Book Spotlight: Tarnished Halos by Linda McDonald Davis

Okay.... so I can't in good conscience actually review this book. The reason... well, I happen to know the author. Not like I know other authors, as in this author put my grandmother in her book. (Yep... you should look for a reference to Olive Oyl, Popeye's girlfriend) and may or may not have bought a Christmas ornament for me. My mother refers to her as Aunt Lin.... Yes, all these are reasons why this book would not get an unbiased review. But I can spotlight it! This book is Oops, almost started reviewing there again...

A book about "Miss Lydia" and her journey through teacher college and her teaching years, Tarnished Halos is 245 pages worth of little stories combined into one. Well, I'd better just give you the official run-down here, huh?

Lydia stood on the steps of SHS reminiscing about her school days. Her long hair cascaded down her back like a shawl thrown loosely about her shoulders. Although never aspiring to being a teacher she found that she fell passionately in love with teaching, in spite of herself. Comfort "Miz Lizzy" when her entire fourth grade disappears and gasp as Bobby falls from the classroom window. Your heart will break to learn that two of Lydia's angels have life threatening diseases.

Why is Lydia holding a gun when the principal is shot? Ready for thrills? Follow "Miz Lizzy" back through time.

Waiting-On-Wednesday: Out of the Ordinary by Jen Turano

Jen Turano is by far and away one of the funniest authors I've ever encountered. Her works are filled with a humor that is borderline ridiculous, in the best possible way. Out of the Ordinary releases in November and I can't wait to see what kind of laughs she'll bring.

About

"With all the charm of a Regency romance, the humor of a drawing room farce, and the swoonworthy delight of a fairy tale, Turano's first Apart From the Crowd historical absolutely sparkles."--Publishers Weekly on Behind the Scenes
Working as a paid companion may be quite commonplace, but Miss Gertrude Cadwalader's eccentric employer makes her job unpredictable, to say the least. She finds herself carrying out an array of highly unusual tasks, including wearing peculiar outfits and returning items the woman pilfered. But when the wealthy Mrs. Sinclair catches Gertrude sneaking around the Sinclair yacht with some of the missing items in her possession, she immediately jumps to the wrong conclusion.

Shipping magnate Harrison Sinclair is caught in the middle of a misunderstanding between his mother and Gertrude, but he can't help coming to his friend's defense. Even as he hopes their friendship might become something more, Harrison is unprepared for the outlandish escapades that seem to follow the lovely, anything-but-ordinary Gertrude at every turn.

Jen Turano is the USA Today bestselling author of nine books and lives in a suburb of Denver, Colorado. Visit her website at www.jenturano.com.

Waiting-On-Wednesday is hosted at Breaking The Spine.

Recipe: Pumpkin Bundt Cake

*Original recipe from Buns In My Oven*

I found this recipe in August and modified it a little. I love it. Here's what you'll need.

For the cake:

1 Box yellow cake mix

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

1 can pumpkin

1/4 cup water 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 eggs

For the Glaze:

4 tablespoons butter

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk



Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour bundt pan.

Mix all the cake ingredients together for 2 minutes on high, or until it's all combined and smooth.

Bake for 40-50 minutes. (I always do 40)

Let cool in pan 15 minutes. Flip onto cake plate, and finish cooling.


For the glaze, brown butter on low. (It takes forever!)

In small bowl, whisk in milk and powdered sugar.

Pour glaze over cake.



I hope you enjoy this recipe. It's pretty simple and very yummy, also super moist. I don't do recipes often on here, but this one is practically begging to be shared with the world!

Here's a picture of one I did. Not the greatest pic, forgive me!

Waiting-On-Wednesday: Death at Thorburn Hall by Julianna Deering

Julianna Deering writes wonderful mysteries that put me in the mood for a good British period drama, like Poirot.

This book comes out in November.

About

Investigating a suspicious accident leads Drew on a path that points to international intrigue and ever-growing danger
Drew Farthering arrives in idyllic Scotland for the 1935 British Open at Muirfield, hoping for a relaxing holiday with his wife, Madeline, and friend Nick. But death meets him once again when Lord Rainsby, their host at Thorburn Hall, is killed in a suspicious riding accident--only days after confiding in Drew his fears that his business partner was embezzling funds.

Thorburn Hall is filled with guests, and as Drew continues to dig, he realizes that each appears to have dark motives for wanting Rainsby out of the way. Together with Madeline and Nick, he must sort through shady business dealings, international intrigue, and family tensions to find a killer who always seems to be one step ahead.

LitFuse Tour: Know the Word Study Bible (KJV)

Okay guys, surprise post! I've had every post in October scheduled for months, except this one. I was so blessed to get on this tour. Here are some of my thoughts on this study Bible. (I'm not even going to think of this as a review, much less call it one. That seems a bit.... not good.) Anywho... I love this Bible. It has three different methods of study in it. Book by Book, Verse by Verse, and Topic by Topic. The only one I haven't done yet is the book by book and that's cause I'm in the middle of a book and don't want to switch swap and hop in the middle. I love the verse by verse method because then I can get a better understanding of some of the terms in the Bible, and also go to other references that have the same theme happening that might shed some light on the meaning of the passage. The topic by topic is also really good. There is a paragraph at different Scriptures to read that match up with certain verses and it just makes really good application. I love all the notes in this Bible. I use it to make the devotionals for my kiddos at work, and I use it in Hermeneutics class, which is a blessing, and I use it for... okay, for everything except church. I use my other Bible for class. I love the studies, I love the layout, I love the pages, I love the color scheme, and I love the smell. I just love this Bible. I would recommend this for sure.

I received this product for free from LitFuse.

Features include:

-King James Version Bible text
-Three easy approaches to study the Bible: 1. Book by Book; 2. Verse by Verse; 3. Topic by Topic
-Insightful introductions for each book of Scripture
-Words of Jesus in red
-Beautiful two-color interior page design
-Comprehensive list of theological notes
-Concordance
-Full-color maps
-8-point type size

About the publisher:

In business since 1798, Thomas Nelson is one of the oldest Bible publishers in the world and the largest publisher of the King James Version. Their mission is to inspire the world by using our talents, assets, opportunities, and influence to engage and equip people with Scripture and draw people to a deeper study and understanding of God's Word.

Find out more about Thomas at https://www.thomasnelsonbibles.com.

 Thomas Nelson's 'KJV Know The Word Study Bible' Kindle Fire Giveaway

 http://bit.ly/2xzx9HG

That was an odd post to write, it was a little difficult to put it into words, but I hope you enjoy. What's your favorite Bible? I'd love to hear from you. Sound off in the comments. Thanks for reading. You guys are treasures!

Mini Review: Something Blue by Mona Hodgson

In this fourth and final novella in the Heirloom Brides collection, Darla comes back to her hometown to face her past, and destroy a diary she wrote years ago. She also wants to find the blue pin that her grandmother left her. During her nursing duties she meets single dad of three, Nicholas. The characters in this book were completely perfect, all of them. The backstory was well mixed. Again, I saw we were getting close to the end and I was a little scared that we'd be rushed. It was a little ittsy bit, but not enough to bug me. With only a few pages over 100, I'm once again shocked at how complete this story was. As with all of the novellas in this collection, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I'm giving this story, and by extension, the whole set, 5 stars for it's wonderful casts and settings and sweet romances and inspirational plots.

P.S. If you were wondering, I've always dreamed of an October/autumn wedding. That's why I decided to do this this month.

Mini Review: Something Borrowed by Kim Vogel Sawyer

The third novella in the Heirloom Bride collection surprised me by its Mennonite hero. (Who of course fell for Clara... a non-Mennonite heroine) I wasn't expecting the "borrowed neighbor" to be Mennonite. I liked it. It was a bit of a shake-up. At 100 pages flat, this is the shortest of the set. I saw that there were only 25 pages left, and I had to admit, I was bracing myself for a rushed ending. Unnecessary! I'm not sure how she did it... but do it she did! How these authors are getting such lovable, well-rounded, well-written characters into such a short story is beyond me. Rowdy was another sweet touch for this one. I enjoyed seeing Titus conquer Clara's walled-in heart, with God's help of course. Another 5 star story. I'm liking how this is going. Only one more story to go! Come back day after tomorrow for Something Blue.

Mini Review: Something New by Joanne Bischof

The second book in the Heirloom Brides collection is set in the Blue Ridge mountains.... so you know it already had a big something in it's favor! Wren has waited four long years for her best friend Tate to come back from... well, wherever it is he went. Now he's back, and Wren finds that she can't keep her heart from beating faster around him. Something New was barely more than 100 pages, but once again the story wasn't rushed, and there was a surprising amount of backstory worked in and throughout the story. I don't think an extra 230 pages would have made this story any better! The characters were endearing, the setting perfect, and the romance sweet. Plus, I got to see a few familiar Norwegian words like Takk, which was so exciting! (It's a side effect of bingeing the Blessing books by Lauraine Snelling) I'm giving this novella 5 stars as well, keeping the average for the entire set at a 5 also! Stay tuned for Something Borrowed and Something Blue.

Mini Review: Something Old by Tracey Bateman

This novella is the first in the Heirloom Bride Collection. The stories are (adorably) called Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue. Over the next few days I want to put mini reviews up for each of these.

In Something Old, Betsey is forced to find a job to pay off her Pops's bills and support herself. Stuart is the storekeeper's son, and the two have been frenemies since childhood. Now Stuart has come into possession of the watch that Betsey has been promised as a wedding legacy. Clocking in (that was a weird term to use. Whatever...) at a little more than 100 pages, I was shocked at how complete this story was. I didn't feel rushed or that anything was missing. The characters were incredibly well developed and just plain awesome, especially considering the very limited space. I loved Something Old, and can't wait to finish the rhyme! So far this collection is getting 5 stars.

Waiting-On-Wednesday: A Song Unheard by Roseanna M White

I just finished A Name Unknown, the first in the Shadows Over England series, and I cannot wait to see what happens next in this series. Book 2 comes out in January, but I can't see how it can be any better than book 1. You really need to add Roseanna to your favorite authors list.

About

Willa Forsythe is both a violin prodigy and top-notch thief, which makes her the perfect choice for a crucial task at the outset of World War I--to steal a cypher from a famous violinist currently in Wales.

Lukas De Wilde has enjoyed the life of fame he's won--until now, when being recognized nearly gets him killed. Everyone wants the key to his father's work as a cryptologist. And Lukas fears that his mother and sister, who have vanished in the wake of the German invasion of Belgium, will pay the price. The only light he finds is meeting the intriguing Willa Forsythe.

But danger presses in from every side, and Willa knows what Lukas doesn't--that she must betray him and find that cypher, or her own family will pay the price as surely as his has.

Review: October Song by Beverly Lewis

From newlyweds Katie and Dan living in the shadow of the shunning, to Rachel and Philip embracing parenthood even as he acclimates to Amish life as an outsider... From the courtship of Lydia Cottrell and Levi King, her betrothed, to Sarah Cain, now a wife and mother struggling to bridge her own life with that of the People... October Song is overflowing with the simpler things of life that make a Lewis novel an in forgettable journey into the depths of the human heart.



I'm giving this book 5 stars.

1: First of all... this doesn't actually further any stories. Not really. It does give a lot of background information, and other things that have been missed. But... you don't leave October... so don't expect a lot of movement.

2: But seriously, if all authors wrote extended epilogues to their different trilogies, my life would be so exciting. I had read the Katie Lapp books, and the Postcard duo, so I was soooooo excited to read more of them. I hadn't read The Redemption of Sarah Cain, but now I want to so bad. She has earned her place in my heart. I love how all three series seem to tie in together so nicely, without being dependent on each other.

3: Honestly, I am so ready for fall, and this book was just the thing to tide me over. With fall goodies, fall scents, fall colors, fall everything.... this book was just what I needed. And it isn't that long! So yay!

4: This book has so many different people views. English living with Amish, Amish-turned-English-turned Mennonite, Old Order Amish, English seeker-turned-New Order Amish. It really shows all the different.... well, everything!

Honestly.... I wasn't sure what to put as a 5th point.... it's difficult tonight, so I'm going to break the rules and only do 4 points. I did make them fairly long points. (Well, some of them at least.) Happy October!