A Cowboy's Touch...

....is a MUST READ book!

I just finished it this afternoon (after Ri left my house - our visit was way too short!)

Here is the cover of said book:

Pretty right?!
Here is the synopsis:
Abigail is just in Moose Creek, Montana for the summer to temporarily care for her great aunt. But a tender-hearted cowboy beckons her to stay.
Abigail Jones intends to spend just one summer in middle-of-nowhere Montana with her Aunt Lucy. Time away from her job is just what Abigail needs to reassess her life. The slow pace has her breathing deeply for the first time in years. And the majestic scenery encourages her to get reacquainted with herself . . . and God.
What she didn't count on was the handsome widowed cowboy who owns the ranch where her aunt lives. When the rancher loses his daughter's nanny, Abigail decides to lend a hand for the summer.
Wade Ryan can't help being attracted to Abigail. But he's given up everything to protect his daughter, and he's not about to risk it all on a pretty face.
Under Abigail's care, Wade's home and daughter thrive. And with Wade's touch, Abigail's heart feels at home at last. But Abigail knows this elusive rancher is hiding something. Will her own secrets separate her from the cowboy who finally captured her heart?

My Recent Reads…

I am quite an avid reader. I absolutely love to read, books are the best gifts and the best entertainment in the world. I got four for Christmas, as most of you already know.

Here are some of the books I’ve read:

Doctor in Petticoats, Wrangler in Petticoats, Montana Rose, and The Husband Tree, all by Mary Connealy.

Serendipity by Cathy Marie Hake.

Within My Heart by Tamera Alexander.

Blink, House, and The Boneman’s Daughters by Ted Dekker.

Head in the Clouds by Karen Witemeyer.

Embers of Love and Twilight’s Serenade by Tracie Peterson.

An Uncertain Dream by Judith Miller.

What am I reading now? :

Kiss by Ted Dekker and Erin Healy and Sharpshooter in Petticoats by Mary Connealy.

What am I going to read next?:

Saint, Showdown and Sinner by Ted Dekker and anything else I can smuggle from Lyssa’s ever growing Library. She is ever so lucky to work in a Christian book store!

A Choppy & Random Post.

Bee is going to the beach with a friend this weekend. She is leaving tomorrow afternoon.

I am about to take that mid-term exam. Yay.

I am going to make a circle skirt soon. It will be teal and white.

My puppy is sleeping better and getting more energetic. In turn I am getting my sleep back!

Summer camp is starting on Monday. Next week is the half-day-camp. And then there is a 3 week break before camp really starts!

I am reading "The Silent Governess" by Julie Klassen. It's good so far.

I am getting really good at the drums on Guitar Hero! lol.

I drove for the first time by myself today!!!! So exciting!

I will post lyrics another time. :)

RIAH CAME YESTERDAY!!!!!!!

We talked and talked and talked. And ordered pizza - I made her do it this time. lol. We had a wonderful time - but now I am going to instant message her - so I'll blog more another time! G'night!

A book that hits home!

I am reading "Maid to Match" by Deeanne Gist right now, and it is set in Asheville, NC. I used to live there so reading this book hits home for me. :)

It makes me wanna go for a trip...

I recommend this book! It is great!

Beguiled.

I just finished reading a book called "Beguiled" by Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand. AMAZING!
I highly recommend it. The story is so capturing. Suspense...romance...mystery.
I wish it didn't end! But it did and now I have to move onto a new book. :( - :) It's a bittersweet feeling. lol. Leaving behind such a good story and the characters... *sigh*
I will definitely read it again!

Here's the description to "Beguiled"

In the shadows of Charleston, someone is watching her
Rylee Monroe, a dogwalker in Charleston's wealthiest neighborhood, never feared the streets at night. But now a thief is terrorizing the area and worse, someone seems to be targeting her.
Reporter Logan Woods is covering the break-ins with the hope of publishing them as a true-crime book. The more he digs, the more he realizes this beguiling dogwalker seems to be at the center of everything.
As danger draws ever closer, Logan must choose: Chase the girl, the story, or plunge into the shadows after the villain who threatens everything?

The next book I am going to read is "Mornings Refrain" book 2 in the "Songs of Alaska" series by Tracie Peterson!

There once was a chicken...

Once upon a time, in a land not so far away...
...there was a chicken.
I named her Essie Spreckelmeyer.
The end.

(Read "Courting Trouble" and "Deep in the Heart of Trouble" by Deeanne Gist and you will understand why I chose that name. Maybe.)

Right now in my life I am...

1. Thinking about what to wear tomorrow.
2. Thinking about what I want to have for lunch tomorrow.
3. Thinking that I should go get in the shower.
4. Thinking too much and not acting.
5. Thinking that this weekend, though good, has gone by too fast.
6. Thinking about Riah and Becky (and their whole family).

I...

1. Just finished playing the wii with my family.
2. Finished reading "A Love To Last Forever" book 2 in the Brides of Gallatin County series by Tracie Peterson. (About four hours ago) :D (Highly recommended)
3. Started reading "A Dream To Call My Own." book 3 in the Brides of Gallatin County by Tracie Peterson. (Highly recommended too)
4. Folded my laundry and did dishes.

Going to go do more acting than thinking now.

Let's hope this week goes smoothly and doesn't feel forever long. :)

Cheerio!

A Book That Is A Must!

I have read this book five times. I am currently working on the sixth time. It is seriously that good!
Deeanne Gist is my favorite author...well one of. I have many. :)
"The Measure of a Lady" is one of the books that got me going on my three-book-a-week reading life. My reading pace had slowed down to a screeching halt around Fall and up till now. It is still slow, but, hey, I am reading something!
Lemme just say that my mom was super happy to have one of her daughters enjoy books as much as she does. :) It is so awesome how a story can bring a smile to my face. They can be so inspiring. The characters become real people to me. They are friends!
Okay, I'll stop going on and on now. Here is the description for the book:

Rachel van Buren arrives in Gold Rush San Francisco with two wishes: to protect her younger siblings and to return east as soon as possible. Both goals prove more difficult than she could imagine as her brother and sister are lured by the city's dangerous freedom and a missionary-turned-gambler stakes a claim on her heart. Rachel won't give up without a fight though, and soon all will learn an eloquent but humorous lesson about what truly makes a lady.

Speak Politely. Even when you're the only respectable woman around, protesting the decadence of a city lost to gold fever.
Dress Modestly. Wear your sunbonnet at all times. Ensure nobody sees your work boots muddied by the San Francisco streets.
Remain Devoted to Family. Protect your siblings from the lures of the city, even against their wishes.
Stand Above Reproach. Most difficult when a wonderful man turns out to be a saloon owner.
Rise Above Temptation. No, not even just a little kiss . . .
When these rules become increasingly difficult to uphold,can Rachel Van Buren remain a beacon of virtue in a city of vice?

Going to go eat dinner now,

Randomness Wednesday!

I don't have much on my mind. I have been reading "A Hope Beyond" book two in the "Ribbons of Steel" series by Tracie Peterson and Judith Pella. I just put it down a minute ago to do this post before I have to go to sleep. :-)
So, here is what/who I am thinking about:

• The book
• Carolina
• James
• Victoria
• Virgina
• What's goin' to happen next?!
• My sister

Time to explain. (Not in too much detail...wouldn't wanna ruin the book for anyone..)

• The book: I'm reading it...need I say more?
• Carolina: She is the main character, mostly, for this story. She just made a very HUGE decision...
• James: He is just awesome! If he was a real person...I would want to meet him.
• Victoria: A cute little girl! She is about to receive some bad(ish) news... she is only five years old.
• Virgina: Oh goodness! This woman is impossible! I won't say anymore about her!
• What's goin' to happen next?!: I can't wait to pick up the book again and find about what Carolina is going to do! What is James planning next? How will Victoria take the news? Will Virgina ever change? Will what they had hoped for ever happen??? I WANNA KNOW!!! haha.
• My sister: Her 21st birthday is on Friday! YAY!

Tomorrow I will try to blog again. Maybe I'll post more pictures! Until then it is goodnight!

Wondering (impatiently, I might add) about what's next,

Truly Amazing.

I was rereading a book called "The Inheritance" by Tamera Alexander, during the last few days. It is a wonderful book that I have read four times now.
The heroine had a lot going on in her life. Her prayer was mostly: "Break me, God, until I am wholly Yours."
When I read that single line, I paused in my reading. Break me, God, until I am wholly Yours. That is a truly amazing prayer. It is something that we should all want. To be wholly HIS! I can't think of anything better than that! God is truly amazing!
Tonight as Bee and I were doing dishes (again), we were listening to the music on our ipods. We didn't have them playing in sync, or even on the same CD. I was listening to an older Hillsong United CD called "King of Majesty," song "Everything to Me."
(You can look it up on You Tube or something.)
As I listened to this song, the lyrics changed from a song to a prayer for me. Jesus, You're everything to me! ... And I will never stop praising You for all the things You've done for me, and I'll be Yours forever - Jesus You're EVERYTHING to me!
Here are the two words in which I can describe this...: Truly Amazing!

Much love and knee-slappin' laughs,

Maid to Match!

Deeanne Gist is in my top four favorite authors list. She has written and published five novels so far and has two new ones in the process of being written.
Here are a list of her books in order:

• A Bride Most Begrudging
• The Measure of a Lady
• Courting Trouble
• Deep in the Heart of Trouble (continuation of Courting Trouble)
• A Bride in the Bargain

I have read all of them. Multiple times. When it comes to writing, Deeanne Gist does a wonderful job at it!

Her new books that will both be coming out in 2010 are:

• Beguiled (release date: January '10)
• Maid to Match (release date: June '10)

Maid to Match is the one I am especially excited about because it is a story set in the Biltmore Estate in the mountains of North Carolina! I used to go there sometimes when I was little. I can imagine how wonderful the story will be!

Maid to Match

"Sparkling Historical Romance from Bestselling Author Deeanne Gist
From the day she arrives at the Biltmore, Tillie Reese is dazzled--by the riches of the Vanderbilts and by Mack Danvers, a mountain man turned footman. When Tillie is enlisted to help tame Mack's rugged behavior by tutoring him in the ways of refined society, the resulting sparks threaten Tillie's efforts to be chosen as Edith Vanderbilt's lady's maid. But the stakes rise even higher when Mack and Tillie become entangled in a cover-up at the town orphanage. They could both lose their jobs...and their hearts."

Sounds delightful doesn't it?!