Have you seen the trailer for the new Robert Redford-directed film, The Conspirator? Starring my dear, sweet, Jimmy McAvoy, this looks AMAZING! The history nerd in me is totally geeking out!
Category: Uncategorized
Goodreads Book Giveaway
A funny little thing …
A funny little thing happened this morning.
But in order to tell you this story, I have to tell you what happened last night. Yesterday, about 3:30 the snow in Nashville started to fall (for the 5th or 6th time this winter). And it stuck. Soon calls were coming into the office that the roads were getting slick, so many people took off for home–myself included. But many, many Nashvillians don’t live a mile from their offices, and the slippery roads turned into up to 5 hour commutes for some. Yikes!
Last night, I was busy reading tweets about the terrible commute and making sure all my friends made it home safely, when I came upon my sweet friend Andrea Lucado’s hilarious tweet: all Nashville commuters deserve a day off tomorrow. I declare 2/10 National Stay Off the Roads and on Your Couch Day
So I retweeted my agreement of it.
And then this morning, I was watching the news, while working from home (because, let’s face it, the roads were a mess), and what did I see?
Yup! Andrea and I are famous! 🙂
(Thanks to Caroline Green for the picture!)
Making this snow day exponentially better–News 2. 🙂
Giveaway: A Tailor-made Bride
I recently read A Tailor-made Brideby Karen Witemeyer. In fact, I stayed up well past my bedtime to finish it. (And trust me, I paid for it the next day.) But it was cute, and I really enjoyed it.
Here’s a bit about the book:
Jericho “J.T.” Tucker wants nothing to do with Coventry, Texas’s new dressmaker. He’s all too familiar with her kind–shallow women more devoted to fashion than true beauty. Yet, except for her well-tailored clothing, this seamstress is not at all what he expected. Hannah Richards is confounded by the man who runs the livery. The unsmiling fellow riles her with his arrogant assumptions and gruff manner while at the same time stirring her heart with unexpected acts of kindness. Which side of Jericho Tucker reflects the real man? When Hannah decides to help Jericho’s sister catch a beau–leading to uproarious consequences for the whole town–will Jericho and Hannah find a way to bridge the gap between them?
Both the hero and heroine in this book are immensely likable–especially after we learn what’s turned Jericho off from frippery. Hannah is quite prone to accidents and Jericho to saving her. They’re quite fun, and while it felt like the second half was about thirty pages too long, it was a lot of fun–classic historical romance.
And lucky for you, I somehow wound up with two copies of this book, so I’m giving one away to you. Just leave me a comment on this post by Sunday at 11:59pm to be entered to win. I’ll pick a winner at random from comments made by then and send you your very own fun read!
Happy commenting! Good luck!
Save the Date
Well, I’ve been doing a bit of reading lately. And I’ve got to confess. I ran into a couple of books that I just couldn’t seem to finish. They weren’t bad, per se. More like slow. And I just couldn’t get myself to that point where I couldn’t stop reading, so I gave up.
Yes, I recognize that I could be missing out on some exceptional literary works by doing that. I also realize that I only have so many hours in a day, and I want to really enjoy the ones I spend reading.
So imagine my joy, when I recently picked up a copy of the very, brand new (not really available everywhere until February) Save the Date by one Miss Jenny B. Jones.
First, a snippet from the back cover of the book, so my commentary may actually make sense. (Then again, it may not.)
You are cordially invited to the wedding of the year with the most unlikely bride and groom. Save the date…and say your prayers.
When funding for Lucy’s non-profit job is pulled, she is determined to find out why. Enter Alex Sinclair Enterprises–the primary donor to Lucy’s non-profit organizaiton.
Both Lucy and Alex have something the other desperately wants.
Alex has it all…except for the votes he needs to win his bid for Congress. Despite their mutual dislike, Alex makes Lucy a proposition: pose as his fiancée in return for the money she desperately needs. Bound to a man who isn’t quite what he seems, Lucy finds her heart–and her future–on the line.
Save the Date is a spunky romance that will have readers laughing out loud as this dubious pair try to save their careers, their dreams…and maybe even a date.
And now my comments. Read this book. Really. Seriously. Go find a copy of this book and read it. If you can’t afford it, tell me, and I’ll mail you my copy. It’s wonderfully funny (like when Lucy thinks that Alex looks like “man dessert” and I laughed so hard I snorted) and a thoroughly deep exploration of the lies we listen to about ourselves.
I loved so many things about this book–like the fact that the hero is a former football star and the way the heroine will do anything to save the home she runs for girls who have aged out of the foster care system. And don’t even get me started on Julian and Clare, who have just discovered Jesus and offer hillarious commentary on the Christian walk. Save the Date tugs at your heartstrings in all the right places and gives you hope and joy for the hard times.
There wasn’t a single slow page in the whole thing. I sailed through it in three days (or more accurately nights) and can’t wait for her next. Featuring a professional hockey player, perhaps? A girl can dream. 🙂
This video made me smile!
Okay, so I’ve never been to England. I’ve never seen the board guys on Oxford Street in London. But this short video is a story that makes everyone feel good. Enjoy!
Sign Language – a short film from Oscar Sharp on Vimeo.
Brandon Heath is Leaving Eden!
Well, it’s been a long wait–nearly a year and half. But Brandon Heath’s new album
, Leaving Eden, is finally available today.
Thanks to a friend of mine, I received a sneak preview of this album about 6 weeks ago. What does that mean for you? Well, it means I can recommend this album without reservation–because it’s still in my cd player, still playing through day after day.
A few highlights:
Track 1 – Leaving Eden
The title track kicks off this album perfectly. It’s an exploration of the things that make this world hard. Brandon sings about his neighbor forgetting her own name among other heart-breaking moments of life. But somehow, when he sings about “going home,” the hope in his voice is nearly tangible.
Track 2 – Your Love
The first single off the album has been getting some mega radio play. For good reason. This catchy song sums up the theme of entire LP. Check out the song here.
Track 4 – Only Water
I get chills every time Brandon hits the third verse of this song, as he begins singing about how Jesus was at a wedding that had run out of wine, speaking of the first miracle of Jesus recorded in the gospels. “They said he was just a man. That’s where it all began. It was only water.” A very chill song, that’s worth listening to time and again.
Track 5 – Stolen
As relaxed as Only Water is, Stolen is the opposite–an intense tune about the unrelenting love of God. The chorus is beyond catchy and is such a strong reminder that God pursues our hearts because he loves us and longs to be in relationship with us.
Well, those are my favorites on the record, but don’t miss As Long as I’m Here (the last song), the smooth Now More Than Ever, and the TobyMac sound-alike It’s No Good.
You can listen to samples at CBD.com or buy it there or at iTunes or wherever you like to get your music, if I’ve convinced you already. It’s well-worth the investment. Tell me if you do pick it up. I’d love to hear what you think!
New Year’s Fun!
So I’m behind. Okay, really behind in sharing some fun from my trip home to Arizona to visit the family. One of the funnest parts of the trip was the trampoline my sister and her husband got for their kids. On New Year’s Eve, we all met at my sister’s house to celebrate. Mom and I were out shopping, so when we made it, the kids were already out on the trampoline with my brother. Check out a couple videos of them being adorable!
Dave Barnes cracks me up!
As you’ll all likely recall, I recently saw Brandon Heath (my favorite!) at the Bluebird here in Nashville. He was excellent. We met. Yada yada. Anyway, I went to the show with my sweet friend Katie, who really went to support me and my desire to see BHeath. But as she so eloquently put it–she only had eyes for Dave Barnes.
Dave was delightfully funny and ridiculously talented, as he often is. Which prompted us to see when we might be able to see him next. Turns out that was this weekend at the final show of his A Very Neighborly Christmas Tour.
So on Saturday night we got all gussied up. (I mean, I put on my mascara, and I can’t even remember the last time something rated me risking putting my eye out with that evil little wand.) First we went to a lovely Christmas party, hosted by some of Katie’s friends. I met a fun lady who works at the same place I do, but he had never met! We thoroughly enjoyed the Christmas conversation and festivities, but soon we were off to see Dave, who was sharing the stage with Drew Holcomb and a litany of special guests.
One of the reasons I love Nashville–there were musical guests gallore! Including a very fantastic duet by none other than Brandon Heath and Matt Wertz, singing an original Christmas song. (Love you guys!)
Between the Christmas tunes and the standards from thier regular albums, Dave and Drew had the Tennessee Performing Arts Center theater rocking for almost three hours. But the best part–well … the best part of any Dave Barnes show–in my opinion–is the comedy routine Dave sneaks in there. Like how he joked about the crowd getting together before the show to practice the audience participation parts. Or how he had me nearly falling out of my chair as he told the story of singing (or rather lip synching) his hit God Gave Me You on All My Children.
Both Katie and I were laughing all the way home, just remembering the silly things he said. What a fun night!
So in honor, of the Very Neighborly Christmas Tour, here’s one of my favorite videos of Dave singing some really special Christmas tunes in his first annual Christmas Extravagan-za.
Christmas Cookie Rules
Confession: I’ve been thoroughly enjoying Christmas cookies this year. I’ve made some of my own. I’ve snagged some from office gift baskets. They’ve been oatmeal raisin. Chocolate chip. Even cherry cordial with a brownie cookie base. (Good stuff!)
And I hope that I’m the only one who’s been indulging a little too much. But given other blog posts I’ve seen lately, that may not be the case. So I’d like to share a blog post from a friend and fellow-writer Ane Mulligan, where she shares all of her very special Christmas Cookie Rules here.
A few of my favorites:
If you eat a Christmas cookie fresh out of the oven, it has no calories because everyone knows that the first cookie is the test and thus calorie free.
If you drink a diet soda after eating your second cookie, it also has not calories because the diet soda cancels out the cookie calories. (I knew there were extra benefits to loving diet Dr. Pepper!)
Any cookie calories consumed while walking around will fall to your feet and eventually, fall off as you move. This is due to gravity and the density of the caloric mass.
So enjoy your cookies this holiday season. And if, like me, you’ve had a few too many cookies so far, hang in there. Keep eating your fruits and veggies and try to sneak in a walk whenever you can (and not just because your cookie calories are dropping off with every step).