"Undeniably Yours" book #1 in the Porter Family Series by Becky Wade (Review & Giveaway)

About the book:  When Meg Cole's father dies unexpectedly, she's forced to return home to Texas and to Whispering Creek Ranch to take up the reins of his empire. The last thing she has the patience or the sanity to deal with? Her father's Thoroughbred racehorse farm. She gives its manager, Bo Porter, six months to close the place down.

Bo knows he ought to resent the woman who's determined to take from him the only job he ever wanted. But instead of anger, Meg evokes within him a profound desire to protect. The more time he spends with her, the more he longs to overcome every obstacle that separates them and earn her love.

Just when Meg realizes she can no longer deny the depth of her feelings for Bo, their fragile bond is broken by a force from Meg's past. Can their relationship-and their belief that God can work through every circumstance-survive?

My  thoughts: A young woman who is extremely wealthy is thrust into the world she doesn't want - a high finance world of oil and racehorses. Major shareholder. Now major decision maker. And she suffers from major panic attacks in the mix. All the money in the world isn't easing those panic attacks, but soon she finds a source that calms her panicking mind and heart and soothes her.

A lot of stuff is big in Texas. Why even the land encompassing the state is big! The panic is big. The God is big. The wealth is big. The characters are major big in character. So hold onto your seat for a sweet ride through big country as you meet Bo, Meg, and a plethora of caring folks.

You'll get a bit of suspense thrown into the mix. A rough 'n tumble Texas fight. A sweet romance without all the graphics. A good read. I invite you to see for yourself how Meg overcomes her panic attacks and how this all plays out. Book #1 in the Porter Family Series portends many good reads to come.  Who will we meet in Becky Wade's Book #2?

GIVEAWAY:  The gracious folks at Litfuse are providing one of Chat With Vera's readers the opportunity to be the recipient of a copy of Undeniable Yours. Will it be you? Begins May 22 & ENDS June 6 @ 12:01 a.m. EDT. Open to USA addresses only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: I was provided a complimentary copy of Undeniably Yours  by Litfuse Publicity Group on behalf of Bethany House a division of baker Publishing Group and the author, Becky Wade in exchange for my honest review. Opinions expressed are solely my own. I was not compensated for this review.

About the author:  Becky Wade is a graduate of Baylor University. As a newlywed, she lived for three years in a home overlooking the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, as well as in Australia, before returning to the States. A mom of three young children, Becky and her family now live in Dallas, Texas.  Visit her website at www.beckywade.com.

More reviews to read? Visit: http://litfusegroup.com/author/bwade

Strolling down memory lane

I visited these memories back in 2008 in the early days of Chat with Vera, but thought it would be nice to share some of these memories with those of you who are more recent readers.  So let's take a mini stroll down memory lane.  Grab a cup of tea or java and remember with me......

Born just prior to the US entering WWII, I remember lots of things coming about. However, I really don't remember anything about the war. Mom showed me the ration stamps that she still had and shared stories, and Dad showed me a German Luger (sp) gun my uncle brought back. I lost an uncle in the war and 2 other uncles fought in Europe.

Great G'dad, G'dad, and Dad were all shoe repairmen until Dad went into sales in order to put food on the table. The name of their shoe repair shop was The Big Ike.  I remember running all over the neighborhood, playing with other kids, doors unlocked day and night, ice cream cones as a special treat at the corner drug store, five cent cokes in a bottle, five cent ice cream cones. Yes, we had a Bijou movie theater, but it was in the wrong end of town so I couldn't go. I did go to other movies in the "better" end of town. I remember when Technicolor came to the "silver screen." No, I don't remember silent films. That was prior to my time.

We walked to town and back carrying what we bought. Mom walked to and from the grocer and carried a bag groceries in each arm home. Groceries were usually bought for that particular day.  It was a corner grocery store and not a "supermarket."  If we rode the bus, it was five cents. I remember getting the seafood market deliver our fish on Fridays. The boy came on a bicycle and the fish was wrapped in newspaper and tied with a string. It was caught that morning. just off the coast of our city in North Carolina. So good! I remember a local milk company delivering milk to our home - in fact I remember farther back - a local farmer delivered his own cow's milk to our home. Whole milk and it was so good - cream floating on the top.

I remember an old lady coming to our back door fairly regularly and asking Mom if she had any work she could do. Mom would sometimes let her "damp mop" the kitchen for a little pay; but no matter what, she would always make a plate of food for Dot so she could have a decent meal - whether or not there was any work to be done - and give her a quarter (it went a long way then) for whatever. Keep in mind, that quarters were scarce in our home. Dot would show up at the shoe repair shop, too. Dad would make sure her shoes were wearable. We were poor. But Dot was poorer.

I can remember being a teenager when TV came to town. We couldn't afford one at the time and anyway, the reception was very poor. You had to get reception from the station that was 150 miles away. You had to have an antenna on top your home that was big and several feet tall. My brother got married and moved into our upstairs apartment. He and his wife got a TV! Wow! I can remember being invited to some watch some of the programs. There was "snow" on the screen - but not so much we couldn't enjoy it. Later when our town got a station, Dad found the money for a TV! We had arrived!

My wedding pictures were in black and white. Our escape vehicle was a Ford Fairlaine 500 '57. (I think that is how it was referred to.) Of course, it was my brother's. Our vehicle was a '54 Chevy that was bought used. Most of all I remember a childhood of ring-around-the-roses, birthday cakes, chasing each other all over the neighborhood, falling from my bike onto the brick paved street, swinging from a tree-rope in the neighbor's year, riding my bike good distances from home and not having to worry about anything, China-berry (tree berries) pee-shooter fights, Merthiolate on cuts, alcohol poured over scrapes, walks to the parks and swinging from the very high swings and sliding down the big slides, chasing fireflies in front of the house while my parents and grandparents sat rocking on the front porch. I remember happiness.

I remember the ice truck. So some in the neighborhood must have had ice boxes. We had a refrigerator! Mom bought sliced bread. She baked biscuits or corn bread daily. Sometimes she fried cornmeal in patties in the iron skillet.  That was very good.  She did not make yeast bread except for rolls on special occasions. There was Monopoly, and several other board games . The Green Hornet, The Lone Ranger (I remember it coming on TV when we finally got one.), and other radio programs. We sat in my Grand Dad's bedroom around his radio to listen. Of course, we had to have already finished our homework. Sitting on the front porch in the summer after "supper." G'mama visiting from South Carolina and her giving me the "dimes" to go across the street to the corner store to get cups of chocolate ice cream. The "dime" cups were bigger than the "nickle" cups. Major treat!

I remember happiness.

"Planting the Wild Garden" by Kathryn O. Galbraith & illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin (Review & Giveaway)

Hardcover: $15.95
ISBN: 978-1-56145-563-8

About the book: Eloquent text and stunning illustrations combine to explore the many ways seeds are distributed.

A farmer and her son carefully plant seeds in their garden. In the wild garden, many seeds are planted too, but not by farmers' hands. Different kinds of animals transport all sorts of seeds, often without knowing it. Sometimes rain washes seeds away to a new and unexpected location. And sometimes something extraordinary occurs, as when the pods of Scotch broom burst open explosively in the summer heat, scattering seeds everywhere like popcorn.

Kathryn Galbraith's lyrical prose seamlessly combines with Wendy Halperin's elegant, crisp illustrations to show that many elements-some unexpected-work together through the seasons to create and sustain the wild meadow garden.

My thoughts: I love picture books for children. They are wonderful teaching tools and the opportunity they afford the child and parent to interact is tremendously rewarding to both the child and the adult. When you hold this lovely, large picture book you are immediately captivated by the illustrations reminiscent of an earlier gentler time when the illustrations of children's books were lovely, soft, gentle, and fine tuned. The beautiful watercolor and pen illustrations by Wendy Anderson Halperin are all these. Richly illustrating plants and seeds along side of the lovely critters in the wild.

A picture book is about words as well as pictures. The finely crafted text and story line that Kathryn O. Galbraith uses to tell in a simple yet powerful way the wonderful seeding of the world around us in nature by nature. Seeds exploding. Wind blowing seeds. Animals transferring seeds. It is all there. A well-crafted science lesson for the young child just beginning to grasp knowledge of the world around him.

A good combination - author Kathryn O. Galbraith and illustrator Wendy Anderson Halperin. It is not a surprise that the book they developed won a Growing Good Kids Book Award and a 2010 Parents' Choice Approved Award. I recommend this book for libraries wherever children hunt for delectable books to read.
GIVEAWAY:  The generous folks at Peachtree Publishers is offering a giveaway copy to one of Chat With Vera's readers. Just enter below using the Rafflecopter form. Begins May 18 & ENDS June 3 @ 12:01 a.m. EDT. Open to USA addresses only. 
a Rafflecopter giveaway
DISCLOSURE: A complimentary copy of Planting the Wild Garden was provided to me by Peachtree Publishers in exchange for my honest review. No compensation was provided for this review. Opinions expressed are solely my own.

Author info: Kathryn O. Galbraith is an award-winning children's book author with more than a dozen picture books to her credit, including Boo, Bunny!; Arbor Day Square; Traveling Babies; and Laura Charlotte. She teaches writing for children at the University of Washington. You can visit Kathryn O. Galbraith’s website here.

Illustrator info: Wendy Anderson Halperin is the illustrator of over twenty-five books, including Thank You, God, For Everything and Turn! Turn! Turn! She also created the award-winning project "Drawing Children into Reading." She lives in Michigan. You can visit Wendy Anderson Halperin’s website here

“Catch a Falling Star” Romantic Weekend Getaway Giveaway & June 4th Facebook Party!

Celebrate the release of Catch a Falling Star (Howard Books) with Beth K. Vogt by entering to win a Romantic Weekend Getaway and RSVPing for her June 4th Author Chat Party.

  One "lucky" winner will receive:

• A $200 Visa Cash Card (Perfect for a weekend stay at a hotel or B&B!)
• Catch a Falling Star and Wish You Were Here by Beth Vogt (Swoon-worthy!)

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 3rd. Winner will be announced at the "Catch a Falling Star" Facebook Author Chat Party on June 4th. Connect with Beth for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Beth will also share an exclusive look at her next book and give away books and other fun prizes throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of Catch a Falling Star and join Beth on the evening of June 4th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 4th!

DISCLOSURE: I was not compensated in any form for this post.

“Undeniably Yours” by Becky Wade | Kindle Fire Giveaway and 5/29 Facebook Party!

Becky Wade is celebrating her latest swoon-worthy novel, Undeniably Yours (Bethany House), with a Kindle Fire giveaway and hosting an Author Chat party on Facebook {5/29}!

One winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire
• Undeniably Yours and My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 28th. Winner will be announced at the "Undeniably Yours" Facebook Author Chat Party on May 29th. Connect with Becky for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Becky will also share an exclusive look at her next book and give away books and other fun prizes throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of Undeniably Yours and join Becky on the evening of May 29th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 29th!

Also: Watch for my review later with a giveaway offer for a free copy of the book.

"The Winnowing Season" by Cindy Woodsmall

Price: $14.99
Format: Trade Paperback
ISBN: 9780307730046

The Winnowing Season is book 2 in the series and follows A Season for Tending. The main female character is Rhoda Byler who has a gift of being able to intuitively know what is about to happen. Some call this a hunch. Some call it "second sight." But some deem it witchcraft or evil. But Rhoda has lived with this gift virtually her entire life and has learned to suppress and hide it from the people around her. Because, you see, the Amish deem it evil. But Rhoda is a woman of God and one who seeks His will in all she does.

Next we have Jacob and Samuel King, owners of the fabled King Apple Orchards and brothers. Both men have begun to love Rhoda but Jacob seems to be winning the courtship.

The story begins in book two on the heels of a devastating tornado that brought ruin to Kings Orchard. A group of Amish from the community have sought out new land in Maine and are leaving to begin a totally new Amish community in Maine. Rhoda is especially looking forward to a new life in a new community freed from the whispers and seeming hatred of her current Amish community. Before they can leave, though, Rhoda is called before the controlling and governing body of Amish pastors regarding her "gift."

It is difficult to understand the concept of church government and judging as is followed in the Amish communities unless one has been exposed personally to such.  This meeting has strictly observed rules, regulations, and order peculiar to the Amish. It needs to be understood that there would be differences in communities of Amish believers so they would not all follow this plan. The matter for Rhoda is ultimately resolved and the group leaves for Maine.

This story line involves a lot of conflict between individuals and brings to light the possible harshness that can exist in the life of seemingly peaceful, plain folk.

As I have come to expect, Cindy Woodsmall has again produced a very good read that is clean and a joy to read.  But then, we would expect such from a New York Times Best-Selling Author of Christian fiction. I am looking forward to the September 2013 release of book 3 in the Amish Vines and Orchards Series - Every Season.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy of The Winnowing Season from Blogging for Books on behalf of Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group and the author in exchange for my honest opinion. No other goods were exchanged. Opinions expressed are solely my own.

Author info: Cindy Woodsmall is a best-selling author of numerous works of fiction and non-fiction book Plain Wisdom whose connection with the Amish community has been featured on ABC Nightline, in the Wall Street Journal, and throughout other Christian and general news outlets. She lives outside of Atlanta with her family. 
Cindy's Website
Cindy on Facebook

Cascadian Farm Organic Crunchy Granola Bars (Review & Giveaway)

Wherever a person turns these days, it seems that we are being cajoled to "green it up."  Eat green. Drink green. Grow green. Light up green. Re-use green. You know. Don't eat, drink, live, breath, play, work at anything without observing green and save the planet ideals.

Is that bad? I say it is not.  I'm not a "tree hugger" by any means, but I do believe that if we each and every one of us try to eat food that is prepared with more naturally produced "green" ingredients, that we will be healthier.  I believe, too, that the less unnatural way our foods are grown - fertilized and treated against insects - the better for us they are.

Better air. Better water. Better food. Better us!

The folks at Small Planet Foods, home to Cascadian Farms Organic, Muir Glenn Organic, LÄRABAR®, and Food Should Taste Good are dedicated to bringing us good food, grown and processed in the most natural way possible using natural ingredients (that you can pronounce).

Today we're going to look at the Cascadian Farms Organic Crunchy Granola Bars. They sent a box each of oats and cocoa, oats and honey, and peanut butter crunchy granola bars for me to try. Well, they were kind enough to include a cute little T-shirt and sturdy tote bag with a lovely scene painted on the side. (see the picture). Can't you just see that lovely bag stuffed to the brim with fruits, veggies, and organic snack food such as the Cascadian Farm Organic Crunchy Granola Bars? Or perhaps stuffed with beach and picnic goodies on a warm, breezy summer day?

 

My thoughts on the crunchy granola bars: They have 7 or 9 organic ingredients.  They are crunchy and will satisfy your sweet tooth. Eat them alone or eat along with your favorite beverage. I enjoy them with a good cup of coffee. Each bar includes organic oats which is a real plus in my book! The three varieties include:

• CRUNCHY OATS AND COCOA GRANOLA BARS (NEW!)
  INGREDIENTS: Rolled Oats*, Sugar*, Sunflower Oil*, Cracked Cacao*, Vanilla Extract*, Tapioca Syrup*, Cocoa Powder, Sea Salt, Molasses*. *Organic. MAY CONTAIN PEANUT, ALMOND AND PECAN INGREDIENTS.
• CRUNCHY OATS AND HONEY GRANOLA BARS (NEW!)
  INGREDIENTS: Rolled Oats*, Sugar*, Sunflower Oil*, Honey*, Vanilla Extract*, Sea Salt, Molasses*. *Organic. MAY CONTAIN PEANUT, ALMOND AND PECAN INGREDIENTS . 
• CRUNCHY PEANUT BUTTER GRANOLA BARS (NEW!) INGREDIENTS: Rolled Oats*, Sugar*, Sunflower Oil*, Peanut Butter* (Peanuts*,salt), Tapioca Syrup*, Salt, Molasses*. *Organic. MAY CONTAIN PEANUT, ALMOND AND PECAN INGREDIENTS.

There are two thin bars in each wrapped package.  These a really crunchy but not so hard you feel you're going to break your teeth like some crunchy granola bars are. After eating some of each, I find that I am really favoring the Crunchy Peanut Butter Granola Bars. I thought that the chocolate would be my favorite, but no - peanut butter won hands down - in my opinion. Now everyone else be warned, keep your hands off my peanut butter crunchy.

GIVEAWAY: The generous folks at Cascadian Farm Organic are going to send one of Chat With Vera's readers a similar package of bars, bag, and t-shirt. Isn't that super???!!! Just enter using the Rafflecopter entry form below. Begins May 13 and ENDS May 30 @ 12:01 a.m. EDT. Open to USA addresses only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway  
DISCLOSURE:I was provided the bag, t-shirt and 3 boxes of granola bars in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any way other than these products. My winning reader will receive a package shipped directly to them from Cascadian Farm Organic. I was not obligated to render a positive review. Products have been taste tested by myself and any product information was gleaned from their website.