i'm alive, we got married and moved twice

wow its been a long time since i wrote an actual post that wasn't about books. so here we go.

on April 4th we got married, then went to Leavenworth, WA for a honeymoon. which didn't last long cause we had to come back super quick on that Sunday cause we had marriage class at church. so that was a bummer. but it was a good trip and we are planning a return trip cause we loved going to that bed and breakfast. it was glorious.

we are going to have a big vacation/honeymoon in June after our reception. so that should be good.

so a few days before our wedding we got notified that our landlord didn't feel comfortable renting to us so we had til the end of the month to get out... it was really infuriating especially because its not like the place was a great place. so i think it was cause we complained. but who wouldn't? the oven was broken, the place was a pig stye. and it had ants. ugh it was a nightmare and we didn't like to stay there at all. but we did at night. and stayed at my parents during the day and made food there.

we haven't found a place and last weekend we moved Justin's stuff to my parents. i never moved any of my stuff so i would just come here everyday and get clothes for the next day haha. it was pretty lame. but it was easier that i didn't have to move any of my stuff. we did that Easter weekend. and go on planning the reception in June.

life is crazy and sometimes its downright mean but we're making it. hopefully we can find a nice place soon but i just want my own house. even with how unrealistic it is. but maybe its not that unrealistic.  who knows.

i just know i'm tired and i feel more comfortable here. but one thing i will not get used to is snoring.  ughhh that guy snores so loud.

in other news last night. my mom went on the back deck and then saw lots of smoke. and we were all "oh fire!" and so then we went running down the block looking for it (we're crazy and justin had no shoes on) it was a few blocks over. but we aren't the only crazy ones cause we saw like 5 of our neighbors haha. but still justin had no shoes. we should have just jumped in the car. my mom went back for the car cause we went running down the street without the house locked cause we're smart. but she went back and got the car and i just kept on running/walking it was so sad though. but boy was that adventure exhausting. but i'm also not feeling well. kinda stuffy and my ears have been bothering me.

hmm other than that i don't know whats been going on. i've been feeling like not myself i hadn't done all the things i love in weeks like reading or crafting i was a zombie i'm slowly getting myself back so thats good. but one thing i dunno about is everyone is all "you're married!" does that mean i'm supposed to be some giddy person? i am just not that person. i'm not a mushy gushy person haha so i'm not sure what people are expecting me to be like? i dunno but its just yeah we're married but its not much different than before. i do love him a ton though. we're getting better. :)

thats about all for now.

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Paige Turned

TH1NK (April 1, 2014)

by

Erynn Mangum


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A few things about her:


So, if we were having this conversation in person, we would probably be hanging out at Starbucks or one of the cute coffeehouses in town. I’m nuts about all things coffee, I’m crazy about all things pink and girly, and I love, love, love the Food Network! I’m married to my best friend and the most amazing guy ever, Jon. He is amiable toward coffee, does not like anything pink or girly and tolerates the Food Network. So, we make a good match! In July 2010, we became parents to one of the funniest, cutest, sweetest little guys in the whole world (and nope, we aren’t biased at all!), our Nater-Tot, who is legally known as Nathan. Most days, I’m cleaning up messes, making goofy faces, trying to fit some writing in, and just LOVING the life that God has given me!


ABOUT THE BOOK

Despite her valiant efforts, Paige Alder seems stuck in chaos. Her new job as youth intern keeps her hopping from coffee shop to coffee shop all summer long, but at least she’s loving the one-on-one time she gets to spend with the girls. The unfortunate side-effect is that now, four weeks of laundry fills her apartment. Plus, she barely has time to help her sister and best friend with their weddings! And even worse? Something is definitely wrong between her and Tyler. She apologized for what he thought he saw happen with Luke. Can’t they move past it? Or could there be something he’s not telling her—something that could change everything?


If you'd like to read the first chapter of Paige Turned, go HERE.

litfuse blog tour "A Sensible Arrangement" by Tracie Peterson

Welcome to the campaign launch for Tracie Peterson's 100th book! A Sensible Arrangement launches Tracie's new Texas-based series, Lone Star Brides, that’s sure to please. As a special treat, devoted fans will be able to catch a glimpse of several popular characters from previous series.



Tracie is celebrating by giving away an iPad Mini and hosting a LIVE webcast event on 4/29.




 

One winner will receive:

• An iPad Mini


• A Sensible Arrangement by Tracie Peterson

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 29th. Winner will be announced at the A Sensible Arrangement Live Webcast Event on April 29th. Connect with Tracie for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Tracie will also be taking questions from the audience and giving away books, fun prizes, and gift certificates throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of A Sensible Arrangement and join Tracie and friends on the evening of April 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 by signing up for a reminder. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 29th!

About the Book

A Lone Star Brides book.

Marty Dandridge Olson is ready to leave behind the pain of the past.
Answering an advertisement for a “Lone Star bride,” she leaves her Texas ranch and heads to Denver to marry a man she doesn’t know.

Jake Wythe is the man waiting for her.
Burned by love, he marries now simply to satisfy the board of Morgan Bank, which believes a man of his standing in society should be wed. Together Jake and Marty agree they are done with romance and love and will make this nothing more than a marriage of convenience.

When missing money and a collapsing economy threaten his job, Jake’s yearning to return to ranching grows ever stronger, much to Marty’s dismay. But a fondness has grown between them, as well, further complicating matters.

What will happen when their relationship shifts in unexpected ways… and dreams and secrets collide?

Purchase a copy and learn more at Tracie’s website.

My Thoughts:

thanks to litfuse and Bethany House for providing me with a copy of this book for review. i wasn't compensated for my review.

being right in the thick of moving/getting married this past month. i didn't have time to read the whole book. but i got through a chapter or two and will definitely keep reading it. it didn't start out boring but pretty intriguing actually. which is something that hasn't happened with books and me lately. most of the books I've been reading lately i don't ever finish cause i just lose interest for one reason or another. hopefully i keep interested in this one.

CFBA Blog Tour A Promise in Pieces by Emily T. Wierenga

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

A Promise in Pieces

Abingdon Press (April 15, 2014)

by

Emily T. Wierenga




ABOUT THE AUTHOR:




A Word from the Author:

I’m Emily, and I’m honored and humbled to meet you, friend.

We’re all stumbling along on this journey and you can approach me about anything okay? I’m an open book, with dog-eared pages and a worn cover.




I’m mama to two boys, ages two and four, and married to a farm-boy-turned-math-teacher. We live in a small Dutch hamlet with three churches, one Co-Op and no stop lights. There are a lot of fields out here, there’s a lot of space and sky for breathing and running and writing.




We foster two boys in addition to our own two, and before I had kids, I took care of my Mum who had brain cancer. She fought back and has recovered, all glory to God, and my pastor-father still holds her hand while they go for daily walks.




I battled anorexia nervosa as a child, and then again as a newly married woman, and I write a lot about body image now and have a passion for women to learn to love themselves.




My husband and I have battled infertility and are currently trying to adopt our third child through the local Alberta government.




I hurt for the church, and believe in it, and pray for it, as I’ve grown up inside its walls and have heard its groanings.




I have a heart for Africa, particularly Uganda, and went there in January on a bloggers’ trip with World Help.




My favorite things to do are read literary novels, play guitar, snowboard, paint with oil and acrylics and hug my babies.




I am the author of two books on eating disorders, a novel releasing this spring, and a memoir coming out this summer.




I hope you’ll connect with me on FB: https://www.facebook.com/emilytwierenga, or if you prefer, Twitter: @emily_wierenga. I’d love to have a virtual glass of wine, or cup of coffee, with you.




Peace to you friends,




e.



ABOUT THE BOOK

After the end of World War II, Clara Kirkpatrick returns from the Women’s Army Corp to deliver a dying soldier’s last wishes: convey his love to his young widow, Mattie, with apologies for the missed life they had planned to share.



Struggling with her own post-war trauma, Clara thinks she’s not prepared to handle the grief of this broken family. Yet upon meeting Mattie, and receiving a baby quilt that will never cuddle the soldier’s baby, Clara vows to honor the sacrifices that family made.



Now a labor and delivery nurse in her rural hometown, Clara wraps each new babe in the gifted quilt and later stitches the child’s name into the cloth. As each new child is welcomed by the quilt, Clara begins to wonder whatever
happened to Mattie—and if her own life would ever experience the love of a newborn. Little does she know that she will have the opportunity to re-gift the special quilt—years later and carrying even greater significance than when it was first bestowed.




If you would like to read the first chapter of A Promise in Pieces, go HERE.

DANCING WITH FIREFLIES || RSVP for April 10th Facebook Party and enter to win a Kindle HDX from @DeniseAHunter!

Book Info

About the book: A Chapel Springs Romance Jade returns home to Chapel Springs after years of protecting her fragile heart. Then along comes Daniel, making her long to dance again. Creative and complicated, Jade McKinley felt like a weed in a rose garden growing up in Chapel Springs. When she left, she thought she'd never look back. But now, pregnant, alone, and broke, she has no other choice but to return. The mayor of Chapel Springs, Daniel Dawson, has been an honorary member of the McKinley family for years. While his own home life was almost non-existent, Daniel fit right into the boisterous McKinley family. He's loved Jade for years, but she always saw him as a big brother. Now that she's back, his feelings are stronger than ever. As Jade attempts to settle in, nothing feels right. God seems far away, she's hiding secrets from her family, and she's strangely attracted to the man who's always called her "squirt." Finding her way home may prove more difficult than she imagined. Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/uJ6OD About the Author: Denise Hunter is an internationally published best-selling author. Her books have won The Holt Medallion Award, The Reader's Choice Award, The Foreword Book of the Year Award, and was a RITA finalist. In 1996, inspired by the death of her grandfather, Denise began her first book, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she's been writing ever since. Her husband says he inspires all of her romantic stories, but Denise insists a good imagination helps, too. When Denise isn't writing, she's busy raising three heroes-in-the-making with her husband. Learn more about Denise at: http://www.denisehunterbooks.com Don't miss Denise Hunter's latest Chapel Springs Romance, Dancing with Fireflies. Reviewers have already labeled Dancing with Fireflies "swoon-worthy" and "the perfect love story."  My Thoughts: Denise Hunter is one of my very favorite authors. her books are always so easy to read and have such a nice flow to them. this one wasn't any different. i was excited to dive into this and see if the characters were the same or were different. luckily they were the same but obviously there were some new characters and a different story than the first novel in this series. but that made no difference to my liking for it. instantly i was drawn into the story and it was just so great. the story was sad but how they made the best of a situation was inspiring. i dunno who is my favorite but i was just so happy with the ending and sad cause you have to wait for another novel. i love when a series keeps the same characters and it flows together well and this series is just like that. check it out its out now! Join Denise in celebrating the release of her new book by entering her Kindle HDX giveaway and RSVPing for her April 10th Facebook party.   One winner will receive: A brand new Kindle Fire HDX Dancing with Fireflies and Barefoot Summer by Denise Hunter Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 10th. Winner will be announced at the Dancing with Fireflies Facebook Party on April 10th. Connect with Denise for an evening of prizes, book chat, and an exclusive look at the next book in the series. Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today by clicking JOIN on the event page. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 10th!

Litfuse Blog Tour and Giveaway "Maybelle in Stitches" by Joyce Magnin

About Quilts of Love: Quilts tell stories of love and loss, hope and faith, tradition and new beginnings. The Quilts of Love series focuses on the women who quilted all of these things into their family histories. A new book releases each month and features contemporary and historical romances as well as women's fiction and the occasional light mystery. You will be drawn into the endearing characters of this series and be touched by their stories.

About the book: Maybelle Kazinzki can't sew. She was after all, the only girl in the seventh grade Home Economics class to sew the zipper in the neck hole of the A-Line dress they were supposed to make. But when she finds an unfinished quilt in the attic of her mother's house she gets the crazy idea to finish it---somehow, come heck or high water. She thinks it will help fill the lonely nights while her husband, Holden, is serving overseas during World War II.

Her recently departed mother's quilt is made from scraps of material Maybelle traces back to her mother's childhood, her grandmother's childhood and her own childhood. She tries to add one of Holden's stripes to it but the sewing is not going well and neither is her life. After receiving some harsh news, Maybelle's faith falters and she puts the quilt away and stops trusting God. But God is faithful---no matter what. And it'll take a group of neighborhood women armed with quilting needles to help Maybelle believe that.

Learn more about this book and the series at the Quilts of Love website.

About the Author: Joyce Magnin is the author of the Bright's Pond novels, including the award-winning The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow. A member of the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Fellowship, Joyce is a frequent workshop leader and the organizer of the StoryCrafters fiction group. She lives near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Learn more about Joyce at: http://joycemagnin.blogspot.com

My Thoughts:
i just love the quilts of love series. though i haven't liked every single novel in the series. i've liked quite a few. this one was no exception. i have not finished this novel but i did like it from the few chapters i was able to read i did enjoy. after i've read the whole novel i will be able to say more but for now i like it.

thank you to abingdon and litfuse for providing a copy of this novel for review. i wasn't compensated in any way.

Don’t miss the newest Quilts of Love book, Maybelle in Stitches, by Joyce Magnin. Maybelle can’t sew. But when she finds an unfinished quilt in the attic of her mother’s house, she gets the crazy idea to complete it.
Joyce is celebrating the release with a $200 Modcloth giveaway. Enter today for a chance to spruce up your spring wardrobe!

  One winner will receive:

• A $200 ModCloth.com gift card
• Scraps of Evidence by Barbara Cameron
• A Sky Without Stars by Linda S. Clare
• Maybelle in Stitches by Joyce Magnin

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 19th. Winner will be announced on April 21st on the Quilts of Love blog!

Spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway via FACEBOOK or TWITTER.