• Recipe Book
    Books,  Recipes

    (Cook)Book Review: Breakfast in Texas

    BREAKFAST IN TEXAS by Terry Thompson-Anderson Genre: Cookbook / Southwest Cuisine Publisher: The University of Texas Press Date of Publication: April 18, 2017 Number of Pages: 312 Scroll down for Giveaway!     Texans love the morning meal, whether it’s bacon and eggs (often eaten in a breakfast taco) or something as distinctively nontraditional as saag paneer omelets, pon haus, or goat curry. A Lone Star breakfast can be a time for eating healthy, or for indulging in decadent food and drink. And with Texas’s rich regional and cultural diversity, an amazing variety of dishes graces the state’s breakfast and brunch tables. The first Texas cookbook dedicated exclusively to the…

  • book review,  Books

    Blog Tour: Before the Rain Falls

    Before the Rain Falls opens as one of the main characters, Della Lee is convicted of murder – in 1943. The second chapter brings us to present day – on her first day home from prison. Curious? You should be, and I’m joining up with Lone Star Book Blog to bring you a change to win one of three signed copies of this amazing book which is making my list of must-reads for 2017. So join me! BEFORE THE RAIN FALLS by CAMILLE DI MAIO   Genre: Women’s Fiction / Historical / Family Publisher: Lake Union Publishing Date of Publication: May 16, 2017 Number of Pages: 334 Scroll down for Giveaway! After…

  • Dog's way
    book review,  Books

    Book Review: A Dog’s Way Home

    Review If you’ve read author W. Bruce Cameron’s previous dog-centric books (A Dog’s Journey, A Dog’s Purpose), you know that he is a master at both tugging on our heartstrings and telling a wonderful story from the perspective of a dog. In his newest novel, A Dog’s Way Home once again finds that sweet spot of humor, emotion and drama as Bella’s story unfolds and captures the love, devotion and personality of this sweet dog. You’ve heard stories of dogs traveling hundreds of miles to find their beloved owners – now we get to see it from the unique perspective of the dog herself as she tries to get home to her Lucas…

  • Deep Extraction
    book review,  Books

    Blog Tour & Book Excerpt: Deep Extraction

    Are you a fan of mysteries/police procedurals? Then read on, because today I’m joining up with Lone Star Lit for another Lone Star Book Blog Tour. Today I’m even featuring an excerpt from DiAnn Mills’ newest novel, Deep Extraction! While this is part of her FBI Task Force series, it works well as a stand-alone. DEEP EXTRACTION   An FBI Task Force Novel, Book 2 by By DiAnn Mills Genre: Contemporary / Mystery / Christian Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers Date of Publication: April 4, 2017 Number of Pages: 413   Scroll down for Giveaway!   A pacemaker should have saved oil and gas magnate Nathan Moore’s life. Instead, it provided his…

  • book review,  Books

    Book Review: Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

    Review Dark Matter by Blake Crouch came out today in paperback, and if you haven’t read it yet – I’m going to tell you about it as best I can without TELLING you about it. (And also – WHY haven’t you read it yet?) This is one of those books that is a tightrope scenario for reviewers – we have to tread carefully, because if you give too much away, it spoils ALL the fun. And I wouldn’t want to do that. I want your mind blown as much as mine was. In fact, just avoid ANY AND ALL reviews that talk even a smidgen about the plot line. They are the…

  • Gone without a Trace
    book review,  Books

    Blog Tour and Giveaway: Gone Without A Trace

    Review   This book was a page turner! Hannah returns from a conference with good news, only to discover her boyfriend Matt is gone. And not just moved out, but GONE. As in, no trace of him anywhere – not in the house, in her photos on her phone, on social media – he’s even left his job. He’s simply GONE – and without a single trace. As you would, Hannah has questions. HOW can every trace of him disappear? What happened? Had he been planning this? Why? And so of course, as I would, she begins to search for clues, and the deeper she digs, the less sense some things begin…

  • grave tender
    book review,  Books

    Book Blog Tour: The Grave Tender

    This week I’m once again joining up with #LoneStarLit for a book blog tour for The Grave Tender. We’ve got an amazing giveaway, so be sure to enter for a chance to win the book and more!!! THE GRAVE TENDER by By Eliza Maxwell   Genre: Women’s Fiction / Psychological Suspense Publisher: Lake Union Publishing Date of Publication: April 11, 2017 Number of Pages: 248 Scroll down for Giveaway! A chilling psychological suspense novel, The Grave Tender explores the dark boundaries people cross to save loved ones, and the limits of family bonds tested by the deepest of betrayals.   Endless questions from a shadow-filled East Texas childhood haunt Hadley…

  • Foy
    Books,  Reviews

    Reviewing Foy: On the Road to Lost

    FOY:ON THE ROAD TO LOST by GORDON ATKINSON   Genre: Literary Fiction Publisher: Material Media LLC Facebook  I  Twitter Date of Publication: March 1, 2017 Number of Pages: 194   Scroll down for Giveaway! Gordon Atkinson, of the popular blog RealLivePreacher, brings us Foy, a recently- divorced, recently-resigned pastor in the midst of redefining personal meaning. As Foy travels to New Orleans, hoping to find a new identity separate from the church, he keenly observes the everyday, rendering ordinary moments unexpectedly significant. Atkinson’s own background as a preacher and blogger inspires Foy’s confessional voice, the voice which characterizes this story about how our own experiences impact the universal search for…

  • bear nightingale
    book review,  Books

    Book Review: The Bear and the Nightingale

    This book…oh, this book.  Magical, rich, and lyrical, this book was just gorgeous. Who says fairy tales are for kids? I didn’t want this one to end. The Bear and the Nightingale is one of those finds that make me appreciate the diverse array of books and authors that NetGalley introduces to me, because this is a gem. Curious? Read on… Genre: Literary Fiction   Publisher: Del Rey Books   Release Date: January 10, 2017   Pages: 336   Synopsis At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings,…

  • fishbowl
    Books

    Book Review: Life in a Fishbowl

    I’ve spent most of the past week reading, and several of the best books I’ve read all year were those read over this weekend. Len Vlahos’ upcoming release Life in a Fishbowl was one such book, read in one sitting, with eye gritty at 1 a.m., but I simply had to finish it. It just bowled me over, it was that good. Take a look at this wonderful book, due to be released on January 3, 2017: Title: Life in a Fishbowl  Author: Len Vlahos   Genre: Juvenile Fiction   Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens   Release Date: January 3, 2017   Pages: 336     Synopsis: Fifteen-year-old Jackie Stone’s father is dying. When Jackie discovers that her father has been diagnosed with…