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  • 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.

    save-the-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. 🙂

    See ya next year, Christmas lights!

    I took down my Christmas lights and tree and all my decorations this weekend, and if you’ve been following the blog, you’ll know why. If you haven’t, I’ll give you a hint. I finished writing the Christmas novella that’s due on Tuesday!!

    Yuppers! The book is done, edited, and nearly ready to send off to my editor. And now I feel a little like this.

     

    Join me in a little dance, if you will!

    Brandon Heath is Leaving Eden!

    Well, it’s been a long wait–nearly a year and half. But Brandon Heath’s new albumbrandon-heath-leaving-eden, 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!

    Why I still have my Christmas tree up …

    Yup. Nearly every one I know has long since taken down their Christmas lights, pulled their decorations of their tree, and replaced their red and green decorations with their year-round ones.

    But not me. My miniature Christmas tree is right where I left it when I took for for Christmas vacation. My red and green wall hanging and quilt are in their places. And I my Christmas lights are often plugged in. Nearly half way through the month of January, I haven’t touched my Christmas stuff.

    And I’m not taking it down any time too soon. (And not just because I’m lazy–which of course I have been since returning from vacation.)

    It’s all because of a little thing, I like to call a deadline. Well, actually nearly everyone I know calls it a deadline. Yup, I have a manuscript due on February 1st. Moreover, it’s a manuscript for a Christmas novella (due out in September 2011). So I have to keep my yuletide spirit intact at least through the end of the month.

    Turns out it’s harder to feel Christmasy in January than I thought it would be. So if you come for a visit, please don’t judge me for keeping my lights up.

    How long do you keep your decorations up?

    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!