Review of To Spark a Match by Jen Turano

Happy Thanksgiving!

One blessing I am always grateful for is being able to write. Another is all the other wonderful writers I get to call my friends.

While the rejections from agents and editors are never fun, it is such a wonderful experience to have the joy of meeting other people who also imagine worlds in their heads.

One sweet friend who adopted me at a conference is Jen Turano. I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to join her street team. Her latest book was so much fun for someone who loves cats (and anyone who doesn’t too).

And the cover is gorgeous. I very much want those earrings.

So, without further ado, here is my review.

Both my cat and I enjoyed this book. I appreciated that it was a hard-to-out-down read, but he did struggle with missing out on his necessary twenty-one hours of daily sleep as we couldn’t stop reading. We both liked the heroine who is a “cat lady.”

Beyond loving cats, Adelaide is a fun and likeable heroine in other ways as well. She has strange things happen to her and keeps her sense of humor in all of them. Gideon is the perfect hero for her, and I enjoyed watching their relationship unfold.

The supporting characters were fun, and I always appreciate that Jen almost always throws in another little romance or two.

I am looking forward to the next book in the series. I cannot wait to watch Camilla’s romance unfold.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy for the purpose of review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Review of A Match in the Making by Jen Turano

I am so happy to be a part of my friend Jen’s street team. Her latest is so much fun! Here’s my review.

Emma meets The Sound of Music in this fun book.

When the first sentence compared matchmaking to a blood sport, I knew I was in for a fun read. Although the premise of a matchmaker made me think of Jane Austen’s Emma, Gwendolyn Brinley is a good matchmaker. It’s fun to follow along and connect the dots of who would be right for each other among the characters.

Of course, Gwendolyn meets her own match along the way.

I enjoyed the humor, story, and characters. I really appreciated that the child characters in A Match in the Making were balanced portrayals, since I am often annoyed by child characters in books that either have the wisdom of someone ten times their age or are terrors with no redeeming qualities.

Gwendolyn and Walter’s relationship grew in a natural way. I liked how they grew as individuals as well. The spiritual lessons spoke to me.

I highly recommend this book, and I’m already looking forward to the next one in the series!

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy for the purpose of review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Jen has a few giveaways going on if you’re interested in entering. Also, check out her videos on Instagram. I’ve been enjoying them. If you’re a member of Avid Readers of Christian Fiction on Facebook (and if you’re not, I recommend you join), Jen and Tricia Goyer did an interview about this book and the upcoming two in the series today.

I can’t wait to read the rest. 🙂

Confessions of a Book Lover

Whenever I go thrifting with my mom, we both tell each other that we do not need any more books. We will avoid the books. We have too many books. (Can one have too many books?)

Filled with good intentions, that resolution lasts until we enter a store and spot the enticing spines lined up on the shelves. Like magnets, we are drawn toward the shelves and find ourselves justifying just one or two or ten more.

Thankfully, I now have multiple nieces and nephews who also love books, so when my own shelves can’t hold another, I still have an excuse to buy more.

Of course, I don’t limit my book collecting to thrifting. I am an equal opportunity collector, and I will expand my collection through a myriad of ways–and one of my favorites is being a part of my friend’s team and working to get word of her books out into the world. An easy task, since I always enjoy her books and am excited to add them to my collection.

My favorite quote from her latest was, “‘Merely a book’ should never be said to an avid reader.” – To Disguise the Truth by Jen Turano.

I am going to use that next time I justify purchasing yet another book. It’s not merely a book. It’s a portal to other worlds. It makes me see God in new ways. It expands my knowledge of the world. It makes me laugh. It lets me cry.

And in order to prevent this blog from becoming yet another book to fill my shelves, I’ll stop there.

What’s your favorite reason to read?

Here’s the review for To Disguise the Truth, which I hope you enjoy as much as I did.

I’ve been excited to read Eunice’s story ever since I started the Bleeker Street Inquiry Agency series. Her constant wearing of widow’s weeds intrigued me. The first line of this book lived up to my expectations.

After all, who can resist reading on to find out why the heroine had once shot the man sitting across from her.

As someone who writes, I am often able to predict twists and turns in novels, but this one definitely had surprises I didn’t see coming. I also enjoyed that storylines of secondary characters from the previous books were woven into the story and brought to conclusions.

I liked the heroine, and I enjoyed that she is mysterious at the beginning. As the book goes along, one gets to know her better. I also like the hero, and I thought that the relationship between the two was believable. I have always love Anne and Gilbert and Darcy and Elizabeth, so the hatred to love trope is a favorite of mine. However, one true danger of the trope is often a disbelief in how sudden the hate morphs into love. To Disguise a Truth didn’t have this problem. The romance grew in a natural way.

I am sad the series is over, but this book brought it to a phenomenal close with happy endings—and I love happy endings. I’m already looking forward to Jen’s next series.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy for the purpose of review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Of Shepherds and Wise Men

When God selected those who would be mentioned as the visitors to His newborn Son, He could not have chosen two more different groups.

First, He chose the shepherds. “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.” Luke 2:8. In this time in history, shepherds were the lowest of the low on the social scale. They were uneducated. They spent their time tending sheep. They were poor. They were nearby.

Second, He chose the Magi. “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea…, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem.” Matthew 2:1. These men were so highly educated, they are known by the synonymous name of Wise Men. They not only noticed the new star, but they also had the means to travel to Judaea to discover its origin. They were well-respected. They were rich. They brought expensive gifts from a faraway land.

The shepherds were almost certainly the first to visit the newborn King. The Wise Men were almost certainly among the last before Joseph, Mary, and Jesus fled to Egypt.

Why does it matter who visited the Christ-child? Perhaps, we can learn that anyone can be saved. God can save the rich and the poor. God can save the educated and the uneducated. God can save those who are near—raised in Christian homes—and far—those who have heard the Gospel only once.

We are all simply worshipers of the Christ Child.

Have a blessed Christmas!

To Write a Wrong Review

A few years ago I was at my first American Christian Fiction Writer’s conference. I had traveled with a friend and arrived early as she was attending the early bird meeting.

After offering to help with registration, I began to walk around and try to look like I belonged. Too early to check in to the hotel, I feigned interest in the art on the walls and strolled casually in a circle.

And so I might have done for hours. Except Jen saw me. She introduced herself and invited me for coffee. She chatted about writing, asked me about my story, and banished the lost lamb feelings.

So while I do love her books, I also count Jen as a friend.

Here is my review of her latest book:

Ever since I was introduced to Daphne in To Steal a Heart, I have been excited to read her story. I was not disappointed.

As someone who has also experienced writer’s block, I could identify with Daphne from the very first page. Soon, a kleptomaniac parrot and a pirate dog joined the cast and hurled me into a story that was by turns hilarious, madcap, poignant, and mysterious.

I was excited to see the return of many characters from the first novel. From a love-struck poodle (in the midst of an epic romance with the pirate dog) to the enigmatic heroine’s friend who is never seen without her widow’s weeds and veils, the supporting characters were each unique and entertaining.

Although funny, the novel touches on some serious topics and features a heroine trying to find her courage. Themes of unanswered prayers are examined. I also really appreciated that Daphne was a strong female character who used her intelligence and creativity to solve the mystery.

I highly recommend this book, and I can’t wait to read Eunice’s story. Seriously, why is she hiding behind those veils?

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy for the purpose of review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did.

Review of To Steal a Heart by Jen Turano

After months of my website doing strange and not-so-wonderful things that made it impossible for me to blog, I am praising the Lord that it decided to work for me again. To celebrate, I am sharing my review of Jen Turano’s latest book, To Steal a Heart.

If laughter is good like medicine, To Steal a Heart is practically a vitamin infusion.

Reading a Jen Turano books always guarantees a laugh, and I found myself laughing a lot. Although her primary characters are wonderful, often it’s the background characters that amuse me most.

To Steal a Heart includes a dog that prefers to be talked to in a pirate voice. A chronic fainter who writes mystery novels, a mysterious woman who dresses in widow’s weeds, and a boardinghouse filled with an assortment of unique ladies.

The book is amusing, but it also touches on deeper issues. In an era where all of a lady’s money and property passed to her husband after marriage, I enjoyed seeing a group of women create an inquiry agency to rectify wrongs women experienced. An ongoing mystery created the overarching storyline, but the minor mysteries were also intriguing.

God’s name wasn’t mentioned as often as in some of Jen’s other books, but I feel like it resembled the book of Esther. The name of God is not mentioned in Esther, but His Providence colors the story. To Steal a Heart mirrors this same message.

I highly recommend this novel, and I can’t wait to read the next two in the series.I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy for the purpose of review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Interview, Review, and Giveaway

I met Jen Turano a few years ago at a writing conference. She took me to coffee and told me about how she started as a writer and asked me about my own projects. I am very excited to have the opportunity to interview her about her latest book, Storing Up Trouble. Make sure you leave a comment to be entered to win a copy!

 

I noticed you dedicated this book to your husband. I have to ask, was your meet cute and romance as crazy as some of your characters?

In all honesty, no, it wasn’t crazy at all, although the first time I met Al, I turned down his invitation to dinner. We met at a bar in Buffalo, NY, and he came up to me about a minute after I arrived at that bar with my sister. I thought it was rather strange that he asked me out to dinner so quickly, so I turned him down. What I didn’t know at that time was that he was actually late to have dinner with another lady that night. He left soon after I refused his dinner invitation and I ended up going out to dinner with one of his friends (which didn’t work out because I just didn’t feel a connection to that man.) Anyway, a couple of weeks later, I went to this event called The Up-Downtown Party that Buffalo held for professionals every month, and the first person I saw was Al. He just had such a wonderful smile, and seemed genuinely delighted to see me again. We started talking and I definitely felt a connection with him. We’ve been together ever since, which is now going on thirty-one years.

 

I loved the cats, especially Phantom. Are you a cat person or a dog person?

I’m a dog person, although I don’t currently have a dog. My favorite breed is Australian Cattle Dogs, but after my Cattle Dog, Sasha, died three years ago at the ripe-old age of fifteen, I decided to wait a while before getting another dog. Al and I were thinking about getting a dog during this whole shelter in place business, but dogs are rather hard to come by these days, so we’ll be waiting a bit longer.

 

What’s your favorite part about writing?

Writing “The End.” Hahahaha – not really. My favorite part is editing because, for me, at that point I’ve gotten the hard stuff out of the way, and it’s really fun to go back through and fluff everything up.

 

I have never heard of a pistol purse before this book. Where did you discover this weapon?

I was researching different pistols that ladies frequently used during the Gilded Age and I found this picture of a pistol purse, and then I found a video of a man demonstrating how one worked. I knew I needed to fit one of them into a story, and “Storing Up Trouble” seemed the perfect place for me to do that.

 

Have you ever done something crazy in the name of research?

Not really crazy, although I have been known to drag my friends to historical sites, no matter if they’re history buffs or not. I normally bribe them with lunch, dinner, or whatever enticement I think is needed to get them to accompany me.

 

Who is your favorite classic author?

Edith Wharton, although Charles Dickens is also a favorite.

 

I know one of your treats of choice is potato chips. What is the weirdest flavor you’ve ever tried?

Those Flaming Hot ones are interesting – and not in a good way.

 

I appreciate that all your books have an interwoven spiritual truth. Do you have an idea of what it will be before you start, or does it flow from the character’s journeys?

I rarely know what the spiritual arc is going to be when I start the book – they just seem to show up as I’m writing and I take it from there.

 

The scenes in the store fascinated me. If you had to choose one of the jobs to work, what would it be?

Since I have a background working in department stores, I’ve done all of the jobs Beatrix works on in the book, except for the coat check because none of the stores I worked in offered that service. Frankly, though, I don’t really care for sales at all, so I wouldn’t want to work any of the positions I gave to Beatrix, preferring the buying offices to anything on the floor.  

 

You are known for giving your characters unique–but historically authentic–names. What is the absolute favorite name you’ve ever found/used?

Gertrude Cadwallader – probably because my sister used to have a hamster named Gertrude.

 

Storing Up Trouble was the last book in the series, do you ever feel sad to let the characters go?

Nope – by the time I’m done with a series, I’m normally tired of the characters and am perfectly happy to see the last of them. I also never read my books once they go into print because, well, it’s not like I don’t know how they end.

 

Can you share any teasers about your next book?

My next series surrounds a group of ladies who, because of necessity, form a most unusual agency – The Bleeker Street Inquiry Agency. The first book in the series, “To Steal a Heart” releases in November, 2020, and it’s about Miss Gabriella Goodhue, who spent her childhood living on the means streets in Five Points as a thief. Gabriella has some interesting skills that aid the Bleeker Street Inquiry Agency, and when she runs into Mr. Nicholas Quinn, a friend from her past, while in a rather tricky situation, they soon find themselves embroiled in a mystery that could very well see both of them dead.

 

Thank you so much for sharing!

Some special notes. 

1. My review of Storing Up Trouble is included below.
2. As a lover of happy endings, I was excited to hear that Jen and her husband adopted a sweet new dog! There was a slight delay in posting this to make sure the post office open.
3. The post office needed to be open because Jen has offered to send out Storing Up Trouble. To enter to receive a copy of Storing Up Trouble, comment below. A smiley face, photo of your pet, or emoticon are also acceptable. 🙂 

 

When Storing Up Trouble started out with a Frankenau Pistol Purse packing heroine, I knew I was in for a fun read. From the zany supporting characters to the fascinating historical details to the interwoven Spiritual truths …well, this book was just what I needed right now.

So, what were my favorite parts?

I love the hero and heroine, but I also adored the supporting characters. More than one romantic pairing meant more opportunity to root for Happily-Ever-Afters.

The cats. Yes, this book features heroic cats. As a cat lover often saddened by the heroism attributed to dogs that is denied to cats, I appreciated that in Storing Up Trouble cats get the full credit all felines will tell you is their due.

I liked the relationships beyond the romance—siblings, friends, and a man and his mule—to name a few.

I came away grateful that I do not have to wear a bustle, secure 200 buttons on my dress with a buttonhook, or work in a meat-packing plant.

This book is a fun and light-hearted read, but it also includes truths about caring for others, relationships, and finding the path God has for you in life. I highly recommend it.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy for the purpose of review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Sweets and Stress

Photo by Artem Beliaikin on Pexels.com

I am not entirely sure who first pointed out that stressed was desserts spelled backward. Anyone with a sweet tooth can point to this unsub (yes, I have been watching mystery shows during quarantine) and say thank you for providing us all with the perfect excuse for eating cakes, cookies, and everything else most likely to give one cavities.

I do have a sweet tooth, and I have eaten far more desserts than I should have. Some, however, will remain the most memorable desserts consumed.

One such “treat” was on a visit to friends in Brazil. As the dining room was full, my little sister and I were sitting at a tiny table in the kitchen. After an unfamiliar lasagna–far richer than we usually ate–we looked forward to dessert.

Photo by Daria Shevtsova on Pexels.com

Only dessert was thick slices of papaya and ice cream. Neither my sister or I are fans of the floral taste of papaya, but we both loved ice cream. After a bite of papaya, we placed the rewarding ice cream into our mouths and had a very bad realization. We did not like rum and raisin ice cream. Our dessert became a process of washing each offensive taste down with the other offensive taste.

Another memorable dessert was served while my family were attending a conference. We stayed with some wonderful people who opened their home to us. One night, the hostess offered pie for dessert. She had one chocolate cream and one other flavor. As a devotee of chocolate, I asked just for the chocolate, assuming that only one flavor would net me a bigger piece.

Unfortunately, my plan only managed to half the amount of pie I received as every piece was the same size regardless of whether people received one flavor or two.

Then there was the creation of one of my sisters. She was never a fan of baking, but into the kitchen she went to create a cake. The result was dubbed a volcano cake for the crumbled tower of moist cake held together with frosting. In spite of the appearance, that cake was one of the best I’ve ever eaten.

A rather less delicious cake was served at my sister’s wedding. Some dear friends had offered to purchase the cake as the wedding present. They arrived with an elegant looking cake that had a different flavor in each layer. I hoped for the flavor based on a popular Brazilian bonbon. Instead, I received a huge slice of prune and doce de leite (caramel) cake. It was a popular flavor in Brazil, but I liked it about as much as the papaya and rum and raisin ice cream.

Photo by Quang Nguyen Vinh on Pexels.com

Although desserts might be the comfort of stressed people everywhere, right now I don’t know that there are enough desserts in the world — even if one includes rum and raisin ice cream.

But there is a better cure for stress. We can find our peace in Jesus, the Prince of Peace.  “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you…Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

In God, we can find peace — and we won’t have to worry about our pants still fitting.

What’s your most memorable dessert? Please share and include the recipe. 🙂

 

 

 

Of Names and Mysteries

Delbert.

Who was he?

I didn’t know much about him or the other people whose names graced the pages of the books that weigh more than my cat. She, ahem, is not particularly slim. As a title-abstractor-in-training, I am growing accustomed to all that it is involved in tracing a piece of property’s history. The house doesn’t matter. It is all about the land.

And, for me, the people who once owned it.

I wander courthouses and research the history, deeds, and other documents associated with a particular parcel of land. In essence, I am an amateur detective without having to sneak around the suspect’s house. Since I tend to giggle at inopportune times, I don’t think I would succeed as the detective.

Title Abstracting allows all of the thrill and none of the might-face-off-with-a-killer-armed-only-with-a-toothbrush. I am fascinated by the random stories pieced together from the mere legal documents surrounding real estate. Why did a couple divide their property after thirty years of marriage and still remain one another’s heirs? How did a random couple end up on a deed they had no claim to? Why did the divorce degree have to include a clause about the wife leaving the house clean?

I suspect the divorce was not amicable.

My trainer encourages me to keep my mind on the task and admits they, too, sometimes find themselves falling down the rabbit trails of the whys and wherefores of these lives that I investigate without ever knowing.

Through it all, I collect names. The unique ones. As a writer, I love names. Ora Lee, Flossie, and Florence. Arno and Hattie.

Although I didn’t find the latter two in the courthouse tomes. I found them in the pages of a book my friend wrote. She was inspired by the letters her grandparents wrote during World War I. Letters found in an old tin. If I was writing this book, I couldn’t have come up with a more perfect idea for the discovery.

She confessed that she had to let go of the real Arno and Hattie in order to create a novel and fill in the gaps left by the correspondence, but the magic of reading a story about people who were almost real remains. 

I seriously wish the courthouse kept old letters so I could fill in the gaps left as a title abstractor.

Then again, I really wouldn’t get any work done.

Or maybe I would be inspired to write a book like Three Little Things by Patti Stockdale.

And I might just call my hero Delbert.

 

 

 

The Word Not Chosen

Like most people, I am starting 2020 with multiple plans to start the new year right — and a plethora of highly silly jokes about having perfect vision because it is the year 2020.

Sadly, I still need glasses and life doesn’t come with a ten-step program of the exact correct thing to do. One might pray and ask for God’s leading, but in the end, it is up to them to actually take a step forward.

As my friends posted their chosen words for the year, I was surprised. I had never thought about choosing a word that would be my guide for a year. I have written New Year’s resolutions, but I have never thought to contain all of those many goals — weight loss, more exercise, and traveling to planet Mars — in one single word.

Then I realized that for many years, I have had a word. Oh, I didn’t write it down or make a lovely meme. No, I pasted it in my brain and allowed it to consume me. “Perfection.”

Perfection doesn’t sound like a dangerous word. On the surface, it might even seem like a good word. We should always be striving to be better, purer, godlier.

But like an egg that looks smooth, porcelain, and easy to hold on the outside, you crack open perfection and you find slime and slipperiness. It oozes from your hands and is impossible to hold onto.

Perfection forces one to refrain from trying anything unless it is without any mistakes on the first try. Perfection leaves one spiritually struggling because every sin seems impossible to find forgiveness for. Perfection can leave one scared to press post on a blog or comment because there might be a misplaced comma or misspelled word.

Perfection can leave one stuck.

We are told to be perfect as God is perfect–but we are also told to strive, press forward, and run the race. As someone who recently fell in love with biking, I can tell you that the first time I rode I didn’t go very far, and my legs suffered from jello-itis. The next time I rode farther. And as the distance grew, the residual pain and stiffness lessened.

The truth is we can’t be perfect without God. We won’t be perfect in this life. Yet, in Christ, we can find new life. Hope. And someday, through Him, we will be perfect.

So maybe 2020 has brought me clearer vision. I haven’t picked a word that will define my year. I have picked a word that will not define my year.

So, do you have a word that will define your year? Or a word that will NOT define your year?