could forget how deeply the lines between the Old Order Amish and Old Order Mennonite are drawn.

Can Annie and Aden find a place for their love to bloom in the midst of the brewing storm?

My Teaser

"He looked surprised. 'You're very s-sweet, Annie,' he half sang and half spoke. 'But sign language?' He dropped the reigns to the horse and gestured nonsense with his hands. 'Ach! Not a good idea.'"
pg. 61 in The Scent of Cherry Blossoms by Cindy Woodsmall

Purchase: Amazon / Christian Book /Barnes & Noble

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Bout of Books 5.0 Read-a-Thon Goals!

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 13th and runs through Sunday, August 19th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 5.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. -From the Bout of Books 5.0 team

TIME DEVOTED TO READING I am going to read as often as I can. MY GOALS
Read at least 700 pages

BOOKS TO READ

Update:
I wasn't able to read the number of books I had wanted to read, but I came close to my goal of 700 pages!

Books read:   


Total pages read:  634

WWW Wednesdays (Aug. 8)

WWW Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

 I'm currently reading:

Book #2 in the Sisters of the Quilt series. I'm about halfway through it and so far I'm enjoying it!

I recently finished: 

Book #1 in the Sisters of the Quilt series. This is the first book by Cindy Woodsmall I have read. It was really good! The end leaves you hanging though, so I was glad I had book #2 already! :)

  

Next, I think I'll read:

Book #3 in the Sisters of the Quilt series,

and

I got this for review and was planning to read it at the end of last month, but I started the Sisters of the Quilt series instead, so I haven't gotten around to reading it yet!

Teaser Tuesday (July 24)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (MAKE SURE THAT WHAT YOU SHARE DOESN'T GIVE TOO MUCH AWAY! YOU DON'T WANT TO RUIN THE BOOK FOR OTHERS!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Book Description

When Hannah dares to love across the boundaries of tradition, will she lose everything?

Despite being raised in a traditional Old Order Amish family, seventeen-year-old Hannah Lapp desires to break with custom, forgo baptism into the faith, and marry outside the cloistered community. She’s been in love with Mennonite Paul Waddell for three years, and before returning to college for his senior year, Paul asks Hannah to be his wife. Hannah accepts, aware that her marriage will change her relationship with her family forever.

On the evening of their engagement, tragedy strikes and in one unwelcome encounter, all that Hannah has known and believed is destroyed. As she finds herself entangled in questions that the Old Ways of her people cannot answer, Hannah faces the possibility of losing her place in her family, in her community– and in the heart of the man she loves.

When the Heart Cries is book one in the Sisters of the Quilt series.

My Teaser

She studied him for a moment before she chuckled. "Listen to your boldness. Why, I should have thrown that egg at you this morning." Paul laughed. "Too late."
 1% in When the Heart Cries by Cindy Woodsmall

Purchase: Amazon / Christian Book /Barnes & Noble

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So that's my teaser for this week! 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on it!