Book Review: A Match Made in Texas

Book Description:

In Dry Gulch, Texas, 1893, a young woman with a tender heart that longs to help those in need takes it upon herself to meddle in the affairs of three acquaintances who are in dire straits. Wanting to stay anonymous, she relies on unusual methods to hire men and women of good character who she thinks can solve the problems facing her “targets.” How was she to know that her meddling would turn into a cupid’s arrow? And what will she do when her friends turn the tables on her with a matchmaking scheme of their own?
Four novellas in one volume.

Book Review:

I wanted to read this book because I'm a fan of Karen Witemeyer and wanted to know what happened to the last Archer brother. I also just read a book by Carol Cox that I liked so I was excited to see her as an author for these Novellas. Overall I liked it. It was a quick read (obviously, it's a novella) that was entertaining and fun. The content was clean. No sex, violence, or profanity. Just good old fashioned sweet kissing.
Individually I struggled with the last book Meeting Her Match. I liked Mark, the painfully shy quiet banker, but everyone else in the story really rubbed me the wrong way. I also didn't appreciate how Mark and Hannah got together. The whole town is in on it, except the two of them? Really?
A Cowboy Unmatched by Karen Witemeyer met my curiosity about Neill Archer. It was a sweet story.
An Unforseen Match by Regina Jennings threw together an almost blind woman and a man with what he thinks are ugly scars. Not my favorite, but not bad either.
No Match for Love by Carol Cox was a story with spunk! Aunt Martha is a fun down to earth character. She really made the story for me. The romance and everyone else kind of felt like side notes compared to her even though she was a minor character. I enjoyed the story though.

Title: A Match Made in Texas
Authors: Karen Witemeyer, Mary Connealy, Regina Jennings, Carol Cox
Publisher: Bethany House Publishing

Published: January 2014
ISBN: 0764211765
Source: I received an eCopy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson

Book Description: 
In the scrap towns, a day's pay depends on what you find in the Meteor fields. Storms rain down objects from other lands, and ever since Piper's father died, scavenging these odds and ends is how she lives. 

Until the day Piper hits gold.

Unconscious, lying in the fields amid the rubble of her carriage, is a girl. She's beautiful and well-dressed, and the Dragonfly tattooed on her wrist confirms that she's the most valuable thing Piper has ever stumbled across. 

The Mark of the Dragonfly means the girl is from the Dragonfly Territories, and it also means that if Piper can get her back there, she might get a reward. Enough coin that she could start a life far from the wastelands of her scrap town. 

Getting to the Dragonfly Territories isn't easy, though. The 401 train is the safest way, but Piper will have to sneak aboard, and convincing the mysterious girl to join her seems unlikely--until there's a knock on the door.

The girl is more valuable than Piper could ever have imagined. There are people who want her back. Important people. And the scary truth is, regardless of what the girl wants, these people won't stop until they have her. 

Piper wants to start a new life, but running for it isn't how she thought she'd get there. And now making it to the Dragonfly Territories looks like a race that might be impossible to finish alive.

Book Review:

 Lately it seems like if I ever get a book that I don't know anything about, from an author I know nothing about (unless it's Christian Fiction) I find stuff in the book that I don't appreciate, such as swearing or more passion than I think is appropriate. So when I saw The Mark of the Dragonfly on NetGalley I almost didn't read it, but I figured middle grade fiction should be okay. I'm so glad I decided to read it. The Mark of the Dragonfly is a mix between Cinder and Polar Express and some mythological thrown in. Okay, that maybe a poor description, but I don't know how else to describe it. As far as content is concerned it's clean. There is no language, lust, and while there is fighting and blood, it's not anything that I wouldn't mind a fifth grader and older reading. Don't think that it's just written for kids though. I convinced my husband to give it a try, and he told me he really likes it so far. It's well written and entertaining. The characters are strong, and the plot isn't completely predicable. In fact it went places I wasn't expecting at all. My only complaints are that sometimes it moved along a little quickly and all of a sudden some conflict was resolved and I was, "Oh..that was easy". Also, the ending didn't quite do it for me. I loved that it did end though. No cliff hanger, no obvious "this will have a sequel (although if it did I would love to read it)". It was just kind of...sweetness wrapped up in a little bow. I love happy endings, this one was just...I don't know. It came out of no where I guess. Those little things weren't enough to keep me from reading it again, or recommending it though.

About the Author:

JALEIGH JOHNSON is the author of three books for adults. The Mark of the Dragonfly is her first book for young readers. She lives outside of Chicago.

Title: The Mark of the Dragonfly
Author: Jaleigh Johnson
Publisher: Random House Children's

                  Delacorte BFYR

Published: Expected March 2014
ISBN: 0385376154
Source: I received an eCopy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Coming Soon: Imperfect Love by Rebecca Talley

Coming March 1, 2014

Imperfect Love by Rebecca Talley

Lauren Wilson is well on her way to her happily-ever-after. She has a career she loves, a husband she adores and a baby on the way, but a devastating diagnosis changes everything. The life she’s built suddenly crumbles around her when her husband insists she choose—the baby or him.

Returning to her small hometown to rebuild her shattered life, Lauren crosses paths with Ethan Campbell, the man who stole her teenage heart. The old attraction is still there, but Lauren won’t admit it to anyone—least of all herself. Her only priority is providing a life for her child, and she can’t afford to get it wrong. Ethan is confusing everything, including stirring up feelings she’s not prepared to face. Will she spend her life raising her baby alone or is the family she’s always wanted finally within her reach?

Goodreads

Author Rebecca Lynn Talley

Rebecca Lynn Talley grew up in the gorgeous seaside city of Santa Barbara, CA. She met, and married, her husband, Del, while attending Brigham Young University. She graduated from BYU with a degree in Communications. She currently lives in rural Colorado on a small ranch with a dog, too many cats to count, and a herd of goats. She and Del are the proud parents of ten wildly-creative, multi-talented children. Rebecca is the author of a children’s picture book, Grasshopper Pie (WindRiver 2003), a children’s chapter book, Gabby’s Secret (DuBon Publishing 2011), four novels, Heaven Scent (CFI 2008), Altared Plans (CFI 2009), The Upside of Down (CFI 2011), and Aura (DuBon Publishing 2012). She has also authored numerous children’s stories and articles for both print and online magazines. When she isn’t writing, Rebecca loves to date her husband, play with her kids, swim in the ocean, and dance to disco music while she cleans the house. She has folded at least one million loads of laundry, baked hundreds of batches of chocolate chip cookies, and eaten 5,478 gallons of ice cream.

Twitter * Facebook * Website * Blog

Giveaway Details
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 2/14/14
Bloggers who put up a spotlight post about this book on their blog can enter to win an additional $25 gift card or paypal cash. See details in the Rafflecopter.
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour: Come Alive CD by Mercy River

Review * Giveaway

 Tour Schedule

CD Review:

I was first introduced to Mercy River at a Time Out for Women conference. I loved their sound, and their humor. Have you guys heard their spoof on the N'SYNC song Bye Bye Bye? Soooo funny. Anyway, everything that I had heard from them I liked and found it to be a soft soothing Sunday sound. Their new album Come Alive has their great sound, but it is more upbeat. For me, it's a listen to during the week CD instead of a listen to on Sunday CD, although some of the songs are religious. But they have others like Walking On Sunshine that is just happy and peppy (for lack of a better word). If you like Mercy River their new album definitely won't disappoint.

On the heels of their hit album Higher, Mercy River is back with mesmerizing harmonies and upbeat vocal arrangements. Their new album features inspirational favorites and original songs that highlight the talents of this singing sisterhood: 

Sing It Out, Speak Life, How Deep the Father's Love For Us, Walk You Through the Night, Who I Am, Move, Holy Ground, Restless, Reason For the World, Walking On Sunshine

About Mercy River:

With 13 children between them, it’s amazing that Whitney Permann, Brooke Stone, and Soni Muller have time for anything other than runny noses, sock hunts, and prying suckers off the van floor. But music has been a part of each of their lives since childhood, and is now a strong presence in their homes. The three friends met while singing in the Jenny Phillips Choir and there found a common love for tight harmonies and sharing the gospel through song. Over the past five years, Mercy River has traveled all over the United States and Canada as a highly sought after ensemble, performing for thousands of people while testifying of the Savior. Each member of the group brings several years of experience performing, writing, and directing hundreds of firesides and concerts—as well as recording on dozens of inspirational albums. Their self-titled debut album was released in May 2008. “Beautiful Dawn,” was released in March of 2010. Their third album, “Higher” was released with rave reviews in February 2012. Mercy River is back with mesmerizing harmonies and upbeat vocal arrangements in “Come Alive”.

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Tour Giveaway:

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 1/26/14
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
 a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Blog Tour: Echo in Time by CJ Hill

Review * Giveaway

Tour Schedule

Book Summary: 

Echo in Time delivers on "the possibility of an equally thrilling sequel" (Kirkus Reviews) to Erasing Time.

After being pulled 400 years into the future, twins Taylor and Sheridan have found some refuge from the government of Traventon, which used the dangerous Time Strainer to yank the girls from the past. Yet the threat of the dangerous technology still looms. Taylor and an ally, Joseph, are selected to go on a mission to destroy the time machine and weapon. But their actions before they do may have major consequences for the future and the past.

Action-packed and romantic, this futuristic sequel to Erasing Time is perfect for fans of dystopian and sci-fi novels such as The Maze Runner by James Dashner, Across the Universe by Beth Revis, and Matched by Ally Condie.

Review:

I read Erasing Time just over a year ago, and was a little worried that I'd be lost reading book two so much later. However, the author did a great job of recapping over the first few chapters. 

I don't considered myself a sci-fi fan, but I've really liked this series. The time travel idea, and the crazy future depicted are intriguing. There is a lot of action in Echo in Time and the different personalities of the main characters kept their mission exciting. There were also several twists and turns that I didn't see coming that added to the excitement.

A couple of times I thought parts of the story had some great symbolism. I loved the sacrifices that were made, and the love for a wayward child. Tears came to my eyes at least once.

Although I imagine this series is going to continue, the ending of Echo in Time was satisfying-no cliffhanger that has me frustrated that there's not another book out yet.

This is a great YA series, with lots of action and a touch of romance. As always, CJ Hill writes a clean and entertaining story.

About C.J. Hill: 

CJ Hill is a pen name for a YA author who is best known for writing romantic comedies. (Slayers will be her 18th published book.) Her writing has shifted away from the romantic comedy genre, so her editor thought a pen name would be a good idea. (New books will include: dangerous dragons, time travel to dystopian worlds, and flesh-eating beetles.) Since the publisher refused to let her have the pseudonym : The Artist Formerly Referred to as Princess, she chose a name to honor her mother. CJ Hill was her mother's pen name, or at least it would have been if her mother had published. Her mother wrote a few children's books and a middle grade novel but was taken by cancer before she had fully learned the craft.

Most writers' first novels aren't publishable. CJ Junior's first novel wasn't, but somehow was published anyway. Now, even though it is out of print, it remains forever available on Amazon, where it taunts her with its badness. This was another good reason to use a pen name.

CJ Hill has five children, three of whom like her on any given day depending on who is in trouble. She has lived in Arizona for the last half of her life, but is still in desert denial and hopes that one day her garden will grow silver bells and cockle shells or maybe just tomatoes.

website/blog/goodreads/macmillan/twitter

Giveaway:

Author C.J. Hill is offering a hardcover copy of Erasing Time (Book 1) to one lucky Literary Time Out follower (U.S. Only). To enter, use the Rafflecopter form below by January 12th.


a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

Title: Echo in Time (Erasing Time #2)

Author: C.J. Hill  (Pseudonym), Janette Rallison 

Paperback, 400 pages

Expected publication: December 23rd 2013

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

ISBN: 0062123963 
Source: I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher in exchange for a review. 

Purchase: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble

Blog Tour: Death's Academy by Michael Bast

Book Description:

The Death’s Academy entrance exam for Midnight Smith is quickly approaching. There’s just one problem: Midnight is the worst exam taker the academy has ever seen. If Midnight wants to ever step foot inside the school, he’ll have to join forces with the hated Guardian Angels, and together face the deadliest creatures in the world—the dreaded Unicorns. Becoming a Grim Reaper has never been more hilarious!

Book Review:

This was a fun little book that I can't wait to read with my kids (although, I think they might need to be a little older than they are right now). I thought it was fun how things are switched in this book. How Grim Reapers aren't bad, Angels make mistakes, and Unicorns are not to be messed with. I had a bit of trouble with the formatting, but I'm hoping that since I had an advanced eCopy, all those problems would be taken care of.  It also sets itself up for a sequel, which sometimes I just wish authors would finish a book in a single book. If you are looking for the next Rick Riordan or J.K. Rowling, this book probably isn't it. But if you have some time and looking for a good time, give The Death's Academy a try.

About the Author:

Unlike Mowgli from the Jungle Book, Michael Bast was not raised by a den of wolves… it was a mob of meerkats. This has proven to be both problematic and beneficial later in life. A problem because he has an insatiable desire to tunnel in his backyard, costing him thousands of dollars in sprinkler repair. A benefit because he can scratch behind both ears with either foot.

Michael lives in the deserts of Arizona with his wife and four kids. Each day between Cinco de Mayo and Halloween he curses his decision to live in 110-degree heat.

Title: Death's Academy
Author: Michael Bast
Publisher: Cedar Fort
Published: 2013
ISBN: 978-1462113804
Source: I received an eCopy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase: Amazon

Happy New Year!

It's hard to believe another year has come and gone. Time has flown so quickly, but I didn't want this first day of 2014 to pass without a big Thank You to those who follow our blog. It wouldn't be the same without you, and we hope we're providing you with some great ideas for books to read (let us know if you there is anything else you'd like to see here).

Also, a huge Thank You to Tarah. She's my fellow contributor here at Literary Time Out, and since I went back to work, she's done so much to keep the posts coming.

I hope you all have a wonderful 2014!