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?

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.

The Word that Can't Be Said

As most of you know, I recently finished writing Book #2 of my WWI trilogy. The setting for this story is a hospital in France during the Great War. With this setting, the word b-l-o-o-d inevitably came up.

Problem is, I can't see, read, talk or even listen to stories involving blood without getting squeamish. To illustrate just how bad it is, a few weeks ago I attempted reading a Magic School Bus book to one of my kids. One of the students in the story had a cut and the class shrank in size, as they do, and went to explore her veins. I made it only a few pages before I had to stop reading the book altogether. It was making me sick just reading the scientific information about veins out loud!

Needless to say, it was a big feat for me to even describe blood in my book. There's a scene where the heroine cuts her hand with a pair of scissors, and boy did it take great courage to "write" about even a little blood. Maybe I'm getting better, because a later scene with some references to blood weren't as tough to write.

Then again, this whole post has me squirming over the topic! :)

Are you as squeamish as me?

Over and Over Again

I'm a reader who enjoys re-reading books on occasion. Books like Beth Pattillo's Jane Austen series, She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell, Austenland by Shannon Hale, The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James, and others.

I think the fiction book I've read more times than any other, though, is Beauty by Robin McKinley. I first read it as a teenager, and as you can tell from the worn binding, I've enjoyed it many times since then. (My copy has the 1985 cover on it - way different than the current cover!)

The beautiful writing, the well-thought retelling of Beauty and the Beast, the fairy-tale magic, and the romance make this book one of my all-time favorites.

Have you read Beauty? Do you like to reread books? Which book(s) have you read over and over again?