Cheerio!

If you're interested in seeing the latest pics and posts from my research trip (for Book #3) to England, check out my author Facebook page here.

My Recommendation: Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer

What It's About:
No one steps on Archer land. Not if they value their life. But when Meredith Hayes overhears a lethal plot to burn the Archer brothers off their ranch, a twelve-year-old debt compels her to take the risk.

Fourteen years of constant vigilance hardens a man. Yet when Travis Archer confronts a female trespasser with the same vivid blue eyes as the courageous young girl he once aided, he can't bring himself to send her away. And when an act of sacrifice leaves her injured and her reputation in shreds, gratitude and guilt send him riding to her rescue once again.

Four brothers. Four straws. One bride. Despite the fact that Travis is no longer the gallant youth Meredith once dreamed about, she determines to stand by his side against the enemy that threatens them both. But will love ever be hers? Or will Travis always see her merely as a short-straw bride?

My Thoughts:
Most of you already know I'm a big fan of Karen Witemeyer's books! I've read every book she's written. And I think I'd have to say this one is probably my favorite.

I loved both Travis and Meredith - they were both very likable and a great match for each others' strengths and weaknesses. I really liked the premise of the book - it's a unique, fresh twist on the "marriage of convenience" plot line. I liked that Travis and Meredith met years earlier and she's pictured him as her "hero" ever since. Their story - like all of Witemeyer's - had the right amount of adventure, humor and romance to make it a fast, thoroughly enjoyable read. I also liked how all of the Archer brothers had distinct personalities. Witemeyer's next book comes out June 1st and it follows one of Travis' brothers, which I'm also very excited to read!

Find it here on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Things That Make Me Smile (Spring Edition)

1. It's been a couple weeks since we were here, but it was very smile-worthy! For spring break, we headed to southern Utah to one of my husband's and my favorite places - Zion National Park. While there, we visited the ghost town of Grafton.

I loved visiting ghost towns as a kid and want my kids to have similar experiences. This one has become quite popular now that most of the buildings have been redone. Before we were married, my hubby helped me do a documentary about Grafton for my film class, so the place holds good memories, too.

2. I've been re-reading some books I haven't read in years and loving them all over again - The Ordinary Princess by M. M. Kaye and The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi.

3. Our tulips are in full bloom and the weather looks like it may FINALLY be ready to stay in the nice spring temperatures.

4. I've written over 70 pages in Book #3 of my WWI trilogy and been enjoying my time with the main characters, Colin and Nora.

5. Notes of love left for me by one of my kids sure makes me smile, too!

What's made you smile today, this week? Does it feel like Spring yet where you live? Have you ever visited a ghost town?

Got Family History?

This past week I've spent a lot of time researching and looking up different ancestors from my family (they mostly hale from the British Isles). What typically started out as "I'll just check this out real quick" would turn into "holy cow, I just spent hours on this." :)

A cool website for finding information is Find a Grave. It's a free, picture database of millions of tombstones from all over - sometimes there are even additional pictures of the person you're looking up. 

One of the awesome finds for me was seeing the photo of my great-great grandmother's grave stone on there. I knew a couple of stories about her - when it was okay for her sweetheart to come over for dinner she'd shine a tin pan in the sun to signal him, her second daughter was the first white baby born in that part of South Dakota where they lived, and the Indians called her "white woman who shoots straight" - but seeing her grave stone made the connection to her all the more real. 

Where do your ancestors come from? What cool stories do you know about them?

Who's Your Favorite Prince?

We talk, read and watch princesses at our house. Recently the movie of choice was Disney's Sleeping Beauty. After watching it, I got to thinking about the different heroes (princes) in these cartoon fairy tales and their interactions with the heroines (princesses). And I decided my favorite cartoon prince is definitely Prince Phillip from Sleeping Beauty.

Source: Uploaded by user via Breanne on Pinterest

I like his teasing manner ("But we've met before . . . you said so yourself; once upon a dream"). He's cute; he can dance; and he falls in love with Aurora before learning she's a princess. But my favorite thing about him is that he has to work hard to get that kiss from her (unlike Prince Charming on the cartoon version of Snow White - sorry to any of his fans). Prince Phillip has to break out of prison, chop through thorny bushes and slay the dragon - all before he can climb the tower and kiss the girl he loves. Which translates into a great love story for this romantic. :)

So which cartoon prince is your favorite?

My Recommendation: The Doctor's Lady by Jody Hedlund

What It's About:
Priscilla White knows she'll never be a wife or mother and feels God's call to the mission field in India. Dr. Eli Ernest is back from Oregon Country only long enough to raise awareness of missions to the natives before heading out West once more. But then Priscilla and Eli both receive news from the mission board: No longer will they send unmarried men and women into the field.

Left scrambling for options, the two realize the other might be the answer to their needs. Priscilla and Eli agree to a partnership, a marriage in name only that will allow them to follow God's leading into the mission field. But as they journey west, this decision will be tested by the hardships of the trip and by the unexpected turnings of their hearts.

My Thoughts:
I've heard a lot of great things about Jody Hedlund's books and I'm glad to say I wasn't disappointed with this one. This is the first of her books I've read. I very much enjoyed Hedlund's writing style, which is beautiful and vivid. I love "marriage of convenience" stories, and this one was very enjoyable. Great chemistry between Priscilla and Eli, and I appreciated how the story didn't overly-romanticize their arduous journey West but captured the difficulty. I liked the time period (early 1800's) and getting a real idea of what life was like in America then.A must read!

Find it here on Amazonand Barnes and Noble.

Half-full, Half-empty - Not the Point!

At a conference my husband attended a few months back, a speaker held up a half-filled glass of water. He asked the audience how much they thought it weighed. People gave out various answers before he told them the actual weight didn't really matter. What mattered was how long you held the glass of water.

He explained if you were to hold the glass for a few minutes, it wouldn't feel like it weighed much at all. But what if you were to hold the glass aloft for an hour? What about a day? What about a week? It would start to feel heavier and heavier, affecting not only the muscles in your arm but your whole body.

He then likened the glass of water to our stresses and how long we hold onto those.

I love this comparison, especially when dealing with minor stresses. I've tried to be better about recognizing those smaller stresses and telling myself to "set the glass down." I don't need to hold those lesser stresses until they get heavier and heavier.

So whether the glass is half-full or half-empty may not be so important. Maybe it's how quickly we set the glass down.

What do you think of this analogy? Can you relate to releasing small stresses quickly in comparison with holding onto them for long periods of time? Are there "glasses" you need to set down?